Receiving Manna in the Wilderness of Work
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26
In the story of Moses, when God led His people out of Egypt and into the wilderness, He provided for them in the form of manna—the “food from heaven”—blessing them with “as much as they needed,” in that they did not have “too much” or “too little” (Exodus 16).
In fact, because God specifically told the people to only take what they needed for each day, when the people tried to gather and store up for the future, the Lord made the manna rot; in this process, He was teaching His people dependence and gratitude while showing them His heart of abundant goodness, grace, love and provision.
What we want and what we need are oftentimes different. This remains relevant in the Lord’s provision over our work.
You may want a raise; you may not need a raise.
You may want and feel you deserve a promotion this year; you may need more experience, patience and growth in your current position for five more years, and to train your successor.
You may want to personally handle more tasks; you may need to learn how to delegate.
You may want more hours on the clock; you may need more time with your family.
You may want the opportunity to save more money for retirement; you absolutely need dependency on Jesus, learning to be grateful for exactly what He gives you day-to-day.
Learning Humbling Dependency; Developing Gratitude
“He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3
There are certainly ‘manna seasons’—seasons in which we are given just what we need, nothing more and nothing less. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t shower us with an abundance of blessings every single day out of the goodness of His heart with things we don’t deserve. It simply means that the things we deeply desire—oftentimes revolving around finances, material things or positional power in the instance of work—are not always given to us; instead, we are given just what we need for the time.
“...your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:8
We can rest in the peace of knowing that God provides exactly what we need. If the Lord blesses us with what we want beyond what we need, it is simply a bonus product of His kind, gift-giving nature.
Manna is Abundant
“He rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them food from heaven.
Man ate the bread of angels;
He sent them food in abundance.”
Psalm 78:24-25
I find it particularly intriguing that the gift of manna is described in God’s Word as “the bread of angels,” given “in abundance.” I think we tend to look at our own manna seasons as simply adequate, trying our best to see the silver lining, looking forward to making it to the next season—the season in which we hope God will give us more money, more material things, more career responsibilities and power.
No—the manna seasons are the ‘more’ seasons; after all, we are given bread from heaven! What is better than bread from heaven? Manna is not simply the bare minimum of what we need, but rather the gift of abundance in exactly what we need.
Certainly we experience more when our eyes are opened to the blessings around us. It's typically in the depths of the manna seasons that we grow to appreciate all God’s holy gifts—big and small—the most.
Our dependence on the Lord, increased in the manna seasons, teaches us the depths of the Father’s heart. When we grow in intimacy with Jesus, our hearts’ priorities change; our worldly interests fade, and our heavenly interests consume us in the best, most sanctifying ways.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
Taste and See
Where is your heart in your work? Though you may want more, if you’re serving in your workplace with excellence, you can rest knowing that you have an abundance of exactly what you need. Open your eyes and eat of the manna God has given you with a humbled heart of thankfulness and gratitude.
“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” Psalm 34:8
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