What Is It?

In Exodus 16, we read about one of those days when the Hebrew people that Moses was leading out of captivity 'got up on the wrong side of the bed.' They were grumpy. Even though they had been delivered by God from slavery, they were complaining.

The people were hungry. They said to Moses, "Why have you led us out into the wilderness, to die of hunger? We wish we'd stayed in Egypt, where at least we could have died with a full belly."

Moses got a message from God, "I'll send meat and bread for the people." So Moses passed on the message, that tonight God would send them meat and tomorrow "they would see the glory of the Lord." That night God caused an abundance of quail to land at their camp and they ate meat.

In the morning, on the ground was a great amount of a kind of wafer, which we know was the 'manna' that God would begin to supply daily for their bread. But when the Hebrew people saw the new substance, they said, "What is it?" (That's what manna means.)

God had said He'd supply bread for them. Moses told them to expect to see "the glory of the Lord." And there it was. And they didn't know what it was!

In the Lord's Prayer, which we pray often, we ask God to supply our needs (our daily bread). Many church services include this every week. I'm convinced that God answers our prayers. Yet many times we see God's provision and wonder, "What is it?" Maybe God provides for us in a way we're not looking for and we stand looking 'like a dog at a new dish.'

Think for a minute, right now, how God has supplied your needs -- your 'daily bread.' Look carefully. Let's not be those who say, "What is it?" but those who say, "Thank you, Lord!"