A Pot Full

O.T. #178  "A Pot Full"
Nov. 29, 2013
Exodus 16-Part 1
The Israelites said them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." Exodus 16:3 NIV


LET IT GLOW

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family.
How many of us recall growing up with our Thanksgiving dinner around a pot full of turkey. Yes, Mom had a special roaster pan that she cook tom in. I have it in my cabinets, but have used it only a few time since her passing. Growing up, there were only five of us at the table, but we ate turkey leftovers all the rest of the week. I understand all the work that goes into cooking a turkey, the old fashioned way, that is. You have to get up with the chickens in order for tom to get done by noon.
Today, people take shortcuts by frying tom, microwaving tom, even only the breast.
If we don't have a turkey for Thanksgiving, would we grumble and complain like the members of my gang?
So much to be thankful for, huh?  There are so many women in the world who live without a stove or a turkey or chicken to cook. Yes, how blessed we are people of America.
What if we don't get our favorite dessert? How do we/I react? I'll leave it at that.

They are on the move again, the Israelites. Had to leave the resort of well water and palm trees. For some it would be exciting to continue this adventurous journey. For others, it would mean walking by faith in a God they had only heard about, not experienced too much. (Although they saw the Red Sea parted, Egyptian army drowned, 10 plagues, their first-born saved from death, which were all God's doing.) Perhaps reluctant ones had to pack up again and move, to where, they didn't know, except a Promised Land of milk and honey.
Which group are we be in today? If God told us to move, out of our chair, our house, our job, our church, how would we react?

LET IT GROW

No leftovers, no mess to clean up, no need for an afternoon nap, we ate our Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant, first time ever. Oh we weren't alone, my brother in law, his wife and daughter joined us, alone with many others, known as strangers to us. I did do some serving, though, I gave our table their fork to use.
Yes, we sat around pots of meat (turkey, chicken, steak, beef) like the Israelites did in Egypt. Yes, we ate all the food we wanted, like the Israelites did in Egypt. Today we have none of those foods to eat-salads, vegetables, deserts, meats, breads of all kinds. Today is not a leftover day for us. Neither was it for the Israelites a month after leaving Egypt. They longed for what food they had back there.

Swindoll, in his study guide, Moses, God's Man For A Crisis, identifies this as the second of three tests God gave Israel as The Hunger Test:
Verse 3 shows that they conveniently focused on the few benefits they had in Egypt while completely ignoring the many sufferings that had been inflicted on them there. With this unjust complaint ringing in their ears, Moses and Aaron told the people that their grumblings were actually directed against God. (my emphasis), not them (verses 7b, 8b).

We will discuss what God used to provide and how He supplied for two million people. Although they never went hungry, their lack of variety in the food God supplied for them still brought griping and complaining. Aren't we people the same way? If we have to eat the same cereal for breakfast in a week, we complain.

But they ate, and ate, and ate...

LET IT GO

Stop thinking back about the cuisine that was on the table yesterday and be thankful for what I have to eat today.

Thank God that He provides and for His provisions.

Thank Him for a free nation in which to live, for a warm house in the cold winter, food in the cabinets and freezer, jobs to provide money, etc.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.1 Thessalonians 5:16-19