Manna from Heaven

I'm not sure about you, but I have felt very much in limbo the past 23+ weeks. Yes, that is how long this pandemic has drastically altered our lives already. Interestingly enough, our life as a family has been anything but in limbo. We moved the middle of May to a new home. We've done some traveling and camping this summer as a family. I am starting a new job next week; and to the extent that it has been safe and possible, we have continued to live life as close to normal as we are able.

This post is not meant to be a platform for political opinions or for judgement in either direction; but rather an opportunity to reflect on what I feel like God is pouring into my life, in hopes that I can be used by Him to touch someone else in a way that draws them closer to Him. So please do not misconstrue anything that I may say to be anything other than my interpretation of what and where God has brought me through the past six months.

I started blogging a few weeks into this season of COVID, and up until our move I had been staying connected to my faith community (and new faith communities) as much as possible. If I am completely honest and transparent, I allowed the busyness of the move and then unpacking and settling in to take priority over maintaining those connections, as well as my relationship with the Lord. In the past month or so, I have very much felt the effects of that misalignment of priorities, and this past week or so I have tried to be more intentional about getting back into His Word and creating space and time for Him in my life again.

I have been reading and studying in Matthew, and the past couple days a few dots have been connected for me that I wanted to share with you.

Most of you are probably familiar with the story of Moses and the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years before arriving at the promised land found in Exodus 15:22-16:36. If not, take some time to read it.

I can only imagine that forty years of wandering in the desert felt very much like the longest season of limbo ever. I don't know that I would have had the patience for it. As I reread this story, I was reminded that the wandering was as much about the faith it took to trust the process as it was about the destination. An interesting thought to consider, especially in our current situation. It is easy in this season to focus on the destination, which sometimes seems to be so far out of sight it is painful. Let us consider then the process.

In Exodus 15:25-26 it reads, ". . . and there he tested them. He said, 'If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the disease I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you.'" (NIV)

Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that this virus we all find ourselves dealing with was sent as a punishment by God, but I do know ". . . that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV) Therefore, this season of COVID can be used by him as a season of testing and growing. An interesting aspect of the testing mentioned in Exodus was the manna, which also provided sustenance. Exodus 16:4 reads, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions." (NIV).

A closer look at the manna provides a couple parallels to this current season of COVID. I use an NIV Study Bible most of the time, and in the study notes regarding Numbers 11:7 it mentions five things about the manna that I found could be correlated to this season of COVID. 1. The Hebrew word for manna was man (pronounced mawn) and meaning a whatness. This suggests that it was an unknown substance for the Israelites. Easy to see the correlation to our current circumstances, as COVID-19 is a new virus never before seen in many of its characteristics. 2. Similarly, the notes indicated that the taste and appearance of manna seem to not have been experienced before. This can also be correlated to this season of COVID, as not only is the virus new in its characteristics, but it is creating unprecedented situations all around us like mandated masking, quarantining the healthy, social distancing, and more. 3. Although many theories had been considered according to the study notes, nothing seemed to suggest that manna was a natural phenomenon. This virus seems to be somewhat of an unnatural phenomenon as well. We must be conscious of the enemy that we have in this world and the work that he is about all around us. Not that we need be afraid of the devil or his work in the world, but rather aware of it and remember ". . . that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV) 4. Next, the study notes mentioned that the manna followed the Israelites, which also strengthened the case that it was not a natural occurrence. This may be a bit more of a stretch to equate to the current COVID season, but I think of it this way. When in recent history have we seen a world-wide pandemic? This virus will "follow"/affect you no matter where you are or go. On top of all of that, if you throw in the unprecedented reactions to the virus and attempts to control the spread, unnatural is a good description of what the effects have been thus far. 5. Lastly, it is indicated that a sample of the manna was kept in the ark of the covenant for future generations, which also suggests that it was unique to that time and meant to be a reminder/lesson for future generations. Although we hope not to take this virus too far into the future with us, we can recognize that our history should always act as a reminder and learning opportunity for us and for future generations of what to do and what not to do.

So, how do these correlations between the manna and the COVID season we find ourselves in relate to our lives as Christ followers? Although I don't believe God brought COVID on us, He can use the experience of it to teach us. The manna was as much about the testing of their faith as it was about the sustenance that it provided. COVID may not appear to look much like a manna that provides sustenance, but if you consider ". . . that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deut. 8:3 NIV) it wouldn't be difficult to see how this time of testing could and should lead us into closer relationship with the Lord. Maybe the manna for this season comes more in the form of the testing. It's a process.

How are you handling this season? Are you resting in Him and trusting that He is bigger than all of this? Are you ignoring all of it and wandering aimlessly in the COVID desert? Are you allowing the circumstances around you to create fear and doubt that draw you away from Him? Are you complaining about every inconvenience to your life that this season has caused? Are you looking for the end of all of this with no hope and forgetting to find purpose in the process?

If I am honest, I probably have had moments of all of the above over the past six months, which is why the story of the Israelites wandering 40 years in the desert spoke so loudly to me. Looking at Exodus 15:22-16:36 as a whole, we find that with the Israelites there was much grumbling, lack of faith, fear, and much uneasiness going on as well. Perhaps we aren't much different than the Israelites at times.

Considering this similarity with the Israelites, let us study the Word of God and find hope and instruction in the stories that have been provided for us. Another account of the wandering and testing found in Deuteronomy 8:2-7 reads, "Remember that the Lord your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands. He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then He gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out, and your feet did not swell these 40 years. Keep in mind that the Lord your God has been disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son. So keep the commands of the Lord your God by walking in His ways and fearing Him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams of water, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills;" (HCSB). He is leading us to a promised land in eternity. Even in this season of so much uncertainty, He is providing the manna necessary to test us, humble us and remind us to live by His Word alone.

Even Jesus himself was tested in the desert. In Matthew 4:1-4 we read, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”" (NIV)

Perhaps we should reevaluate how we are handling this current COVID season in order to not miss an opportunity to learn from the Word of God and grow closer to the Lord our God. I pray that none of us (myself included) would waste this season of testing or miss the manna from heaven.

Photo from www.concordiasupply.com