QT 1 Apr 10

Ex 16:1-5 (NIV) The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to 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."

4 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. 5 On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."

NOTE: This is the third grumbling. At least now, they attribute life and death to God. It is interesting how they view the days of slavery. Now, the old days were so much better than today. They had all the food the could eat or wanted. Somehow, that just doesn't fit with the way Pharaoh treated them, especially after the first request to leave. If they did have all the food they wanted, they sure didn't have time to eat it. Why is it that we respond in this manner when things aren't going the way we want them to? Do we really believe ourselves? Or are we just naturally unsatisfied with life--all the time? Paul once said, ". . . I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." Paul specifically suggest that not being satisfied is not restricted to being "in want" but also occurs "in plenty." What was Paul's secret? I'm not sure he explains it exactly, except he does say, "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." So, real living is through God's lens and not mine. He can give me the strength to live through any and every situation, but, do I bother to try to see things through His lens or is my focus (pun intended) from my point of view? Father, help me to view life through your lens.