He will rain bread from heaven

Hunger is not a third world problem, it is a global problem. Hunger can lead people to do things that are morally bad in order to be filled. In the Old Testament, we saw how Esau carelessly sold his birthright for a bowl of red stew (Genesis 25:33-34) because he was very hungry. At one point, the army of Israel was so hungry that they ate animals with their blood in it (1 Samuel 24:33). At another time, the king of Israel was disgusted and angry to know that two women decided to eat their own children because of hunger and they succeeded in eating one child (2 Kings 6:28-29). In the 21st century, hunger is the course of most of the vices that happen on the street. People go the extra mile to hurt and even kill others in order to satisfy their hunger. If these stories of hunger are unpleasant, imagine leading a whole hungry nation for days. This was what happened when the people of Israel experienced hunger in the wilderness:

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. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 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.”‭‭ (Exodus‬ ‭16:1‭-‬3‬).

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. ‭‭(Exodus‬ ‭16:4‬)

Imagine over a million people screaming at Moses and Aaron to do something about their hunger. These were the same people who had experienced the manifest power of God through the working of miracles. They experienced a great deliverance that took them from Egypt to their current location. Yet, when they were hungry, they totally forgot that the God who easily parted the Red sea can so easily provide them with food to satisfy their hunger. Before you consider the Israelites as ungrateful people, just consider the many instances the Lord God has graciously provided for you, yet at the sight of another situation, you murmured and complained as if God has never done anything in your life. We are all guilty of this. Whether hungry or filled, we should acknowledge that God still provides. How did God deal with this situation? In Exodus‬ 16:4-5‬, the Lord God 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. 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.”

“Bread from heaven” was God’s solution to a national hunger crisis. The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭16:31‬). The Israelites survived on manna for 40 years. God did not cease in those 40 years to rain manna for the people to be satisfied. This amazing miracle of God’s provision sustained an entire nation for 40 years until they tasted the produce from their new home. God did not miss out in providing bread to the people. As the people delighted in the bread so much and saw it as the sustenance, God reminded than in ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭8:3‬ that even the hunger was His own way to humble the nation and then feeding them with manna, which neither them nor their ancestors had known, to teach them that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Thus, bread is good but is not the only way to survive. Man’s survival also depends on the word of God which is an eternal bread. During Jesus’ temptation, “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.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:2‭-‬3‬).

Jesus reminded the tempter that “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4:4‬). As we seek God’s provision to satisfy our physical hunger, we should more than anything also desire not to be just bread consumers but word consumers. Understanding that our spiritual hunger can only be satisfied by the word of God Himself should encourage us to develop an intimate relationship with God. In John 1:1-5, John the apostle revealed a profound truth: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Jesus is the Word incarnate, He is the bread of life. No wonder before He was crucified, He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭22:19‬).

Enjoying the bread of heaven goes beyond the sacrament of the Holy Communion, it is also a deliberate effort to be daily filled with both the logos (written word) and the rhema (revealed word for a specific situation). Don’t be a hungry believer, there is too much to be consumed each day.

He will provide safe water to quench our thirst

Water is an essential component in our lives. Unlike some animals that can drink water and store some in the bellies for days, humans constantly need water to be hydrated. Thus, access to water is one of the essential human rights according to the UN. Although this might seem a minor issue in many developed countries, access to safe water is a major issue in developing countries and in drought prone areas. Whenever you drink water and pour the rest away, remember that someone needs that wasted water just to survive. As the people of Israel journeyed to the promised land, they faced water crises a couple of times. The lack of water made the people complain bitterly against Moses and even to God. Yet, God never ceased to provide them water to drink.

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. ‭‭(Exodus‬ ‭15:25‬a)

In the early part of their journey they spent three days without water in the Desert of Shur. Finally, they arrived at Marah but they could not drink its water because it was bitter. That is why the place is called Marah. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:23‭-‬24‬). Moses in turn cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15:25‬). Right after this encounter, the people arrived at Elim, and there they found the twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water (‭‭Exodus‬ 15:27‬). Thus, there was no need to grumble again. Throughout their journey, they had other encounters where God had to command Moses strike the rock for water (Exodus 17:6) or to speak to the rock for water (Numbers 20:8). God in providing water for the people demonstrated His power to meet their most important needs: satisfy their longings.

In the New Testament, Jesus proclaimed that whoever drinks the water He gives them will never thirst. Indeed, the water He gives them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life (John‬ ‭4:14‬). For Moses and the people of Israel, their temporary thirst was satisfied. However, for those in Christ, we have been freely offered living water that gives eternal life. What’s your deepest thirst? From which well are you drinking from? Are you drinking from a broken cistern? In Jeremiah 2:13, God accused the Israelites of two sins: “They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” To quench life’s daily thirst, we need to draw nearer to God, our spring of living water because digging our own cisterns cannot assure us of constant provision of water. When the Israelites walked with God for forty years in the wilderness, He provided water whenever they were thirsty.

Like the woman at the well said to Jesus, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (‭‭John‬ ‭4:15‬), our longings should ultimately be filled by Jesus Christ. We all need that spring of water welling into eternal life. As the Israelites drank from the rock, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4), the living spring for sustenance and survival, so must we drink the water Christ gives, a water welling into eternal life.

Impossibility specialist, He will cause nature to work in your favour

King Ahab and his godless wife Jezebel turned the Israelites into idol worship. Scripture confirms that, “Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him” (1 Kings 16:30). God has warned His people not to serve any other God apart from him. The acts of Ahab and Jezebel were known by all. “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). Literally, the prophet declared a famine in the land. The prophet was also affected by the same famine. The famine was not just in the house of the wicked king and his wife but even the righteous people in the land experienced it. Imagine suffering from a famine that came about because of your zeal for the Lord. 

The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. (1 Kings 17:6)

Elijah’s life was in danger because of his prophecy. 1 Kings 17: 2-4 states that the word of the Lord came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” Elijah did as God commanded and he enjoyed the food sent by the ravens until the brook dried and the Lord directed him to a widow. The story of Elijah and the ravens teaches us about God’s provision. Sometimes, in our zeal for the Lord, we tend to go through challenges and persecution. Daniel faced a similar situation. He defied the king’s order and prayed to God and that caused him to be taken to the lions’ den. Even in the den, God sustained him and the lions who in previous times had manhandled others, had their mouths shut. The three Hebrew men (Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego) refused to bow down to an idol; their action took them to the fiery furnace. But, God defied nature by turning the fiery furnace into an air-conditioned room. They were neither harmed, nor did their clothes smell of smoke.

God is able to make the elements of nature: animals, sun, moon, stars, rain etc. to be in our favour. The sun stood still for Joshua and Israel until they won the battle with the Amorites. 
“On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!” (Joshua 10:12‭-‬14).

Whenever we are in doubt of God’s grace and provision, we remember that ravens fed Elijah, lions had their mouths shut, fiery furnance became airconditioned room and the sun stood still. Life can be full of challenges but we need to know that we are children of the impossibility Specialist. Even when there seems to be no way, He can cause creation to work in our favour. Surely,  God is good, and He will definitely provide

The Creator does not want the earth empty!

I have heard of people complaining that the world is overpopulated. The Creator from the very beginning blessed the earth’s new tenants and told them to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). After the flood wiped away living things on the earth (Genesis 7), the same command of fruitfulness and multiplication was given, “Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it” (Genesis 8:17). The earth was created to be inhabited and for thousands of years, all living creatures have replicated themselves ensuring sustenance and preservation. Imagine if the last child was born a thousand years ago, I will not be here and neither will you be reading this post.

An American government research done in 2019 shows that “Americans are having fewer and fewer babies” and not “making enough babies to replace ourselves.” The expected number of births needed for the population is 16 percent below the number needed to keep the population stable without additions through immigration, the report finds. Similar situations have been reported in Europe and other continents. Recently, China lifted the one-child ban to ensure sustenance. In recent years, Western nations have relied on immigration to get enough workforce as their own populations dwindle. The current economic conditions, decline in childbirth rate and the desire to control births are some of the factors causing the decline in population. If developed countries continue to decline in numbers, their economic and political fronts would have to gradually rely on immigrants and descendants of immigrants for sustenance. So why should people complain about the world getting overpopulated when we need humans to keep the world going?

For this is what the Lord says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:18)

Similarly, all other living things need to be fruitful and multiply. Animals, fishes, trees and every living thing stand the chance of extinction if we are not intentional about their replication, productivity and safety. Everything God made is important. The fierce lion and the slow sloth are all important in our ecosystem. The fact that an individual or another living creature does not directly affect us does not mean they are irrelevant. If we keep encroaching on animals, they will be extinct. If we keep attacking people and encourage actions that indirectly hinder growth, we will lose the diversity of our beautiful world. What does the Creator say about all these? Isaiah 45:18, “For this is what the Lord says— he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited— he says: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” The Lord formed the heavens and the earth to be inhabited. Until the Lord returns, or calls us home in glory, the heavens and the earth should remain populated and inhabited. 

May the Lord grant fruitfulness to all His children and may we ensure fruitfulness in the other creation. 

The Queen who trusted in God!

The first time I visited the UK was for an academic conference. I spent about a week in the UK and two months later I was back for another visit. The next year, I moved to the UK and for four years my family stayed in the country where both myself and husband ended up earning academic degrees. One of the things that fascinated me about the UK was the way the nation has sustained their monarchy and the influence of the royal family in the nation. Particularly, I admired Queen Elizabeth for her role in uniting and building the United Kingdom after World War II. She ascended to the throne when she was still young, but after reigning for 70 years and 214 days as the Queen of England, we can only admire her for her tenacity. What was the secret of the Queen’s sustenance even in the midst of wars, political chaos, family chaos, pandemics, etc.? To mark the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, a booklet titled “The Servant Queen And The King She Serves”  was published. I was thrilled after reading the book. The Queen trusted in God!

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Who you trust is very important to determine how far you can go! Being the Queen of England is not an easy job in our fast changing world. However,  according to this book, “In all that change, the Queen’s faith has remained consistent. The Servant Queen explores and celebrates the place of Her Majesty’s Christian faith in the context of her formal role, public ceremony, her personal and family life, in times of celebration and in the face of adversity.” The life of Queen Elizabeth reminds me of Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” How can someone live a peaceful life in the midst of raging family, political,  social and economic pressures? The answer is simple: those who trust in the Lord are kept in perfect peace. Today, the whole world celebrates the extraordinary life of a queen whose 70year reign transcends the lifetime of the average person. 

Death is a painful departure and no matter how old one lives, the world will still miss that person. Many of us live for the here and now not mindful of our impact in the light of eternity. As the world celebrates the extraordinary life of Queen Elizabeth, may we not forget that she trusted in God and in the midst of all the chaos around her, she still had the peace to reign for 70years. When we understand that trusting in God is not an alternative but the way to go, it affects our mindset and lifestyle. Remember, the world will keep changing but God remains the same. Who you trust shows how far you can go. As for me, I choose to trust in the Lord. 

As we celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s life, let us consider this quote from her:

“For me, the life of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate today, is an inspiration and an anchor in my life. A role model of reconciliation and forgiveness, he stretched out his hands in love, acceptance and healing. Christ’s example has taught me to seek to respect and value all people of whatever faith or none.”
Source: The Servant Queen And The King She Serves. Excerpt of the Queen’s Christmas Message, 2014.

Do not put your hope in wealth

Few years ago, I read the story of a successful businessman who moved from grace to grass. I really admired his tenacity and passion for his work. I remember listening to him give advice to young people on how they can prepare for the future. He owned different businesses and employed over a 1000 people. But, his business empire collapsed in just a short time and the man who had gained national and international respect became a relatable cliche for grace to grass. This man’s story reminds us of the transient of wealth. No matter how much one gathers money, sustainability is not promised. Several economic and environmental factors can cause one to lose everything even if they had the best business experience. 

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.(1 Timothy 6:17)

The Apostle Paul advised Timothy to “command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” (1 Timothy 6:17). If in wealth or money alone we do have hope, then we are hopeless because money has wings and can fly away in a matter of years, months, weeks or even days. If our sustenance is money, then we have no root at all. It is good to be rich in money, we all want to have that financial freedom. However money should not trigger arrogance in us and neither should our hope be built on our wealth. Paul advised us to put our hope in God who provides everything for our enjoyment.  

Our knowledge of the uncertainties of wealth should cause us to be sober minded and focus on God. As we saw in our previous blog post, we can use our wealth to gain us eternal  blessings. Timothy was instructed by Paul to “command the [rich] to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:18‭-‬19). The people of the world use money to make friends in anticipation of the bad days (see Luke 16:1-13). The people of the Lord, that is believers, should learn the godly principles of making and using money. We shall discuss these further.

If you should lose everything (riches) you have, do you still have hope?

“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand”