One pastor decided to fast for a season. When his five-year-old daughter found out, she said, “You have to eat or you will die!” He explained to his daughter that the Bible tells of many of God’s people who fasted. She answered, “And they all died. Eat something.” Are you like me? A medical procedure forced me to fast for a short time over the weekend. Even going without food for half of a day stresses me. Do we really trust God to provide for our needs?
When Israel set out on their journey across the wilderness, they found themselves utterly dependent on God. Where would they get food? What about water? When they saw the Manna God provided, they named it by asking, “What is it?” Quickly they expressed their discontent, “But we used to eat meat back in Egypt.” Soon, they would have to decide whether they believed God could provide for them.
Later, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught his disciples, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink” (Matthew 6:25-26). Life, it turns out, consists in more than eating and drinking. God feeds birds of the air and clothes flowers in the field. We are worth more than birds and plants. When we are hungry or thirsty, we remember that God alone can provide for us. He has a long history of taking care of his people. He who brought manna out of nowhere in the desert and water from a rock will certainly provide for us, today. Do we trust him? We should trust him.
