Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt
One morning I woke up and something clicked within me. I realized I had made mistake. Renee and I both did. We booked a flight to go visit our son and daughter-in-law only to find we accidentally booked it over a day when I had a speaking engagement that I cared very much about. We were both shocked that we made this oversight because we are for the most part, organized and aware of our schedules. So what happened here? I can only tell you that I made a mistake. I tried to fix it but the airlines wouldn’t let us change the tickets without paying costly penalties. There are few things in life that bother me more than when I make a stupid mistake—especially the kind that you know you should have caught.
I know that many people get mad when these kinds of things happen. I know that inwardly, most look to blame someone or something, because they don’t want to blame themselves. And many blame God. God, how could you have let this happen. Why didn’t you stop it from happening? I was telling someone last week, only the foolish blame God. He is not the source of any problem but He is the solution to every problem! I blew it. I created the predicament and I didn’t have an easy or painless solution. I told the Lord I was sorry that I messed up and asked Him to guide me in the best way to handle the problem.
When Moses was leading God’s people from Pharaoh and Egypt, he was doing his best to follow God’s instructions. God was leading them through some desert places. That was difficult for the Hebrews. They didn’t know that God was helping them avoid enemies they were not yet strong enough or courageous enough to confront. The places God was directing Moses to take them weren’t always comfortable or to their liking. They did what people too often do when they aren’t happy, they complained and they whined. They whined declaring that they blew it and should have never left Egypt. Instead of trusting God, they lost perspective of Him being with them. They quickly forgot all the supernatural signs they’d seen at the hand of Moses including Pharaoh’s army being crushed and drowned by the Red Sea that they had just walked through. Even though God was supernatural bring them sustenance, they became delusional forgetting that they had been abused slaves that were treated horrifically. Numbers 11:4-6 “Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!
What they weren’t seeing was that the food God had provided for them in the desert—the manna, was supernatural. It would completely sustain them and keep their bodies healthy the entire time God required them to eat it. Number 11:8 NKJV says, “The people went about and gathered the manna, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of fresh oil.”
That fresh oil was symbolic of the Word of God. God offers us that taste of fresh oil every day! God provides that Fresh Word from Heaven—the only thing that can keep our heart encouraged, our faith vibrant, and lift us out of discouragement. Moses taught them that truth later saying, “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years… to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” (Deut. 8:2-3 NIV)
Jesus later taught the same thing saying, “…so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:57-58 NIV)
When things go wrong or we make mistakes, our temptation is to get mad, get frustrated, and feel like God has abandoned us. Discouragement is demonically designed to tempt us to blame God or others, when we should be instead, from running to God and His Word. The Israelites were whining over their situation. Supernatural provision was in their grasp yet they didn’t see it for what it was.
My mistake was not out of sin or rebellion. It was a mistake. It wasn’t my first and it wouldn’t be my last. But I was confident that God is greater than my mistakes. His word was my manna! Psalm 112:7 NIV spoke to my heart saying, “The righteous man will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
I didn’t have an immediate solution to my dilemma. I could beat myself up over my mistake but I refused. I refused to become discouraged over it. I laid it at the Lord’s feet and said, Father, I messed this up and I don’t know how, but I am so sorry. Please help me work this out. I thank you in advance in Jesus name.
The following day, I got a call from the church that I was supposed to speak at. They called to apologize but they had given me the wrong date to speak. They wondered if I could speak on their new date. I smiled and told them I could arrange that. When I hung up the phone, I broke out in praise for the Lord’s goodness and mercy. If this was a test of my faith, I had passed it and God had blessed it. I was able to do both and both were a great blessing!
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV) “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life–in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.”
In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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God shows us the way through our mistakes. Our faith in Him will feed us on life’s journey.
Out of mistakes comes amazing things. For every mistake of my life is always a lesson to me. I also learn from others mistake so that I can work my way out with the help of God. He’s the solution I know. Recently, I felt furstrated of praying to the mistake and worrisome. The Holy Spirit ministered to my heart you to pray continually. I’ve learn so much from God thru the Holy Spirit. I know that I’ve overcome every problem as long as God is the solution to mistakes and worrisome. . God bless you.
I must say this is something I really needed, its timely. I made a mistake too, costly and big, a wrong decision, but God is bigger, He is the Almighty. I had a plan to resign from my job to be an entrepreneur, but I wasn’t patient enough, I should have waited a little longer, but I rushed into resigning and it later dawn on me that I’ve shut myself on the foot. I beat up myself everyday for this and it even got me thinking that God is punishing me for making a wrong decision. I’m not sure if I have ever made a weighty mistake like this before. I’ve been going through a whole lot since then, but one thing is sure, God is faithful, my redeemer lives, and He will show up Mightily.
Thank you so much for sharing this sir, God bless you sir.
@dareal316 twitter a/c
John, I am glad it was a blessing to you! Glory to Him! God bless you!
Thank you so much for this. :’) im jaeiciih @jaeidclavero on twitter. Thank you, i really learned from it, i need this good message because im experiencing the same scenario. It is truly a test. And ive passed it also. God bless and again my deepest thanks.