ODJ: flying fish
February 10, 2011
Each family had just what it needed (v.18).
READ: Exodus 16:1-18
The residents of Lajamanu, a remote Australian town, received a fishy gift last summer. Hundreds of small spangled perch dropped from the sky! Meteorologists believe the fish were sucked up into the clouds by a storm. “It could have scooped the fish up to 40,000 to 50,000 feet in the air. Once they get up into the system they [were] pretty much frozen. After some period they [were] released,” said a weather expert. Surprisingly, Lajamanu has been bombarded by flying (frozen) fish twice before—in 1974 and 2004.
A month after being miraculously delivered from Egypt, the Israelites were looking for a nice, fresh fish dinner—or something fresh to eat (Exodus 16:1-3). The wilderness didn’t allow for much, shall we say, delicious cuisine. God knew what His people needed, and He told Moses that He would “rain down food from heaven” (Exodus 16:4). And that’s just what He did!
God provided His complaining people with bread in the morning and meat in the evening (Exodus 16:12). But, instead of fish, God gave them “vast numbers of quail [that] flew in and covered the camp” (Exodus 16:13). So the Israelites had some tasty fowl to consume. In fact, “Each family had just what it needed” (Exodus 16:18).
Why would God give His people simply what they needed and no more? He was teaching them to trust in Him alone and not in their own means. He was teaching them about real faith. Jesus reflected the same faith-building way of life in the Lord’s Prayer, telling His disciples to pray, “Give us today the food we need” (Matthew 6:11).
Are you content with what God has provided for you today? If not, it’s time to take a fresh look at your faith. God wants us to depend on Him for our daily provision—not the frozen fish in the freezer.
Why does God desire that you be content with His provision? How is He developing your faith by giving you what you need—not what you want?
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