i forget.

i've been reading through exodus for a few weeks now... the stories in exodus are some of my favorites in the Book. i am so much like the people of Israel. they were freed from slavery and oppression in a great way and they continued to forget it was God who brought them out of Egypt. they were freed and they rejoiced. but then they forgot that He is the Redeemer. they were rescued from their pursuers and they rejoiced. but then they forgot that He is the Rescuer. they saw Him work powerfully and perform miracles. but then they forgot His power. they thirsted, he provided, they rejoiced. but then they forgot.

today i read exodus 16. it talks about how the people of Israel hungered but there was no food. they forgot that God had provided in the past, that He called them out of Egypt, and that He is more than able to provide food for the day. so God showed up and provided meat and manna (bread) for the people of Israel. each night they would go to bed and each morning they would wake up to find something they had never seen before. the ESV describes it as "a fine flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground"... i don't know about you but if i saw fine flake-like things on the ground, i would be much more prone to think it was some kind of precipitation than a means of food. i would probably have been a little skeptical... and they were.

moses explained what it was and told them to take their fill. they got how much they thought they needed and for each person, it was exactly what they needed for the day. then he told them not to leave it for morning. he knew that they were only half-hearted in their trusting God's providence... still, some kept it until morning, but it decayed, smelled, and bred worms. God wanted them to trust Him that He could provide what they needed each and every day. but they didn't.... they trusted in their own wisdom in keeping what they thought they needed.

on the sixth day, he told them to gather twice as much so that on the seventh day they could rest and have Sabbath. they did as they were told, but they still went out on the seventh day to look for manna. God already told them He had provided for two days, but they didn't listen. they forgot. they didn't believe Him.

the end of the chapter finishes by saying that the people of Israel ate the manna for 40 years. FORTY YEARS! for forty years, God provided what they needed for each day. i am sure after a few months, some of them started expecting it to be there. they probably were no longer amazed by God's ability to provide this "fine, flake-like" manna. some of them probably reasoned it off and forgot that it truly was the Lord providing for them. He had been so faithful but they still probably forgot.

i am so much like the people of Israel. He has freed me from much and i forget. He's shown me that He is my Rescuer, my Redeemer, my Provider, the One that is powerful, the One that loves me... but i forget and forget and forget. what would happen to my life if i really remembered these things every single day?