What a marvellous God we serve! For every time we mess up, God’s grace affords us forgiveness. Whether we ask for it or not. If you’re wondering where my thesis derives from – consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Exodus 16:4 AFV
[4] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain amount every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
God Rained Down Blessings
Their contempt toward Moses was like a slap in God’s face.
Moses was God’s choice. Their murmuring challenged that.
Moses followed God’s directive. They questioned his authority at every step.
Then they used God’s name in a back-handed complaint, insisting that God should have killed them in Egypt.
For many of us, that would have been the final straw. Those Children of Israel would have lost my support. I’d have helped them to see who they were disrespecting. God offered a radically different response.
Self-Check
How patient are we with the faults of others? And how do we respond to persistent offence by the same person?
Digging Deeper
Siblings, like most of the Bible, this segment might be interpreted in different ways. It invites us to see God’s abundant grace that forgave the Children of Israel. Then we are invited to learn about forbearance – the gift of repeat forgiveness …
Let’s continue by reflecting on God’s grace that repeatedly overlooks our sins. That’s the first blessing. David articulated that premise centuries later in Psalm 103:5. In his season of trial, David penned a psalm of praise about God’s blessings to humanity. In verse 3 he stated that one of the blessings is the forgiveness of sins, and verse 5 tells us that our years are blessed with good things. It is God’s nature to bless us, especially since we really haven’t done anything to earn it.
This doesn’t mean we should now develop a sense of entitlement. Nor should we take God’s blessings for granted. In our praise for God’s grace and forgiveness, we should respond by choosing to live a forgiving life. That would be an intentional lifestyle of not treating others’ debts to us as they deserve, by extending grace toward them. What a different world we would create! And, what a powerful testimony to God’s love it would be.
That may have been the secret ingredient in the manna that God rained down. It definitely was a major part of the miracle, for the Children of Israel tested God’s patience sorely. It truly was as though murmuring was their besetting sin.
What then is our takeaway from God’s response? I believe it is the implicit invitation to bless others as we have been blessed. May God’s grace be expressed through us in that way.
Point to Ponder
Knowing that forbearance causes us to be offended/hurt by others, are we open to God gifting us with the spirit of forgiveness? Selah
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May all we seek be found in Christ
