Exodus 16:14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.
This passage of scripture relates the experience of the Hebrews in being given miracle bread from heaven, which they called Manna, for they knew not what it was. This bread was the direct provision of God for His chosen people, and because it came from the hands of Him who does all things well, it therefore contained all of the necessary ingredients and nutrients that were essential for healthy living, all in one package. But It is worthy of note that it took some time for God to supply them with food miraculously, after having left Egypt.
According to the scriptures it was approximately forty five days before God sent them manna miraculously, and the question is why did He wait for a period of time, instead of supplying them immediately after leaving Egypt? When we read the Bible, God desires that we study not only the mere experiences written therein, but He wants us to also study His movements, His methods, and His timing, for all of these factors have deep spiritual lessons that are hid from the view of the casual reader.
When the children of Israel had left Egypt they were loaded with food supplies, and thus it was not necessary for God to immediately engage His omnipotent power, since there were still available resources. This method of God's dealings with us must be carefully studied and understood, for when this is done, it keeps us from presuming on His mercies by expecting Him to do what we can do for ourselves. When everything that can humanly be done, is done, then we can kneel and pray in confidence, for He will take up the slack according to His good will.
The same pattern of movements and methods can be seen when Christ walked among men, for there were times when the multitudes were hungry and He fed them miraculously, but not before utilizing whatever available resources were at hand, because omnipotent power is not to be summoned to do what we can do for ourselves. Let's read:
Mark 6:35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed: 36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat. 38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. 42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
This pattern of providing miracle bread will also be repeated in the future, when the economic privileges of the faithful shall be cut off, for according to the apostle John, the mark of the beast will be instituted to prevent those who will not bow to the image of the beast, from doing any kind of business, including buying and selling. And just as it was in former years, the faithful will have to exhaust all available resources, before miracle bread and water is provided by God. The promise is certain, but the fulfillment should not be expected along lines that are contrary to God's manner of working, hence the reason why as Christians we should study His movements intently. Let's read:
Isaiah 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.
"Again and again the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again".... selected messages book 2 pp 141
Before the angel fed Elijah miraculously with bread and water on his flight from the wicked Jezebel, there was one available resource remaining in the hands of a widow, who was then gathering some sticks to prepare her last meal. And so like faithful Moses at the burning bush, The Lord asks her "What is that in thine hand?" meaning that He was going to use whatsoever she had, and would then add His supernatural power to multiply what mortal man had maxed out.
In our day, and in our own experiences with God, if we pray and request His help in any matter, let us then make certain to use all available godly methods and means, and then we can pray confidently in faith, knowing that God will hear and answer us, for then we can approach Him in confidence, knowing that we left no stone unturned, nor spared any means in doing what we could to help ourselves.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this sacred principle, and it is the will of God, that as we grow, we may pray more intelligently, with a better understanding of God's ways, means and methods. Let's read:
Isaiah 41:13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee. 14 Fear not".... "I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!