He is Enough

Dear Readers, We want to let you know that we are moving to a new platform. Your morning reflections can now be found here. You can sign up to have them emailed to you each day, just like you do now on this site. Again, the new platform is located on the UALC website. (https://www.ualc.org/dailyworship) Contact Judy Webb if you have questions (judithannie.webb@gmail.com)

PRAYER PRACTICE

Lectio – Read today’s passage through once. Then spend some time praying and asking God to show you what you need to pay attention to in the text. Read it again. Now ask God to help you see what this text, and the part that has stood out, may mean for you. Don’t expect to get a clear word every time but always be ready to really hear from God through His Word.

DAILY READING

 Exodus 16:1-18

REFLECTION

He Is Enough

by Elaine Pierce

The Israelites escaped from slavery in Egypt 45 days ago. They witnessed the parting of the Red Sea that saved them from the Egyptians who would have surely captured them, killed many of them, and enslaved them again. God delivered them from Pharaoh. They were headed to the Promised Land. But what are they doing, just 45 days into this trip? They are complaining.

"In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.....If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt!  There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."  Exodus 16:2-3.  

They direct their complaints to Moses and Aaron, but Moses rightly reminds them that he and Aaron are obeying God's commands: "You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord." And then, God himself appears: "There was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud." The rest of this chapter and describes the manna from heaven that God provided for his people.  

Would I have been among the complainers just 45 days into this journey? Unfortunately, I think I would have joined in the chorus of negativity. It's so easy to lose sight of God's promises when there are bumps in the road. When the rain comes, I long for blue skies and sunshine. It's easy to get discouraged when I focus on the problems instead of the Problem Solver. When the people followed Moses' directions, they found that they each had enough food for each day.  

There is a beloved Passover song called "Dayenu, " Dayenu is Hebrew for "it is enough."  Listen to the song and the words, and thank God for giving you enough. He blessed Abraham, and promised to make him the Father of a great nation. He keeps his promises.  We so easily fall into sin and are lost when we lose sight of his goodness and faithfulness.  And yet, he welcomes us back with open arms. I could conclude with many, many verses that focus on God's promises. Here's one that I long for you to hold onto:

Psalm 145:8-9:  The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.