Everyone asks something from God.
People usually ask for their personal needs. Others, for their love ones.
When Jesus taught us how to pray, He teaches that we can ask for our daily bread. But this doesn’t mean that we wait for bread coming down from heaven and sit tight in our dining room. The situation with the ancient Israel is different from us. Manna is pouring down from heaven and the Israelites just pick them up for their food.
People ask God and expect that God will immediately give them what they want.
This is not how God bless people. God wants us to learn something even in the act of asking a request and receiving blessings. First, God gives in His time. God always knows the best timing when He gives. We need to be patient. He knows when we need it the most.
In the book of Habakkuk, God says, Hab 2:3 For the vision is still for an appointed time, but it speaks to the end, and it does not lie. Though it lingers, wait for it; because it will surely come. It will not tarry.
Isa 49:8 Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages;
God knows the perfect time for everything.
Second, God gives seeds and not fruits. Mostly, people like the fruits. When we eat the fruit, we throw away the seeds. That’s the way it goes, we always prefer to take the fruits and not the seeds.
God wants us to learn something when we receive His blessings.
God wants us to receive the seeds, so that we learn to plant and grow them. He teaches us to be patient while the plant is growing. He teaches us to take care of the plant and protect it no matter what happens. We wait for the right time for the plant to bear its own fruit. When the right time comes, we harvest its fruits and benefit from it.
But why do other people prefer to receive the fruits instead of the seeds? The reason is because they are not interested in planting and growing the seeds. They don’t have the idea that if they plant the seeds, the will have a lifetime supply of fruits.
Some people just can’t seem to grow up. How many are still living and depending with their parents? How many are still lazy to provide for their own lives? This is a big problem.
When the people of Israel left Egypt, they need to wander and cross the desert. Their food were not enough, thus Moses prayed to God to give them food. And God gave them the manna. Each they, the Israelites eat the manna coming from heaven. But the people, after a few days began to complain about the manna. So, God sent them quails.
God really blessed the people of Israel. But still they lack faith.
And this is the problem that God saw over His own people. Israel did not grow maturely and spiritually. Actually they did not learn how to till the soil, how to plant seeds, take care of the crops and sell their produce. They became lazy and all they want is to wait for the food that will come from heaven. Analyzing, the people of Israel did not learn how to farm, they did not learn how to be patient and they did not even learn the value of hard work.
People who are depending from others, don’t know anything about these skills and virtues.
When God gave manna for Israel, He told them, get only what they need for the day because it will rot if they get more what they need. “This is the food that the Lord has given you to eat… Each had gathered just what he needed.” (Exodus 16:15)
Well, they should be very thankful because God gives them exactly what they need for each day of their lives.
This is what common people say, they are already contented if they eat three times a day. There is no problem with this if people are actually happy and satisfied. But isn’t it selfish if they only think of themselves? People who are contented don’t think of other people. They don’t give because they think what they have is only enough for them.
God wants us not only to plant and harvest the fruits from the seeds He gave us, He wants us to learn how to give and share these fruits to others and also teach other people to plant their own seeds too.
From the desert’s manna, God wants us to move to the promised land. God wants us to plant our own seeds to grow, and harvest from it. And from that, we get to give to everyone who is in need.
Gal 6:10 So then as we have time, let us work good toward all, especially toward those of the household of faith.
Eph 4:28 Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, so that he may have something to give to him who needs.
This is to show that we have that love for others - 1Jn 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
