Order of Operations

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Deuteronomy 8:3

When I was learning math, I remember having to learn an "order of operations". Problems had to be worked out in the right order, or else I would get a wrong answer.

What I've come to realize is that the same thing is true in life - there is an order of operations. For things to work out right, I have to be sure to put things in the right order. Often, it's a matter or prioritizing correctly. Sometimes, though, it's just about practicality and common sense - like if I try to put the cups in my kitchen cabinet before the coffee mugs, the mugs don't fit and I end up having to take the cups back out. I know this "order of operations" because I experienced some aggravation in trying to figure out how things fit together when space is limited.

In speaking of how the Lord sent manna to the children of Israel, we find that there was an "order of operations" at work here. The Scripture says, "he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna...". AND THEN! The Lord could have sent manna from day 1. It wouldn't have been a hard thing for Him to do. He had the power. He knew that the people would need to eat. But He also knew that there was something that they needed more than food, only they didn't realize it yet. They needed HIM! Food was incidental, but the people didn't know it. So God let them go hungry. Not for long - He didn't take them to the brink of starvation or anything close to it. But He let them go hungry, and after they had been hungry for a little while, God sent the manna.

When we've waited for the manna, our faith grows - like the Children of Israel. We learn that what matters most may not necessarily be what we thought was most important. But we learn.

God provides. It's generally not in the way we expect. It's often not as quickly as we really want. But God provides.

Are you hungry today? Are you in need of something? Rest assured God knows what you need. He is not insensitive to your needs. Probably He is just stretching you to grow your faith - helping you to understand that "man does not live by bread alone."

Hang in there. Manna's coming!

...Just a thought...