Spirit of Contentment
“Then the LORD said to Moses,
‘I will now rain down bread from heaven for you.
Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion;
thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.’”
Exodus 16:4
The Lord instructed the people to “go out and gather their daily portion,” and not hoard enough for a few days. A test of faith and their trust in God and His Providence. God gave them food at appointed times with specific instructions. If we read on in the chapter we come to see that some of the people did not listen and had gathered more than was needed and left them overnight. What did you think happened? It spoiled, becoming “wormy and stank” (Gen. 16:20). Why did this happen? Why would God do that? The fact is that God didn’t do anything. The rules were spelled out. God did not tell them to not take more than was needed because He was mean, but because any more than they could consume would spoil (except on the 6th day for the Sabbath). If God sent down manna everyday, why would any of the Israelites feel the need to gather more than their daily portion? Maybe because they wanted to “just in case” or because they didn’t really believe in or trust God. Perhaps, their relationship with God was not strong. I mean, God parted the Red Sea and they crossed through dry shod, and they still didn’t believe? But that’s how we are, I guess. Human nature. Fallen human nature.
In Chinese there is a saying that goes something like “If you know how to be content, you will always be happy.” If we learn how to be content with what we have been given, joy and peace will naturally reign in our hearts. This is not some psychological trick, but a truth. If we are content with what we have and where we are at the present moment because we know God is present in that moment, in the here and now, the peace and joy that He promises will dispel any anxiety or fear that may come. Do you believe that God provides? What were some moments in your life when maybe anxiety and worry took over? May we adopt a spirit of contentment so that we may allow the Lord to work through us and for us. Let us ask the Lord to give us the grace to truly believe that He provides and will provide, and that despite whatever difficult situation we may be in, He will bring good through it. Look at the Cross. Think about the tremendous good that came from that — our salvation.
