Always Exactly Enough

     The life of an artist is not unlike the Israelites walking through the desert looking to God for provision. No regular paycheck at the end of the week, and not sure what tomorrow brings. True to a point for all of us actually. That is why a further reflection on God's provision of manna in the desert is so applicable for today. The people were instructed to gather an omer for each person. But read something remarkable that is easy to pass over in the text of Exodus 16: 17-18:"And the sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little (some worked hard, some not so hard). When they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess, and he who had gathered little had no lack; every man gathered as much as he should eat."

     First they gathered, and then afterwards they measured what they had gathered. No matter who gathered what, it was always, exactly, enough. What?! How can that be? It takes us immediately to the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000 in Matthew chapter 14.  After everyone ate and was satisfied, Jesus had instructed the 12 disciples to pick up the broken fragments and put them in the baskets. The leftovers? 12 baskets full. One full basket for each disciple, a sign to the Jewish nation of His provision for each of the 12 tribes. What?! How can that be?

     God used the bread of the disciples and the manna of the desert to illustrate a point. He exists outside the material world as much as He exists outside of time. His provision is part of His relationship with us, and because He is sovereign and all-knowing, He has the ability to provide always just enough, ever just enough, constantly aware of exactly what we need before we have a chance to even whisper a prayer. 

     And the relationship? Jesus called Himself the bread from heaven. It is all about Him. In relationship with Him He says to be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, to make our requests known to Him. All of it is about the eternal relationship with Him, who is always exactly enough.