Manna from Heaven

I live in an area where we get the lovely visit of Cicada’s every 17 years. Although I love the sound they make during their mating call, I dislike that they aimlessly fly around and fly into us humans, are found all over the ground crunching under our shoes, in our trees and doing harm to them. I thought on many occasions “what is their purpose”? I knew, just like with all of God’s creation, they had to have one so I looked it up. Part of what it says is this; they naturally prune our trees and because of this, our flowering trees will be more beautiful in the next spring season and, that they (the Cicada’s) are a feast for all critters. It said that it is like them (the critters) getting Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter dinner all rolled into one! When I read this, the first thought that came to my mind was MANNA FROM HEAVEN! God our provider. God even cares about the critters that live among us and sends them a feast every 17 years! When Manna from heaven came to my mind I thought about the Israelites when they were in the wilderness for 40 years, it was God that provided food from heaven for them to eat and water for them to drink. Nehemiah 9:15 says "You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, you brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, And You told them to enter in order to possess The land which You swore to give them. And, in Nehemiah 9:19-21 it says You, in Your great compassion, did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to guide them on their way, Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go. “You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, And You gave them water for their thirst. "Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want.”

When I read these two scriptures it just confirms how awesome our God is! He is provider of all His creation, including you and me. Even in our darkest hour, even in the midst of our problems, even in the midst of our disobedience and sin and even when we are in our own “wilderness”, He is with us. If you are His child, He is there for you with a merciful and compassionate heart. Providing what we need, guiding our footsteps and telling us “I have ALL this for you, now step out and take ahold of it”! His promise to us, He has already given it to us; we just have to possess it! What is it in your life that God has promised you that you haven’t taken hold of? It’s time to allow Him to show you and lead you and time for you to take “it”!

I also want to look at Matthew 6:25-34, “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles (those not following Jesus) eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Our Lord God provides for the whole universe. He is the provider of all things. Is it telling us not to work? Of course not! Proverbs tells us if we don’t work, we don’t eat. But what it is telling us is this. As we trust in God, put our faith in Him and take the required actions He expects from us; He will do the rest. We need to seek Him and who He is and He WILL add all that we need to us and the desires of our hearts as well.

And lastly in Matthew 4:4 it says, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" We as humans cannot live on food alone. We need to be living daily off the Word of God and what it says. Study His Word. Live His Word. Stand on His Word. All we need to know to get us through this life is His Word.

It’s hard to believe that God brought back to my remembrance these scriptures just by asking the question “What is the purpose of Cicada’s?” The Lord reveals so much to me through watching nature. So the next time you are out and about, sitting on your porch, or taking a walk; look around and see what God reveals to you!

Until Next Time,

Kim