Looking for Miracles
“So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.” Exodus 16:17-18 (CSB)
Miracles.
Every single one of them is astounding, shocking and overwhelming. Have you ever experienced one? An instance when God suspended the regular way the universe functions to interject His activity?
Goodness gracious, I have.
I wish we were meeting face-to-face right now so we could share our experiences (and some chocolate) with each other. What a conversation that would be — recounting God’s unusual activity in our lives. Actually, that’s a good definition for a miracle we can hang on to together: Miracles are, by nature, unusual. They’re unnatural occurrences that can only be accredited to the Divine.
If you can’t put your finger on very many in your life, and if, like me, you’d love to have as many of them as God will graciously allow, I’ve got good news for you: Implementing Sabbath margin is one of the best places to begin.
Turns out, the Sabbath is a breeding ground for miracles.
Exodus 16 records an unusual and subtle little miracle. In the desert when the Israelites gathered their fresh, new-every-morning manna, the Bible explains “some gathered a lot, some a little.” But “when they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage” (vv. 17-18). Like multiplying the loaves and fish (see Matthew 14:13-21), God made everyone’s gathered manna just right for their need.
But on the sixth day when they returned from their morning manna ritual, they found they’d “gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece” (Exodus 16:22b, CSB) — which would have been reasonable and understandable had the people spent twice as much time hunched over the desert sand laced with heaven’s cornflakes that morning.
Twice as much gathered for twice as much work. That makes sense, but that’s not what happened. Each person, having spent just as much time and effort as normal, had raked in twice the result.
The people’s leaders, shocked to see the robust bounty of their work, frantically reported to Moses the surprising outcome. But really, they shouldn’t have been stunned at all. Can’t you just picture Moses staring at them blankly, shaking his head and sighing as he replied, “This is what GOD was talking about …” (v. 23b, MSG).
Indeed, this is exactly what Yahweh already said He would do for them. As they honored the seventh-day margin, God gave a double provision on the sixth day in order to sustain the Israelites. And they wouldn’t have to work overtime to reap it.
God repeats this miracle of provision over and over in history and in the experience of His children even today. When we obey the Spirit’s conviction — resisting the gnawing sense of guilt or compulsion to keep pressing beyond the boundaries, beyond that which honors God — He will bless our obedience and sustain us. He will miraculously give twice the harvest, twice the fulfillment, twice the return, even though we haven’t done anything more to garner it.
source: encouragement for today, Proverbs 31 ministry
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