Grab Whatever You Can!

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t was the middle of the night and young Benjamin was sleepy.  He could hardly hold his eyes open.  He tried to concentrate on all the activities of the day but it was no use; his eyes simply would not cooperate.  His parents, however, refused to let him go to bed, refused to let him even lie down for a brief nap.  His mother had told him to remain dressed and to keep his shoes on because at some point during the evening, they would start on a long trip.

Benjamin had never been on a vacation, but if being deprived of sleep was the way they started, he wanted no part of one.  Suddenly, he heard footsteps rapidly approaching his front door.  Everyone in the house grew quiet, all conversation ceased, and the air became very tense and heavy.  The door flew open with a crash that sent his little stomach straight up into his throat.  Outside, his neighbors were frantically packing their belongings, placing them wherever they could find room.  It appeared that the time for the vacation to start had arrived, but Benjamin hadn't pictured it like this and he had no idea so many others were going with him.

The person responsible for knocking down his door was a soldier.  He angrily ordered everyone to get out within 10 minutes because they were leaving.  Now Benjamin was certain that the time to leave had come.  His mother looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Grab whatever you can, and hurry!"  Benjamin obeyed, grabbing a sack full of raisins, his favorite snack, and a stuffed toy he liked to sleep with.  They joined the others in the street and the throng began moving quickly towards the outskirts of the settlement.  His mother held his hand tightly so they wouldn't be separated in the crowd.  She hadn't had time to grab some of the most important things in the household.  All she had taken was a few clothes and a large mixing bowl of bread dough.  "What an odd combination," Benjamin thought, "but at least she will look nice and we can eat!"

Although Benjamin and his family are not real people, the event portrayed here is!  The Hebrew Exodus from Egypt stands as one of the most miraculous events in Jewish history.  After 430 years, God brought forth his people in a mighty way, using miraculous signs and wonders to display his power and his love for them.  On the night before their departure, the children of Israel had been told to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice.  They were to eat their final meal fully dressed, ready to leave as soon as the word was given (Exodus 12:10).

Our scripture verse today speaks about God's provision for his children.  Exodus 12:39 says, "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves."  When God was ready to move his children out of Egypt, he did so with haste.  Although they knew they were leaving, they didn't know exactly when.  At the last minute, they had to grab whatever was available and leave Egypt.

Sometimes as Christians, this is exactly how we feel.  God calls us suddenly to change directions, to change locations, or to change our area of service.  The call comes so quickly, or an event happens so suddenly, we barely have time to get our thoughts or any provisions together.  We feel hurried, bustled, and the unfolding events are not as we envisioned them to be.  Like Benjamin who didn't like vacations because they deprived him of sleep, we are hesitant to follow God because we are unsure of the immediate circumstances.  But dear Christian, grab what you can, pack your bags, and go!!  The destination God has chosen for you is flowing with milk and honey. 

In the desert, God was their provision.  It was he who gave manna and quail daily and provided water for them to drink.  It was God who kept them from being sick and who didn't let the soles of their sandals wear thin, even when they insisted on wandering in the desert for 40 years.  It was never God's design for his children to provide for themselves; instead, he wanted to do it for them all along.

So, if God is pushing you into a new area of service and you are concerned about having shelter, food, clothing, employment, etc.  Remember the children of Israel on the desert floor.  Each morning they walked out and picked up bread, and each evening they ate quail.  They had water to drink, and they had shelter.  Jesus himself said that the birds of the air don't work or store provisions but God still feeds them.  How much more will he provide for us!  Take Benjamin's mother's advice when God begins to move you and "Grab whatever you can!"  It's time to move on!!

Our Daily Bread

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n 1983, I had the opportunity to live and study in the south of France.  My college had a year abroad program and twenty-five of us spent our junior year in Europe.  That year was a very interesting time to be overseas.  In September, 1983, Korean Airlines flight 007 was shot down and the United States sent cruise missiles to Europe. In 1984, President Andropov of the former Soviet Union died, and the United States invaded the island of Grenada.  Every letter and phone conversation home found me asking questions about what was going on in the news.  French newspapers carried the stories but their points of view did not reflect those of the United States.

All during that year, my friend, Charlie received the Sunday edition of the Washington Post.  It was delivered during the week and we fought over the different sections of the paper.  We all visited Charlie on a regular basis, especially when the paper was due.  Some of us wanted the sports news, some of us were interested in the editorials, but all of us were interested in the headlines and top stories.  The paper was so large that we could easily take a week to read it.  The problem was that we couldn't stay current with all the events happening at home.  All we had to rely on was Sunday's paper.

This scenario strikes a shocking parallel to the way most Christians live their lives.  They attend church on Sunday, listen to the pastor, open their Bibles and follow along as the text is read.  After the service, they put their Bibles back on the shelf and wait until the next Sunday to take them down, dust them off, and return to church. The sermon rapidly becomes old news and they can't remember from one Sunday to the next what the pastor preached.  The quality of their walk with God is diminished because they don't keep current with the "news from home."  Without reading God's word on a daily basis, it is impossible to know what he has to say concerning the Christian life.

The children of Israel learned first-hand what it meant to rely on God for daily provision.  In the Exodus from Egypt, God provided bread for them on a daily basis.  The manna fell each morning and they were to go out and gather what they needed for that day.  God's instructions concerning the manna are recorded in Exodus 16:4: "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. The people can go out each day and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether they will follow my instructions."  God's provision came fresh every morning, however, the people had to go out and gather it for themselves.

As we start each day, God provides direction and instruction for us.  We have his written word, something the Israelites did not have.  God's word provides all we need to enjoy a relationship with him and all the instructions necessary to live the Christian life to the fullest.  However, it is up to us to read it every day.  God has provided the bread, but we must gather it.  If we refuse to read his word daily, our lives become stagnant and seriously malnourished.  Daily bread is essential if we are to maintain our strength and to stay in constant communion with God.

In France, although we enjoyed the Sunday Washington Post, it never really satisfied us because the news was old, stale, and useless to us.  In the same way, opening God's word only on Sundays does not provide the nourishment our souls need in order to grow strong in the Lord.  Today, as you prepare meals in order to feed your body open God's word and feed your soul.  Do this on a daily basis and draw from God's inexhaustible provision which is new every morning.  The Israelites ate manna for forty years and it was fresh each day.  Fresh bread for your soul is as close to you as the cover of your Bible.  Have you gathered your daily bread today?

Take Your Vitamins!

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hen I was a little boy, my mom used to give me vitamins.  She bought vitamins made for kids that were shaped like animals or famous cartoon characters.  They came in a variety of colors and flavors and one of the hardest decisions I had to make was which shape and which flavor I wanted.  My brother also got in on the act and we made sure we had taken our vitamins before leaving the house.

As soon as I had taken my daily tablet, I felt stronger, had more energy, and could perform better in school.  To me the vitamin was the promise of instant strength and invincibility; but the vitamin didn’t work like that.  Instead, it slowly released its elements to support, strengthen, and protect my body.  Throughout the day and night, without my being aware of it, the vitamins continually worked, helping me stay healthy and grow up strong.

Spiritually speaking, we need vitamins in our daily walk with God.  The Christian life is full of twists and turns and without daily nourishment from God’s word, we grow tired and our spiritual walk with God is never what it should be.  God’s word is filled with the necessary elements we need in order to mature and grow spiritually strong. 

One of my favorite places to find daily spiritual vitamins is in the book of Psalms.  In moments of great stress, great trial, and great despair, many people have found the Psalms to be a constant source of strength and encouragement.  They provide the added strength we need when the road ahead is difficult and filled with the obstacles that life places in our path.

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salm 121 is a great source of encouragement and strength.  It reminds us that our strength does not come from within us but from God.  This psalm also ensures us that God is with us, that He is our protection, that He keeps us, and that He watches over us in ever situation of life.  Today, I would like to offer this psalm as today’s spiritual vitamin.  As we follow world events that change from moment to moment, let us grab hold of the one thing in life that never changes—God!  These words are as much for us today as they were for David several thousand years ago!  Read the entire Psalm online by clicking on the underlined words, Psalm 121, at the top of today’s Tidbit.

Psalm 121


A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills-
where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the LORD ,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip-
he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The LORD watches over you-
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
⁸ the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Here Are Some Things You'l Need

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he pictures were hung, the floors were mopped, the carpet was cleaned and vacuumed, the bed was made, the clothes were hung in the closet, the dishes were washed and stacked, and all the last little touches were completed.  My first apartment was now ready to become my home.  Well, not quite.  You see, now I had to maintain the apartment and that meant stocking up on cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, paper products, and all the little things you need but don’t really think of when you’re moving from one place to another.

My parents, however, were one step ahead of me.  They took my car one morning and went shopping.  They weren’t gone very long when I heard a knock at the door.  My mom entered with her arms full of paper towels and told me my dad was downstairs requesting my assistance in unloading the back of the car.  By using the word “requesting” I knew she meant he needed my help pronto!

When I got to the car, I found my dad unloading all types of goodies onto the sidewalk.  The car was completely filled with hand soap, dish detergent, fabric softener, laundry detergent, a mop, a bucket, cleaning supplies, shampoo, cleaning products, napkins, and an ample supply of toilet tissue.  It was like Christmas!!  I couldn’t believe my eyes or the overwhelming feeling of gratitude that filled my heart.  All of these things I needed but I didn’t have the wherewithal to purchase all of them at once.  That is when God taught me a wonderful lesson about supplying all my needs.

In his letter to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul boldly and confidently assures his readers of God’s ability and desire to provide all of their needs.  Philippians 4:19 stands as one of the great bedrock promises of the Christian faith, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Read this passage again very slowly and you will notice two distinct truths embedded in Paul’s words.

First, God will supply not some of our needs but all of them.  So many times in our walk with the Lord, we believe He will supply some of our needs or perhaps most of our needs but we find it difficult to believe that all of our needs will be met.  But look at what the passage says.  Paul states categorically that God will meet all of our needs.  That means every single one of them, no matter how large or small, and no matter how insignificant we think they are.

Second, God provides these needs according to His riches, not according to ours.  My mom and dad purchased the supplies for my apartment from their own personal finances, not from mine.  This is a good thing because my bank balance resembles the widow with two mites.  The same is true with God.  God does not use our resources to provide for us because we simply have no resources to pull from.  But God’s riches are in Christ Jesus.  This means that God has an endless supply of resources and according to those riches, He can and will supply every need we have today. 

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hen my mom came into the apartment with her arms full of supplies, she looked at me, smiled, and said, “Here are a few things you’ll need.”  However, when we emptied the car, the apartment was filled and actually overflowed into the storage unit.  What a picture of God’s grace and provision this is!  God not only meets our needs, he surpasses them!  He says to us, “Here are some things you’ll need.”  He fills our lives with things we didn’t even consider and always makes sure we are fully stocked with all the wonderful things He has for us in Christ Jesus.  Are you well stocked today?

Take As Directed!

            

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ake as directed!  These are the instructions written across the label of the prescription bottle containing my heart medication.  Twice a day, I open this bottle, remove one of the capsules, take the medicine, and continue on with my day.  It has just become a part of my daily routine.

For the past thirty-seven years, I have been taking medication to control episodes of irregular heart rhythms. Although the medications have changed over the years, the necessity of taking them each day has remained the same.  Some of the medications required four doses per day, some required three doses, and my present medication requires only two.

The potency of the drug determines how long I can go between doses.  The important thing is to maintain a constant level of medication in my body so my heart will always be protected and have the resources it needs in times of trouble.  If I don’t maintain the proper level of medication, then I run the risk of experiencing a rapid heart rhythm.

Jesus Christ, the Great Physician, also wrote a prescription to keep man’s heart in the proper working order.  When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them the prayer that millions have learned by heart.  This prayer has been repeated in times of joy, times of sadness, times of fear, and times of isolation by people all over the world.

Yet, very few of us ever take notice of the wonderful truths contained within this brief conversation with God. Jesus’ third statement in this prayer reveals the secret to maintaining a healthy relationship with God and keeping our hearts pure before him.  Jesus says in Luke 11:3, ^“Give us each day our daily bread.” 

In this one statement, Jesus conveys two essential truths of the Christian life.  First, God supplies us with our daily sustenance. He is the one who provides our food and all the necessities to sustain life.  We must always look to him as the source of all that we have, the wellspring from which our lives flow.  

When was the last time you thanked God for the several thousand times your heart beats in a day?  When was the last time you thanked him for the hundreds of breaths you draw?  When was the last time you thanked him for your ability to hear, see, smell, feel, taste, etc.?

Second, Jesus’ words can be applied spiritually as well.  He is the bread of life and we need to partake of him daily.  This is the only way to keep our hearts safe, protected, and acceptable before God.  God’s word is our heart medicine.  Without it, our hearts just don’t run correctly and they risk getting us into trouble. However, if we spend time in God’s word, feeding on it, concentrating on it, and making it a part of our lives, we will find that our relationship with God will stay healthy.

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f you knew your heart wasn't working properly, you’d make an appointment with your doctor who would then send you to see a cardiologist.  Whatever the doctor prescribed, you would do in order to protect and heal your heart.  How much more important is it, then, to follow the prescription that God gives us?  Who knows the human heart better?  Who better than God knows what we need on a daily basis to keep us spiritually fit and in working order?  Take as directed!  Have you had your medicine today?