PROBING QUESTIONS

• What if we have failed in our faithfulness towards God? 
• What if we have not passed the tests laid in our path? 
• What if we are personally stuck at the bottom of the God’s Mountain. 
• What if we have been through the same test numerous times? 

 

I’ve got some good news for you!  God isn’t finished with you yet.  Don’t give up on yourself because God hasn’t.  It has been said many times…. “It is not how you start the race that matters.  It only matters how you finish.”  Decide today to respond differently to the testings of the desert.

 

 – FIVE WAYS TO COOPERATE WITH GOD’S PLAN –

 

 

#1: Decide to Trust God.

 

Proverbs reminds us… “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)

 

When the children of Israel finally stopped seeking to maintain control over their own lives, they relinquished control to God.  Ultimately, the next generation agreed to trust God. It took them forty years of wandering in the desert, but it did happen.  They stopped complaining against the leadership, and began to move together as a family of believers.

Remember this is after baptism.  After salvation we must all make the decision to trust in the Lord “with all our heart.”

 

#2: Plan Ahead to Worship

 

Manna was to be gathered six days a week. On the sixth day they gathered two day’s worth. Get the idea?  No work on the Sabbath, the day of rest and worship.  God has made a plan for us to “get ahead in life” and it includes work, rest and worship.

Worship is the best way for everyone to order their life.  Without real, authentic worship we will ultimately be on our own.  God didn’t just mandate rest for Himself.  He set aside the Sabbath for man regain control of his own life through rest and worship.  This is part of God’s plan for prospering His people.

 

#3: Gather Every Day – Early!

 

Most of us don’t have physical food problems – unless it’s too much food on the menu! The malnutrition most believers face is one of a lack of spiritual nutrition.

 

“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” John 6:35

 

We must make certain we have our daily “manna-time” with Jesus. All manna physically and spiritually “melts away” with the heat of the day.  If we don’t get our manna early, it will be consumed with the heat of the day and there is no way of retrieving the manna or the time.

 

#4: Don’t Hoard Your Manna.

 

Actually the word “manna” means “what is it?”  I have gotten many words from the Lord that I didn’t quite understand at first.

When the people finally understood the value of the manna, many of them attempted to go into the MSB – Manna Storage Business. God made sure they couldn’t do it. If they tried to hoard some for the next day (except for the Sabbath requirement) it rotted and turned wormy in their storage pots.

Our spiritual needs are the same. Many folks are attempting to live on yesterday’s manna.

Living on yesterday’s spiritual experiences as if it were today’s food will starve your inner man. It will turn your service for Christ into a wormy leftovers.  Stale bread doesn’t taste good and really doesn’t feed anyone, including yourself.

God gave His children fresh manna every day so they would learn to depend on Him. It is the same with you.  Your daily, spiritual dependence on the Lord is vital to your growth and service.

 

#5: Don’t Grumble – Eat Your Manna.

 

God’s people failed their tests time and time again because they refused to trust God and cooperate with Him. In spite of all God’s provisions and care, they turned to the flesh for answers.

The same is true for us as well.  God’s provision for you can be either a powerful affirmation of your faith as you trust Him without grumbling or it can be a constant reminder of your fears and faithlessness.

The choice is up to you. How big is YOUR God?

• When you look back at the most difficult moments of your life, what did you learn from those experiences?
• Knowing what you do now, would you change your life if you could?
• Would you respond to God differently?

 

A family was sitting around the dinner table one evening waiting for their dad to get in from work. Finally, he came in late because it had been a rough day. When he came in, he sat down at the table and offered thanks for the food. As soon as he finished his prayer, he began to complain and grumble about how awful things were going at work. The boss was a jerk and the workers were lazy. Afterword, his wife brought in the food.

Since he had come in so late, the food that was supposed to be cold was warm and the food that was supposed to be hot was cold. The main dish was overcooked and dried out. The bread was hard. And he made sure and pointed out what was wrong with everything.

Finally, after hearing all the complaints, his youngest daughter asked him a question. “Daddy, do you think God heard you when you prayed a few minutes ago?”

“Well, yes sweetheart. Of course He did.”

Then she asked, “Do you think He heard everything you said after that?”

“Why, yes sweetheart. God hears everything.”

Finally, she asked, “Which one do you think He believed?”

 

What does God believe about you?

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor