Prep Work

As much as I love stir-fry and appreciate its healthiness, I dislike the prep work—all the chopping. Green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, onion, broccoli, celery…it takes forever. But, without the prep work there’s nothing to stir.

There’s a need for prep work in us too. It’s nothing new—Moses spent forty years in the desert. Jesus went forty days in the wilderness. Joseph spent time in prison. Paul was prepared in Tarsus. And, the Israelites wandered for forty years. It’s just that we don’t like the idea of a wilderness, of being set aside. Finding ourselves alone shakes us up a little—maybe a lot. But, anytime we face ourselves in solitude, we discover Christ in a fresh way. The wilderness experience gives us time to reassess our focus and draws us nearer to His heart and purpose.

The wilderness, or time on the shelf if you will, is often the prep work for His next step. It can be lonely or uncomfortable, but it’s never unfruitful. It has a way of burning away the dross so our hearts burn pure again.

Since breaking my foot on September 22^nd, I am facing some prep work. I assume it has something to do with how I move forward with writing and speaking. I left my job to pursue ministry “full-time” but not sure what it’ll look like. Instead of being home, ripping into fall cleaning, I am resting as my foot heals. I think God knows I’d fill my time with other projects—too busy to be still and listen. I don’t know. But, for whatever reason, He’s decided to slow me down—for some prep work. Now, to be honest, my feet may not be moving but my mind sure is.

So, my prayer has been to slow down my whirling thoughts so I can hear His whispers. I am confident. He will accomplish in me what He intends and prepare me for the work that’s coming next. Through the prep work, He’s getting ready to stir something new in me.

How about you? Share a time when you felt set aside…what prep work did He do in you?

Waiting to be stirred,

Jeanne

PS: It’s not lost on me that my six-week recovery time is about 40 days. I love God’s sense of humor!

Fresh Manna

There is nothing like fresh, crusty bread right out of the oven—spread with fresh butter and the combination is intoxicating. Since having to watch my glycemic index, nothing less will do. It’s not worth wasting my carbs on a hotdog roll or piece of Wonder bread. It has to be good!

During the wilderness wandering, God provided manna for the people to eat. It appeared every morning and melted in the sun. The Israelites gathered it fresh each day and they were not to save any—when they did out of disobedience, it spoiled—it was rancid and full of worms. The only exception was on the Sabbath. They gathered a double portion so they would have enough for the next day. And, the extra didn’t spoil. Manna became their daily food, provided, always fresh, never left over.

When the people got thirsty in the desert, God provided water for them to drink. With his staff, Moses struck a rock and fresh water flowed. But, even Moses needed to learn that God doesn’t always provide in the same way. The next time the people grumbled about thirst, God told Moses to speak to the rock—but Moses fell back on the tried and true, striking the rock twice, just in case. This cost Moses his right to enter the Promised Land. Even Moses needed to learn that God’s methods of provision were also fresh daily.

God was explicit in His directions so they would rely on what He said and find Him trustworthy. They were slaves for so long that they needed to retrain their thinking. God delivered them from their oppressors and promised to go with them, providing their needs along the way. It took a generation for this change to begin to sink in, one fresh manna-day at a time.

So, what does this mean for today?

For me, I can tell you that I am learning that manna is like His Word and I need to gather it daily—fresh, not left over from days past. His Word is living and active, able to speak to what I am going through today. But I need today’s manna for today’s situations. And, I think He wants me to follow His instructions carefully. Most likely He won’t meet my need or answer my prayer in the same way twice, or like He has for others. He is more creative than that. His fresh provision, fresh manna and fresh words speak to me and my situation.

Fresh manna and God's provision make for an intoxicating combination—one that only God can provide as we walk with Him day by day. It gives us a new perspective when we pray- Give us this day our daily bread.

What manna have you gathered today and how has it provided for your needs?

Jeanne