What Is It?

Exodus 16


The Israelites have been given purified water in the desert, so now it's time to find something else to complain about.

They said, “It would have been better if the Lord had just killed us in the land of Egypt. At least there we had plenty to eat. We had all the food we needed. But now you have brought us out here into this desert to make us all die from hunger.”

Is complaining like this a prayer?  Does God hear us when we have this attitude?

The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. So tell them, ‘Tonight you will eat meat. And in the morning you will have all the bread you want. Then you will know you can trust the Lord, your God.’”

Does learning how to trust have to be this hard?

God has shown Himself to be trustworthy: providing protection, guidance, direction and water to the Israelites.  But trustworthiness is only half of the equation. Neither God, nor anyone else, can force someone's trust.

Free Will

Bruce's Prayer

What leads someone to trust God?  What leads someone to trust you?

How does this interact with faith and with hope?

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, 

‘Our Father in heaven,
    we pray that your name will always be kept holy.

We pray that your kingdom will come—
    that what you want will be done here on earth, the same as in heaven.

Give us the food we need for today.

Forgive our sins,
    just as we have forgiven those who did wrong to us.

Don’t let us be tempted,
    but save us from the Evil One.’

Give us the food we need for today.  Spiritual food, yes, but also the physical food we need to keep our bodies functional.

Some people regard this as a transaction with God, but it's not.  It's God showing what we need to do - actions and attitudes - to open ourselves to walking in God's will and in His blessing - to trusting in Him.