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“The whole congregation of the people…grumbled against Moses and Aaron.”

When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.

Exodus 16:15 (ESV)

Ah, the Israelites! Let us shake our head in disbelief. Constantly seeing God’s grace, provision, and providence and yet, time and again, questioning, rebelling, and grumbling!

It’s it great that we aren’t like that at all!

Of course, we are like that – all the time.

In our text, God has just brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, the land of their slavery for 400 years, with a mighty hand and outstretched arm. They saw miracle after miracle of God’s protection and deliverance. And yet…they rebel and grumble! Today’s gripe? Food.

They complain that they preferred being slaves with full bellies than freedom as God’s people with His provisions.

Ugh!

But God continues to provide through it all! In our reading, He provides “manna,” what the Israelites originally asked, “what is it?”

Granted, not the most diverse diet for their forty years, but they would not go hungry! God provided what was needed (even if it wasn’t what they wanted).

There are many jokes made about the taste (or lack thereof) of the wafers in Holy Communion. They have been compared to “styrofoam” or “cardboard.”

Clearly, not “Taste of Texas!”

But what is received is far more important! Far more satisfying! Far more sustaining!

The Israelites received bread that sustained their lives and focused them on God.

In Holy Communion, we received bread joining with God in Jesus that not only sustains our lives here, but forgives our sins and gives us a foretaste of Heaven itself!

“What is it?”

Glorious!

“We thank You, Lord, for the Heavenly food of Holy Communion, where we receive and know that You are God! Grant us graciousness, not grumbling, for all Your miracles of grace through Jesus, Your Son, our Lord!”

Scriptures

• Exodus 16:2-15
• Psalm 145:10-21

The Bible is full of humor. Jesus does a lot of things that are funny, like in today’s reading. He took some time by himself to pray, but when he was done, He went to meet up with the disciples by walking on the water. Not only that, but He was going to “pass by them” before they saw Him. As if to walk past them without them realizing and getting to the destination before them!

When they saw Him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Mark 6:49-50

As terrified and astounding as it was to see Jesus walking on the water, I imagine they would also have been shocked to find Him at the destination before them when he had no way of getting there. And Jesus just kind of does this casually, as if it’s just a beautiful night for a stroll.

We can take miracles of Jesus as something that can be terrifying or astounding or shocking. But for Jesus, it’s just a regular, everyday, beautiful thing. Miracles are out of the ordinary for us, but they are ordinary for Him.

We should remember that. He’s got us and we don’t need to worry.

“Take heart; it is [Jesus]. Do not be afraid!”

“We take heart, O Lord! Thank You for making each day extraordinary through faith in You!”

Scriptures

• Psalm 136:1–9
• Mark 6:45–53

There are times when being a pastor and teacher of God’s Word is terrifying.

I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which He will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’

Jeremiah 23:5b-6

Scripture tells us that those who teach are held to a higher standard.

Today’s Scripture gives us an indication of consequences for those shepherds who are not faithful in what the Lord has called them to do and how they are serving those to whom the Lord has entrusted to them.

As a Christian I say, “right on!” As a pastor I have that gnawing, “am I being faithful? Am I doing enough? Am I doing right?”

But it is not an option not to serve when He Calls. The solution is not to sacrifice family or self in service to others.

The Call does not change: preach the Word. Preach Jesus. Serve others. Love God and people.

Will we (I) do that perfectly?

Absolutely not!

But here’s the thing: even though I will never be perfect in my Calling, I know the One who is, and in pointing people to Him, I serve Him and others.

I am not perfect in my shepherding, but I can point people to the good, perfect Shepherd, Jesus. He is the One to follow. He is the perfect One. He is the righteous One!

“The LORD is our righteousness!”

God has provided the One that suffered, died, rose, and ascended. He provided the One that loves His sheep perfectly and serves them faithfully. He provided what was lacking in the imperfect under-shepherds.

If I follow the Righteous One and lead others to as well, I will be faithful. If I love and serve others because I am being faithful to what He has called me to do, others will as well.

So hear me clearly and plainly: I am not a perfect under-shephers, but He is the perfect Shepherd. I am not always faithful, but He is the One in whom you should have perfect faith. I will continue to fail in my service to you, but the LORD, the righteous One will never fail you.

Follow Him. Put your faith in Him. Look to Him.

The LORD Jesus is your righteousness.

In everything.

Always.

“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being our righteous, faithful, loving, saving Shepherd. Let us always look to and follow You.”

Scriptures

• Jeremiah 23:1-6

Today’s Scriptures from Ephesians 1 is an exercise dilemma. There is so much in the passage it’s difficult to know where to begin. Where to focus.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.

Ephesians 1:3-4

For our time I want to focus on the amazing truth that we were chosen by God before the foundation of the world!

That is mind-boggling!

But note something else in that statement of reality: “that we should be holy and blameless before Him.”

Ok, that part may be a problem.

He “has blessed us…and chose us…that we should be holy and blameless.”

I know my life and decisions. I know my heart and mind. They certainly aren’t blameless.

Neither are yours.

But our text doesn’t lift us up in amazement just to dash us back down to reality.

What He demands, He has also supplied.

As we read on, “In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”

We were not holy and blameless, but that wasn’t going to thwart God’s choice of us before the foundation of the world! Our sin wasn’t going to stop His predestined plan of adoption of us, nor would it stop His requirement of us being holy and blameless before Him for eternity.

The solution?

Jesus!

Through faith in Him, we are forgiven. We are made right with Him. We are purified. We are holy. We are now blameless before Him!

Mind boggling!

“Thank You, Lord, for choosing us before the foundation of the world, redeeming us by Your blood, and through faith, making us holy and blameless before You! Grant that we live and share that reality and blessing with others!”

Scriptures

• Psalm 85:1-13
• Ephesians 1:3-14

We like big. We like important. We like showy.

Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Luke 10:20

More to the point, we tend to get distracted with those things instead of focusing on what’s really important.

Big conversion stories. Spiritual warfare. Apologists ‘winning’ arguments.

Even better if we are in those situations!

The disciples were sent out and saw some amazing things in the name of Jesus! Big things. Important things. Showy things.

And, like us, they were amazing and rejoiced in these things; mostly because these things seemed to elevate themselves.

But Jesus changes the focus. The reason for them to rejoice is not because they happen to be God’s instruments when He does amazing things, but that God has focused on them to be with Him forever and written their names in heaven!

What is the greater reason to rejoice? Their being saved and that they will be in heaven!

What is bigger than that? What is more important?

Through faith in Jesus, yes there are miracles that will happen. Yes, there will be things that will amaze. But those aren’t the point. Those aren’t the greatest reasons to rejoice. The greatest and right reason is that, through faith in Jesus, our names are written in heaven!

“Thank You, Lord, for saving us and writing our names in heaven for eternity! Help us to rejoice in that reality!”

Scriptures

• Luke 10:1-3
• Luke 10:16-20

Today we hear of two miracles of Jesus. One is a lady who is healed through her faith in Jesus. The other is someone raised from the dead through some faith of her parents (though theirs seems a bit shaky).

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Mark 5:36b

Faith is interesting. Putting trust in another and setting aside our own reason, experience, or feelings on the matter is not an easy or natural thing to do. But it is what we are asked to do, nonetheless. And when God is the object of our faith, it’s not as if we have nothing to go by. God’s track record on being faithful is perfect! Not only that, but faith tends to overflow to others! Faith infects! It points people to the One who accomplishes miracles; the biggest being the forgiveness of our sins and resurrection to eternal life! If He has accomplished those, what makes us thing that He won’t take care of our other issues?

“Thank You, Lord, for being faithful in all things. Send us Your Spirit and move us to be faithful as well.”

Scriptures

• Mark 5:21-43