“The Lord is my Shepherd.  Nothing to lack.”  The sweet toddler voice may not have had the exact words, but he didn’t miss out on the meaning.  And still, that voice and phrase echoes in my head years later.  There, in arguably the most popular chapter of the Bible, I find my doubts rise. 

 “Really, God?  Really?  I don’t lack anything?” 

 Because at any time in life, I can look around and see all of the things that I feel that I lack… time, patience, energy, finances…  So I doubt that this simple phrase is true. Some translations will say “I will not want” while others say, “I shall not be IN want”, or even “I have what I need.”  In this short phrase, we may look at things that we are missing in our lives and say the same thing, “Really?  Really, God? I don’t lack anything?”   In this, we’re not so different from the Israelites as they traveled to the Promised Land. 

“You brought us out here to starve!” they cried.  “It would have been better that we would die in Egypt as slaves than to starve in the desert.”  So what did God do?  He provided them a substance on the ground each morning for them to collect and eat.   A flaky material that was pastry like, the Israelites were instructed to gather what was needed for each day.  

Exodus 16:31 says that the manna tasted like “wafers made with honey.”  No, this wasn’t the milk and honey that had been promised, but besides relying daily for God’s provision, it must have been a reminder that there’s more than this. It was a reminder of what was to come.  We too can see God’s provision for us, and know that it is only a hint of the wonderful things to come. (1 Peter 1:4)

The Israelites had to trust that God would provide food the next day too.  Can you imagine?  Unless there are times when you’ve lived day to day without knowing where your food was coming from, I doubt that we can understand how frightening this could be. Each time someone would try and gather extra mana for the next day, it only gathered maggots.  It’s here that they were forced to rely completely on God for His provision. 

We may never be in a desert waiting for our next meal, but the God who provided daily for the Israelites there, is the same God who provides for us today. It may not be in the way that we want (it usually isn’t), but He IS faithful. 

Post-pandemic our family was on a clear path. God had blessed us with a company that we could provide for our family and even employ others.  Our products were in stores across the country.  We had a six-figure business, and then, almost overnight, sales stopped. We said as we always did, “Well, it’s God’s business. If He wants us to keep it, then He’ll provide.” This was easier to say than to live.  Within 5 months, our vehicles broke down three times, multiple large appliances broke down, incurring thousands of dollars in costs, and our basement, where our manufacturing for our company is located, flooded. Our savings were quickly depleted, we found ourselves in debt to replace or fix items, and we were no longer getting a paycheck. Every spare bit of the sales that we were getting went to get groceries each week.  Where was God’s provision in this?  The struggle was constant.  For most of our marriage a sign hung in our living room. “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.  It was hard to reconcile that verse with our current circumstances.  How?  How can God be providing our needs if we’re in debt?  How can He provide our needs when we have to lay-off all of our employees? We prayed, cried, and asked for wisdom and direction. (James 1:5)  Most days we got up with no answers, but food for the day (even if, much to the frustration of our kids, it was not food that they liked.)  Where was God in this?  Just like with the Israelites, He was in the DAILY provision.  It’s not a coincidence that Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 We live in a society that teaches us that we need food for today, tomorrow, and the next day, and we forget that this is a blessing and a luxury.  Every good thing is a gift from God. (James 1:17)   Psalm 24:1 says that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, so what we have isn’t even ours.  Our jobs, our homes, our family, food, everything is His.  We are just taking care of it.  It’s what we would often say about our business, and when we lost so many things, it was even more of a reminder that it’s ALL still His.  

God reminded us of this constantly. In the hard, many offered help.  From providing food, to money for bills, helping to fix cars, appliances, friends and strangers gave.  There’s already humility in the hard of not being able to provide for your family, especially when working as hard as you can, but you just can’t catch up.  One day, while speaking with my grandma, we were talking about our situation.  We talked about how it’s hard to receive help, to accept it.  It can be humiliating, she reminded us that when someone doesn’t accept help, whether financially or in other ways, we take away the privilege of that person being able to bless someone.  What a shame when we let our pride stop us from allowing others to be faithful in their lives.  If all that we have is God’s, then accepting some of what God has entrusted to someone else, is not about charity.  It’s a transfer of what is His from one person to another.

In God’s time, and in His way (maybe through other people) God WILL provide. Sometimes He provides manna, sometimes it’s milk and honey, but He ALWAYS provides.

Manna or milk and honey? Sometimes God provides in big ways like a land flowing with milk and honey, and sometimes He provides just what we need daily. I can tell you which I prefer.  The fear that comes with worrying if the needs for each day will be met is exhausting.  It can be hard on relationships and in your personal life.  It’s why God reminds us in Matthew that if He provides for the sparrows, then He’ll surely care for us.  (6:25-34)  In those times when fear and worry comes, we’ve found it best to preach the Gospel to ourselves and remember the “promises that give life.”  (Psalm 119:50)  He is faithful (1 Thessalonians 5:24), He is for us (Romans 8:31). He is always with us (Isaiah 43:2-3).