WE CAN’T STORE BLESSINGS FOR LATER by Mary York for Core Christianity
A friend once told me she wished she could get fat on the blessings God was giving her so they would carry her through the lean times. Although this picture of fullness is lovely—and it’s a delight to rejoice with our friends in seasons of blessing—the metaphor made me pause. In my experience, yesterday’s blessings can’t sustain the weak and weary soul in seasons of sharp grief and unrelenting pain. And, thankfully, God doesn’t expect them to.
Rather, what we repeatedly see in the Bible is imagery of daily provision. It may seem like a small difference—in both seasons of bountiful feasting and simple daily care, the Lord provides—but the distinction is important. Understanding the imagery of biblical provision helps us better understand how God takes care of his people in times of trial.
Daily Care in Times of Need
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When the Israelites wandered in the desert, they grumbled against the Lord because they were hungry. In answer, God sent them manna—bread from heaven—to cover the ground every morning (Exod. 16:1–5). The Israelites were only supposed to gather enough for each day. Those who kept their stores of manna overnight found it filled with maggots when they awoke (Exod. 16:20). (And can I just say, gross.)
Israel was supposed to trust that God would provide for them, not just occasionally, but every day. This is a great comfort to those of us wandering through our own wildernesses of financial worry, emotional strain, physical ailment, or spiritual weariness. God may ask us to walk through difficult seasons. He may not take away our struggles with one sweeping act, but he demonstrates his steadfast love and unfailing care by seeing us across these wildernesses one day at a time. He may not remove your financial burdens, but he’ll sustain you through them (Matt. 6:25–34). He may take your child home before you’re able to see her face, but he’ll comfort you in your anguish (Ps. 34:18). He may ask you to pilgrim through valleys of shadow, through depression, anxiety, loss, betrayal and grief, but he promises to be with you to guide you, strengthen you, and bring you home at last (Ps. 23, Eph. 3:14–21). In this way, we can look back over our seasons of wilderness and see reminders of God’s provision. It forces us to see his continual work in our lives so we can say, “That was the hand of the Lord.”
