“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

I know I’ve written about it before (see this and this), but I love the truth and transparency of this verse. Jesus promises that we will have trouble in this world. But He also declares that He has overcome the world. In Him, we can find all the courage and peace that we need. 

Recently I was reminded of the Israelites and how they complained about their circumstances. 

“The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’” – Exodus 16:1-3

If only…

If only we had died in Egypt…

If only we had not been rescued…

If only we had stayed in slavery…

It can be a slippery slope when we start wondering about what might have been.

When we’re overwhelmed by the troubles of this life, we can begin to miss the “good ole days”. And not the actual good ole days – we start to miss the days that were actually crushing and heartbreaking. It’s just that the pain has just started to wear off a bit.

Because here’s the hard truth: after rescue, there will be more trouble. And when you’re no longer living in the past oppression, the weight of it can start to diminish, and you can forget how awful it really was. 

As the Israelites did in the Old Testament, we forget what we were saved out of, and often we end up wishing we could go back. What we’re facing now in the present can feel like too much, and we long for relief. 

I’ve been feeling this lately. Instead of leaning into the discouragement of the whole situation, I paused and asked God what He wanted to speak into it. I wrote down what I believe is His heart:

Look for the manna. 

Don’t miss what He’s currently doing now, in the mediocre and mundane. Watch for Him. Wait for Him. Don’t forget what He called you out of and what He called you to. 

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.’” Exodus 16:4-5

God graciously met the Israelites where they were – in their struggle and grumbling and doubt. And He provided. He did something they had never seen before (bread raining from heaven?!), and He gave them exactly enough. 

Look for the manna. Look for all the ways He’s providing what you need daily – fresh and new things. And in your searching, be sure to give thanks to the Provider. Draw near to Him and His heart, not the provision itself.