Do You Need a Snowsuit?

It is three little degrees outside, three and this is shocking!

Now it's not that surprising that the temperatures have fallen as the news has been predicting it for days - but it is shocking, especially when you first step outside!

So with this shocking, yet not surprising, turn of events came the hunt for the snowsuits. Were they behind the winter coats? Or packed up with the boots? Or perhaps in the downstairs winter equipment closet?

Unfortunately this hunt began exactly eleven minutes before it was time to leave for school... as somehow it almost always does; hmmm...although my husband and son are scouts somehow I missed out on that whole "Be Prepared" training! There is no reason that the snowsuit hunt should have taken place this morning. I knew what was coming and I could have been prepared.

In life however we don't have always have that luxury, of knowing what is ahead and preparing for it. Quite often we're suddenly faced with a shocking turn of events, something we didn't see coming, and we are left standing there empty handed.

The Israelites were that way. They marched out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, into the wilderness and suddenly realized they had no food! Here it was that God stepped in for them, not in the same grandiose way He did when He parted the Red Sea, but in the same way that I find He provides in my life and that is daily.

"In the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God." Exodus 16:12 (NIV) And sure enough the next morning the ground was covered as if with frost with these round things that they called "manna" which means "What is it?" (vs 15)

They were given what they needed for that day.

Some people tried to collect more and hoard it for tomorrow but the next morning it was filled with maggots...

This provision of God's was daily and had to be gathered as such. Every morning (except the Sabbath) they had to go out and spend the time necessary to collect the provisions for that day.

So also are we given daily grace.

"His mercies are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness" Lamentations 3:10

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" Hebrews 4:16

In time of need.

God comes to us at the time of need.

Although I'd like to stockpile God's grace today for the problems coming in the future, I can't. God provides right when we need it, and it will be enough, and it will satisfy our needs. (Psalms 104:27,28, Isaiah 58:11, Psalms 95:3, Psalms 63:5, Psalms 145:16)

Look at the testimony of the Israelites in Exodus 16:35 " The Israelites ate manna forty years...until they arrived in the land of Canaan"

You've got to admit that the parting of the Red Sea, the water gushing from the rock, the storm of quail for dinner and all the other incidents where God provided for their needs in a big way were quite spectacular and, this writing as evidence, are still being talked about today. But let us not forget that surrounding these "big" showings of God's power that every single day He provided strength in the form of manna. Every morning provisions were laid out for them to collect. He provided for their needs day after day after day until they reached their destination.

What will next week bring and what of Christmas? What does the quickly approaching new year hold? What will things be like in five years? What if there is a sudden plummeting of all that is temperate in my life?

"Do not fear for your heavenly Father already knows all of your needs, and He will give you all you need from day to day if you live for Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern" Matthew 6: 32-34

Even if that means a snowsuit...!