A Daily Purpose

Bible Study & Devotional (Day 67)

Read Today’s Passages (March 8, 2022)

🔴 Are You Sure That’s What You Want?

Contributing Writer: Stephanie Bright

Have you ever read a passage of scripture and just LAUGHED? And you laughed at what happened but also at the fact that you could relate to the people in the story? That’s what this passage of scripture does for me. God led the Israelites out of captivity and slavery from Egypt miraculously. He parted the Red Sea, led them through on the dry ground, and drowned all of their enemies. Now, He was leading them into the promises that He had for them. GOD provided for the Israelites the entire time. Already, we see the magnificence and divine attributes of God.

We see it as we read, but the Israelites could NOT see it.

In the first ten verses of this passage, you see the people complaining about eating. They grumbled that God’s provision of manna just wasn’t enough. They dared to look back and think that the food they were eating–mind you, while they were in captivity–was better than what God was providing for them daily as He led them to freedom.

In the latter portion of scripture, God’s anger becomes kindled towards them because He is grieved. They’re complaining instead of being grateful for how He is providing for them. So, God decides to teach them a lesson. Not only does He choose to answer their request, but he does it in such a way to essentially mock them for their complaints.

“…‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, “Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.” Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, “Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?” ’ ”- NUMBERS 11:18-20 NKJV

God intended to show them that they didn’t know what was best, and they also had no business looking back at their captivity and wishing to have what they used to have. “Silly Israelites”, right? But such are some of us. God does miracles in our lives, and we dare to complain and say that things were better before. Maybe we had more money before we started living for Jesus. Perhaps we had more “friends” when we weren’t serving Christ. Maybe our families didn’t mock or hate us before we said ‘Yes’ to Jesus. It can be easy to look back at material things and think that things were better then.

But let us never forget the miracle that God did in our lives. He rescued us out of our slavery to sin. He brought us out of captivity and into freedom. And He is still Jehovah Jireh, Our Provider. His provision will always be exactly what we need.

Connect with Stephanie Bright at www.christiangirlspop.com

Stephanie is an on-fire woman of God living in Houston, Texas. As a woman of God, Stephanie commits to the purpose of serving others while building confidence in God through obedience and fervently prays for intimate relationships with God for every Christian girl. Stephanie is inspired to bring CGPOP to college campuses worldwide and is experienced in several areas to guide young women into a meaningful relationship with Christ.

This devotional was submitted by Stephanie Bright, a loving contributor to Our Given Purpose. Edited by Torrie Slaughter the founder of Our Given Purpose® in the Commonwealth of Virginia.