Ordinary Time

Pause

All of You is more than enough for all of me,

for ev’ry thirst and ev’ry need.

You satisfy me with Your love,

and all I have in You is more than enough.

“Enough” by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio (2002)

Listen

The whole Israelite community complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. The Israelites said to them, “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt. There we could sit by the pots cooking meat and eat our fill of bread. Instead, you’ve brought us out into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day. In this way, I’ll test them to see whether or not they follow my Instruction.”

Exodus 16:2–4

Think

Barely six weeks out of slavery, the Israelites grow homesick for Egyptian slavery. They grumble against Moses and Aaron, but their real complaint is against God: “Oh, how we wish that the Lord had just put us to death while we were still in the land of Egypt.” Bitter memories of making bricks without straw somehow morph into nostalgia for cauldrons of meat and fresh-baked bread. You can almost catch the aroma of their fantasy meal.

I can easily imagine God roaring, “Enough!” Enough of your whining! Enough of your ingratitude! Enough of your doubt that I care enough to provide! I imagine God rebuking the Israelites, and sometimes I imagine God rebuking similar thanklessness in my own heart and speech.

But instead of thundering, “Enough!” God instead offers enough. The Lord promises bread from the heavens, just enough for each day. God patiently provides for body and spirit alike, using the same miracle bread to fill bellies and to teach trust that God’s mercies are new every morning.

Joshua Hays

Pray

Merciful God, you are enough for me, and you provide enough for me. Forgive me when I forget your compassion and grumble for imagined comforts of the past or the future. Teach me instead to enjoy and rely on your sufficient grace today. Amen.

Go

God has the power to provide you with more than enough of every kind of grace. That way, you will have everything you need always and in everything to provide more than enough for every kind of good work.

2 Corinthians 9:8