Looking for Blessings in All the Wrong Places.

So I just finished Exodus.  Not of my own choosing, but rather for my Old Testament class.  You might have heard me talk about being concerned that my times in the Word for class would just be an intellectual exercise - that I wouldn't connect with the Lord during those times.  I was also afraid that what happened during Mark Study would repeat itself - that my mind would be too tired to read outside of the OT.  Well, God has come through once again!

This past week, as I was reading Exodus,  a couple verses really spoke to how I've been feeling.  Let me give you some context for the first one.  Moses has just led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the Red Sea.  They complain about a lack of food and water; God turns the bitter water sweet and provides manna and quail (for a better telling of the story, check out Exodus 12-16).  So in chapter 16, when God provides manna and quail, God tells the Israelites not to gather on the Sabbath - they are to rest on that day.  Yet, in verse 27, some in the group are disobedient.

"Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none." - Exodus 16:27

What?  Really?  God told them not to - what were they expecting to find?

That's what I've been asking myself the past few days.  God has guided me into certain situations and away from certain other situations (that was vague, right?).  He has told me to look here for provision and not somewhere else.  Why do my eyes wander, asking what lies nearby?  Didn't God promise to give me something?  No.  Not yet.  Not on this day.

So, I kept reading.  And came across a verse that complimented the previous verse pretty well for me:

"Then Moses said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." -  Exodus 33:15

This verse was super encouraging to me.  I was originally told not to look for something - but now I've been told to go where God's Presence leads me.  It's comforting to know that I'm not just told not to do a certain thing - God provides direction to fill that gap.  It is complete.  The void is filled.

Now on to Leviticus and Numbers.

Love.