Manna & Starbucks in the Wilderness Part 1

In Exodus Chapter 16 we see a very tired and burned out people leaving Egypt. Suddenly, and literally, overnight, the Israelites’ lives had changed. God had delivered them from horrible slavery in a foreign land, but the rescuing from slavery turned into a trek through a wilderness, looking for a new destination of hope.

I would imagine, in a lot of ways, this wilderness didn’t feel much like deliverance. They were removed from a bad situation only to seemingly be left in the middle of nowhere. Would they find a way out of the wilderness? How long would it take to get there? What were they supposed to do in the wilderness? How were they supposed to think and feel about their new circumstances? How would they make it with no plan and no control of their own?

The answer; God was in control. It was a simple answer, but probably not what they were looking for. At least, they probably would’ve preferred some more details. After all, we’re talking about their lives and survival. A little more info probably would have been a great comfort to them.

It wasn’t long before Israel found out that God’s plan for taking care of them in the wilderness didn’t involve a short, day-trip to the Promised Land and three-course meals. Instead, they were given a long, hard journey and something to eat called “Manna.”

What is manna, you might ask? If you’re not sure exactly what manna is, you’re not alone. When it first showed up on the scene in the traveling Israel camp, their reaction was exactly the same. According to Exodus 16:15, after the people saw it, they looked at one another and literally said, “What is it?” It was food, and it appeared in the mornings after the dew had left, but other than that, they really weren’t sure what to make of it. In fact, in verse 31 of the same chapter, the best name Israel could give to this provision was, “Manna.” Literally translated, Manna means, “What is it?”

I would imagine that when Israel dreamed about a day they would be delivered from slavery in Egypt, and they would find a new home in a “Promised Land, ” they dreamed big. After all, they followed a very big God. The creator of the heavens and the earth God. The God who promised Abraham He would give him a great nation and all other nations would be blessed by them. This kind of God can do the impossible and take any bad situation and turn it into something extraordinary.

This kind of God can do the impossible and take any bad situation and turn it into something extraordinary.

So when they found themselves in a wilderness and manna was what showed up, how do you think they felt? My best guess is that they probably felt more than a little letdown. It’s very possible they thought and even said out loud, “This isn’t what we wanted. What is this???”

The physical description we get for manna is white wafers that were made with honey and coriander seed. It was flakey and the Israelites would use oil to bake little cakes out of it. It doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world one would be left to eat, but it also doesn’t sound like it provided a lot of excitement either. Manna wasn’t a luxurious meal. It was, however, exactly what Israel needed, and more importantly, it was a gift from God.

Have you ever had to eat the same thing day after day? Some people find comfort in a routine. I typically have a cup of coffee or two every day. (That might speak more to my body’s and mind’s need for the caffeine, but we’ll leave that for another post.) Some people enjoy eating the same cereal for breakfast or the same sandwich for lunch every day. For most people, we need some kind of variety in our food to keep our sanity.

God promised Israel they would live in the Promised Land. (Ah, so that’s why they called it The Promised Land). The reality of The Promised Land was not only a great place to finally settle and rest, but they would also, finally be leaving the wilderness. Yet, not having arrived there, and in the monotony of the wilderness, there were probably times their hearts deeply ached to finally get there already. It’s not hard to imagine that each day began and ended with a visceral longing to finally end their wandering.

Have you ever found yourself in the wilderness? Not a literal, physical wilderness, but more a season of life wilderness? Are you there now? Have you been brought out of one chapter of life only to find yourself in the middle of nowhere? Does your heart ache for the day you’ll be delivered to The Promised Land? In the season of wilderness wandering, have you seen manna from heaven; a provision from God to meet your needs each day? While this provision may not feel like it, this manna is a gift to you from God.

While this provision may not feel like it, this manna is a gift to you from God.

God provided me with manna for almost 3 years of my own wilderness wandering, and just like the Israelites’ reaction of, “What is this?” to their manna, I had the exact same reaction to mine. What is my manna? God’s manna, His gift of provision to me, amazingly enough, is Starbucks.

Let me clarify this, especially considering my need to consume coffee each day to somewhat function in society. I’m not talking about my Starbucks dark roast coffee that forces my eyes open when getting out of bed in the morning is painful. I’m not that much of a coffee snob that I won’t drink other kinds of coffee to start my day. No, when I say Starbucks is my manna, I mean it in a much more life-impacting way.

Check out Part 2 of this post to learn more about God’s provision for me during my personal Wilderness Journey.

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