1 Tim. 6:6 tells us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

In Exodus 16, the Israelites were a month out of Egypt and they began grumbling. They said to Moses and Aaron:

"If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

In response, the LORD said to Moses: "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.

And so, God gave them manna, which when translated means “what is it?” It consisted of white flakes, which tasted like wafers made with honey. Ex. 16:31. And God proceeded to feed his people, miraculously, in the desert for forty years, until they reached the land God promised them. Ex. 16:35.

Forty years. Now, I like honey flavored wafers as much as the next guy. But for forty years?

I think it’s easy for us to look at this and to see both God’s miraculous provision for his people and his faithfulness, day after day. I’m sure there were times when the Isrealites could see that, as well.

Yet, what initially seems miraculous can, over time, become monotonous. We can grow weary of the same thing, day after day. What we once clearly saw as “miraculous,” becomes “ordinary,” and simply a normal part of life, as we lose sight of God’s provision. (Have you ever thought of those Israelites who were born in the desert? They never knew anything different. As are as they knew, it was supposed to rain manna in the desert!)

I can imagine that it would be hard to find contentment eating the same thing, day after day, year after year. Clearly, there were times when the people struggled with it.

In the same way, how many things do we either take for granted or struggle to find contentment in, focusing on what we don’t have, rather than God’s provision in our lives. We simply come to expect good health, a job, or whatever, until suddenly they’re gone. Only then do we do back looking to God for our provision.

I suppose the same can be true in our church. We can take our pastors for granted, quietly (or not so quietly) grumbling about the length or content of a sermon, how we didn’t like the song selection, or some other way that ministry is or isn’t being done.

Perhaps this is a good time to regain our perspective and focus on the things God has and continues to provide us with, and to find contentment where he has us right now, in both our home and our church life.

Application Queston: Take a step back from those things that have become ordinary and reflect on God's provision, both in your life and in our church and thank him for his faithfulness. Try making a list of five ways in which God has demonstrated his faithfulness and take time to thank him for those things.