Lynne Graham
St. Paul’s, Montrose
The Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power limited? Now you
shall see whether my word will come true for your or not.”
Numbers 11:23
As the Israelites followed the ark of the covenant through the desert, they began to complain about their lack of food, particularly meat. They were tired of manna and Moses was tired of listening to them complain. He asked God why he alone had to be burdened with their grievances. God heard. God commissioned seventy elders to help Moses and God promised the people meat. Then Moses reminded God of the many thousands of people with him and questioned where that much meat or fish would come from. A seemingly impossible feat in Moses’ mind. God did provide meat—quail—enough for every person, every day for a month, until they loathed it.
As we continue on our pilgrimage, we need these awesome reminders of the power of God to answer prayer. So you may ask, if God is all-powerful, why didn’t God answer my prayer? God probably did. “No” is an answer. God does not always give us what we want, but God does always give us what we need. We must trust in the assurance of God’s constant care no matter whether we are wondering in the desert or finding our way in Bethlehem, PA.
I’ve heard that the happiest people are not necessarily those with wealth and possessions galore, but those who have learned to be content with what they have. Unlike the burdensome Israelites, our focus would be better spent on gratitude rather than what we want. We know what we want; God knows what we need. And nothing is beyond God’s power to provide it.
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