"We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!" (Numbers 11:5-6)
Isn't it amazing how much we all want change until it is actually upon us? In our verse for today, the children of Israel are two years out of Egypt. God has delivered them and done so in a mighty way. He has shown them His faithfulness time and time again. Even in the context of the verse, He is providing for them manna...bread from heaven! Sadly, they are not satisfied. They begin to wish for the fish they ate "freely" in Egypt. Really? Freely? They were slaves in Egypt. They did not do anything freely. We tend to see our past in through a jaded lens. Because they were discontent in their hearts they glorified what really was a horrible situation. Had they forgotten how much they cried out to be released from Egypt? Had they forgotten the hardness of Pharaoh's heart? Had they forgotten his decision to kill their firstborn sons? They just were not accustomed to this new life God had for them. They wanted release from Egypt, but they were definitely not ready to enter Canaan. Are you? God has great things in store for you and your spouse. Don't keep looking back when God has so much in store for you going forward. He desires to lead you step by step into your Canaan, but you can not despise where you are right now. Don't begin to miss the "vegetables and fish" of your past and miss the provision He has for you in your present. What things are you wishing for from Egypt? Are they worth missing out on His promises?
God, in His permissive will, gave the children of Israel just what they asked for. He gave them meat -- quail. He gave them so much quail that it was piled high on the ground. Some of them even died while eating it. All of that over something as inconsequential as meat. Actually it wasn't about meat. It was about the discontent of their hearts. They didn't value what God had done for them. They didn't value who He had been to them. They no longer had to work and labor for their provision. All they had to do was rely on God to provide which he did every day. It wasn't enough for them. They wanted more than what He had given. Don't long for what was in your place of bondage. Don't miss how things used to be. Don't miss what your money used to look like. Egypt was a place of bondage and fear. It symbolizes the world. You would rather have Canaan -- a promised place of peace and prosperity. Missing vegetables are not worth your future!
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