Flying Fish
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Exodus 16:1-18
Each family had just
what it needed (v.18).
The residents of Lajamanu, a remote Australian
town, received a fishy gift last summer. Hundreds
of small spangled perch dropped from the sky!
Meteorologists believe the fish were sucked up into the
clouds by a storm. “It could have scooped the fish up to
40,000 to 50,000 feet in the air. Once they get up into
the system they [were] pretty much frozen. After some
period they [were] released,” said a weather expert.
Surprisingly, Lajamanu has been bombarded by flying
(frozen) fish twice before—in 1974 and 2004.
A month after being miraculously delivered from
Egypt, the Israelites were looking for a nice, fresh fish
dinner—or something fresh to eat (Exodus 16:1-3). The
wilderness didn’t allow for much, shall we say, delicious
cuisine. God knew what His people needed, and He
told Moses that He would “rain down food from heaven”
(v.4). And that’s just what He did!
God provided His complaining people with bread in
the morning and meat in the evening (v.12). But, instead
of fish, God gave them “vast numbers of quail [that] flew
in and covered the camp” (v.13). So the Israelites had
some tasty fowl to consume. In fact, “Each family had
just what it needed” (v.18).
Why would God give His people simply what they
needed and no more? He was teaching them to trust in
Him alone and not in their own means. He was teaching
them about real faith. Jesus reflected the same faith-building way of life in the Lord’s
Prayer, telling His disciples to pray, “Give us today the food we need” (Matt. 6:11).
Are you content with what God has provided for you today? If not, it’s time
to take a fresh look at your faith. God wants us to depend on Him for our daily
provision—not the frozen fish in the freezer. —Tom Felten
more›
Numbers 11:31-35
presents an account
of falling quail. Why
did God discipline His
people? How can you
avoid following their
sinful behavior?
next›
Why does God desire
that you be content with
His provision? How is
He developing your faith
by giving you what you
need—not what you
want?
