Scarcity vs. Abundance
By Christine Perry
"And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Has the Lord's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.’” Numbers 11:23 NKJV
In Numbers 11, the Israelites were not only complaining but were wailing every day for meat. They grumbled, complained, and threw a conniption because they were tired of manna and the wilderness. They wanted to go back to Egypt. Moses had it with them. He tells the Lord in Numbers 11:12-13, "Did I conceive all these people? Did I beget them, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a guardian carries a nursing child,' to the land which You swore to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying, 'Give us meat, that we may eat.'"
The Lord answers Moses in verses 16-20, "Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you.
Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Then you shall say to the people, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat; for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, 'Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt.'
Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, 'Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?'"
Moses then asks God how He will provide. He reasons that it wouldn't be enough even if they were to kill all their animals. That's when God responded, “Has the Lord's arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not.”The next day, the Lord sent a wind that brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day's journey on both sides of the camp. It says the people stayed up all that night and the next day gathering quail.
Before I continue, I want to make something clear. The Israelites were wrong in complaining. However, God was still kind enough to answer their cries for meat. George Müller, who saw over 50,000 answers to recorded prayer, said this, "God is pleased continually to vary His mode of dealing with us, in order that we may not be tempted to trust in donors, or in circumstances, but in Him alone, and to keep our eye fixed upon Him."
Intersecting Life and Faith
We tend to live in a scarcity mindset. For example, if someone has a piece of pie, it leaves less for the rest of us. God doesn't operate this way! He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. God created our entire world out of nothing. I don't think He has a hard time providing anything we may lack. Psalm 34:10 says, "The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing."
The Lord is able. His arm is not too short. What is impossible for man is possible with God. He lives in abundance. However, He wants us to come to Him for our needs. He wants us to depend on him like a child does their parent(s). Why not take a moment today to first acknowledge God's power? Then confess sin — known or unknown. Then humbly share your concerns with Him. He already knows what we need and what we will say before we speak a word (Psalm 139:4). Trust Him. God always knows what He is doing, even if it seems impossible for us.
Further Reading:
The Autobiography of George Müller
Editor Recommendations for Further Reading:
The Scarcity Outbreak
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/piyaset
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
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