The Rest-istance: Trust (Exodus 16)

God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt, but just two months later they’re following Moses through the wilderness, somewhere on the Sinai peninsula and they’re hungry. Even though they’d witnessed God’s saving power, five times in this chapter alone they “grumble, complain, whine” against God. Despite this, God gives them the food that they need. Day after day, week after week, year after year in the inhospitable desert, they were learning to trust God. We, like the Isrealites, often look at where we are and what we have and grumble about it. We want more. More money, a better job, a better home, a better marriage. One of the benefits of observing a regular sabbath rhythm of rest is that it helps teach us to transfer the hope we have in Christ’s resurrection into the way we live. Even in Exodus, the Sabbath was described as the Lord’s gift to the people.  When we accept that gift, when we stop, when we pull our heads out of the sand and look around, we might be able to better see the manna God has for us today.  When we hold all the things we want loosely, with open hands, a posture of surrender and reception, we’re choosing to trust the goodness of God.