Exodus 16 — Thoughts

Is True Faith Too Risky?

God calls us to be wise. He calls us to work hard. He calls us to be responsible. Right?

So there must be a point at which His provision stops and my responsibility begins.

For years I’ve believed that — and struggled. I’ve anxiously wondered where that line is drawn. Am I doing what I’m supposed to do? Am I pulling my weight? Am I letting God down?

But then I read stories like this one. The Israelites were in the desert, a place with nothing to hunt and nothing to harvest, a place where they could do nothing to feed themselves. I wonder if they felt ashamed of their helplessness and insecure about their performance. Maybe their complaining came from defensiveness as much as from fear.

But of course, God provided. He sent them mana — bread from heaven — and quail to give them meat, proving once again that the people of God aren’t supposed to rely on themselves. He only wants us to depend on Him.

And to make sure they got the point, God took things one step further. He made it impossible for the Israelites to even try to rely on themselves. If they did the “responsible” thing and saved mana for the future, the bread would stink and fill with maggots.

It’s a good reminder for me that there is no line. There is no point at which God calls me to start “being responsible.” His call is always only to trust in Him alone.

It’s true of our salvation — why wouldn’t it be true for our whole walk with God?

And that’s where faith starts to feel dangerous. I’m more than happy to welcome God’s provision as a supplement to my own effort. But to give up on my efforts completely? To rely on Him alone? That feels risky.

And yet, if I pass up the opportunity and decide that reckless faith is too risky for me — am I grasping at maggots when God is offering me as much bread as I need?

(Originally written May 3, 2022)