9/21/08 Wait a Minute Lord, You Don’t Understand Exodus 16: 2-15 Ralph Mann that it was God that saved them in the Passover, it was God that lead them from Egypt, it was
A man needed some same-day dry cleaning before he left on a trip. He remembered one God that parted the Red Sea, it was God that turned the bitter water into sweet, it was God
store with a huge sign, "One-Hour Dry Cleaners," on the other side of town, so he drove out that led them to the oasis, it was God who was their savior – but they forgot. Tell me, do
of his way to drop off a suit. After filling out the tag, he told the clerk, "I need this in an you know that God is your Lord and savior? If yes, why? Does He provide for your needs?
hour." She said, "I can't get this back to you until Thursday." "I thought you did dry cleaning I bet those needs are taken care of even when you aren’t faithful. As the old evangelist said,
in an hour" "No," she replied, "That's just the name of the store." “God is good…..all the time…..all the time….God is good.” Yet, we still make excuses.
Today we read a story about the people of God who forgot that they were the people of You know, there are no excuses why God can’t use you. Even though those Israelites
God. They let their crisis for food become a crisis of faith. Sadly, things haven’t changed complained, God used them. The next time you think God can’t use you, just look at
much. Like the Israelites, like the dry cleaning store, some call themselves Christian, but scripture. There you will see that Noah was a drunk, Abraham was too old, Isaac was a
their crisis of faith causes confusion for many. We spend our days making excuses instead daydreamer, Jacob was a liar, Leah was ugly, Joseph was abused, Moses had a stuttering
of living by faith. We forget that the key to living by faith is to live a life of obedience, truly problem, Gideon was afraid, Samson had long hair and was a womanizer, Rahab was a
trusting in God. harlot, Jeremiah and Timothy were too young, David had an affair and was a murderer,
I read a story once about Robert Kupferschmid, an 81-year-old man with no flying Elijah was suicidal, Isaiah preached naked, Jonah ran from God, Job went bankrupt, Peter
experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June denied Christ, The Disciples fell asleep while praying, Martha worried about everything,
17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Zaccheus was too small, Paul was too religious, and Lazarus was dead. In fact, according
Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The to scripture, we are all dead – we are dead to Christ – and dead people don’t complain and
single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on don’t make excuses. No matter what problems you have or have had, Jesus can heal and
the radio and pleaded for help. Nearby were two pilots who heard the call, and they started restore you. Plus, he can use you to help others – to truly be His ministers. There is nothing
giving Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions to lead him to his landing. He circled that God cannot overcome. This means that as long as we trust in God and continue to seek
the runway three times before he frantically attempted his landing. With emergency vehicles His face, we can be forgiven, we start anew, and work to make this world a better place! If
standing by, witnesses said the plane bounced a few times before it ended up in a patch of God can use all those characters in the Bible, God can use you.
soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured. The pilot God offers to us great gifts. He offers to us the gift of life, of family, of church, or home.
listened and followed those instructions as if his life depended on it—and it did. Imagine Through His son on the cross he has given us the gift of salvation. Yet, what gift do we offer
what would take place in the lives of believers if we listened to and obeyed the Word of God back to God? Do we murmur in the wilderness? Do we accuse God of murder? Do we step
with the same earnestness. away from our responsibilities by offering excuses? How can we offer and give our best to
I offer you that story because this seems to be the problem with the Israelites throughout God? There is an old rabbinic parable about a farmer that had two sons. As soon as they
their history, and as well as all creation still today. God has a plan and a purpose for His were old enough to walk, he took them to the fields and he taught them everything that he
creation, and a few simple rules for us to follow. However, when things don’t go the way we knew about growing crops and raising animals. When he got too old to work, the two boys
think they need to go, we complain, we murmur, we make excuses. Am I right? Sadly, due took over the chores of the farm and when the father died, they had found their working
to our human/sinful self, I am. The truth is that sometimes we make excuses and complain to together so meaningful that they decided to keep their partnership. So each brother
God that our needs are not being take care of. We feel ill-prepared and under qualified for contributed what he could and during every harvest season, they would divide equally what
ministry. We must come to understand that even when our faith is lacking, and we they had corporately produced. Across the years the elder brother never married, stayed an
seemingly don’t deserve God’s grace, God provide for our needs. God provides for our old bachelor. The younger brother did marry and had eight wonderful children. Some years
needs. When we face natural disaster like a hurricane, God provides for our needs. When later when they were having a wonderful harvest, the old bachelor brother thought to himself
we are faithful to the tasks that God calls us to follow, God provides for our needs. When we one night, "My brother has ten mouths to feed. I only have one. He really needs more of his
raise teenagers in their teenageness, God provides for our needs. When a faithful harvest than I do, but I know he is much too fair to renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the
congregation has to witness a fire destroying their sanctuary – look around now – God dead of the night when he is already asleep, I'll take some of what I have put in my barn and
provides for our needs. You see, God simply asks that we remain faithful, and He will I'll slip it over into his barn to help him feed his children. At the very time he was thinking
provide for our needs. Oh, the blessing is that even when we are not faithful, God will down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me these
provide for our needs. God tells Moses that he is going to bless the Israelites through quail wonderful children. My brother hasn't been so fortunate. He really needs more of this harvest
and manna so that they “shall know that I am the Lord your God.” for his old age than I do, but I know him. He's much too fair. He'll never renegotiate. I know
For the Israelites, it was more than complaining, it was that they took it a step further. what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he's asleep, I'll take some of what I've put in my
Look at verse 3, “you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly barn and slip it over into his barn." And so one night when the moon was full, as you may
with hunger.” Well at least they were beginning to form into a church. Moses reminded have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a mission of
them that their complaints were really complaints against God. They forgot that God was generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, a gentle rain began to fall.
truly their savior. They said the Moses was set out to murder them, thus they accused God of You know what it was? God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the
murdering them. Three days after crossing the Red Sea they thought they were going to die point. Two of his children had come to realize that generosity is the deepest characteristic of
of thirst, but God turned their bitter water into sweet water. And after leaving the oasis at the holy and because we are made in God's image, our being generous is the secret to our joy
Elim, where there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees, they go back to the wilderness for 45 as well. Life is not fair, thank God! It's not fair because it's rooted in grace. Thank God for
days, and now they are lacking in food. All along it is a lack of faith. They had forgotten quail and manna, for God’s grace. And let God’s people say, AMEN.
Wait a Minute Lord, You Don’t Understand Wait a Minute Lord, You Don’t Understand
Exodus 16: 2-15 Exodus 16: 2-15
Dr. Ralph Mann Dr. Ralph Mann
September 21, 2008 September 21, 2008
Thesis: Sometimes we make excuses and complain to God that our Thesis: Sometimes we make excuses and complain to God that our
needs are not being taken care of. We feel ill-prepared and under needs are not being taken care of. We feel ill-prepared and under
qualified for ministry. However; there is a simple truth: Even when our qualified for ministry. However; there is a simple truth: Even when our
faith is lacking, and we seemingly don’t deserve God’s grace, God faith is lacking, and we seemingly don’t deserve God’s grace, God
provides for our needs. provides for our needs.
Reflection Questions: Reflection Questions:
Where have you accused God in your life of leading you out into the Where have you accused God in your life of leading you out into the
wilderness to murder you? wilderness to murder you?
Where have you experienced God providing manna for you at “one Where have you experienced God providing manna for you at “one
day at a time”? day at a time”?
How do you try to tend to store up God’s manna, when it is only for How do you try to tend to store up God’s manna, when it is only for
present needs? What does this say about your view of grace? present needs? What does this say about your view of grace?
If you have experienced a crisis of faith, what do you need from God If you have experienced a crisis of faith, what do you need from God
to lead you into the wilderness again? to lead you into the wilderness again?
Weekly Devotional Prayer: Almighty God, you who created me and Weekly Devotional Prayer: Almighty God, you who created me and
called me to ministry, pour out your Holy Spirit on me today so that I called me to ministry, pour out your Holy Spirit on me today so that I
may be a wise steward of these precious gifts. In the name and spirit of may be a wise steward of these precious gifts. In the name and spirit of
Christ. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants) Christ. (A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants)
Devotional Scriptures: Devotional Scriptures:
Psalm 3 and…… Psalm 3 and……
Monday – Ecclesiastes 9: 13-18 Monday – Ecclesiastes 9: 13-18
Tuesday – 1 Kings 3: 3-28 Tuesday – 1 Kings 3: 3-28
Wednesday – James 3: 13-18 Wednesday – James 3: 13-18
Thursday – Ephesians 3: 1-20 Thursday – Ephesians 3: 1-20
Friday – 2 Corinthians 6: 1-10 Friday – 2 Corinthians 6: 1-10
Saturday – 1 Corinthians 4: 1-13 Saturday – 1 Corinthians 4: 1-13
Sunday – Exodus 17: 1-7 Sunday – Exodus 17: 1-7
Hymn: Hymn:
Draw thou my soul, O Christ, Closer to thine; Breathe into every wish Draw thou my soul, O Christ, Closer to thine; Breathe into every wish
Thy will divine! Raise my low self above, Won by thy deathless love; Thy will divine! Raise my low self above, Won by thy deathless love;
Ever, O Christ, through mine Let thy life shine. Ever, O Christ, through mine Let thy life shine.
Lead forth my soul, O Christ, One with thine own, Joyful to follow thee Lead forth my soul, O Christ, One with thine own, Joyful to follow thee
Through paths unknown! In thee my strength renew, give me my work to Through paths unknown! In thee my strength renew, give me my work to
do! Through me thy truth be shown, Thy love made known. do! Through me thy truth be shown, Thy love made known.
Not for myself alone may my prayer be; Lift thou thy world, O Christ, Not for myself alone may my prayer be; Lift thou thy world, O Christ,
Closer to thee! Cleanse it from guilt and wrong; teach it salvation’s song, Closer to thee! Cleanse it from guilt and wrong; teach it salvation’s song,
Till earth as heaven, fulfill God’s holy will. Till earth as heaven, fulfill God’s holy will.
Reflection: Reflection:
Every quality or virtue that the Holy Spirit produces in our souls has three Every quality or virtue that the Holy Spirit produces in our souls has three
distinguishing characteristics: tranquility, gentleness, and strength. distinguishing characteristics: tranquility, gentleness, and strength.
– St John of the Cross – St John of the Cross
God, who is the master of time, never gives the future. He gives only the God, who is the master of time, never gives the future. He gives only the
present……. You will not be able to excuse yourself at the last judgment, present……. You will not be able to excuse yourself at the last judgment,
saying to God: “You overwhelmed me with the future when I was only saying to God: “You overwhelmed me with the future when I was only
capable of living in the present.” From The Cloud of Unknowing capable of living in the present.” From The Cloud of Unknowing
Prayers: Prayers:
For self, for family, for church, for community, for nation, for world. For self, for family, for church, for community, for nation, for world.