Longing for FOOD

Three pictures to illustrate the Sinai desert.
As far as I know, that is the desert where Moses exercised his patience. First he was called... but couldn't do the job yet... then he was a shepherd for 40 years... and than God told him to go to the Pharaoh to ask him to release Gods people. The Pharaoh had the authority to take Moses as a slave for the rest of his life.
Personally I wouldn't dream of a ministry like this. But God said (loose translation): Moses maybe you are not able, but I Am, so don't worry.

Anyway...
to make a long story short...
Gods people were slaves in Egypt... and they cried for years to be delivered.
Finally God managed to lead his people out of Egypt. Making way through a sea... and all that.
His people were delivered!
NEVER TO BE A SLAVE AGAIN
Isn't that amazing!
If that wasn't enough... God wanted His people to enjoy Him in a land He prepared for them... And He was determent to lead them there. Using Moses to do so.

God took care of them; He provided food from heaven, even made water spring out of a rock to drink them, He made sure their clothes would grow with them...
And the most beautiful thing is: He was with them! His presence all day long!

It must have been the weirders thing, to go around in the desert with Gods people though the desert... for 40 years with so sign of that promised land or whatsoever.

As I was preparing myself a very nice salad this evening... with fresh parmasan cheese, tomato, fresh olives - I could even imagine people'd start to long for Egypt again. God fed them every day! But it was no "haute cuisine". It was manna.
Instead of clinging to the promise of the promised land with milk and honey (illustrating good FOOD)... they longed for Egypt's food - flesh.
They forgot they were enslaved in Egypt, they forgot they were tired, unhappy and miserable there, but walking around in a desert for years can make one less picky.


Anyway
God was with them... they were out of bondage - free - experiencing Gods provision , goodness and presence...
Yet walking through the desert for years. I can imagine this was not the most thrilling way of spending your youth.
And it struck me, how I was longing for my own Egypt.
I stepped into freedom with God a few years ago.
Enjoying His presence, His care, His provision, His love -
But if that means I'll be in some kind of desert for years... because He has got something better for me in mind...
While the whole world is going after thrilling experiences, theaters, performance,
will I be satisfied just being in His presence, even if that means I won't have a great ministry, perform, develop my skills, for years.


My point... ?


There's something about food and biblical theme's;
God loved Daniel when he choose not to eat from the Kings table, because he had a covenant with his God.
The goodness of the promised land is illustrated by food (milk and honey)
Heaven is illustrated by a festive wedding - meal - sigh - can't wait to enjoy that one!