GOD'S LOVING PROVIDENCE

WEDNESDAY, SIXTEENTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Exo 16:1-5,9-15; Ps 78:18-19,23-28; Mt 13:1-9

The Lord’s Provision for his People

The children of Israel left Egypt under the protection and leadership of the Lord, represented by Moses, who was the Lord’s spokesman. As we noted earlier, the marching of the people of God under his direction constitutes the most formidable force on earth, for nothing can undermine the will of God for us, less than our lack of faith in God. Though they left Egypt in haste, making no provision for their journey through the wilderness, in the real sense of the multitude of people marching along, it would be practically impossible to make enough provision for such a huge number of people marching through the wilderness. Hence, we have noted that only the will of God and his providential care can sustain them in their journey. The divine will is our sufficient sustenance for our journey through life. But we must have faith in his creative word at every point of our Christian journey. Yahweh, who called the children of Israel out of Egypt to lead them to the Promised Land, made adequate preparations for their sustenance throughout the journey. Hence, when they started complaining about not having bread and meat to eat, he was understanding with them, for what he was to do for them was never heard of, or seen anywhere. Only the almighty God can act in the way unthinkable to human minds.

God, who called them out of Egypt, knew their needs before they asked. He wanted them to express faith in his fatherly care and divine providence. “And the whole community of the sons of Israel began to complain against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and said to them, ‘Why did we not die at the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we were able to sit down to pans of meat and could eat bread to our heart’s content! As it is, you have brought us to this wilderness to starve this whole company to death!” The above was a very wrong way to ask for bread from God, who worked wonders in Egypt for their deliverance. They implied in the manner of their presentation that God should have killed them alongside the Egyptians. Their lack of faith in God began to manifest as they progressed on the journey. Many of them witnessed the wonderful works of God, but never gave a deep thought to these wonders and how they represent God’s loving care for them. Without this reflective consideration of the works of God among us, we would never come to appreciate the divine love poured out in the work of our salvation. God never stopped the outpouring of his love in the work of our salvation, not minding our faithlessness. He went ahead to provide manna and quails in abundance for them. “Between the two evenings you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have bread to your heart’s content. Then you will learn that I, the Lord, am your God.”

God provided them with sufficient meat beyond their imagination, that even Moses was awestruck. Everything is possible through faith in God. We must continually listen, meditate, and contemplate the word of God; and learn never to put a measure to what the word of God can do. An important thing to note in this regard is that faith in the word of God is not to accomplish what is not the will of the Father for us, but that God’s word may bear fruit in our lives. The Lord’s parable of the sower brings this lesson home to us. “Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scotched and not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” These are various obstacles in our lives to the fruitful reception of the word of God. Since the word of God is the carrier of the divine will, our failure to receive the word of God will make us fruitless in our Christian journey. Generosity is the key; we must be generous with the time we give to the word of God. “Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” 

Let us pray: Show us favour, O Lord, who are your servants and make us fervent in the practice of faith, hope and charity, so that we may be ever watchful in keeping your commands and following your will. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.