depending on God

Well, it seems to be happening again. A while back I posted about how God kept showing me my need to seek Jesus.

It seems that this week I have been reminded of my need to depend on God on a daily basis. The last couple weeks in the High School SS we have been talking about the Israelites in the time of the Exodus. This week we looked at the manna and quail God gave them daily (for 40 years!) to take care of their needs. And how they could not keep any for the next day or it would have maggots and smell. That is except the 6th day, which is something else really cool God showed them - The Sabbath. Then today while I was reading 1 Kings 17 (Elijah and the widow) I was struck by this concept again. In this passage, Elijah is told to go to the Kerith Ravine and he will be fed by Ravens (daily). Then when the river dries up he is told to go to Zarephath of Sidon and a widow will take care of him.

What struck me at this point is that the widow is planning on making one last meal for herself and her son and then just waiting to die (due to the drought in the area). Elijah tells her to go home and make a small cake of bread for him and then some for her family. And then her flour and oil will not empty until God gives rain to the land again. Not only was she supposed to rely on God to keep the flour and oil full, she was supposed to give what little she had to someone else before she could use it for herself. God keeps his promise and she has food every day.

Then the third appearing of this theme came while I was reading Deep Ministry in a Shallow Wolrd by Chap Clark and Kara Powell. This one is in regards to taking vacations. But is says "Saving vacation time is like the Israelites who tried to store up manna." (p 230) What am I trying to store up that God wants me to use?

What do I need to depend on God for? The obvious answer, for me, always go back to money. But I think there is more that I need to depend on God for daily.

I hope to post more about this as I wrestle with it. What are your thoughts? How can ministers depend daily on God for something in the ministry? What has God given us to use today that will "spoil" if we try to keep it for tomorrow?