METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA
DIOCESE OF OSOGBO
TWENTY-FIFTH (25TH) SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME/FIFTEENTH (15TH) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 20TH
SEPTEMBER, 2020.
GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S
PEOPLE.
THEME: Trust God to supply your need
Gbekele Olorun fun ipese ohun to nilo
TEXT: Exodus 16:12
"I
have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them saying,
"At twilight you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am
the Lord your God."
"Emi
ti gbo kikun awon omo Israeli; so fun won pe, Ni asaale eyin o je eran, ati ni
Owuro a o si fi ounje kun yin, eyin o si mo pe, emi ni Oluwa Olorun yin."
While
counselling his Boston congregation, Bishop Phillips Brooks (1835-1893)
declared that Christians need not to pray for easy lives, rather, they should
pray to be stronger men and women. He added that children of God should not
pray for tasks equal to their power, but need to request for powers equal to
their tasks. What a wise counsel! Brooks' counsel perhaps came from his study
of the Israelites' wilderness experience. Whenever the journey became so
challenging and the going got tough, the children of Israel would begin to
grumble and talking about returning to Egypt where they had been treated as
slaves. They easily forgot what God had done for them, but talked about those
things they wanted him to do, but he has not done (Ps. 105:5&6). They
praised God at the manifestation of his power in their journey, but a little
time, they doubted his power to provide or supply their needs as if they no
longer trust him in their daily wilderness walk. Obviously, the Israelites were
no different from today's Christians. We love to trust and praise God when
things are going on smooth with us, but whenever the opposite comes, we tend to
forget his good deeds in the past and begin to doubt his power or ability to save,
protect, supply, help and care for us in our own daily walk of faith. Today's
message, therefore, is to help us learn from the experience of the Israelites
and continue to trust God for the supply of all our needs. (Phil. 4:19).
The
children of Israel, when walking in the wilderness to the promised land, faced
several problems. One of the big challenges they faced in their wilderness
journey was hunger. The entire people of Israel complained bitterly after a
month they left Egypt because they were very hungry in the wilderness of Sin, which
is between Elam and Sinai. (Ex. 16:1-3) The hunger was so severe that they
forgot their bondage and sufferings in Egypt, rather they remembered pots of
meat and bread which they had eaten in Egypt. They preferred to have remained
in bondage and die in Egypt as slaves than to be free and hungry in the
wilderness. They grumbled and complained bitterly against Moses and Aaron in
the face of hunger - What shall we eat? Was the main topic of their complaint.
God, however, heard their grumbling and complaints and in his mercy and grace
met he their needs. He promised to give them meat to eat in the evening and to
rain bread (manna) from heaven for them in the morning (Ex. 16:4 & 8). Our
God is a merciful Father, who vowed to be gracious to whom he wishes and have
compassion on anyone he wishes (Ex. 33:19), let us therefore, trust him for the
supply of all our needs. Nothing is too hard for him to do even in the midst of
the present economic meltdown, he is able supply all our needs (Gen. 18:14;
Jer. 32:27) As Christians journey through life to heaven, we must believe God
and obey him for the following reasons made clear in our Old Testament text
appointed for this 15th Sunday after Trinity (Exodus 16:2-15)
1. The Promise of God (Ex. 16:4-5,8 11-12): In our Christian
walk of faith, we live on promises and explanations. It is usual and normal for
us to ask "Why?" whenever we are passing through tough times or
facing life challenges, but such question seems to be a wrong one since it is
always directed to God, the Creator and Sustainer of our lives. He can never be
accountable to human beings because he is in charge of our lives and affairs.
God is sovereign and does not have to explain anything to us except he chooses
to do so. (Job 40:1-5) Murmurings cannot solve our problem nor asking questions
and getting explanations could supply our needs or heal our broken hearts, but
understanding the ways, plans and promises of God can increase our faith in him
and strengthen our trust in him. This is because God's promises depend on
faith, and faith puts us in contact with the grace of God.
2. The glory of God (Ex. 16:6-7, 9-10): The important thing
here is that the glory of God is sufficient for us. In our text, the moment
Israel beheld God's glory, they forget every other problem and focused on what
they saw. What should be important to us, as Christians who are called to be
light and salt of the world (Matt. 5:13-16), is how to glorify God and honour
his name, even at the expense of our own comfort. Christians must learn to face
difficult situations without asking how can we get out of this?, but to say,
Lord, what can we get out of this difficult situation? What should be important
to us, as Christians in Nigeria today, is the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and complete trust in God for unexpected supply of all our
physical needs (Matt. 6:33). We must know that all our life challenges and
wants are mere trial and test of our faith, and they are meant to build godly
character into us as God's children so that we can be more like Jesus Christ.
Bearing burdens, fighting battles, feeling pains and being in want are
therefore marks of our godliness. Trust in God and his glory shall bring to us
all that we need.
3. The faithfulness of God (Ex. 16:13-15): So it was that
quails came up at evening and covered the camp and the people of Israel caught
enough for themselves. They asked for meat and God provided more than enough
for them. The Lord surprised them with something new in the morning, he rained down
manna for his people. He prepared a table for his people in the wilderness and
shared "the bread of angels" with his people (Ps. 78:17-25) The bread
which they ate for 40years in the wilderness without working for it. (Ex.
16:35; Josh 5:11-12) Every morning, the Israelites participated in a miracle as
they came out from their tents to find all the nourishment they needed waiting
on the dew. Though manna was small like a seed, but it tasted sweet like honey
(Ex. 16:31). Our God is so faithful and will always fulfill his promises (Num.
23:19) Let us true him, because he does not fail.
Trust
God today and believe in his Son Jesus Christ, who alone is the bread of life,
sweeter than manna, and you will also participate in the endless miracle of
God's supply (Jn 6:22-59). The Psalmist tasted God's unlimited provision and
thus declared; "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." (Ps.
23:1) He is God of justice and equity, he will never forget all those who trust
in him (Matt. 20:8-15) Jesus Christ is willing to give us more than food for
the body or money for our earthly desires, he has the ability to give us food
for our soul which no man or woman can give. (Isa. 55:2) Jesus Christ is the
Bread of life, and the only way to be saved and be satisfied is to receive him
to our inner being. Trust God and he shall supply all your needs according to
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19).
Let
us pray.
Rt.
Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.
Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.
OS-CAN Chairman.
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