The first day of Iyar, the second month on the Hebrew calendar, was Thursday, April 23, at sundown. It was in this month that the Israelites began to journey into the wilderness after being released from Egypt and having passed through the Red Sea. Here, they began to see and understand that God was their healer and provider. God was trying to change their mindset from that of slaves in Egypt to children of God, positioned for His promises to them.
Exodus 16:1 reads, “Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.”
Then Exodus 16:2-5 says:
The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Now the children of Israel said to them, “Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full, for you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Indeed, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain amount every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not. And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”
The Israelites tested the character and nature of God and His goodness by entering that season murmuring, complaining and disobeying God. They took more manna than they were supposed to and did not respect His Sabbath rest. Yet, even though the Israelites murmured in the desert and disobeyed Him, God still showed them His goodness and provided for them.
The same has been true for some of us. As we entered 2020, we were hit with the coronavirus pandemic, its effects on our economy, social distancing and more. All of this has been difficult to adjust to and feels a lot like slavery. Some believers have gotten discouraged and not watched their words, as they have grumbled and complained against God. But I have good news: Jesus has taken us away from slavery and positioned us for promise and hope!
Stay encouraged. Your heavenly Father loves you so much. The bitterness you have been experiencing is about to turn sweet, just as it did for the Israelites in Exodus 15, when Moses threw the wood into the bitter water at Marah and they were able to drink.
Our God provides even at our worst times. Do not worry about provision. He is not going to leave you destitute. I am reminded of God’s love for His people as I continue to read Exodus 16-18. God was trying to show the Israelites who He is, His beauty, His goodness and that He is our healer and provider. I feel His heart-pains of wanting His people to know how much He loves them and is caring for them. He knows when we go through difficulties, we can easily join forces with the enemy by doubting Him. We turn from faith to fear that God will not provide for us. We need to repent of our ways—repent of fear over the virus and what we’ve allowed into our hearts and minds.
When we repent, fear gets nailed to the cross, and we are resurrected in faith. Stay in the place of faith. It is here that you will receive the joy of the Lord and all the provision you need. We have to remember that the devil is a liar and that our Father is good and loves us. God frees us from all doubts and fears. Learn to live in that place of freedom.
A few other points I want to share with you about the month of Iyar:
1. It’s a fresh month in which God says He is the healer and our provider.
2. It’s a month of radiance and blossoms, a time to remember the new.
3. It’s a time to remember that Jesus met with His disciples for 50 days before He ascended and gave us the Holy Spirit.
4. It is a time of preparation before the Feast of Shavuot, or Pentecost, when we remember how the power of the Holy Spirit came upon those in the upper room in Acts 2, and we, His people, began to receive His power from heaven.
Praise Him! Praise is a weapon that will break strongholds in your life. It will position you and change your mindset from fear to living by faith. Turn your back on the lies and manipulations as well as fear of the virus. You cannot stay paralyzed in this season. You’ve got to begin to get yourself up, move forward, and walk in the plan and purpose of God for your life. It’s a mighty month, and we’re going to see blessings in it, but first we have to believe Him by faith.
Let me pray for you: Father, I thank You for my friend. I ask You right now to fill them with faith in the mighty name of Jesus. Raise them up so that they know and understand that even if they have questioned You in the past, You will show Your goodness to them. I thank You that You are reigning down provision on their lives. I declare that they will receive that provision, the sweet water, meat and blessings that are coming. Empower them to stand in faith against the enemy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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