‘Moses said, “Now the Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to satisfy you, because the Lord hears your murmurings which you murmur against him. And who are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.” ‘
Spending time in nature
Spending time in Nature this week, find an open space where you can spread out and enjoy the fresh air. This week bring a 5 lb bag of pom-poms balls that you’ll use to pretend to be Israelites in the wilderness gathering manna. Once you find a place to spread out, throw the pom-poms up in the air and try to pick them up with spoons/chopsticks/tweezers or anything you have around the house. As you gather, talk about what it was like for the Israelite Gathering Mana before the sun got hot. God provides us with the bread of life, but we do have to step out seek Him in His word. When searching for what God wants us to know, it can be challenging, like picking up pom-poms with spoons. When we put in the effort to seek Him out, we find a deeper relationship with our creator.
Tip
There is a useful tree native to the Indian subcontinent that can be broken down for various uses, one of which is to purify water. The Moringa tree seed extract separates unwanted particulates from water sedimenting impurities.
Do Something Creative
For today’s craft, see if you can create a water filter using different filters. Cut the bottom off of a bottle and, over the spout, secure the filter with a rubber band. Add a cup of sand to the bottle, then a cup of small pebbles, and top with larger stones. Once you have your water filter completed, pour a cup of dirty water into the filter. As the water moves down through the filter, see how much of the debris is removed.
What you will need:
- A bottle (remove bottom and use as a base to catch water) or funnel
- Sand
- Small pebbles
- Medium pebbles
- dirty water
- rubber bands or twist ties
- Various filters (sock, paper, coffee filter, or anything you think might filter small particles out of the water)
Family worship idea
For family worship, read Exodus 15:22-16 as you read, have the listeners write down a list of unique words they hear in the story. Write each one on a strip of paper. Once you are done reading the chapters, have a family discussion on why God gave the children of Israel a double portion of manna on the sixth day? Or how did God show He cared for them with the water, meat, and manna? After your discussion, put all the unique words in a hat/bowl/basket (try to remove duplicates if you have too many). Play a round of Pictionary with the strips of paper, a whiteboard, and a dry erase marker or large sheets of paper. If you don’t have the materials play a game of charades.
Personal thoughts
The Israelites were given water, then Quail, and then manna. We first open our hearts to Jesus; He takes the stone and turns it into a fleshy heart (Ezekiel 11:19 & 36:26); just as the water was changed, God will not leave us bitter. I think it is interesting God told Moses to throw the tree into the lake; at Calvery, Jesus was hung on a tree (Acts 5:30). When the living water and the tree met, death lost its sting, and a path to heaven was created for us. With the manna, God asked the Israelites to go out and seek the bread flakes. We gather up the word, bring it in our homes, and just the right amount is meant to reach each person when we are actively bringing the bread home. God is faithful in His plans for us when we are faithful in seeking Him out. As we prepare for the Sabbath, I wonder if we are meant to gather a double portion on preparation day? If we did, it would help us to enjoy the day to its fullest.
Hiding His word in your ❤
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and the He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Hebrews 11:6
Sabbath Catalyst 