Exodus 16:
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.
31 The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.
16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”
18-20 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.
I know a wonderful lady who has said this for years "enough is enough and too much is nasty." Yes, the one and only, Mary Herald. I don't know if anyone outside of her family knows her phrase, but I do know that her entire family, at least all the children and grandchildren know it without question.....Enough is enough and too much is nasty! It always makes me smile to think of her.
God is using Mary's phrase-that-makes-me-smile, to show me the significance of where I have wandered recently.
I never thought of her quote with biblical meaning until today.
Several months ago Jeff and I began a journey of healthy eating and exercise. Our new food choices would eliminate all processed and refined foods. Eating only what God provided for us that's found naturally on His earth.
How our bodies felt was nothing short of amazing and good and healthy. The food we ate was incredible. Sometimes even indescribable in taste, but always magnificent.
And then life got busy and we fell back into some of our old habits. We were eating processed foods, refined sugars, even eating fast food!
Today, as I sluggishly got ready for work I could feel the effects of these not-so-healthy choices. I was officially miserable. I think I even felt more miserable than when we first started because now I know what it's like to feel good.
Riding into work I started to think about Miss Mary's phrase. Enough is enough and too much is nasty. I have been living this out in food. Yes, we have been eating too much AND the "too much" was very UNhealthy stuff. Stuff from man, definitely not found naturally on God's beautiful earth.
Yes, too much was certainly nasty. Nasty for me and nasty in how I now feel. UGH. Why do I do this!?!?!?
God provided perfectly for the Israelites. And He didn't just provide some make-do-with-this product. God gave them a white wafer-like substance that tasted like honey. White, crunchy, sweet perfection. However, some Israelites tested God and took too much manna and guess what? They experienced nasty! God's nasty is really nasty! By morning it was full of maggots and smelled. Yikes, too much is definitely nasty.
Thankfully, I am not full of maggots and I don't think I smell. But I think I feel like the physical equivalent.
Enough is enough and too much is nasty.
Why would I ever change from such wonderful, delicious and healthy eating? Laziness? Rebellion? Time? Life? Stupidity? Priorities? yes! Yes! YES! All of them I am sure!
My step-daughter Laura posted a quote that has stuck with me all day: "If you're tired of starting over, STOP giving up."
UGH! That's totally the bottom line. I gave up! Now I must start again.
I am so thankful for God's word, for His teaching, for placing people in my life that know just what words to provide that will enforce what God wants me to grasp.
I'm getting there. No more maggots & smelliness. Not for us! We are putting our plan back in place on Monday. We've already discussed it and once again we will feel good.
I pray we won't ever give up to the point of stopping. I pray we persevere and draw near to God in the process. I pray that with all our choices we would see God revealed anew. Amen.
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