Have you asked for something and received it in a different form? We used to joke about giving someone a car, then give them a matchbox car. The person was all excited with a full-size car in mind, only to have their hopes dashed. Has something like that happened to you?
Something similar happened to the Israelites. They were complaining about having nothing to eat. So, God said he would provide for them. However, God provided in a very different way than they expected. So much so that they had idea what it was they were seeing.
God provided manna for them every morning. It was a fine flaky substance left on the ground after the dew had lifted. They were to gather up what they needed for the day, twice as much the day before the Sabbath. They could then make the manna into bread, just as they would flour. The Israelites had to adjust to gathering what they needed each morning. If they attempted to keep it overnight, it would become wormy, with the exception of the night before the Sabbath. God was working in multiple ways as he provided for and taught the Israelites.
So, what is God trying to teach you? Has he provided something in an unexpected manner? Perhaps God has provided for a need you have, but not in the way you expected or maybe wanted. You might have missed it because you were looking for something else. So, stay alert and look for ways God is providing for you.
I pray we all ask God to provide what we need. I pray we accept what God provides. I pray each one of us will look for the myriad ways in which God provides, often different than we may expect. God provides for your needs. Accept what God provides. Look for ways God provides.
Exodus 16:15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.”
Marty Pressey 