God Provided Water, Manna and Quails

Once upon a time, God’s special people were on a long journey to a land they could call their very own. God had made them a big promise, saying, “I’ll give you your own land,” so this place became known as “The Land of Promise” or simply the “Promised Land.”

You see, for a long time, these people had been slaves in Egypt, but now they were finally free and heading to a new home. A man named Moses was their brave leader, and his brother, Aaron, was right there to help him along the way.

Now, on their journey to the new home, the people had to walk for many miles through a big, hot desert. After a few days of walking, they got really, really thirsty. But when they found some water, it tasted so bitter and nasty that they couldn’t even drink it. Yuck!

The thirsty people started to grumble and complain.

They began to think about their old life back in Egypt. They remembered the good things they used to have there, like tasty food and nice comforts.

But you know what? They kind of forgot how Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, had treated them really badly. It’s funny how people sometimes remember the good stuff and forget the not-so-good stuff, isn’t it? 🌵🚶‍♂️🚰😕

When the people started complaining and wanting to go back to Egypt, Moses had a talk with God about it. He asked God to help the people because they were so thirsty and upset.

God listened to Moses’ prayer and gave him a special piece of wood. God told Moses to touch that piece of wood to the bitter water. So, when Moses did just that, something amazing happened!

The water changed from being all yucky and bitter to sweet, just like God said it would. Now, there was plenty of good water for everyone to drink. God had come to the rescue once again! 🙏🪵

God was like a caring guide on their journey. During the day, He put a big, tall cloud pillar right in front of them, like a giant arrow pointing the way they should go.

Even though they were in a dry desert, God led them to places where they could find plenty of water to drink. He really looked after them!

After traveling for more than a month, the people of God set up camp in a place called the “Desert of Sin.”

But soon, they ran out of food, and that made them worried. They began to doubt if God could take care of them. They started complaining to Moses and his brother, Aaron.

And you won’t believe this, but they even said that their lives were better back in Egypt when they were slaves! They thought Egypt was better than the desert. It’s funny how people sometimes forget all the good things God does for them, isn’t it? ☁️🏜️🍞😟

Even when the people were grumbling, God never forgot them. He had a special plan. God told Moses that food was going to come down from the sky, like a heavenly feast.

As Moses and the people looked out into the desert, they saw a big cloud, and they knew that God’s glory was in that cloud.

God did exactly as He said. Every evening, a big group of quail, which are birds, would fly into the camp. The people caught them and had a delicious dinner. And when they woke up in the morning, they found tiny white flakes, kind of like wafers, covering the ground.

The people called this special food “manna.” It was like a miracle meal that God sent to take care of them. 🕊️🍞🌄🤗

Every day, the people went out and collected this special manna and brought it home to make yummy bread.

But God had a rule – they were only supposed to gather enough manna for their families. God wanted them to follow His instructions and trust that He would take care of them.

Some folks didn’t listen very well. They got greedy and gathered more manna than God told them to. They thought it would be a good idea to save some for later.

At first, it seemed like a clever plan. But then, they noticed something strange. The extra manna started to rot and smell bad. It was even full of worms!

God had another special way He wanted the people to remember Him. He said that the seventh day of the week would be a day of rest, kind of like a special break.

On this day, they were supposed to stop working and make it really unique. It was a holy day set aside just for God, and they called it the Sabbath Day.

Here’s the interesting part: On the Sabbath day, there wouldn’t be any manna on the ground. Instead, God told the people to gather extra manna the day before the Sabbath, prepare bread, and save it to eat on that special day. And unlike the other days, this extra manna didn’t go bad or get filled with worms. It stayed fresh and good. God was teaching them the importance of taking a day to rest and spend time with Him. 🍞🙌🌟🧺

But, you see, some people didn’t always listen to God, and they didn’t gather extra manna on the day before the Sabbath. So when the Sabbath came, they went out to get manna, but there was none.

They really wished they had followed God’s instructions.

For many, many years, God kept providing manna and quail for the people. If they just obeyed God, they didn’t have to go hungry.

To help them remember this lesson for a long time, God told Moses to take some of the manna and keep it in a jar. They could carry it with them as they journeyed toward the Promised Land.

And guess what?

That manna didn’t spoil or go bad. In fact, it stayed fresh in the jar for many, many years. It was a reminder of God’s care and guidance along their journey. 🍞🌅🏞️🏺