From the window, I saw one white morning glory in a scrubby cedar tree at the edge of our yard. One. Only one. But one was enough to get my attention. Hours later, the bloom was gone, but the power of its solo performance lingered.
The morning glory’s presence was a God Stop for me, shifting my eyes from myself to the beauty of a single flower and the goodness of God. Afterward, I watched for its return, butthe vine with elongated heart-shaped leaves never blossomed again. The fact that I saw this fleeting flower made me marvel even more.
Over two thousand years ago, God captured the attention of the Israelites as they trekked through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. One month after the Lord parted the Red Sea and delivered them from Egypt, food and water were scarce. Preoccupied with their hunger, they complained about Moses and Aaron’s leadership and downplayed Egypt’s cruel taskmasters. At least while in captivity, they didn’t worry about where their next meal would come from. Although only thirty days out, they were ready to turn back and forfeit their freedom to quiet their grumbling stomachs.
So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, ‘In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning, you will see the glory of the Lord…’” (Exodus 16:6-7). For forty years, God rained thin wafer-like flakes from the sky—heavenly bread. The people called it manna which in Hebrew means “‘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’” (Exodus 16:15).
God’s miraculous wilderness provision extended beyond sustaining the Israelites physically and shifting their eyes to their Provider. His manna foreshadowed the coming of the “true bread from heaven.” On some obscure road in a desert wasteland, God’s eyes were fixed on us.
In John 6, Jesus said to his disciples, “For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
After God humbled the Israelites, he sustained them with manna to teach them that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut. 8:3).
Jesus, the true bread of heaven, satisfies us spiritually for all eternity with the bread he has given us to eat—His Word. Whenever we prayerfully spend time in the Scriptures, God shows up with enough bread to satisfy our hungry souls. Hours after The Book is closed, the power of its message remains, and the presence of its Author lingers. This…is morning’s true glory.
Now it’s your turn: What causes you to pause and take note of God’s glory?
Blessings,
The morning glory’s presence was a God Stop for me, shifting my eyes from myself to the beauty of a single flower and the goodness of God. I'd love for you to check out today's blog post, Morning's Glory Click To Tweet
*** This article was first published in The Randolph Hub, September 28, 2022
Beautiful devotional, Starr!
I love morning glory vines. The way they open and close is amazing. Their beauty reminds me of the detail God puts into every creation. 🙂
Great question to ask ourselves Ms. Starr. For me, it’s sunrise each morning. When I lift my head from prayer and look outside my den window, I love it when God’s glory shows up in a spectacular sunrise. Some mornings I’ll see cattle moving about, grazing in silence to start their day. Other times, my donkeys will greet me with their unique braying. In all of it, I pause to thank God for another day, and I try to remember to ask Him to lead me to someone He needs me to help in some way this day. Just like you did for me this morning.