Exodus 16:11-15 "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat."
As we continue to read the story of the Exodus, three things stand out to me today. First are the abundant examples that God hears the prayers of His faithful servants. Second are the abundant examples that God hears the complaining of His people. Finally, God is faithful to respond to both with great power.
The LORD spoke to His servant Moses and told Him he had heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. God declared to Moses that He would feed them meat that beginning that very evening, and the following morning He would fill them with bread. Moses was to speak God’s word to the people. This was not just to fill their bellies: they would know that He was indeed their LORD their God.
Ever faithful to His word, that evening quail came up and covered the camp. Remember, we are talking about a camp that encompassed six hundred thousand men and their families. This was not some wayward covey that alighted among the Israelites. God sent them according to His will, and they obeyed according to His will.
The next morning, they found another wonder lying all over the ground. There was a small, round thing as small as the ice crystals that form on a blade of grass. This they called manna, which means “what is it?” This was a thing that they had never seen before, and God fed them with it for forty years. Again, remember we are talking about an enormous host of people.
Beloved, God hears us. That is a simple truth that is repeated throughout the Scriptures. He does not just hear our words; He hears the very thoughts of our heart. God is faithful in all His ways, and He can feed us as it seems good in His sight. We may not always know exactly how it comes to pass, but we do know that He is the LORD our God!