You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.
You did not withhold your manna from their mouths,
and you gave them water for their thirst.
Nehemiah 9:20
Nehemiah looks back at the history of his forefathers in the wilderness and remembers God’s provision for them.
The book of Exodus chronicles their deliverance from Egypt—symbolizing sin and bondage. When God delivers us from our sin, we experience freedom from our sin. Our salvation brings freedom. Learning to live in that freedom is a journey, symbolized for us by the Israelites’ journey through the wilderness before entering the promised land.
The wilderness was a time of growing in their faith and learning to trust God. We do the same as we grow in our relationship with Christ.
While in the wilderness, God provided for the Israelites. He met their needs physically with manna and water. Spiritually, Jesus is our living water and our bread of life.
God met their needs spiritually with His Spirit to guide them in their journey.
He does the same for us. When we give our lives to Jesus, His Spirit takes up residence in our hearts. We are not left alone or bereft. His Spirit prompts, guides, convicts, and reassures us.
Jesus, thank you for giving your body – broken for me.
Thank you for quenching my thirst by becoming my living water.
Thank you for the indwelling of your Spirit!
In this week’s devotional video, Emily Brannon from Cross Church reminds us that Jesus is our source of true refreshment. When the busyness of life has us feeling exhausted and run down, we can look to Jesus — who gives us exactly what we need to find rest and renewal.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? If not, we invite you to sign up today (it requires only a free Gmail account, and costs nothing) to be sure you know when new videos from Cross My Heart are posted!
