Just Enough

The message I heard on Sunday centered on the manna and quail in Exodus.

One part of this chapter resonated within me.

Exodus 16:15 (NRSVue) - When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.

This ended the reading.

But it made me realize that people, me included, can misunderstand God’s provision.

We may see it, but we do not always understand it.

I then thought about the verses that follow and another struck a chord within me.

Exodus 16:16 (NRSVue) - This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

The people were instructed to take as much as they needed, not as much as they wanted.

Some did not heed these instructions and the extra they took went bad.

This angered Moses.

God still provides.

Yet human beings often mistake this providence and apply terms like ‘luck’ or ‘chance.’

And even when we do recognize God’s role as provider, we are tempted to take more than what we need.

We might even be upset that the provision was not enough to suit us.

As a provider, God knows our needs.

He will give us enough to meet those needs.

And our response should be one of gratitude.

 

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, February 27, 2026.

I will be back here on Friday, March 6, 2026

Go to the Source

Isaiah 49:10 (NKJV) - They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them.

Isaiah delivers a message from God.

God promises provision.

God even promises a time when he will provide a source of water.

And with that provision, God will make certain that none are thirsty again,

In the fourth chapter of John, Jesus encounters a woman at a well.

Even though she is Samarian, Jesus speaks at length with her.

The woman tells Jesus she comes to the well every day to draw water and carry it home.

Jesus then tells her of the living water and how those who drink of it will never thirst again.

This evokes quite a reaction from the woman.

John 4:15 (NRSVue) - The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.”

It is not difficult to connect the dots and see the relationship between these two passages.

God the Father created us and provides for us.

He provided the Son, by Whom we are saved.

God also provided us with the Holy Spirit who works to improve us day by day.

Christ, the living water, is available to all.

Those who have partaken of this water thirst no more.

Their obligation is to bring others to the source.

And it does not matter how different the two people are.

Jesus demonstrated this for us at the well.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, October 11, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 18, 2024

God’s Will and God’s Provision

Psalm 94:19 (NRSVue) - When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.

Psalm 94 is about God avenging the righteous.

But the psalmist recognizes that when troubles are many, God is there.

Luke 22 is the account of Christ just prior to His betrayal and crucifixion.

Jesus goes to the Mount of Olives, a place He frequents.

As the time draws ever nearer, the moment weighs heavily upon Him.

He leaves His disciples behind and goes off to pray to the Father.

His Divine and human nature come to the fore.

His human nature knows of the coming pain, suffering, and death.

But His Divine nature prevails.

And God provides Him with strength at this crucial moment.

Luke 22:42-43 (NRSVue) - “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.

Like the psalmist, sometimes we feel the weight of the world upon us.

But like the psalmist, we recognize that God is there for us.

We understand that we do not face these cares alone.

And being human, we still might find these burdens too difficult to bear.

Christ reminds us that what the Father has planned will ultimately prevail.

Acknowledging this, we will then see God at work strengthening us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, September 27, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, October 4, 2024

The Source of Provision

Job 38:41 (NRSVue) - Who provides for the raven its prey, when its young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food?

In this chapter, the Lord answers Job.

In doing so, The Lord compares His omnipotence to Job’s weakness.

Job is reminded that even the ravens and their young are provided for by God.

Paul, in his first letter to Corinth, discusses divisions within the Church.

He compares his role to that of Apollos.

One did the planting while the other watered.

But it was God who brought about growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7 (NRSVue) - So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

So, what is the connection?

Simply that God provides.

God provides for His creation.

God also provides for us.

And while others may inspire us through their words and teaching, it is God that provides our spiritual growth,

He then uses us to teach and perhaps inspire others.

These are duties we dare not shirk.

But even when we do these things, we must bear this in mind:

It is God who provides for their spiritual growth just as He provides for ours.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com on Friday, August 23, 2024.

I will be back here on Friday, September 6, 2024

Accepting Discipline

Deuteronomy 8:5 (NET) - Be keenly aware that just as a parent disciplines his child, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

God made his people wander in the wilderness for forty years.

But God never abandoned them.

When they were hungry, God gave them manna to eat.

Their clothing never wore out.

Their feet never swelled.

Wandering was God’s way of disciplining His people.

Before they could move forward, they had to learn discipline.

Yet during this period of discipline, God still provided for them.

The same was true for the followers of Christ.

They too had to learn discipline.

In fact, if you look closely, you can see the word disciple rooted in the word discipline.

Christ taught his disciples.

But His teaching was not limited to words.

Christ also taught them by example.

Just prior to the Passover feast, Christ washed their feet.

John 13:15 (NET) - For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you.

Like God’s people, we too will face difficulty.

But it is during such times that God disciplines us.

And during such times we must remember that God still provides for us.

As we read scripture, we can learn from the words of Christ.

As importantly, we can learn from His example.

Even the best of us wanders away from how we are meant to live.

And that is when we require discipline.

But, despite adversity, God remains a constant source of compassion and love.

And following the example of Christ is the best means of returning to where we need to be.

It also allows us to share the love and compassion of God with those around us.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 8, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, July 15, 2022

Wants, Needs, and Gratitude

Exodus 23:25a (NET) - You must serve the Lord your God, and he will bless your bread and your water,

This portion of scripture caught my attention.

It caught my attention for three reasons.

First, it reminded me that the blessing was for necessities and not luxuries.

Second, this seems to reverse the punishment that befell Adam due to his disobedience (Genesis 3). 

Third, was its preceding verse which lends it context.

Exodus 23:24 (NET) - You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones to pieces.

I suddenly recalled a party I once attended.

This celebration was held in the stately home of its obviously wealthy hosts.

Suffice it to say, I felt more than a little out of place.

I was admiring a painting when two people walked up beside me.

One said to the other, “You know, if I had all this, I would finally be happy.”

I concluded that this was a classic example of self-deception.

For true happiness cannot be found in material things.

True happiness can only be found in union with Christ.

This is the same Christ who reminds us not to worry.

We certainly do not need to worry about extravagances.

But Christ tells us we need not even worry about necessities.

Matthew 6:31 (NET) - So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’

Many, especially those still caught up in worldly things, find this difficult.

Those who believe understand that God is the provider.

They rely upon God for their physical as well as their spiritual needs.

This remains true even during challenging times and difficult circumstances.

For it is during such times that God’s provision for us makes itself truly evident.

That is why Paul reminds us to be always thankful, no matter the circumstances.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NET) - in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com/ on Friday, June 24, 2022.

I will be back here on Friday, July 1, 2022