“I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)
God doesn’t need us to be smart. In fact, the dumber we are, the better. What He does need is for us to be dependent. Before giving to others, we must receive from Him. We not only need Him for our daily bread, but we live by every word that proceeds from His mouth.
In Egypt, the people were dependent on whatever their cruel taskmasters gave them to eat. Sure they had “flesh pots,” made tasty with leeks, onions, and garlic; but they also had a whip on their backs. Better a day by day dependence on a kind God, even if manna is our fare, than the “bread of sorrows” provided by a cruel despot.
The wilderness was a training ground for the children of Israel, where they were to learn to be on the receiving end of a good and generous Father, who knows better than we do how desperately we need Him in all things. He cries: “You need Me, O you need me! Every hour you need Me!” What is the response of the wise and humbled and grateful? “O bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee! I open my mouth, please fill it!”