“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.”
Deuteronomy 8:3
I was blessed to get to come to South Africa for my best friend’s wedding, which meant I got to meet with Sam from iThemba about my job starting this August. When I accepted the position at the end of January, I was excited, but also terrified. What if I just made the stupidest decision of my life? When I got engaged about a week later, I started feeling even more anxious.
Something I have been praying lately is that God will help me to live in the present. He is present with us in the present. It’s like manna. The Isrealites had to daily trust God to provide them with food–a strange, mysterious food that they did not know–so that they would come to know they needed to trust God, not stuff.
It’s easy for me to get overwhelmed with stuff. Where will I live? How will I eat? Will I be here by myself for a year, or will David come too? How will that work out? I think if only I knew the answers to all my questions, then I would be happy. But I wouldn’t. Man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds from the mouth of God. I don’t need to know stuff. I need God.
I have a job description now. I will be a “Networking and Programme Support“ person. Which means I get to work with all their overseas interns and teams and study abroad students. I also get to network with people in Hilton, and help out with holiday clubs and camps in Sweetwaters. I can’t believe a job like this exists!! Awesome!!
I also got to see the fully furnished flat I get to stay in while I am here! And God has provided me with a car to use to get to and from work. I still need to raise some support, and I don’t know how or when or where I will get married in all of this if David can’t get a job or visa. But I don’t need to know. What I need is to trust God, to trust that what he is giving me is good, even when I look at his heavenly food and go, huh? What is this? He has provided so, so much for me to be in South Africa in August already–I know he has a great plan for what is to come!
Stephanie Ebert 