Monday, February 13, 2012

THE WATER SUPPORTER


Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Hi all,
Logistics is not exactly my favourite topic. However, over the past fifty years or so, it has become a necessary part of life. Perhaps the best illustration of this is petrol for the car (gas for the automobile for the Yank’s). Those who have only an “itsy-bitsy” knowledge would be careful to fill up before the car ran out of juice. No one I know is keen on spending half the night somewhere between Laingsburg and Beaufort West because the “tank ran dry”. For much the same sort of reason, the housewife generally ensures there is sufficient to eat every day. Hungry children are inclined to be a bit grumpy! Oddly enough, husbands don’t like it either.
Several years ago, I went on a course on what was called, “Supply Side Management”. I found it was just another word for planning ahead. Mind you, I need to be careful. There are professors of this stuff out there, who would have my guts for garters if they thought I was demeaning their expertise.
This forward planning stuff helps you get prepared for each and every eventuality, most of which alternatives are never likely to occur anyway. One much loved model was called, “Just in time” (JIT). The theory was that as the last one was taken away, the next one arrived in the warehouse. I licked this theory. It’s wonderfully God-fearing. Only God can arrange anything that works like that 100% of the time.
By coincidence, I went to the course at about the same time as I was reading the book of Exodus. Almost everything in that book occurred JIT. At the time, I had the idea that Jesus was the best JIT specialist this world has ever known. He is never early or late. With timing accurate to the nearest tenth of a millisecond, things were there as needed. Now that’s JIT at its best; although the acronym now stands for “Jesus is Terrific”.
Now we’ve all heard the story of the manna in the Wilderness. It was there every morning on cue. There was never too much or too little. On Friday’s there was enough to collect for two days. There was none on the Sabbath. What is not mentioned is water supply. Obviously, it wasn’t a problem through most of the journey. Why or why not? I asked myself. Then the penny dropped. It was not mentioned because it wasn’t a problem. (after Marah) So who was their water supporter?
Today’s meditation looks at this and puts forward a theory. If you have a better answer, please tell us about it.
Blessings
Jim & Phyllida Strickland


The Water Supporter

They wandered through the desert, for nearly forty years.
There were two million people, is what it now appears.
Six hundred thousand menfolk, their children and their wives
Made up the total number. That’s what my maths derives.
And then there were the animals; the many flocks and herds.
The cost of feeding all of them can’t be expressed in words!
The people lived on manna; it was their daily food.
They ate it boiled, or baked, or fried, or on occasions, stewed!
The problem would be water. The people had to drink.
To keep the people healthy and living in the pink,
Would be a major factor. So how much was required,
To keep the people going before they all expired?
It’s difficult to estimate; the land was hot and dry.
They had their “air conditioning” from God up in the sky.
The fiery pillar warmed them, right through the long cold nights;
The cloud that covered them by day kept their conditions right.
But they all needed water, three litres each per day.
About six mega litres approximately – say.
Now that’s a lot of water. Enough to fill a boat,
The size of the Titanic or keep the thing afloat.
I’ve wondered where it came from. There wasn’t much around.
It couldn’t be a trickle that came up from the ground.
For God it was no problem. He speaks and instantly,
There’d be enough to quench their thirst regardless where they’d be.
But did the Lord bring rain clouds? I don’t think it was so.
The Bible then would tell us, so everyone could know.
They’d need a daily miracle. The manna came that way.
But water doesn’t come in blocks; not even in that day!
And what about the buckets that they would have to fill?
That’s also not an option to satisfy this bill.
The only way to do it, as far as I can tell,
Was that they didn’t draw it, from any desert well.
Perhaps just like the jar of oil that didn’t once run dry,
The Lord filled their containers with a similar supply?
I know I am not certain. It’s only just a guess.
But how could the Creator fix their little mess?
If you know something better, please won’t you tell us all?
The problem has been stated. My friends, it’s now your call.
Jim Strickland – Written 14th February 2012