Whenever I had read the miracle of the quail in Numbers chapter 11, I had seen it as just that: a miraculous provision of quail. As the Lord brought me back to this story this past week, I began to notice there is much more God is saying in that story.
It’s a message for those who are stretched in the “almost there” phase. You’re in the transition of seasons that has felt like forever. You’re stretched, you’re stressed and you’re feeling the weight of all you’re carrying.
Even the number 11 (marking the chapter) is the number right before 12 which is (biblically) a number of completeness (12 tribes, 12 disciples, etc.). If you’re in the “11th hour” spiritually, here’s some encouragement from the 11th chapter of Numbers.
1. Remember the miracles you’ve lost your taste for.
Not long before this, manna was a miracle. It was miraculous sustenance in the desert. The miraculous nature of manna hadn’t changed, but the appetite for it had gone—simply because of its abundance. When we ask Holy Spirit to remind us of what things in our current, everyday life are yesterday’s miracles, the new perspective of thankfulness paves the way for more intimacy with the Lord. We “enter His courts with thanksgiving.”
2. Remember that the miraculous is not just reserved for emergencies.
God could have easily responded with a “no” to the quail request because—quite frankly—they didn’t need it. It was a desire, but it was not a need. Sometimes we only expect the miraculous in the most dire circumstances when there is no other way, but God doesn’t reserve the miraculous for “emergencies only.”
3. When you feel overwhelmed, don’t pull away from what He has called you to carry.
“I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me.” These words of Moses in Numbers 11:14 may be words you can relate to. But God’s response to that plea was not to remove what Moses had been called to carry. It was to rally support around Him so that what he was carrying could be sustained and multiplied. The answer to feeling stretched is usually not to quit but to seek God’s strategy for sustenance and assistance.
4. God often has answers that are not what we would think of.
In Moses’s case, God responded with two unexpected answers. First, God gave an unlikely “yes” to the impossible request of quail. Second, God also responded to Moses’s exasperation with the community by…bringing Him a community! Seventy leaders to speak prophetically (speak hope) by God’s direction as well as to “share the burden.” Sometimes the very thing we are trying to push away can become an answer to prayer if we stand back and ask the Lord for a strategy.
5. God is into doing double miracles if we have eyes to see it.
Moses was task focused, wondering how on earth he could manage the people and their crazy request for quail. It would have been a miracle enough for God to just provide that answer. God provided the solution to the short-term task of finding quail, but also saw what Moses needed that he didn’t directly ask for (help and a leadership community) that He provided as well. When we see God moving miraculously, we must look for the second miracle we might be missing. The one that goes beyond the task at hand and administers love and support to the deep, eternal parts of us.
Sara Whitten is an author, speaker, equipper and founder of Arrows of Zion Ministry. She and her husband are youth pastors at Impact Christian Fellowship in Kerrville, Texas. Sara is a prophetic writer that is featured on Charisma, Elijah List, Spirit Fuel and more. She hosts “Hear God Every Day”, a podcast with tools to help amplify the voice of God amidst the noise of everyday life. She participates in developing resources and Bible-based trainings for areas least reached by the gospel. Sara also facilitates trainings for professionals wanting to use their business or marketplace skills for the kingdom.
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