Daily Devotional | Long-Lasting Clothes

One of my favorite items of clothing used to be a gray wool sweater I’d purchased during a summer in Oxford, England. The sweater was soft and comfortable. I thought I looked sharp in it, as well as more like a professor (I was a student at the time). But even though I took good care of that sweater, eventually it wore out. Such is the way of things.

The exact opposite happened for the Israelites in the wilderness. Their clothes did not wear out! Nor did their sandals. Their feet didn’t swell either (v. 4; Deut. 29:5). Manna was provided daily for food (v. 3). These physical facts were undeniable evidence to the Israelites of God’s faithfulness and provision throughout the Exodus and their wilderness years.

God’s faithfulness was at the heart of the covenant relationship. In return, He expected obedience, worship, and reverence (vv. 1–2, 6, 11). As He led them to the land He had promised, a good and fruitful land (vv. 7–10), He was testing, disciplining, and developing His people to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:6, see October 3).

Along the way, the daily food and enduring clothing were constant reminders that the Lord was with them. They could see the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, signifying His presence, guidance, and protection, but the smaller, tangible miracles of food and clothing were perhaps more personal reminders of His care and faithfulness. All of these would be remembered with gratitude by future generations (Neh. 9:19–21).

There’s no such thing as a small miracle. For us, it might be a thrift store find or someone who drops by with a gift. Let such things testify to us about our God’s lovingkindness!