"Behold, upon the face of the wilderness!"

Exodus 16:14, 21.

The wilderness to us is the world - the place in which Christians are today. You cannot get away from this fact, although in spirit we are seated "in heavenly places in Christ."

And because we are in it there is something there for us - God's own provision for each of His saints in the midst of the barrenness which surrounds us. Think of the tender love which has thus thought of us! "Behold, upon the face of the wilderness … a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground."

It is JESUS in His humiliation - the Holy One who once as the Man of sorrows, passed through this desert land. It is He whom the Holy Ghost thus commends to each of us, and to whom He draws attention in that little introductory word "BEHOLD." Yes, believer, "BEHOLD" upon the face of the wilderness at this very moment, spite of all the dearth and the roughness of thy path - behold for thee God's own provision. Stoop, gather it up, and sweet shall it be to thy taste, and strength too shall it supply to thee for all thy desert way! Yes, weak as thou art, beset with sorrow as thou art, or, alas! proud as thou art, it is there awaiting thee, and even whilst thou art reading these lines, "Behold" - "upon the face of the wilderness" - on the top of all the desert difficulties - not covered up, but exposed to view - "a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground." It is for every saint of God.

Reader, what will you do with it? Will you neglect it? Ah, remember that the desert is no place that you can tread without it! What did the Israelites do? "And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted." May the Lord Himself lead us all to imitate the right actions of His saints. H. C. Anstey.

"God, thine everlasting portion,
Feeds thee with the mighty's meat,
Price of Egypt's hard extortion,
Egypt's food no more to eat."