Having been delivered from their enemies, God’s people now move toward a different set of trials: the lack of food and water. In this passage, we see God test his people to see whether they would trust and obey him during their journey. God often moves us from times of triumph to places of testing, that we might learn that “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut.8:3, Matt. 4:4). His provision is not dependent upon our obedience but upon his God’s steadfast love for his people. This testing cultivates in us a deeper trust in and love for him.