Discover Lessons About God from the Most Famous Geyser in the World

Jul 15, 2024

(This is from my book, God is Like a Geyser)

Old Faithful is why most visitors come to Yellowstone National Park. It’s an impressive geyser that fits into people’s lives because it sticks to a schedule. People can count on Old Faithful.

Since its discovery in the late 1870s, Old Faithful has delighted tens of millions with its impressive 100-180ft column of water and steam. It has become the most famous geyser in the world.

Hundreds of people line up to get a glimpse of Old Faithful every hour and a half. (varies from 30 minutes - 1 1/2hrs) They want to see Old Faithful show up for a one to five-minute appearance.

For all these years, Old Faithful has gone off and has always shown up.

In Exodus, God’s people were hungry, thirsty, lost, and confused. They had been brought out of Egypt, a place of slavery, death, and imprisonment, but now they worried whether the God who delivered them out of Egypt would be faithful in keeping them alive in the desert.

The people started crying out to their leader, Moses,

If only we had died at the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve!
- Exodus 16:3 (NIV)

With over a million mouths to feed, you probably get the idea of why this was such a big concern. Bringing home the bacon and faithfully providing for God’s chosen people was a big job. The Israelites knew God could do amazing things, turning water into blood, parting the red sea, but unlike those miracles, feeding them wouldn’t be a one-time miracle. It would have to be a consistent and faithful miracle.

Was their God not just powerful but also faithful? Would He choose to show up time and time again?

Well, the good news is God had an answer for the people,

I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.

- Exodus 16:4

The Israelites were happy enough with that at first, but only bread? Could God be counted on to bring home meat, not just bread? I mean, even prisoners get bread and water. Were the Israelites prisoners in the desert?

God answers the Israelites questions and doubts about his faithfulness and provision by telling Moses this,

At twilight, you will eat meat, and in the morning, you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.

- Exodus 16:12 (NIV)

That night tons (literally) of quail showed up for the Israelites to eat, and in the morning, the bread-like flakes called manna covered the ground.

The coolest part about this story to me isn’t just the miracle that happened. It is that the blessing of bread, water, and meat (debated on whether the meat occurred more than twice) happened every day for 40 years!

While the Israelites needed food in the desert, God provided them with this miracle faithfully each day.

Despite our lack of faith, God shows up in our lives because He is faithful even when we aren’t.

(This is from my book, God is Like a Geyser, if you want to walk with God for 30 days in Yellowstone National Park click the link below)