Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

“Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).

The verse above is a part of the well-known model prayer (“The Lord’s Prayer”) that Christ gave us in His Sermon on the Mount. The concept of “daily bread” would certainly have resonated with the Hebrew audience as a poignant reminder of the places God had led them through.

As the Israelites wandered through the wilderness, the Lord proved over and over again that He would be their faithful provider. Exodus 16:4-5 says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” This “bread from heaven” was something like a seed cake. Confused by this food from above, the Israelites called it “manna,” which means “what is it?” Being human, the people tried to take advantage of the system, saving some of their gathered food for the next day—but any that went uneaten bred worms and became foul. Likewise, the manna left on the ground melted away once the sun grew hot each day.

We have the tendency to shake our heads in derision at these chosen people of God who didn’t always act like it. We read throughout the old testament of how they turned to idols at the first sign of trouble, rejected God’s commands, and disrespected the leaders He placed over them. But unfortunately, human nature has not changed in the last 3000 years. We too take advantage of the undeserved blessings of the Lord.

This story highlights an important principle: we cannot rely on yesterday’s manna for today’s food. We cannot fill ourselves with the word, bathe ourselves in prayer, and be led by a faithful community throughout one season and neglect them in the next. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks things like “I’ll read twice as much tomorrow to make up for tonight.” Is this not the same consumerist mentality that the Israelites had when they gathered twice as much manna for themselves? And yet this manna would only go to waste—it could not be saved for the next day. The water we drink at the riverside means nothing if we cannot find it in the desert as well.

If we neglect the daily pursuit of God, we are neglecting the spiritual food He has for us. “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). If His compassions are new every morning, then how much are we missing every time we skip a day in His presence?

While we cannot avoid the dry spells, sometimes I think we get so caught up with being in the wilderness that we overlook the Lord’s provision—simple and uninteresting as it may seem. Because if you think about it, the manna had to get old a long time before year forty. In fact, we are told in Numbers 11:6 that the Israelites complained, saying: “now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.” You might think that eating food from the sky straight from God would never be boring. But when we forgot to practice gratitude, even the most extraordinary acts of God look commonplace. As one song puts it, “Whether or not I recognize the miracle hidden in the mundane, the bread of heaven’s offered either way.”

What manna has God given you that you have failed to recognize? Maybe it’s a job you could have never gotten by your own merit. Maybe it’s an education that feels burdensome, but others don’t get to enjoy. Maybe it’s the roof over your head and the food on your table. Maybe it’s the time you have to spend with the Lord, time you often waste. Our flesh desires so powerfully to be stimulated and entertained that we often become dissatisfied with consistency.

God’s provision of manna teaches us that His blessings will never lead us to disobey His law. He allowed the people to gather twice as much manna before the Sabbath, so that they could faithfully obey His command to rest on that day He had ordained in creation. We serve a faithfully consistent God, who will never lead His children into sin. We can trust that God’s plans for us will always prosper—and in God’s eyes, prosperity is abundant life and relationship with Him, pursuing the Creator whom we were born to know.

God sends us manna instead of a feast so that we do not forget to long for life in heaven, in perfect communion with God our Father, Christ our Brother, and the Spirit our Friend.

Lord, teach my heart to praise you in gratitude for the things that don’t satisfy my flesh, but feed my spirit. Use the manna you have given me to lead me to the Provider more than the provision, the Healer more than the healing, the Director more than the direction, and the Creator more than the creation.