“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘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
In Exodus 16, God has led His people into the wilderness where—unknown to them—they would be for 40 years. He wasn’t holding them back for fun or keeping them in the desert longer than necessary. Like a good father, He was teaching them who He was and how to trust Him. I know that I too often want God to get me out of this hard thing, give me what I want, and move me on to the next season. My heavenly Father, in His wisdom, knows better.
God provided manna, their daily food, each morning, and they were instructed to gather only what they needed for that day. If the Israelites attempted to gather and stockpile more than a day’s worth, the manna would spoil. How quickly we attempt to rely on our own resources and strategy like the Israelites when our heavenly Father is teaching us how to daily depend on Him.
God was taking His people deeper into a covenant relationship with Him. The manna was a shadow of the ultimate provision: Jesus. Just as physical manna sustained life in a desolate desert, spiritual manna (Jesus Christ) sustains us in our fallen world.
God provided manna, their daily food, each morning, and they were instructed to gather only what they needed for that day. If the Israelites attempted to gather and stockpile more than a day’s worth, the manna would spoil. How quickly we attempt to rely on our own resources and strategy like the Israelites when our heavenly Father is teaching us how to daily depend on Him.
God was taking His people deeper into a covenant relationship with Him. The manna was a shadow of the ultimate provision: Jesus. Just as physical manna sustained life in a desolate desert, spiritual manna (Jesus Christ) sustains us in our fallen world.
Scripture Focus
Psalm 78:21-25
Insight
Are you trusting in the provision or in your Provider? Thank God for all He has blessed you with today, and trust Him with tomorrow.
Bible In A Year
- Job 5-6
- Psalm 45
- Luke 8