Manna-Life

April 28

Read: Exodus 16

Bread From Heaven (Part 1)

“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to 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 they will walk in my law or not.” (v.4)

God gives us what we need when we need it… nothing more and nothing less. God’s way is made clear here in Exodus 16 - he is a “daily bread” sort of God. This can be tremendously unnerving for us as humans. It leaves us feeling vulnerable at times and tests our faith. Time and time again, my walk with the Lord has taught me this truth - and yet I lose heart so easily.

Our natural tendency is to try and “stockpile” and amass for ourselves “more”. We don’t like feeling dependent and vulnerable… even when it is dependance and vulnerability with God. The food from God does not work this way! Look:

“And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank.” (v.19,20)

I want to snatch up as much as I can and squirrel it away for a rainy day… apart from Christ I am never content… always wanting more. Meanwhile, God is asking asking US to trust him for our “daily bread”. The Father calls us to come to him EACH DAY trusting that he will provide for us what we need… that he will strengthen us! It is hard to find an example in the scriptures where amassing so much extra turns out to be a good thing. It is more often than not a distraction at best… and a snare at worst! (Look at this parable from Jesus Luke 12:13-21) God declares, “You Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” (Luke 12:20) More often than not… what we scramble for just ends up “rotting and stinking”… this is truly a world where “moth and rust destroy”. (cf. Matt. 6:19,20)

God is calling us into a “Manna-life”… a life of daily dependance on HIM. He will provide. He is asking us if we are willing to trust him for EVERYTHING we need precisely when we need it. I know that we would feel better if we had it ahead of time… right? Isn’t it so much easier to be generous when you have extra? Isn’t it so much more comforting when you know the plan ahead of time? Don’t we feel “better” when we have a plan and all the tool set aside to complete it? I think God consistently calls us into positions of weakness and vulnerability because he longs for us to have our comfort, confidence and strength rooted in HIM. The things of this world are fleeting. Money, stock markets, and investments are fragile. Heck - all the money in the world can’t be exchanged for a good that is not even present! (Think of how much faith we have in our stockpiled money… presuming we can trade it for the goods we want…then we are dumbfounded when the goods are not even there to be had! Hello “supply-chain-breakdown”! Welcome to post USSR Russia. ) The point is that God is a “daily-bread-God”.

Are you willing to live the “Manna-Life”? What would it look like to surrender to the Lord for your Daily Bread? Are you caught up “stockpiling”? Read that parable from Jesus if you are. Are you paralyzed with fear about tomorrow? I know you cannot imagine how you will get through “tomorrow”… but that is because you are not there yet! God will have you “daily bread” for you when you get there. He has your daily bread for you NOW… Today. Look at TODAY - seek the Kingdom and righteousness… and those things you need will be added unto you tomorrow! (Matt. 6:25-34) More to come… Love you guys. - JDP