"What Is It?"

April 30

Read: Exodus 16

Bread From Heaven Part 3

“What Is It?”

“When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” (v.15)

There is a very good chance that you won’t recognize God’s provision when it first shows up. More often than not, God’s provision doesn’t look like what you would expect. It catches you off guard. It is like the Manna that the people look at and say, “what is it?”

I love the description given to the Manna: “It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.” I remember this restaurant that we lived near in FL named Hops. They would bring out these flakey honey butter buns to the table before a meal. They always brought one more than the number of people at the table so that we would have to fight for who got the extra one! I honestly imagine that the Manna tasted like this… something I simply could not get enough of! I don’t know what food is comforting and satisfying for you… but I want you to think of that sort of satisfaction and delight being found in something that you would not expect to bring it. This is Manna… this is the provision of God.

The people needed Moses to tell them what it was. The same is true for us. Often times we need someone outside of us to speak in and tell us what it is that we are working with. We need the input of Christian community around us to help identify God’s provision in the wilderness. Without this input, we run the risk of leaving God’s “morning-dew-flakey- ground-bread” on the ground and uneaten… while we continue to be hungry and grumbling. This is “Manna-Life”, keeping our eyes open for the unsuspected ways God will can / will / does provide for us and living in community with others who can help us see and identify what it looks like.

What ways are you overlooking God’s provision? Are you afraid to “eat” what God has brung? Is it possible that you are overlooking the very “food” the Lord has laid out for you? Welcome to Manna-Life! Do not be afraid to eat what the Lord has brung out to the table… the heavenly bread he has brought to you. Realize that it could be easy to overlook and that you will not recognize it at first. Ask the community around you.. your “Moses and Aaron” of sorts… to help identify God’s provision for you. Do not be afraid to eat it… it may LOOK different than the “bread of Egypt” but it satisfies so much more. It is “sweet like honey” and nourishing to your soul! Love you guys. - JDP