Monday Memo 1215: Manna
When Israel left Egypt, their food supplies quickly ran out and they complained against Moses and God: “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt!" (Exodus 16:3). They preferred a life of slavery rather than a life of freedom and faith. It was easier for God to get the people out of Egypt than it would be to get Egypt out of them. Moses convened the people and told them the Lord would respond and He did:
That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp (Exodus 16:13).
God sent them meat and bread but He did so in a way that the people had never experienced, and He would do so for the next 40 years. At first, the people did not know what the bread was so they called it manna, which means what is it?. The people were not permitted to save any manna from one day to the next except for the day before the Sabbath when they could gather two day's worth so they could rest on the seventh day.
How much manna could the people harvest each day? "Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent” (Exodus 16:16). When some tried to gather more, it rotted overnight—but when they gathered more to have enough for the Sabbath, it miraculously did not rot. God was teaching them obedience and establishing that He was their Provider and knew exactly what they needed. He would provide on a daily basis and that is how they were to live until they got to the Promised Land. The lessons for us should be obvious:
- Faith is a lifestyle, not an event or a last resort.
- God provides what you need, not what you want.
- God decides what you need.
- God determines how He will provide for what you need.
- True freedom in serving God comes from resting in His faithful provision.
This story of manna is a powerful reminder that faith is not a one-time event but a daily lifestyle. God’s provision is perfectly tailored to our true needs, not our desires, and He decides how and when to supply them. Our role is to trust Him and cooperate with His plan rather than trying to control the outcome ourselves.
As you live this way, you can rest in the assurance that God is your ultimate Provider—one who meets all your needs according to His glorious riches (see Philippians 4:19). Recognizing this truth frees you to serve wholeheartedly, confident that He will sustain you every step of your journey through the Wilderness and into the Promised Land. Have a blessed week