OUR MANNA
And the LORD said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 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.“
Exodus 16:11-15 (ESV)
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is My flesh.”
John 6:51 (NLT)
I find the correlation of these two passages quite fascinating.
The Exodus passage describes a miraculous bread appearing to the Israelites as a gift from God, straight from heaven. They were to gather only what they could eat that day, and everyone was fully satisfied. The unknown substance was called Manna. In its original Hebrew, manna means what is it? It can also represent spiritual nourishment.
In the next passage (or verse), Jesus describes Himself as the living bread. Like the manna, He came from heaven–a miraculous gift from God. He offers His flesh as bread so the world may live. He is the bread the Lord has given US to eat, and He satisfies us completely.
Like the Israelites who were freed from slavery, we were saved and freed from the captivity of our sins. As God provided the bread (or manna) to the Israelites for nourishment, He provides Jesus, the Bread of Life, to us as our sustenance.
In Philippians 4:19 ESV, Paul encourages the church at Philippi, saying, And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. He is our bread, our life, our supplier of every need, our miracle from God, and our spiritual nourishment. He is our manna.
APPLICATION: The next time you fast from food, consider the provision of Jesus as your manna. Take enough for that day. Savor it and be filled by it.
PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for being my nourishment. Help me know each day, especially through fasting, that You are all I need and more. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?