“Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.” – Exodus 16:21
Manna, the Bread of Heaven, was God’s daily provision for His people in the desert. But this miraculous provision had a unique characteristic – it couldn’t be stored up for the future. Each person gathered what was needed for that day and no more (except for the day prior to the Sabbath). This wasn’t just God’s rule, it was an absolute necessity because the manna spoiled overnight (except for the Sabbath). The manna was a lesson in daily dependence on the Lord for a people who were, as yet, unfamiliar with His will and ways.
It also established a pattern that remains relevant to every believer alive today… daily bread! It’s no coincidence that Jesus taught us to pray for our “daily bread”. To ask God for manna, that portion of His grace, strength, forgiveness, and provision we need for the day ahead. And not the day after. Every believer is to seek God’s provision every day, knowing that He gladly gives it. There’s no option to load up on God’s grace like we’re shopping at a big warehouse store of grace. We don’t get to pray for all the grace we might need for the next week, month, or year.
We can’t store up all of the grace we need to endure and glorify God through an entire season of difficulty or pain. Instead, we’re invited and commanded to seek the Lord’s presence and provision each day, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. To pray without ceasing. This isn’t God being stingy with His grace. This is God being generous with Himself and teaching us to seek Him and experience Him more deeply and richly than our limited imaginations ever would otherwise. Rejoice in the invitation to ask God each day for your daily bread! #FollowJesus