I consider myself a woman of faith, but if you read my mind you might call me a person of doubt. Remembering the following aspects of manna helps me live my faith.
Aspect 1: Manna is daily.
God provided manna for the children of Israel the forty years they wandered in the wilderness. It appeared with the morning dew. The Israelites gathered it, and it nourished them for that day. Those who tried to hoard it for the next day woke to a putrid, wormy mess (Exd. 16:20). Except on the sixth day: on that day, the Israelites gathered enough manna to last through the Sabbath.
God provided manna to meet their physical needs, but also to remind them they needed more than bread for life. They needed God.
Psalm 23 promises that because the Lord is my shepherd I have everything I need. Just as Israel counted on the daily manna, God wants me to depend on Him daily.
His provisions show up when I need them and not before. When I try to secure today what I think I’ll need tomorrow, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work because God wants me to trust Him each day for that day’s needs. I was created to rely on Him.
Aspect 2: Manna is often unusual.
The word manna means, “What is it?” I’m not sure what the Hebrews expected when Moses told them they would see God’s glory in the morning, but they didn’t expect what they found.
Sometimes I don’t recognize God’s provision either. It doesn’t look like I expected.
That happened to me recently. I found a painting I liked when I was out of town. But the price was prohibitive. I do interior design work on the side, and a month later I found some art for a client. Since I was buying two large items, the gallery owner offered an extra discount if I added another piece.
I called my husband, “Do you want to pick out a birthday present?” He found something we both loved.
Later I realized the prohibitive cost of the first painting had protected me from getting it so I could get one I liked even more. A high price tag and the timing of my client’s need became my manna.
If God cares enough to supply simple desires like a piece of art, how much more can we trust Him to meet our deepest needs?
Manna shows up when we need it—not before. If we’re not careful, we can overlook it because it rarely appears as we expect.
What nagging doubt is threatening your peace? Affirm with me: My Shepherd will provide exactly what I need today. Jesus is my manna.
Question: What difference would it make if you affirmed your Shepherd’s faithfulness every day?
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Blessings,
Deborah W. Wilson
Photo by: Leonid Mamchenkov
Debbie, I too am a person of doubt. Despite God’s daily provision I still experience doubt and worry. As your post states, all we can do is rely on him day to day and not worry about tomorrow. This is often easier said than done for me. 🙂
Alan
Alan, doubts must be the weeds in our garden of faith. They pop up so easily while faith has to be cultivated and nurtured Thanks for sharing.
What a great reminder Deborah. Yes, God’s provision many times has appeared very different from what I expected. And while His provision is rarely early, it is never late and always exactly on time. Thank you for the push to intentionally thank Him for His provision daily trusting it to be just what I need exactly when I need it.
Oh to remember that He is never late! Thanks, Ann.