Based on Exodus 16, it seems one of the Israelites' favorite desert-wasteland pastimes was complaining. Instead of embracing their newfound, albeit arid, freedom, they romanticized the chains of Egypt by which they were previously bound. They wandered while consumed by demoralizing hunger – a hunger for Yahweh they silenced with a hunger for bread.
But God, in an abundant outpouring of His grace, provided for His people. Each morning, before the day’s worth of camp ruckus began, a dew formed on the ground, eventually evaporating to reveal bread sent from heaven: manna.
No one is sure of manna’s exact consistency. Exodus 16:14 describes it as a “fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground.” I personally choose to believe manna was something like Hawaiian bread or the rolls from Texas Roadhouse (that’s what I believe is as close to heavenly bread we’ll get while here on earth).
Beyond manna’s consistency, the most important thing is that what was provided was exactly enough, and it was provided not by an absent force but by a faithful and relational God. It wasn’t the taste that made manna a miracle; it was who provided it and His consistency in doing so.
Everyday provision
We often forget faith is a marathon, not a sprint. While we don’t know exactly how long our race to heaven is, or what hills we must climb, we know it takes a lot of endurance and reliance on God to follow the narrow path with grace, humility, and complete joy.
But sometimes, we are discouraged by the formidable path before us. We lose sight of the finish line and feel distant from the other runners. We forget miracles still exist in the mundane, and although we aren’t wandering in a literal desert as the Israelites once did, God is still in the business of making manna.
What’s beautiful about the story of manna is that the Israelites didn’t see God physically among the camp in the glory of the morning sunrise He created. They didn’t see Him scattering bread in neat little rows and perfect portions between their tents.
They simply heard God’s promise (Exodus 16:12), went to sleep, woke up, and saw it fulfilled. God provided, even in the midst of their grumbling. Wouldn’t it be nice if our prayers were answered with a miracle like manna? If there was an instant recipe for hearing back from God exactly what we want to hear?
In seasons of spiritual drought, when we find ourselves complaining in the desert, we forget that God continually provides manna for us each and every day. Just because we didn’t see Him set it out doesn’t mean it’s not there. Just because it may not be the exact consistency or taste we want doesn’t mean it’s not a miracle.
The same Yahweh of Israel, the Yahweh who knew the exact nutrients needed to sustain each individual in the Israelite camp, provides for us despite our complaining. He knows what we need more than we do, and through His grace He feeds us well. He may not provide the exact answers we seek, but He sustains us. Not a single day of our lives has passed when we have not been under His care.
Everyday praise
It’s hard to find the manna in seasons of hardship and sorrow when we’re waiting for God to deliver us in mighty ways. It’s hard to find manna when our bodies are hurting and the presence of loss is inescapable. We go about life with our eyes fixed on our worries instead of the provision God has placed at our feet.
We must take our eyes off of our fears by placing our gaze on our Creator, the one who is in control and knows the end of our stories, the one who will deliver us from the desert in His perfect timing.
We find miracles and manna when we turn to praise and we practice intentional gratitude for the countless ways God has provided: food on the table, time with our families, and extra doses of grace.
When we’re in the valleys, our destination becomes our motivation; it’s what propels us out of complacency and drought to put our faith into action. But there is beauty to be found in the valleys as well – manna from a God who provides with perfection.
