Will You Take Manna?
Spiritual Nourishment
Recently, my family took a 3.5 hour road trip to Santa Maria, California during an excessive heatwave. I sat up front with my feet on the dash, soaking in the AC and admiring the agricultural landscape.
Outside, the temperature climbed to over 100 degrees. My toddler mumbled his familiar phrase, “An-ne, ang-e.” (=“hungry” in toddler)
I searched for his snacks: goldfish, muffins, and Cheerios. They were all nice munchies, but none had significant protein. After scarfing down food, he muttered, "Mo-we, more."
“Ok, we’ll stop soon.” I tried to reassure him.
His legs kicked, and he was about to cry—he was really hungry.
Finally, an exit appeared, and we stopped for burgers. After the meal, he happily toddled back to the van, his physical needs met.
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Similarly, our souls crave nourishment. How do we respond when we live off a diet of spiritual snacks but no “protein”? “Foods” with no real nourishment or sustenance. Perhaps we enjoy things that offer sustenance but leave us hungry, grumpy, and irritable.
The Israelites realized this as they waited 40 years for the Promised Land. They needed physical and spiritual nourishment.
So, six days a week, the Lord provided manna, enough for each day. Although this happened years ago, there are lessons we can glean from.
What do we Learn from Manna?
Manna: An unexpected or gratuitous benefit // spiritual nourishment
The Lord Hears “He has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” (Exodus 16:7).
The Lord Provides “Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat” (Exodus 16:15).
Gather Daily “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions” (Exodus 16:4).
Teach the Next Generation “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt” (Exodus 16:33).
Be Grateful “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (Numbers 11:4-6).
Just like a hungry toddler, we can come to the Lord for provision when we need spiritual nourishment. He’s good, even when we grumble and complain. The Lord provided manna for the Israelites, and he wants to provide for us, too. Are we willing to ask, receive, and cleave to his sustenance?
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "Manna."
Such a good read! You did a great job showing us the lesson through that relatable story with your son!
We need daily spiritual nourishment every day. I would dare say, probably even more than we need physical food. I appreciated the reminder to teach the next generation. May we not only be concerned for ourselves but be sure to share with those coming behind us as well.