Fresh Bread
Recently, I was led to Exodus 16, the story of the Lord sending manna from heaven for the Israelites while they were on their journey. The context in which the Lord spoke to me was about not defaulting to worry, because there is fresh bread for every day. These 3 things stood out to me:
1. There is fresh bread for every day.
'Then the LORD said to Moses, "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 NIV
Every morning, the Israelites woke up to fresh bread on the ground. What an extraordinary sight that must have been. I think about 'snow days' and how I would wake up, run outside and make imprints in the snow, build snowmen, throw snowballs, go sledging and make all these marks. I would look out into the dark night and want it to snow again, firstly because of the fun I'd had, but secondly, because I wanted it to be a fresh blanket of snow.
This is what it must have been like for the Israelites. Every day they saw the fresh bread, collected it, and then there was a fresh blanket for them to collect again the next day.
It also shows us that the Lord might provide in different ways. Because the provision is fresh, one day the Lord might provide through a person, the next day through a banking error, or the next day through a job opportunity.
The Israelites moved around the desert. I’m sure that some days it was sandy, other days maybe rocky, other days maybe mountainous, but the provision was always there.
This shows us the character of God; He is a promise-keeping God!
When He says He will provide, He means it! It also shows us that He always has something new to show us! It never goes stale- there is always new provision, whether that be revelation, or physical provision. There is always fresh bread. It's almost like He is waiting to show us more, which is a remarkable thought!
2. There was enough for each day.
'Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.'
Exodus 16:21 NIV
The Israelites only needed to gather enough for that day, because the next day God would provide for them (with the exception of the Sabbath which would have 2 days of manna the day before, so no work had to happen on the Sabbath).
This bread was fresh every day and there was enough for each day.
This coincides with Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:
'Give us today our daily bread.'
Matthew 6:11 NIV
Perhaps, we have our prayer for provision wrong. We sometimes want the Lord to give big sums to pay this off and pay this off. Maybe the reason He did it this way for the Israelites and Jesus told us to do the same is because it is us saying, 'Lord, you have provided yesterday, will you provide again today?'
He provides today which raises our faith and raises our expectation for the fresh way tomorrow.
I love this. Maybe another way we can pray is, 'Lord, provide today so that we can have faith for your provision tomorrow.'
3. Provision for the journey.
'The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.'
Exodus 16:35 NIV
Every step the Israelites took in the desert, there was provision until they reached the border of Canaan.
The Lord provided for the Israelites on the journey but the manna stopped when they crossed into the promised land.
Why? Because they would eat the produce of the land (which in itself was provision).
While we are on our journey on earth, the Lord provides for us. Then, when we enter eternity the provision stops.
Why? Because the provision is already there. So cool!
There is provision for the journey we are on!
Lord, we ask for fresh bread from Heaven! I ask for your revelation as we read your Word. I ask for financial provision today. Give us today our daily bread so that we may believe for tomorrow. Amen.
- Josh Raybould
1. There is fresh bread for every day.
'Then the LORD said to Moses, "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 NIV
Every morning, the Israelites woke up to fresh bread on the ground. What an extraordinary sight that must have been. I think about 'snow days' and how I would wake up, run outside and make imprints in the snow, build snowmen, throw snowballs, go sledging and make all these marks. I would look out into the dark night and want it to snow again, firstly because of the fun I'd had, but secondly, because I wanted it to be a fresh blanket of snow.
This is what it must have been like for the Israelites. Every day they saw the fresh bread, collected it, and then there was a fresh blanket for them to collect again the next day.
It also shows us that the Lord might provide in different ways. Because the provision is fresh, one day the Lord might provide through a person, the next day through a banking error, or the next day through a job opportunity.
The Israelites moved around the desert. I’m sure that some days it was sandy, other days maybe rocky, other days maybe mountainous, but the provision was always there.
This shows us the character of God; He is a promise-keeping God!
When He says He will provide, He means it! It also shows us that He always has something new to show us! It never goes stale- there is always new provision, whether that be revelation, or physical provision. There is always fresh bread. It's almost like He is waiting to show us more, which is a remarkable thought!
2. There was enough for each day.
'Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.'
Exodus 16:21 NIV
The Israelites only needed to gather enough for that day, because the next day God would provide for them (with the exception of the Sabbath which would have 2 days of manna the day before, so no work had to happen on the Sabbath).
This bread was fresh every day and there was enough for each day.
This coincides with Jesus' teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:
'Give us today our daily bread.'
Matthew 6:11 NIV
Perhaps, we have our prayer for provision wrong. We sometimes want the Lord to give big sums to pay this off and pay this off. Maybe the reason He did it this way for the Israelites and Jesus told us to do the same is because it is us saying, 'Lord, you have provided yesterday, will you provide again today?'
He provides today which raises our faith and raises our expectation for the fresh way tomorrow.
I love this. Maybe another way we can pray is, 'Lord, provide today so that we can have faith for your provision tomorrow.'
3. Provision for the journey.
'The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.'
Exodus 16:35 NIV
Every step the Israelites took in the desert, there was provision until they reached the border of Canaan.
The Lord provided for the Israelites on the journey but the manna stopped when they crossed into the promised land.
Why? Because they would eat the produce of the land (which in itself was provision).
While we are on our journey on earth, the Lord provides for us. Then, when we enter eternity the provision stops.
Why? Because the provision is already there. So cool!
There is provision for the journey we are on!
Lord, we ask for fresh bread from Heaven! I ask for your revelation as we read your Word. I ask for financial provision today. Give us today our daily bread so that we may believe for tomorrow. Amen.
- Josh Raybould
Tagged with Josh Raybould
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