When the Israelites wandered in the wilderness, they grumbled that the God who brought them out of Egypt – a place of enslavement and captivity – had brought them out to die of starvation.
Out of God’s grace He provided them with a daily sustenance. One that was to be gathered and eaten anew each day otherwise it would rot. The exception revolved around their day of rest, the Sabbath. Altogether, when kept beyond their day of respite, the manna would decay.
This illustration is a clear picture of the Father’s faithfulness, revealing that we weren’t meant to live only off the goodness of God from what He has done weeks, months, and years ago. Instead, the manna we have gathered in the past is meant to provide us with the faith to know that God will provide yet again. That remembering drives us to take the next step believing that God will stay true to His character as we move into the next day.
We were made to eat what was fresh, to experience God daily. And even in the rhythms of life that He has orchestrated – in the challenges of survival, rest, and pause – we see the Father sustains. As we breathe deep in this rhythm, we aren’t moved into action but instead moved to Sabbath. We trust that God never fails to provide exactly enough, that He Himself is enough for the time of rest before we go out to gather again.
As we see God move, we testify to Jehovah Jireh, but we don’t linger because tomorrow His mercies will be renewed and there will be new manna waiting for us.