Focus

Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.

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Read

Exodus 16:1-8 (NRSV)

The whole congregation of the Israelites set out from Elim; and Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that day. In that way I will test them, whether they will follow my instruction or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your complaining against the LORD. For what are we, that you complain against us?” And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaining that you utter against him—what are we? Your complaining is not against us but against the LORD.”

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Reflect

Once again, the Israelites were complaining. They seem to have done that a lot, but so do we. God promises Moses that the people will receive bread each morning, except on the Sabbath. They would get what they needed for that day. Then, they must trust God to do the same thing the next day rather than trying to save and hoard it.

Do we really mean the words we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day, our daily bread”? Do we really count on God to provide for our needs day by day? Benjamin has learned mealtime blessing, which he says when before we eat. He says, “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food.” Recently, he has added a second part. Now Benjamin prays, “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food. By God’s hands we are fed, thank you for the daily bread.”

Each time Benjamin prays this prayer for our meals, it is a reminder how God does provide us with our daily bread, just enough for the day. Not too much, not too little—just what we need for the day. God gives us what we need each day.

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Pray

Almighty God, you provide just what we need each day. Thank you for your loving provision, even if we complain that we didn’t get enough, we got too much, or we didn’t get what we wanted. Thank you for giving us what we need day by day. Amen.

Go with God.