The Lodestar

Read: 16:1—36.

We should enjoy God's blessings and commit them to memory to live a life of gratitude to God.

The provision of Manna was an extraordinary instance in the Bible. It was unknown, so the people asked, "What is this?" (MA NA in Hebrew), which became its name.

Manna was not just a one-time gift but a daily provision that sustained the people for the forty years of their wilderness wandering. It ceased the day they tasted the fruit of the promised land (Josh 5:12). This daily provision, with its 24-hour "use before date," was a constant reminder of God's care, ensuring they never forgot His provision.

Manna, this heavenly food given to mortals (John 6:31), is not just physical sustenance but a powerful symbol of God's care to provide for his people. Its limited life of 24 hours was designed to keep His provision fresh in their minds, a daily reminder that God's mercies are "new every morning" (Lam 3:23).

However, we should not forget God's provisions. Hunger will drive us to look for food, but once satisfied, we will likely forget what God has done. Since Manna is not just food that satisfies hunger but a symbol of God's kind dealings with them, God asked Moses to keep a pot of Manna in the Ark of the Covenant by the side of the tablets of Ten Commandments. Manna collected on Friday evening lasted through Saturday, but this pot of Manna would last as long as God's eternal covenant with them.

Manna, which symbolizes God's provisions for us, should not be eaten and forgotten but should be a memory we cherish to foster our love for God.

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