Gather As Much As You Need

I love bread! I grew up in a bread family. Mom always had some kind of tasty rolls or biscuits, homemade yeast bread, sourdough pancakes, or the ever-loved cinnamon rolls – that I watched rise in a covered bowl as I longed for their sweet goodness. No wonder bread is my weakness. No wonder I began to notice bread in the Bible.

For some reason, I’ve always thought of manna as bread. I’m not sure why. Manna literally means, “What is it?” It was that strange substance provided by God to sustain the Israelites in the desert. I suspect it was perfectly nutritious – God’s little nutrition bar. That would be just the kind of thing God would do. Every morning it was there. They never had to worry. They could boil it. They could bake it. But, they couldn’t keep it. When kept till the next day, it grew maggots and began to stink. Except on the Sabbath! Can you imagine? It didn’t go bad on the Sabbath! God is amazing!

God provided for the Israelites. He told them through Moses, “Each one is to gather as much as he needs” (Exodus 16:16). God provided exactly what they needed for that day. They couldn’t store it up and stockpile it – just in case God took a day off in the middle of the week. They were forced to rely on Him every day.

This idea so speaks to me. It’s like my finances – the money isn’t always there ahead of time, but somehow the Lord provides. It’s like the time my husband lost his job – the Lord provided work until something just right arrived. It’s like the strength I need daily to deal with aging parents, growing kids, and the steady demands of the to-do list – the Lord gives me what I need each day.

The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they entered the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Each day God provided for them until they arrived in the place of plenty. I know He will do the same for me. No matter how barren things might look around me, my God’s hand is upon me. I am reminded that “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (Genesis 22:14). I will take Him at His word, for God is faithful. I hope you will do the same. Together, let’s give God praise for the things He has provided. Let’s shout our thanksgivings. Let’s enjoy His manna every day of our lives!

Thank You, LORD, for faithfully providing the things I need. Help me to be obedient with what you’ve given me. Help me to always remember the manna you give to me – gifts to sustain me in the desert and never take them for granted. I praise You and thank You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Finding His Faithfulness in Spring

Are you heavy-burdened? Is the weight of the world resting on your shoulders? Step outside. God’s renewal is on display all around you. Spring is unfolding. Look! The trees are first. Golden ornaments transform into tender green leaves. Bright grass pushes through dark earth. Colorful flowers unfurl revealing sweet scents and delicate blooms.

Listen! Birds herald the morn with songs of praise. Each one awakens and sings for joy. Those sweet moments just before sunrise are a symphony announcing the break of day, the chance to begin again. The air is liquid with sound. The birds sing before the darkness is chased away. They sing knowing the sun will rise. Do you hear the hope?

Feel! The sun warms your skin, breaking the chill of winter. The breeze lifts around you softly wrapping you in its presence. The warmth lets you know, you too can grow in His care, casting aside the shell of burden, and stretching your arms toward His light.

Taste! Honeysuckle clings to the vine with one drop of sweet nectar to tickle your tongue. Berries – ripe, shiny, sweet – hold the flavor of spring, the promise of the sweetness of our Lord: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8)

Smell! Warm, fragrance-filled air overtakes your senses. Like an offering to the Lord, the aroma floats on the breeze, lifts toward heaven. Glorious! It is more than just spring. It is a display of His majesty, His power, His creativity. It is a display of His faithfulness – a faithfulness that promises new life in the world and inside each of us. We should stop and “consider the wondrous works of God” and worship Him (Job 37:14).

But how often do we neglect this? How often do we walk right past His glorious gifts of spring and never notice the details? We are busy, so we hurry along. We are stressed, so we focus on our troubles. We are discouraged so we try to find approval from the glow of our screens. We are empty so we tether ourselves to the constant scroll of monotony trying to fill the void. We have forgotten that the void can only be filled with our LORD. So let’s loosen our chains of busyness and stress, go outside, and fill our senses with the goodness of God. The hope and the promises of spring surround us in Christ. A new life. A new name. A new beginning. He can take your broken, your weary, your wounded, your dormant, and make it new again. Give it to Him. Lay your burdens down at His cross. Let Christ transform that wintry thing inside you. Little by little you will begin to see it spring to life.

Dear Lord, Thank You for the sweet reminder of Your love found in spring. It is such a beautiful picture of what You can and will do for us when we confess, repent, and give our hearts to You. Thank You for the hope of renewal it offers. Your faithfulness cannot be matched! Help me to cling to these promises when life feels overwhelming. Give me strength to persevere knowing that Your spring is on the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Some Faith Verses

My first memory verse for January is Hebrews 11:1.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I've been working on remembering this one but I keep running across a verse I wrote on a card and stuck in my Bible. I've been using it as a book mark so my eyes skim across it every time I look at it and today it dawned on my how it fits my memory verse. Isaiah 40:31(b) says: "
. . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength . . ."

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for . . ." Our hope is for the LORD and faith is being sure of the LORD.

It's funny how these two fit together - or at least to me they did.

Another faith verse I found this morning:
Romans 1:17
"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith." (quoting Habakak 2:4)

I'm sure I've picked the right verse to memorize first this year. A year of faith. Hum . . .that could be scary.

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A picture of my guys hunting at the club yesterday: