"Yesterday's Manna" New Year’s Spiritual Inventory - December 31 Readings: Exodus 16

A New Year's Spiritual Inventory 

Today's Reading:  Exodus 16          

The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt. 2 The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!”

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”

6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7 and in the morning you will see the Lord’s glory because he has heard your complaints about him. For who are we that you complain about us?” 8 Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and all the bread you want in the morning, for he has heard the complaints that you are raising against him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”

9 Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your complaints.’” 10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there in a cloud the Lord’s glory appeared.

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.”

13 So at evening quail came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there were fine flakes on the desert surface, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was.

Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”

17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts, the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat. 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’”

24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t stink or have maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. 26 For six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and instructions? 29 Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The house of Israel named the substance manna. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Two quarts of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a container and put two quarts of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be preserved throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony to be preserved.

35 The Israelites ate manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (They used a measure called an omer, which held two quarts.

Through the Bible Readings: Malachi 3-4, Revelation 22, Psalm 150, Proverbs 31:29–31 

If you wish to read through the Bible in a year, follow these readings. 

Devotional:  Yesterday's Manna      

I was at a church's fiftieth-anniversary celebration, and it was a lot of fun because they were talking about things that had happened at the church in my childhood. But as I sat there I began to grow sad because I realized this church had little to talk about in the years since the "good old days." Nostalgia is great but living in the past is not. 

The Israelites received a lesson in this in Exodus 16. God gave them miracle bread from heaven, called manna and they were able to gather it every morning. But in spite of the warnings, someone got the bright idea of gathering a double batch of manna, keeping it overnight, and avoiding having to gather the next morning. But when they opened the Tupperware container they found that the manna had turned to maggots. Except on the Sabbath, when God arranged that the manna would last so they wouldn't have to work on the seventh day, they had to get new manna every day. Someone has put it this way, 

You cannot live on yesterday's manna. 

Have you ever had a wonderful meal that fully satisfied you? What happened the next day? You had to eat again. You need new food every day to sustain you. It is the same way with your soul. You need the bread of communion with God every day. Having a great day of worship on Sunday won't carry you through the week spiritually. You need to refresh and strengthen your soul every day. A great time with God today will not suffice tomorrow. It is not some kind of legalistic religious ritual, it is spiritual survival. Your soul needs constant sustenance. 

Where is this spiritual manna to be found? If you are reading this then you know what this old preacher is going to say. The word of God is our milk, our bread, our meat - the spiritual nutrition for our souls. As we read, study, and meditate on God's word, and then as the Spirit works in us using that word, our spirits are fed and we grow. 

Worship and fellowship with other believers is also an important soul-nourishing act. Christians need fellowship on a regular basis. In the early church, they met together daily in the temple courts. In recent years, many believers don't even make weekly worship a habit. 

We cannot live on our past accomplishments, resting on our laurels. We must continue to seek God, to grow in Christ, to learn of him. His mercies are renewed every day and our manna must also be renewed as frequently. 

Father, thank you for your constant renewing power. May I never try to live on yesterday's blessing, but seek the renewing power of Christ every day. 

Give Careful Thought to Your Ways:

Are you a periodic seeker of God, or do you go to him for daily manna? 
When you think of the great moments of your walk with Christ, are they long ago? 
Are you continuing to learn new things of Christ, grow, change, repent, be renewed? 

Hymn of the Day: 

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You

To receive the food of Your Holy Word.

Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;

Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,

That the light of Christ might be seen today

In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.

Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us

All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,

Holy reverence, true humility;

Test our thoughts and our attitudes

In the radiance of Your purity.

Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see

Your majestic love and authority.

Words of pow'r that can never fail—

Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;

Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—

Truths unchanged from the dawn of time

That will echo down through eternity.

And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,

And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.

Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built

And the earth is filled with Your glory.