Our Daily Manna

I always thought—based on the illustrations I saw as a child—that manna was a ready-made bread that fell or appeared from the sky each morning, a complete gift from God and a visible token of His love for the Israelites in the wilderness.

This understanding changed when I read the biblical description more closely:

“Upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground” (Exodus 16:4, 11–15).

Scripture explains that manna appeared as flakes or granules, which the Israelites gathered and then ground, beaten, boiled, or baked into cakes (Numbers 11:8). It was not bread in its finished form. The people had to go out each day, collect it, and prepare it for food.

Christ continues to bless us daily, just as God provided manna in the wilderness. His blessings have not ceased; rather, as individuals and as a society, we often fail to recognize them. The hand of the Lord remains stretched out—guiding, protecting, and providing—but, like the manna, His gifts often come as the means rather than the finished provision, inviting us to receive, trust, and act in faith.

We are called to step outside the comfort of our routines, to look around, and to choose to gather what God has already provided. The “raw ingredients” are there: daily breath, talents, opportunities, relationships, and the strength and wisdom that come from our Heavenly Father, through the enabling power of His Son, Jesus Christ. When we recognize and receive these gifts, they nourish both our bodies and our spirits as we navigate this journey of life.