MANNA

He rained down manna upon them to eat. And gave them food from heaven. Psalms 78:24

We really do not know exactly what manna was, other than the descriptions given in the Bible. Manna was the food God supplied to the Israelite children as they wandered for 40 years in the wilderness during the days of Moses. Every evening a cloud would hover, and in the morning dew would appear. When the dew dissipated, it would look like white frost. The children would gather a little over 9 cups per person each day. Exodus 16:31 says, “It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.”

We also know that it was mentioned many years later during the time of King David and during the time of the writing of the New Testament. An omerful (9.30 cups) was kept with the Ark of the Covenant as a reminder of the food from heaven, but just like the mystery of the whereabouts of the Ark, we do not know the location of the manna.

I think we can hypothesize as to the benefits of manna. Since it was from God, it must have been nutritious with just the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Now in the book of Exodus it is indicated that quail was also supplied at this time; however, in the book of Numbers, it is said that after the Israelite children complained about the manna diet, God gave them quail. This is really not consequential, as I speculate that the manna itself supplied everything they needed for healthy BMI, electrolytes, minerals and vitamins.

God has blessed us with a bounty of different things to eat. God also gave us the power of choice. With choice comes responsibility. God not only supplies our needs, but out of His love for us, He gives us the desires of our hearts. Now in return, we are obligated, motivated by our love for Him  to show some level of restraint.

In His abundance of gifts, we need to always remember this: when we live to eat, instead of eating to live, we have placed food on the level of an idol. We should always be thankful for our abundance but never allow God’s blessings to become our gods. Every perfectly good gift comes down from the Father above, and He is the only one we should worship.

Dear Lord, Thank you for not only supplying our needs but blessing us abundantly in all areas of our lives. Amen