Mornings and Manna

Exodus 16:20 “Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them felt part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them.”

To gather Manna, God had deliberately placed certain rules to test the Israelites, to see whether they would walk in His law or not (vs.4). Every man had to gather it in the morning, everyday, according to the number of their household and nothing could be kept remaining for the next day. Manna was God’s super-natural provision to His children, which also had a condition attached – obedience.  God wanted His people to follow His specific instructions to be eligible for His provision. In other words, He does not make a home-delivery of Pizzas. The result of their disobedience was that the manna was stinking. When they chose to obey Him by collecting a double-portion so that they could rest on Sabbath, it did not stink. God changed the earlier physical property of Manna to suit their needs, because they obeyed His instructions.

Similarly, spiritual Manna should be earnestly sought early in the morning, before the sun comes up and scorches out the quietness of the day, before the door-bell rings or cell-phone calls out for our attention. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day that keeps us going the entire day.  So, the early morning dosage of His Manna is vital for our soul to fight against our flesh throughout the day. Again, we are expected to obey His voice (His Word), so that we can enjoy His provisions. David was called a man after God’s heart and he cries out “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You and I will look up” (Ps 5:3).  As His children, let us have this confidence of telling Him that we would call out to Him in the morning.

-Reena Thomas