One of the things we know about the Children of Israel is they got tired of eating manna and they started whining and complaining about it being "Boring" to eat the same old thing every day. Does that sound like some students you know?
Of course Manna is symbolic of God's Word. I want to quote from page 55 of the Warren Wiersbe commentary...
"Their real problem was that they still had the old appetite and needed to learn to enjoy the new food God had for them... ...Feeding on the manna is also a picture of your daily appropriation of Christ through the Word of God. Just as your food becomes a part of your very being, so the Word strengthens your inner person when you read it, meditate on it and obey it. Just as the Jews could not live on yesterday's manna (if they kept it, the next morning it would stink and be filled with worms), so we cannot live on yesterday's spiritual diet. Begin each day with the Lord, and He will give you what you need for facing the burdens and battle fields ahead."
Here are my thoughts...
1. We can expect "children" to grumble and complain but we know if they do not have a daily diet of the "Manna" from Heaven they will not survive the wilderness of the world.
2. When they complained to Moses, he did not respond by giving up or giving in because he knew they must eat or they would die. When they came to Moses with complaints, Moses went to God in prayer.
3. People often ask me, "When is the best time to get in the Word?" Well in this story they went out to gather the manna early in the morning. If they waited it would melt away. Likewise if we do not take advantage of first thing in the morning, our opportunity could melt away in the heat of our daily pressures and cares of life.
3. Spiritual food is essential for spiritual growth. The manna is God's Word. Not someone's opinion about God's Word. Only by getting students to eating the Word will we see them blossom on the Vine of Christ (John 15).
More from Wiersbe...
"God's Word is food for the inner person. It is Milk (1 Pet. 2:2), bread (Matt. 4:4), meat (1 Cor. 3:1-2; Heb. 5:11-14) and honey (Ps. 119:103). Feeding on the Word should bring joy to our hearts (Jer. 15:16), and we should desire spiritual food more than physical food (Job 23:12; Luke 10:38-42)."
Jesus said "Feed My Sheep". Just as we provide place settings for dinner at the family table - plate, spoon, fork, knife, glass and a napkins; the journals are the place settings for enjoying a daily helping of manna.
When I was a boy mom would make me eat veggies (YUCK!). I would complain and she would tell me, "You would like them if you would just eat them. You have to acquire the taste." I did not believer her for a minute. If it were up to me I would have had a steady diet of ice cream and peanut butter on ritz crackers and wash it all down with Coca-Cola.
Today I love veggies! I can't imagine not having some on the table... Today I love Manna! I can't imagine not feasting on the Word of God every day. Keep doing what you are doing Moses (insert your name here)... Keep feeding my sheep!
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