This month we are focused on the line “Give us this day our daily bread” from this year’s theme of the Lord’s Prayer.
When hearing this line, the minds of the people probably recalled the stories they had heard of God providing manna (bread from Heaven) for the Israelites to eat when they were in the desert.
In Exodus 16, it says that God provided just enough for everyone such that those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered a little had enough.
The people were given the command that they were not to try to gather up and store the manna except on the sixth day as a double portion was sent by God before the Sabbath (seventh day) on which none would be sent.
Those that disobeyed and tried to store up the manna during the first five days had that food covered in maggots and smell badly in the morning. Those that disobeyed and looked for manna on the seventh day were disappointed to find none.
It is easy for us to wonder why God didn’t want the people to save and store leftovers and why he made manna decompose so quickly especially during the first five days.
I think it might be because He wanted the people to have a daily reminder of their dependence on Him. That He knew that if He gave an abundance upfront that the people would stop trusting their provider and instead would put their security in the provision.
In our lives we also can so easily lose sight of God and His daily provision when we are so consumed with creating our own security by storing up an abundance for ourselves.
When we pray “Give us this day our daily bread” let’s do so in gratitude for all that God has already blessed us with.