Reflect
The Israelites sojourned for forty years in the desert, learning to be a community and learning to trust entirely in God to sustain them. Manna was the symbol of this faith: food enough to last a day or two, but no more. Many grumbled, wishing for a more luxurious diet—even if it meant being a slave. In what ways are we willing to sacrifice our freedom because we won’t give ourselves to the enoughness of God’s care?
Pray
God of the desert,
You sustain our very being,
Breath by breath by breath.
Give us the faith to trust
That you will give us our daily bread
And all that we need.
Grant that we may not enslave ourselves
To the false idols of security and comfort.
Teach us to live
Like the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.
Act
It’s stressful to live hand-to-mouth, and it’s sensible to save for a rainy day. But how big do our barns need to be? The best way to trust God more is to notice and give thanks every day for the ways God sustains you. This will make you more likely to turn to God when the future is truly unclear and trust is the only path forward.
