Show Notes
READ: EXODUS 16:11-31; JOHN 6:25-40, 58
Have you ever seen worms wriggling around in old food—maybe in a trash can or compost pile? It’s pretty gross! The book of Exodus tells us about a time when people disobeyed God and food grew worms overnight.
Back when the people of Israel were wandering in the wilderness for forty years, they needed food. They had no opportunity to settle down, raise a crop, and live off the fat of the land. So God, ever the loving Provider, sent them food from heaven, which appeared on the ground each morning like dew. It came for forty years, day in, day out. The people called it manna, which means “What is it?”
But God’s directions were clear: Only collect enough manna for each day. Some disobeyed God’s command. Maybe they worried the food might not show up tomorrow. And their extra, hoarded manna? Ruined and filled with worms the next morning.
There was one exception: God told the people they should collect extra manna the day before the weekly Sabbath. That manna could be set aside for the next day so they could rest, as God had commanded. And that food did not grow worms. God thinks of everything.
The manna provided a wonderful picture of God’s faithfulness! The people in the desert learned that they could depend on Him to give them what they needed. He saw them, cared, and provided. And they learned that His commands and promises are true and trustworthy!
Centuries later, in the New Testament, Jesus compared Himself to manna. He called Himself “the bread that came down from heaven,” a picture the people could understand (John 6:41). He came to bring life. He loves us so much that He died and rose again to make the way for everyone who puts their trust in Him to receive that life. Jesus is the sustenance, the daily bread, the life we need each day. • Kristen Merrill
• Can you think of a time God sustained you through a difficult season? What was that like? Consider taking a moment to thank Him for this.
• In Exodus 16, why do you think God gave the people just what they needed each day instead of a large store of food that would last for months?
“I am the bread of life,” Jesus told them. “No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again.” John 6:35 (CSB)
More from Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens
READ: PSALM 139:1-4; ROMANS 5:6-8; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 We curate the caption and crop the distraction, Chasing the applause of a virtual reaction. We polish the exterior to hide the interior, Afraid that our true selves are somehow inferior. But in the quiet, when the screen goes black, We feel the heavy weight of the perfection we lack. See, Jesus didn’t come for your highlight reel, He came for the brokenness you try to conceal. No filter could cover the crimson cost of sin, So He opened His arms to let the rebels in. On the cross, He was exposed, stripped, and bruised, So the real you would never have to be refused. He was buried in the dark so you could walk in the light, Tearing the veil to make your future bright. The grave couldn’t hold Him, the stone rolled away, Giving you mercy that is new every day. You are not a brand, a post, or a trend, You are chosen, beloved, and called His friend. So drop the performance, let the pretense cease, And rest in the rhythm of His perfect peace. • Ty Scott King • Why do you think it’s sometimes easier to show people a curated version of ourselves rather than who we really are? What parts of yourself do you try to curate, edit, and hide away? • Jesus sees the unedited version of you, and He loves you so much that He died and rose again for you. How could this truth affect the way yo view your mistakes, flaws, or things you just don’t like about yourself? • Are there any areas of your life where you feel like you’re putting on a performance instead of trusting God’s grace? Consider spending some time in prayer, laying these things down at Jesus’s feet and asking Him to help you see yourself the way He sees you. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)