Daily Bread

I am going through this devotional with a bunch of other women at my friend's church and it has been absolutely amazing. I have loved each day being refreshed with so many interesting facts and also reminders for my daily life. I wanted to share a short snippet from today's lesson that so spoke to my heart. It leaves off from yesterday where God is providing food for His people in the desert who have listened to His command to leave Egypt to go to the promised land. They are starving and grumbling against God and He provides for them.

"I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day." - Exodus 16:4

"Each one is to gather as much as he needs....he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed." - Exodus 16:16-18

"Give us today our daily bread." - Matthew 6:11

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

God provides for us each day. Whether we experience that provision, however, is up to us. Will we listen to our instruction and go out and gather what is necessary to receive that provision of grace and mercy? It's clear that God instructed his people to be an active part in receiving their provision. Bread was not dropped inside their tents. They had to go out and get it. It's the same way with us. Am I spending time seeking God, praying, and getting in His Word? I know that when I don't, I do feel spiritually starving and everything in my life becomes more difficult. But when I draw near to Him and seek Him, I am filled with His provision and satisfaction.

It also talks about this being a DAILY experience. They couldn't store up enough food for all week in one day. They were instructed to gather their bread daily. We also can't store up our spiritual reserves for a week in one day. It is a daily need. This is something I feel that has been presented to me so many times in my life, yet is something that is so easy to forget. How? I'm not sure. But I know that when I listen and gather His provision each day, it makes things a whole lot better. I am more focused on the important details of life and don't feel the nagging despair of "what if's" or "what could be's." God is right there outside our tent just throwing bread at us....will we choose today to go out and gather it?