Warrior EncouragementChikamu

Have you ever eaten a MRE or Meal, Ready-to-Eat? Opening a MRE is almost like ripping open a present because you don’t know what’s inside. Sure, the packaging may say Meatballs in Marinara Sauce or Cheese and Veggie Omelet, but it’s the extra surprise stuff inside that you don’t know until you open it. It could be a maple muffin top or granola, or if you are one lucky person, peanut butter!

MREs are for warfighters to take into the field when they can’t get to a place to eat. The Bible has its own version of MREs that God provided to the Israelites. Two months after the Israelites saw God part the Red Sea and lead them out of Egypt, they were wandering in the desert, hungry, frustrated, and ready to call it quits. They started complaining about their situation, and God heard their cries.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way, I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.’”

Exodus 16:4

Every six days, God gave the Israelites manna, a white, flake-like bread that tasted like wafers made with honey. The manna was only good for that day. If they tried saving it for the next day, it went bad. On the sixth day, they were to gather two days worth because there would be no manna given on the Sabbath, a day of rest. God was filling their bellies with just what they needed for that day.

Today, we still have access to manna. It’s God’s word, the Bible. It’s filled with truth, direction, guidance, and encouragement. When we seek God daily through prayer and reading the Bible, just like manna, He gives us exactly what we need for that day. If you miss a day of talking to Him or seeking what He says in the Bible, you’ll hear the spiritual rumblings of emptiness. If you aren’t careful, you may fill that need elsewhere.

Questions:

1. From a spiritual standpoint, what are you hungry for?

2. Do you think God is able to fill that hunger daily?

3. Why is it important to read God’s word daily?