Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“He humbled you by letting you hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
NL Daily Devotion for Tuesday, June 18, 2024
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
Daily bread is spiritual. Yes, it’s also literal, as God gave the Israelites manna to sustain them physically in the desert. But the exercise of receiving that sustenance one day at a time was to develop in them a deep trust in God, and a desire to seek daily to be in communion with God. I know that for me turning over my life to God every day in prayer is foundational to my ability to focus on what is in front of me, and to keep me in close contact with God throughout my day.
Manna was a surprise to the Israelites in the desert. They had never seen anything like it before (in fact, manna just means “What is it?” which always makes me giggle a little). Likewise God surprises me sometimes with the way God shows up in my life. I think I know what’s best for me and everyone around me and, of course, I don’t. There are moments of serendipity and grace when and how I least expect it, and if I just kept trying to plow forward on my own steam, I might miss them. I know that I do not live just by eating food. I live because God lives in and through me.
How do I see “daily bread” as spiritual?
