WHAT IS IT?

Mothers cried for their hungry children. Fathers fretted in frustration, unable to provide for their own. Instead of praying, they griped. “The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, ‘If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!’ ” (Exodus 16:2–3).

That’s when God introduced His plan … His plan to provide the Bread of Life.

“I am going to rain bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4).

It happened just as He promised.

“In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. When the layer of dew evaporated, there were fine flakes on the desert surface, as fine as frost on the ground. When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was” (Exodus 16:13-15). “The house of Israel named the substance manna. It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31).

“What is it?”

During forty years of wilderness wanderings, the Hebrews ate the “What is it?”, God’s life-giving sustenance. Every morning, as sure as the sun-up, God provided for their needs. Surely, they would have starved to death without God’s gift… the never-failing Bread of Life.

Centuries later, after feeding five thousand men and their families, Jesus explained… “ ‘Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ ‘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 6:31–35).

Jesus was … and Jesus is … the Bread of Life. He is enough!

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).