Day by Day

Introduction

Today’s message is about our faithfulness and dependence on God, the One who has been faithful until this day, fulfilling completely His divine promises through Jesus-Christ, given in His Holy Book, the Bible.

We often measure our blessings based on the love that God has for us, but it is, in fact, a misunderstanding to think this way. Why? Because God is love, and His love endures forever. Our Father in Heaven already knows all our needs and desires. He is omniscient, knowing all things, omnipresent, always with us, and omnipotent, able to do all things; and we are His creation.

When we suffer, we often forget our blessings and choose to question the Father in Heaven instead of acknowledging His sovereignty and submitting to His divine, perfect, and wise will for our lives. Questioning with a sincere heart, seeking a divine answer, is different from complaining with self-interest.

The passage that we will look at today is also about His greatness as the Great Provider, the loving and faithful God of the universe who has control over everything.

Context of this passage

Exodus chapter 15 contains one of the greatest prayers in the Old Testament. This prayer is called the “Song of Moses,” which is simply a song of praise to the Lord, sung right after they had crossed the Red Sea. Moses wanted to sing on behalf of all God’s people to give Him glory for His great power. It was a new journey for them, learning to trust the Lord and to be guided in obedience to Him.

But at the end of this same chapter, we already see the complaints of the people starting to rise among them. First, about the water: “What are we going to drink?” they said. And the Lord provided a miraculous and plentiful solution.

Second, in the chapter we are seeing today, the people complained about the lack of ‘bread and meat,’ and because they remembered Egypt wrongly, they told Moses they used to eat until they were full. They were slaves, yet said they were full, an irony that makes no sense. They even blamed Moses for bringing them into the wilderness! They could not understand the meaning of their new freedom or what it meant to be led by their God, even in the wilderness, but His never-ending love and care for them.

« Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; »

God’s providence shows His care by supplying their essential needs in the wilderness. This heavenly manna symbolizes God’s divine grace and the assurance that God cares for those who believes in Him.

God’s providence reflects His goodness and sovereignty, providing blessings like rain and food to lead people to repentance. He fosters growth through history and laws, preparing humanity for the Gospel. His rule aims to save a people for Himself, a people chosen by grace, redeemed by Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit, working through Christ, the Church, and Scripture, while blessing even those who do not believe. Above all, God governs to display His glory, revealing His holiness, justice, power, wisdom, love, and truth.

« and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day »

By instructing the Hebrews to gather manna each day, God teaches them to rely on Him daily. This practice encourages them to patiently await divine provision, thereby strengthening their faith in His promises. God was providing for them, and this during 40 years, which demonstrates God’s compassion and mercy toward His disobedient people, working in patience for His plan to be fulfilled.

For the Hebrews, it was a long and difficult process to move from disobedience, blindness, and rebellion against God to obedience, faith, and submission. Today, thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, God produces in us this deep desire to please Him in everything we do, establishing a spiritual routine that reflects total dependence on His divine provision, whether for our families, our work, or everything He intends to bless for His glory. 

And just as the Israelites had to trust God’s timing and provision, learning patience and faith as they awaited His daily supply, we also are called to depend on Him daily, both physically and spiritually.

« so that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. »

The specific instructions regarding the collection of manna, including the amount to gather and the prohibition against keeping it until the next day (except before the Sabbath), were given to test God’s people. This test was not about their salvation, but about revealing their hearts, strengthening their trust, and training them to walk in God’s ways, showing that obedience is the fruit of genuine faith.

Thus, through the manna, God teaches His people trust, daily dependence, and the importance of obeying His commandments, both of which are inseparable.

God uses this situation to test His people’s faithfulness. Despite previous miracles, such as their liberation from slavery in Egypt, the people tend to easily forget the works of the Lord and murmur in the face of difficulties. This test aims to build and strengthen their trust in God and deepen their obedience to His commandments, showing them the weaknesses of their hearts and their need for a guide.

Faith in Him is the primary disposition of the heart that God honors. The Bible teaches that Abraham was justified by faith, and through faith all generations after him received the blessing as well. Without faith, we cannot please God.

As an example, when we tell our children to trust us and to have full confidence in us, how do we react when they disobey? Of course, we forgive them, but that trust has been damaged and needs to be restored.

God loves us unconditionally, even when we are rebellious or far from Him, but the consequences of our actions can still interfere with our relationship with Him, not removing our salvation, but affecting our joy, peace, and communion with Him. Faith has great power, both individually and collectively.

Faith as a mustard seed can move mountains, because God is the One who acts in response to our faith. This allows us to look at situations where we do not see or understand the outcome, yet still believe in God’s promises and hold on to His divine Word in the Bible.

By doing so, we embrace victory, and most of all, we pass the test that prepares us for greater things, storing our treasures in Heaven.

In the New covenant

The Lord Jesus Christ reaffirms these fundamental and continuing principles established in the O.T. by God in His Sermon on the Mount. The Gospel of Matthew shows this continuity, witnessing Jesus Christ, the Messiah, as the one who fulfills and deepens the foundations laid by God through Moses, the Prophet of the people of Israel freed from slavery in Egypt.

It reminds us of humanity’s dependence on God for everything. This imagery of bread gets to its climax in Jesus Christ, the true bread from heaven, who gave His life so that all who believe in Him may receive eternal life, and who provides everything necessary for our spiritual growth and daily needs.

Through prayer

"Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. » Matthew 6:9-11

In the prayer to the Father, Jesus teaches His disciples and us how to pray, expressing our daily commitment to our Father in Heaven. This shows us that there is nothing new in the way for God’s people to submit to Him in every aspect of our needs. First comes glorifying and sanctifying God's name, the coming of His kingdom, the fulfillment of His will, and the request for daily provision. It reflects total dependence on God for our daily needs, with ‘daily bread’ referring to our physical necessities and by extension everything required for life.

The work of the Holy Spirit enables us to walk by faith and not by sight, to let God accomplish what He has to accomplish, without doubting, fearing, or trembling, but rather facing the reality of God’s loving providence for our lives.

Through faith

Further, in the same chapter, Jesus exhorts: «But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.“ So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.» Matthew 6:33-34

Jesus teaches His disciples not to worry about material needs such as food, clothing, or housing. He calls them to seek God, who cares for all His creation. This means that our first priority as believers in Jesus-Christ must be to live in a way that stays connected with God. This includes, cultivating a deep relationship with Him, through prayer, meditation on His Word, living according to justice, love, and faith, and putting God at the center of all our decisions.

Material needs are real and legitimate, but they must not become our main concern. Jesus promises that if we put God first, He will take care of the rest, because He knows our needs better than we do. Here, Jesus encourages His disciples to prioritize the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, assuring them that God will provide for their material needs. He calls them to live in the present, letting it go of the past, and trusting in divine providence for the future.

In our daily lives, including plans, choices, and relationships, our first desire must be to glorify God, then trust in God by learning to depend on God rather than on our own strength. And lastly live with simplicity and contentment and not being obsessed with possessions or worried about tomorrow, but living with the faith that God provides.

This concept of daily dependence and contentment is also found in Proverbs 30:7-9, where Agur prays: "Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion, That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal, And profane the name of my God. »

Agur’s message expresses here the desire for faithfulness in his life, spiritually and morally, avoiding extremes, and trusting God to provide what is necessary each day, and not forgetting Him when things work perfectly for us. He also reminds us that when we no longer depend on God in our daily decisions, riches can lead us to pride and self-reliance, and poverty can push us toward fear and temptation, drawing us into the world’s ways instead of God’s.

The prayer for neither poverty nor riches echoes the meaning found in 1 Timothy 6:6-10, which warns against the love of money and advocates for godliness with contentment.

Conclusion

Through these passages, the Bible teaches God’s people daily dependence on Him, trust in His providence, and the importance of seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness.

These principles, established in the Old Testament, are reaffirmed in the New Testament by Jesus Christ and His Apostles, demonstrating the accuracy and continuity of God’s message throughout the ages. 

Through the work of the Holy Spirit, we walk in humility, letting God move through us as clay pots molded by the Great Potter, for His glory. To the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be the first place forever and ever. Amen.