Manna: a lesson in humility

“He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.” Deuteronomy 8:16
We all know about how the Israelites ate manna for forty years while they were in the wilderness. It was provided by God from heaven - in Ps. 78:25 it is called ‘the bread of angels’. It appeared on the ground after the morning dew evaporated, and the people had to collect it every day except the Sabbath. On the day before the Sabbath they were to collect twice as much, and it would last; but any other day if they tried to keep any overnight it would go bad. (See Ex. 16.) The people complained about it, which resulted in God sending quail and plagues upon the people. (See Num. 11.)
But manna is not just how God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness – it is a picture for us today. Jesus called Himself the bread of life who came down from heaven (John 6:32-35). Like the Israelites, we need to be seeking this manna, this bread of life, every day. This is why Jesus instructs us to come to the Father in prayer daily (Matt. 6:11). This forces us to rely on God, trusting Him to provide for us from day to day. That’s how the Israelites were humbled in the wilderness with the manna, and it’s a lesson we all need to learn. And the result? “So that in the end it might go well with you.”