Don’t Despise the Manna
Are you in a burdensome season, waiting for God to come through, but it feels like what you need won’t arrive? In this encouraging devotion, Dianna Hobbs helps you see that God is using this moment to show you that He is more than enough—even when it feels like you don’t have what it takes to make it!
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Years ago, my husband Kenya lost his job, and we found ourselves in a season of uncertainty that tested our faith in ways we had never experienced before. He applied for job after job, submitted countless resumes, and sat through promising interviews, but nothing materialized.
Bills began to pile up. Rejection letters kept coming in. Despite his diligence, there were no open doors. We didn’t have enough to make ends meet, and we were in real financial trouble.
And yet, somehow, the lights never got shut off. Somehow, we always had food to eat. Somehow, God made a way.
People would unexpectedly bless us with groceries or money, even though we never shared the extent of our struggles. Like the widow of Zarephath who sustained Elijah during a drought (1 Kings 17:7-16), God assigned others to meet our needs. We didn’t have surplus, but we always had enough.
We were on a “Manna” diet—something I’ve talked about before. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was miraculous.
An Important Lesson
In Exodus 16, after leaving Egypt, the Israelites entered the wilderness—a place where they had to depend on God for daily provision. He fed them with manna, bread from Heaven that appeared each morning like dew on the ground.
Manna literally means “What is it?” It was unlike anything they had ever known. It sustained them, but it didn’t satisfy their desire for predictability or abundance. Yet, God used the manna to teach them an important lesson: their survival didn’t depend on tangible resources but on the intangible source of all provision—God Himself.
Deuteronomy 8:3 explains God’s reasoning: “He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
It’s easy to despise manna, like the Israelites did, when you’re longing for the Promised diLand. Despite the miracle of God’s provision, they grumbled and wished for the predictability of Egypt.
But God wasn’t just feeding their bodies—He was transforming their hearts. He wanted them to know that He was their source, their sustainer, their all-sufficient One.
“God’s provision isn’t about what you have but about who He is. As your source and resource, He will provide exactly what you need.”
What This Season Is About
If you’re in a season where you feel like you’re just getting by day to day on “just enough” while longing for your Promised Land, don’t despise the manna. This season of unpredictable provision isn’t about lack—it’s about learning that God is more than enough.
Centuries after the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness, Jesus declared in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
He revealed Himself as the ultimate fulfillment of manna—the Bread of Heaven that not only sustains us temporarily but also gives us eternal life. Jesus is our source and resource, the One who provides for both our physical and spiritual needs.
When God allows us to go through seasons of just enough, it’s not to frustrate us but to remind us that He is our everything. Sometimes, He will strip away surplus to teach us that His presence is our provision.
That’s why the story of the two fish and five loaves is so powerful (Matthew 14:13-21; John 6:1-15). God took what wasn’t enough to feed the multitude, blessed it, multiplied it, and turned it into more than enough.
Through this miracle, He teaches us that it’s not natural bread that truly sustains us or meets our deepest needs, but the Bread of Heaven—Jesus Christ. Where He is, provision follows—even when it isn’t obvious at first.
Again, He is our source and resource, our sustenance and sustainer, the One who satisfies every hunger and quenches every thirst.
The Same God
When Kenya’s breakthrough came and his season of unemployment ended all those years ago, it wasn’t because of his resumes or connections. Out of the blue, someone called and offered him a job he hadn’t even applied for.
“I thought of you,” they said. “Would you be interested?”
Turns out, this job Kenya never sought out paid more than his previous position and became a stepping stone to even greater opportunities!
Friend, the same God who came through for my husband and me in our time of need will surely come through for you as well.
The same God who fed Elijah with a widow’s last meal and multiplied oil in empty jars is sustaining you through this season (1 Kings 17:8-16; 2 Kings 4:1-7). The same God who parted the Red Sea for Israel and made a way in the wilderness is making a way for you right now (Exodus 14:21-22; Isaiah 43:19).
The same God who closed the mouths of lions for Daniel and quenched the flames for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is protecting you in this storm (Daniel 6:22; Daniel 3:24-27). The same God who turned water into wine at the wedding of Cana and called Lazarus out of the grave is preparing a miracle for you (John 2:1-11; John 11:43-44).
The same God who rained down manna from Heaven and brought water from a rock is meeting every one of your needs as you receive this word (Exodus 16:4-15; Exodus 17:6).
He Is With You
Hear this: The areas where God has allowed just enough are the very places He wants to prove He is more than enough. So, hold fast to your faith—He is with you through this season.
In the meantime, as you await your Promised Land, don’t despise the manna. His name is Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, and He is the greatest provider you’ll ever know. Just as He was with Israel in the Old Testament and with His disciples in the New Testament, He is with you today.
Scripture declares in Hebrews 13:8—which is the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration—“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (NIV).
As you drink down the contents of your cup, rest assured that you can rely on God to be what He has always been and forever will be—faithful. Trust that He is teaching you, growing you, and preparing you for something greater.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The same God who worked wonders in the past is working for you right now.
If you believe it, throw that hand up by faith and declare, “The way is already made!”
And it so.
Now, let’s pray.
Lord, thank You for being my Bread of Life, my source, and my sustainer, my manna in the wilderness. Teach me to trust You, even in seasons of uncertainty. Help me to rely on Your daily provision without fear or doubt. When I feel tempted to grumble or grow weary, remind me that You are faithful and that my breakthrough is on the way. Thank You for proving that You are more than enough. I praise You now for this confirming word! I receive it by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
God often gives you a word that completely contradicts your circumstances to test your faith and prove His faithfulness. He’s going to do what He said, friend, no matter what it looks like!