God’s Daily Manna

Pastor Shannon returned this week saying, “If I could begin with a theme, it would be gratitude. I am grateful for you.”

The two texts that formed the basis for this Communion Sunday message were taken from the Old Testament book of Numbers, chapter 11:4-15, and from Luke 17:11-19. The foundational idea behind the message was the importance of recognizing who God is and what He has done.

Luke 17:11-19 tells the story of Jesus’ healing of ten lepers, but only one came back to thank Him.

Numbers 11:4-15 is an account of Moses’ meltdown during the Israelites’ wanderings in the desert. In this passage, Moses is harassed by the discontented rabble. The were weary of eating manna, the miraculous food that appeared each morning.

The rabble, whether in olden times or today, seems to be comprised of people with a low threshold of discomfort and a high propensity to complain. Another problem… the rabble never leave. They want to see you fail. They are so focused on the pastor or leader that they can’t see God.

The word “manna” means, literally, “What is it?” It is not an uncommon question.

“What is it that’s going on here?” and, to God, “What is it you have for me?”

The answer to these questions is found in the Gospel of John chapter six. The true manna from heaven is Jesus.

What is the Lord Jesus Christ doing today… in your life and in your church? This is the correct question. What counts is today. Some people are preoccupied with the future. Some are preoccupied with the past. But the only place where you find manna is now. The manna is only in the present.

In modern times, life goes very fast. The pace of life used to be much slower. Let’s not let the present slip away from us, or get so caught up in the past or future that we neglect this most important thing: today.

What is it that you will be about… in your life? In this church community?

Pastor Shannon closed by returning to his original theme of gratitude. “It breaks my heart that only one of the ten lepers came back and gave thanks.”

We proceeded, as a church family, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper.