Our Daily Bread

Any parent who has ever taken multiple children on a long road trip can imagine what the exodus must have been like for Moses. Last-minute packing is always a struggle. It can be incredible hard to get away. And once the journey has begun in earnest it starts, Moses starts hearing the refrain, "Are we there yet?".  It must have been exciting at first. The reverence of the first Passover, the drama of the parting of the sea, the celebration at the destruction of Pharaoh's chariots and chariot drivers. Yet before long, the complaining began.

"Are we there yet?" The Israelites were anxious and frightened. Freedom felt strange. In their haste they had brought no provisions other than flat bread which hadn't been given the time to rise, and thoughts of the unknown, of starvation in the wilderness, overwhelmed them. "Are we there yet?" They complained against their leaders, against Aaron and Moses. And God heard their cries and provided bread for their journey, exactly enough to meet their daily needs.

The Israelites would repeat this pattern of anxiety, fear, and complaint, throughout their forty year journey as they learned, little by little, to trust that God would provide what they needed. The development of a faith that God will "give us this day our daily bread" takes time to rise.

Today I hope you remember to enjoy the journey. The destination is worth the trip!