Nearly every day there’s a new popular diet, or a new ‘miracle food’ to help lose weight or solve other issues. While people can be surprisingly decisive about what they eat physically, spiritual diets are far more vital.

It may surprise you to learn that God has prescribed a spiritual diet for that has many benefits.

So today we are going to look at the spiritual food which God has given us to eat, and how it nourishes us.

Appreciating What God Gives

One of the things I mentioned in my book was the importance of being thankful. A long standing Christian tradition is to give thanks for a meal before eating, and we had the same tradition in my family as I was growing up.

However, a lesser-known fact about me was that as I began to research food, and healthy-eating, I developed a severe food anxiety. This phobia continued to the point were I would eat an average of 600 calories per day, from a very limited set of foods, and even then I would lay awake at night worrying about what I ate that day.

This continued for several years with more details then I would want to cover here, but it culminated in a powerful realization  about appreciating what God gives. And I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t genuine regarding my thankfulness, because it’s impossible to truly be thankful for the food God has given you and truly enjoy it, if you are afraid of it or believe that it is harmful to consume.

This was a large stumbling block that Jesus eventually set me free from, but the spiritual counterpart is much more pernicious. You see, the Israelites dealt with a great amount of trouble because they failed to appreciate the spiritual provision from God. 

Much as I was doing with my physical food by not trusting or appreciating the provision of God for me, the Israelites in the scripture were doing something similar with the provision of God in their lives, and as we follow the story, we can see the results and learn some powerful truths.

There are numerous examples from scripture that we can explore regarding these things— the most famous of which is the manna from heaven. When we consider the account, it’s an amazing thing for God to literally rain down food from Heaven everyday for the Israelites to eat, but even more than that, we find this astounding description of the heavenly manna in Psalms 78:23-25:

“ ²³Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

²⁴And had rained down manna on them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

²⁵Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.”

We can see from these verses that the manna is called the “corn of heaven” and the food of angels. The heavenly food is a marvelous thing!

 

Losing Taste for God’s Provision

For the Israelites though, the wonder and amazement of the manna quickly wore off; and we can glean some crucial details from their history. Consider Exodus 16:31:

“And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

As I always like to say, there are no insignificant details in the scripture. We can read here that the manna was like coriander seed. Coriander seed is a spice, with aromatic properties and a sweet flavor; it’s not a bland flavor.

Take special notice of the color and the taste described in this verse, because something very intriguing happens as the Israelites begin to despise the provision of God, which we can see in Numbers 11:4-8:

“ ⁴And the mixed multitude that was among them fell lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

⁵We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic:

⁶But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

⁷And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.

⁸And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.”

These verses are quite interesting! First we can see that there was a mixed multitude. This is symbolic and represents having mixed theology, mixed beliefs, or mixed thoughts. The book of James also mentions this with the double-minded person.

We also see that they lusted for flesh, and pay attention because this is a spiritual truth that can save us a lot of frustration and anguish. While the ancient Israelites were craving physical meat to eat, the spiritual meaning behind this is huge.

The Israelites weren’t satisfied with the provision of God— they wanted flesh instead.

Do you see? The same spiritual mindset exists today, not being satisfied with the provision of Jesus Christ, and preferring flesh (self-effort and works) rather than what God freely gives.

In verses five and six, the people begin to actively insult the provision of God by saying that they remembered the fish that they ate in Egypt freely. That is a very interesting thing to say since they were still captives in Egypt!

They then proceed to say that their soul is dried away, and complain that there is nothing but the manna in front of them.

Next, in verses seven and eight, we see a fascinating thing, the appearance and the flavor of the manna changes! Once the people start despising the manna, it loses its look and flavor. It’s is now the color of bdellium, a pale semi-transparent resin, and the taste is now the flavor of fresh oil; the manna went from the sweet flavor, to the bitter taste of fresh oil. The people began to try and change the manna, adding their own efforts to it by baking it, grinding it, and beating it in a mortar— trying to improve what God had given them as a gift. 

 

Jesus, the True Manna for You

As we put all of these details together, we get an example of how easy it is to miss the miracles and provision of God that is right in-front of us. The ancient Israelites saw miracle after miracle, and were carefully guided, protected, and provided for constantly, but they were always losing focus; even to the point of longing to return to the place of bondage.

Before we judge them too harshly though, it’s crucial to remember that we often fall into the exact same trap, even spiritually… because much like them, we also have manna being given to us— the manna of Jesus Christ. Consider John 6:51:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

There’s a difference between the manna that fell on the Israelites, and the manna that we have today. Notice that Jesus said that He is the living bread that came down from heaven. The Old manna fell… rained down, but Jesus came down; deliberate, personal, with purpose.

The living bread of Jesus, is so-named because whoever eats this living bread will live forever.

And then we see what Jesus’ living bread is: His flesh, which He gives for the life of the world.

In the wilderness, the ancient Israelites lusted for flesh, here we see that Jesus gives us His flesh, a symbolic reference to His death on the cross which is gives eternal life for all of those who receive.

So I encourage you today to take a look around see the true manna set before you. Jesus has made perfect provision for your spirit, soul, and body, that doesn’t need any addition or help. Receive what He gives, and eat from the banquet He has provided.

Be blessed.