Scripture: Psalm 78:1-26, John 6:26-40
Focus: God gave orders to the skies above, opened heaven’s doors, and rained manna on them so they could eat. He gave them the very grain of heaven! ~Psalm 78:23-24 (CEB)
Commentary: Psalm 78 emerged as a teaching psalm during the time of King David and King Solomon. The larger context of the Psalm is the story of God’s provisions for the Israelites during the formative years of their community. When God rescued them from Egypt, they were called from bondage to freedom, and eventually from a life of scarcity to a life of abundance. For the community to reach the promised land, they were destined to undertake a difficult journey of faith. In that journey, they learned to trust in God’s presence and provision.
Jesus quotes Psalm 78 when the people wondered about Jesus and the miracles they had just experienced. Jesus reminded them, and us, that God, the one who provided manna, the grain of heaven, to the Israelites, is the Source of everything. Jesus IS the Bread of Life, but God is the One who sent the Bread of Life, Jesus. It is a subtle distinction with a few theological thorns, but it is the one we are offered. Just like the wandering Israelites and the wondering people, God gives each of us a path to travel and at certain curves in the pathway, bumps in the road, or ditches to cross, we are given a choice: we can trust prayerfully that God will sustain us as we go through them, or we can resist our journey and complain every step of our way.
Reflection: When you think about your spiritual journey, what are the major turns, bumps, or ditches? How have you navigated them? How has your trust in God grown or dwindled as you reached the other side?
If music is a spiritual pathway for you, listen to I am the Bread of Life sung by Jaime Thietten.
Breathing in … God, my Sustainer
Breathing out … Help me trust you
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