My Manna Addiction

Hi, my name's Brad Leach and I'm a manna addict.

A little backstory...

Genesis 1 and 2 tell the story of creation.  For five days God got creative with oceans, stars and animals.  When he was done he called it all good.  On the sixth day he created Adam and called him very good.  On the seventh day he rested from his work.  That day, his rest day, he called holy.

Good.

Very good.

Holy.

Was God tired?  Did creation wear him out?  I don't think He rested because He needed to.  He rested because we need to.  And God has always led by example.

So after breaking the Hebrews out of Egypt he told them to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  God made it holy.  He set it apart.  It was up to them to keep it that way. 

Exodus 16 tells us about the Israelites introduction to manna; a mysterious bread that fell from heaven.  There was just one catch.  Whatever you didn't gather during the day was lost to the sun.  So they went out everyday to work to put food on the table.  And they would have gone out on the seventh day as well.  God knew it.  So he gave them a manna mandate.  On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much so that on the seventh day they could rest.

Well, I can't really point a finger at what they did because I probably would have been out there with them.  When day seven rolled around, they went back out looking for more manna.  Here's the funny thing.  There wasn't any.  God didn't send it that day.  He was serious about their rest.  So they went out to work but didn't get anything done. 

That sounds familiar.

Are you sitting down?  This may come as a shock.  Some days God isn't in our work.  Some days he wants us to rest.  Some days he wants us to take a break from putting food on the table to remember that He is the One who puts food on the table.

I think most church planters are manna addicts.  I never took a day off in the early days of our church.  I convinced myself that the church would die without my constant attention.  It's really quite funny now that I think about it.  I took myself way too seriously.

Friday is my day off; my Sabbath.  So Friday is the day I typically feel my manna addiction the most.  I wake up and start twitching:)  I feel compelled to turn on Outlook.  I feel compelled to call into my voicemail.  I feel compelled to work on a message.  And I realize every Friday that I am one sick dude:)

To learn to trust is to learn to rest. 

Comments

[Jerome]

I just read that Exodus passage yesterday and was like, woah I need to look at rest way more seriously b/c it doesn't matter what I do there will be no food. Great reminder to put our anchor on the ship out weekly; be still and let God be on the throne, not our duties before Him.

[Katie]

That's a good reminder that God isn't impressed with us because of what we do. He loves us because we're His... and He could never be more impressed with us.

[kim]

Man, that really sounds familiar:) I have to admit my own addiction and that's why I'm setting out this weekend to do something wild and crazy...to remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy. So I'm determined to get it all done before Sunday rolls around. This is going to be a lengendary time in my teaching career. :)

[dax]

Sometimes overlooked when the Sabbath is discussed is that a relationship with Jesus can be the fulfillment of it. Whereas before a seventh day was meant for a physical rest for us, now a Sabbath can be achieved when the promise land of our hearts have the enemies conquered. We would no longer be enslaved or have perpetual wars that we fight with the things that used to so easily beset us. It is God's promised rest for His children when we conquer the things or giants that used to war against us. The enemies must be destroyed in the land of our hearts and no longer simply chased or invited back in. God has a rest for His people.

[m tracy]

Interesting--and yet you read Orthodoxy? You couldn't have taken much from it.

I have to say that GK would disagree with much of your thought....

In His Grace, m

[dax]

I hope that you all don't mind, but one last thing: Our rest or Sabbath means we are no longer fighting or working in our flesh. There is peace in our land. We must keep our rest holy and consecrated to the Lord or we will be warring once again.