Enough for Today

The Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.”

— Exodus 16:4 (NIV)

For most of my life I have experienced some level of general anxiety. As a child, I worried about being away from my parents and about disappointing my teachers. As a teen, my anxiety made me very risk averse; I was hesitant to try new activities and stuck to familiar places and people. As a young adult, my anxiety shifted to focusing on the future: what job I should pursue, how I would support myself, where I would live. And now as a parent, my anxiety centers on my child’s future: how to keep her safe and healthy, equip her to handle the challenges of school and friendship, and ensure that she has the tools and resources to succeed. It is easy to become overwhelmed and lose sight of God’s presence here and now. 

In Exodus, the Israelites also struggled with worries about the future, going so far as to wish they had died in captivity. In response, God sent manna — “enough for that day” — and asked the people to trust in God’s grace. In the stories shared by writers in this issue of The Upper Room, daily manna takes a variety of forms. It may look like having just enough energy to continue a race; holding on to hope when healing does not come quickly or easily; leaning into creativity to feed a family using the meager ingredients in the cabinet; finding the words to pray when we lack confidence; connecting to a church community online when we would rather worship in person; or offering help where we can, even when it doesn’t feel like enough. These examples demonstrate that God’s grace is always enough for each day. I pray we can rest in this promise and live each day with gratitude as we learn to trust in God’s sufficient grace.