The World’s Best Supermarket
Luella and I live in Philadelphia nearby the Reading Terminal Market. It has 120 unique food vendors, and it is has become our supermarket. It is the world’s most amazing grocery store! I shop for our food nearly every day, and when I take a moment to pay attention, I am blown away by what I see and smell.
I love how much of the glory of God is edible! I love how God has not ordained to sustain us with a single daily pill that has vitamins, nutrients, and calories, but delights in blessing us with the pleasure of an almost endless variety of tastes, textures, and smells.
It melts my brain—and too often, in my mouth!—that all of these wonderful gifts (like chocolate) came out of the mind of God.
Food represents God’s generosity and love. It shows off his glorious power and magnificent creativity. It reminds us that God wants us to thrive, enjoy, and delight in worshiping him—the one who has lavished such goodness on us.
In Exodus 16, we are shown a historical example of the extent of God’s commitment to supply his children with the physical food that they need and of the awesome power he has to provide it.
The people of Israel, now in the wilderness, are in a state of panic. They are wondering where they are going to get food to eat, and they are grumbling to Moses that it would have been better for them to die in Egypt because at least there they had enjoyed plenty of good food.
God hears their grumbling and responds: “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily” (Exodus 16:4–5).
Imagine the magnificence of this provision. Imagine bread appearing on the ground every day like dew. They are enjoying this bounty—not because they have earned it or deserve it—but because they are his chosen children.
What an incredible picture of providing grace, even for people who are faithless and discontented. Here are people who keep wishing they could go back to their slavery, when they have been set free by God’s liberating grace, and are being provided for by his generous love.
The physical food that God provides for us is a visual picture and reminder of how he feeds us spiritually with the nutrients of his grace. Even in our moments of spiritual amnesia, grumbling, and idolatry, God still feeds us with good food.
So, the next time you buy groceries, prepare a meal, or sit down to enjoy good food that someone made for you, remember Exodus 16.
But there is more: this historical account and miracle is a finger pointing to God’s ultimate provision of bread—that is, Jesus, the bread sent down from heaven.
“Jesus then said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’ (John 6:32–35).
In Christ alone our spiritual hunger is satisfied. Only Jesus can give life and strength to our souls. With gratitude we remember that in him we are fed, not because we’ve earned it but because we are the chosen objects of his faithful and generous grace.
That’s the gospel message found up and down the aisles of your supermarket!
A Prayer for Today: Lord, I come to you today hungry and in need of your grace. You are the only one who can satisfy my spiritual hunger and the only one who provides true life to me through the grace of your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank you for making me an object of your faithful and generous grace! In your Son’s name, amen.
God bless,
Paul Tripp
This Wednesday’s Word is pulled from the first day of Everyday Gospel. You can read the daily entries on their own, or could pair it with the Bible reading plan—in this case, Genesis 1–3. Tomorrow, you would read Genesis 4–6, along with my devotional. And so on and so forth, until you complete the entire Bible, with my gospel commentary throughout!
My prayer is that Everyday Gospel would be a life-changing blessing, as you discover how Scripture connects to all of life, trains you for righteousness, and equips you for every good work!
Discussion Prompt for Children:
How does eating food help you and me to grow physically? What do you think spiritual food is and how can it help us grow spiritually?
Reflection Questions
- What is it about your favorite food that might remind you that God wants you to thrive, enjoy, and delight in worshiping him? Why does food represent God’s generosity and love?
- The Israelites enjoyed the bounty of bread each day even though they didn’t earn it or deserve it. They enjoyed God’s provision because they were his chosen children. Why can it be such a struggle to believe that God provides for his children even though they don’t deserve it? How has God provided for you even when you felt you didn’t deserve it? How did that provision (a grace) help you to understand the character of God more deeply?
- In what ways has God provided for you spiritually with the nutrients of his grace? Be specific.
- Why will your spiritual hunger only be satisfied in Christ alone? After re-reading Exodus 16, how does Jesus’ statement that he is the bread of life hit you differently? Why is it so significant that Jesus calls himself the bread of life?
- Where might you be searching for life apart from Christ right now? Take some time to talk with God about where you’re looking for life apart from him, and pray that he would help you to see that only Jesus can give life and strength to your soul.