Chocolate Snowflakes 天降之粮
Dexu Xia
Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.” Exodus 16:15
Residents of Olten, Switzerland, were surprised by a shower of chocolate shavings covering the entire town. The ventilation system at a nearby chocolate factory had malfunctioned, sending cocoa into the air and dusting the area with confectionary goodness. The chocolate coating sounds like a dream come true for chocoholics!
While chocolate doesn’t adequately provide for one’s nutritional needs, God supplied the Israelites with heavenly showers that did. As they traveled through the desert, they began to grumble about the variety of food they’d left behind in Egypt. In response, God said He would “rain down bread from heaven” to sustain them (Exodus 16:4). When the morning dew dried up each day, a thin flake of food remained. Approximately two million Israelites were instructed to gather as much as they needed that day. For forty years of their desert wanderings, they were nourished by God’s supernatural provision in manna.
We know little about manna except that it was “white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey” (v. 31). Though manna may not sound as appealing as a steady diet of chocolate, the sweetness of God’s provision for His people is clear. Manna points us to Jesus who described Himself as the “bread of life” (John 6:48) that sustains us daily and assures us of life eternal (v. 51).
By: Kirsten Holmberg
How has God provided for you? How does Jesus being the “bread of life” encourage you to trust Him?
Father God, thank You for providing for my deepest need in Jesus and sustaining me every day.
摩西对他们说：“这就是耶和华给你们吃的食物。”—出埃及记16章15节
在瑞士的一个小市镇奥尔滕（Olten），居民竟然看到巧克力粉像雪花般从天而降，覆盖了整座小镇！原来是小镇附近一间巧克力工厂的通风系统发生故障，将可可粉排入空中，使整个地区都被洒上一层香甜的巧克力粉。这层巧克力粉就像是巧克力爱好者的美梦成真！
这些巧克力当然无法满足一个人的营养需求，但上帝从天降下的食物，却能让古时候的以色列百姓得到饱足。那时，当以色列人行经旷野时，便开始抱怨说，以前在埃及可以享受许多食物。于是上帝告诉他们，祂“要将粮食从天降”下，喂养他们（出埃及记16章4节）。每天早晨朝露蒸发之后，地上会留下一层薄薄的食物。当时约有两百万以色列人，他们都得到指示，要按照个人当日的需求去收集食物。在以色列人旷野漂流的四十年间，上帝以神迹赐下吗哪，使百姓得到饱足。
关于吗哪，我们知道得很少，只知道它“像芫荽子，颜色是白的，滋味如同搀蜜的薄饼”（31节）。虽然吗哪听起来似乎不如巧克力那样诱人，但上帝为祂的百姓所预备的显然是甜美的。吗哪为我们指明了耶稣这位“生命的粮”（约翰福音6章48节），祂供应你我每日的需要，并确保我们能得到永远的生命（51节）。
作者： 洪可婷
上帝如何供应你的需要？
想到耶稣是“生命的粮”，如何让你更信靠祂？
天父上帝，感谢祢藉着耶稣满足我最深切的需求，
并且每一天都扶持我。