Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our Reading titled Food from Heaven was written by Lisa M. Samra.

In August 2020, residents of Olten, Switzerland were startled to find that it was snowing chocolate. A malfunction

in the ventilation system of the local chocolate factory had caused chocolate particles to be

diffused into the air. As a result, a dusting of edible chocolate flakes covered cars and streets

and made the whole town smell like a candy store. When I think of delicious

food magically falling from the heavens, I can't help but think of God's provision for the people

of Israel and Exodus. Following their dramatic escape from Egypt, the people face significant

challenges in the desert, especially a scarcity of food and

water. And God, moved by the plight of the people, promised to rain down bread from heaven.

The next morning, a layer of thin flakes appeared on the desert ground. This daily provision,

known as manna, continued for the next 40 years.

When Jesus came to earth, people began to believe he was sent from God, when he miraculously provided bread for a large crowd. But Jesus taught that he himself was the bread of life, sent to bring not just temporary

nourishment, but eternal life. For those of us hungry for spiritual nourishment, Jesus extends

the offer of unending life with God. May we believe and trust that he came to satisfy those deepest longings.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from Exodus chapter 16,

verses 4 through 5, and verses 13 through 18. then 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 in this way i will test them and see whether

they will follow my instructions on the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to

be twice as much as they gather on the other days. Now picking up at verse 13. That evening, Quail

came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the

dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the

...