Consider for a moment a meal without bread. This is what we have to deal with in a Gluten-free home. No bread sticks, no pretzels, no real pasta (we have to use the fake, g-free stuff), and no fluffy white crusty loaves. It is a staple for most families – from sandwiches to meals. Even in Pakistan, there is a yummy flat bread that we made called “roti” or the fluffier equivalent is “naan” at every meal. For breakfast, we had “paratha” which is a fried flat bread that you eat with honey and cream. It’s absolutely delicious.

When my husband found out that he had a severe gluten allergy, it was tough – not only on him but also on the rest of us. It made him sad to see garlic bread he couldn’t have. Also, at restaurants, they throw that fresh out of the oven bread in front of you and we all have to sadly ask them to take it away. It’s a stretch to compare this to what the Israelites had to deal with in the desert when they were wandering about for 40 years, but I know that when God promised that he would feed them he came through.

There aren’t that many things we need in reality. Living without bread took some time, but we have all become accustomed to it. It’s funny how once things are taken away, we realize that maybe weren’t even that good for us (i.e. the white Wonder Bread). When the Israelites were hungry, God Almighty fed them. He didn’t skimp on them either, he gave them bread from Heaven called “Manna.” If you look up what Manna means in the dictionary, it states it’s something from Heaven. In Hebrew, the Israelites were literally saying “what is it?” (Exodus 16:15). What’s interesting to me is that they knew that it was something special and supernatural. It covered the ground like a white dust. When it got hot in the day, it melted away. When you put it in your mouth, it was like a wafer with honey. God fed his people in a miraculous way and he gave specific instructions – gather only enough for the day (or it will putrefy and get worms). Of course, there’s at least one who doesn’t follow directions and they found out what God said was true.

When Jesus came, he made a HUGE claim. He said to the people “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 6:35).” The Jews at the time of Christ must have noticed that he was making a divine claim to basically say that He was the bread that comes down from heaven. Furthermore, when I was studying the book of John in Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), when Jesus was tempted in the desert, he stated that man does not live by bread alone (Matthew 4:4 and Deuteronomy 8:3) but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.  When you realize that Jesus is the Word of God and also the bread, the connection is truly amazing.

Bread is a physical thing. It nourishes our body and gives us something even in place of a whole meal. When we rely on the Word of God to sustain us, we are counting on the claim that Christ made that He is the one who feeds us with his body and word. It is something I have been thinking about, as I study God’s word.

If you don’t read God’s word on a regular basis or have never read God’s word, this is a new day! Try it out and see how He feeds you and sustains you daily. He will make things fresh and new in your life – relationships, issues, how you look at work and other people. It is amazing how the promises of God come through in the way that he has had His word written through the power of the Holy Spirit, within 66 books by 40 authors over 1500 years. Yet, there is a constant throughout it – God is the One who sustains your life.

It’s amazing and it’s a new year. If you are not in a Bible Study, ask me about BSF and how it has helped to nourish and grow me in my Christian walk. Get to know Christ and how much He loves you… I pray this for you today. Amen.