Saturday, March 7
Read: Psalm 95; Exodus 16:27-35; John 4:1-6
In the barren stretches of the Sinai wilderness, the children of Israel faced a crisis of “enough.” Their stomachs were empty, and their faith was wearing thin. In Exodus 16, God responds not with a warehouse of grain but with Manna—a daily, rhythmic gift that could not be hoarded. When some tried to gather more than they needed, bypassing the Sabbath rest, they found only emptiness and decay. The lesson was sharp and clear: God’s provision is inextricably tied to His timing. The Manna was not merely food; it was a daily invitation to trust that the Provider would show up again tomorrow.
Centuries later, we find Jesus sitting by a well in Samaria. Exhausted from His journey, He rests at Jacob’s Well at the “sixth hour”—the blistering heat of high noon. This moment in John 4 mirrors the wilderness experience. Just as the Israelites were weary and hungry, Jesus sits in the dust of human exhaustion. Yet as the story unfolds, we see that the “Living Water” He offers is the ultimate fulfillment of what the Manna foreshadowed.
Lent is our modern wilderness. It is a season when we intentionally strip away the “extra” to see whether we can truly survive on the “enough.” We often find ourselves like the Israelites, frantically gathering, worried that God’s grace might run out. We try to secure our own futures, filling our schedules and hearts with “bread” that rots by morning. He reminds us that the Manna kept in the golden jar (Exodus 16:33) was kept as a testimony—not of the bread itself, but of God’s faithfulness through the generations.
As you walk through this Lenten season, consider where you are “gathering” out of fear rather than resting in faith. The same God who rained down bread from heaven now sits at the well of your deepest need, offering satisfaction that never runs dry.
What is the “extra Manna” in your life—a habit, a worry, or a pursuit of security—that God is asking you to release this Lent so you can learn to rely fully on Him each day?
Prayer:
Lord of the Wilderness, thank You for providing exactly what I need today. Forgive me for the times I try to store up Your grace out of fear of tomorrow. As I journey through Lent, draw me to the well of Living Water. May I find my rest in Your presence rather than in my own provision. Amen.
The Reverend Misty Barrett ‘89 is an ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church and Pastor of Christ Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. She will serve as a reserve delegate of the Alabama-Emerald Coast Conference at the GMC General Conference in 2026.
