For a brief period of time I lived above a boulangerie (bakery) in Paris. Each morning my roommates and I woke up to the sweet aroma of baking bread. With our mouths watering, we ran downstairs to buy our breakfast baguette.

Bread plays an important role in the history of France. For years the French people considered it to be such a staple, they regulated the price of baguettes. In 1788 and 1789 failures of the grain crops created famines and economic disorder. Many historians attribute the lack of bread as one of the factors which led to the French Revolution in July of 1789.

Bread played a no less important role in the history of Israel. After the Israelites fled Egypt, they wandered in the desert for forty years. Each day during this time, God rained down bread, called manna, from heaven. Since He provided the manna daily, He instructed the Israelites to only gather what they needed for each day (Exodus 16:4). If they gathered more than what was needed, the excess spoiled (Exodus 16:20).

Years later Jesus used this historical event to teach us an essential truth. The Apostle John recorded the time when Jesus miraculously fed a crowd of 5,000 by multiplying the provisions of a small boy (John 6:1-13). After dismissing the crowd, He and His disciples crossed the lake and went to Capernaum (John 6:16-21). 

The next morning, the crowd began searching for Jesus. Getting into boats, they crossed the lake and found Him in Capernaum (John 6:22-24). When Jesus saw them, He realized they looked for Him because they wanted more physical food. 

Instead of providing another meal, Jesus challenged the crowd to seek spiritual bread which will endure to eternal life. To do this, they needed to “‘believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:27-29 NIV). In response to these words, the Israelites asked for a sign ~ like the manna their ancestors had received (John 6:30-31).

Comparing Himself to manna, Jesus claimed to be the bread which came down from heaven: 

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35 NIV)

Just as manna physically sustained the Israelites, Jesus promises to sustain us spiritually. Because the Israelites needed a portion of manna to meet their daily needs, they physically gathered the manna each day in the desert. 

In the same way, we need Jesus every day. We may not be able to seek His physical presence, but we can find Him in His word (John 1:14). Daily Bible study, prayer, and spending time with other believers help us stay connected to Jesus and keep a spiritual mindset. 

When we turn to Jesus for our daily needs, we also cultivate our eternal destiny. The manna God provided the Israelites saved them from physical death. But the bread Jesus gives saves us from eternal death (John 6:58). In Him alone we find salvation (Acts 4:11-12).

No matter where my journey takes me next, I take comfort in knowing Jesus will provide for my daily needs. Wherever your journey takes you, I pray you also can find comfort in the One who continues to lead us home.