Manna in the Wilderness: Provision, Pleasure & Trust

Manna in the Wilderness: Provision, Pleasure & Trust ✨ Part 2 of the Biblical Food Series

What does God’s provision look like when life feels dry and exhausting?

In part 2 of the God’s Design for Food series, we’re stepping into the wilderness with the Israelites to explore one of the most surprising stories of nourishment in the Bible: manna from heaven.

This wasn’t just survival food. It was sweet, satisfying, and structured by God to teach trust, creativity, and daily dependence.

Even in a barren season, God gave His people food that tasted like honey and pastry (yes, maybe even heavenly croissants!). But the deeper message? Provision is about more than food—it’s about surrender.

In this episode, we’ll unpack:

• How manna reveals God’s heart to nourish you in every season.
• Why even heavenly food got boring—and what that means for your veggies.
• What it looks like to depend on daily provision instead of food control.
• And how to bring beauty and creativity back to your meals (without burnout).

If you’re tired of obsessing over your meals, surviving on snacks, or feeling guilty about what’s on your plate, this episode will refresh you with truth and grace.

SHOW SOME LOVE:  If this episode encouraged you, I’d love for you to leave a quick rating and review here. Your words brighten my day and also help more mamas discover the hope, healing, and joy they deserve.

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Episode Transcript

Jerusha Jantz, Holistic Wellness Coach for Christian Moms: Welcome to Tired Mommy Revival. (00:01):
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Hey mama.
Are you running on coffee fumes,feeling like brain fog, fatigue
and anxiety, or running the show?
Do you wake up dreading the dayahead already overwhelmed by the
endless to-do list, and unsurehow you'll make it through.
Do you long for the energyto enjoy motherhood?

(00:23):
And care for yourself, but feelstuck and unsure where to start.
Let me remind you ofsomething life changing.
You were created for more, moreenergy, more clarity, more joy.
Hi, I'm Jerusha, certifiedHolistic Wellness Coach.
Wife and mom to two wild boysand one baby girl in heaven.

(00:46):
I know the exhaustion you'refeeling because I've been there
barely making it through the day.
Relying on coffee and chocolate tosurvive and wondering why nothing
I tried ever made me feel better.
Then God stepped in andrevealed a powerful truth.
A woman's body is beautifullyand uniquely designed to thrive.

(01:07):
When we align with how God createdus, we can boost our energy bust
through fatigue and step into thevibrant, joy filled life he has for us.
Mama.
I'm living proof thatit's possible these days.
I wake up, refreshed, nourished my bodywith intention and navigate the chaos
of motherhood with patience and peace.

(01:28):
Most days, and I wannahelp you do the same.
If you're ready to swap exhaustion forenergy, brain fog for clarity and guilt
for grace, you are in the right place.
Each week we'll dive into practicalstrategies, faith-filled truths,
and empowering tools to renew yourhealth, body, soul, and spirit.

(01:48):
Are you ready for this?
Let's do it, mama.
You are listening to part two ofour God's Design for Food series.
And if you didn't catch lastweek's episode, go listen.
We started in Eden and uncoveredwhat food was always meant to be:
beautiful, nourishing, and life giving.

(02:11):
But today we're stepping into a verydifferent scene: the wilderness.
Because let's be real, mostof us don't live in Eden.
We live in survival mode.
Between dishes, meltdowns, andthat 3:00 PM energy crash, we are
wondering where the provision is,both physically and spiritually.

(02:33):
Thankfully, the Bible gives us apicture of what God's provision
looks like even in barren seasons.
It's called manna, and I believethis story has so much to teach
us, not just about food, but abouttrust, creativity, and what it
means to receive enough for today.

(02:55):
Let's start with the setup.
The Israelites had just escapedslavery to Egypt, and what do they do
just a few days into their freedom?
Complain about the food.
In Exodus 16:3 they said, "wehad pots of meat in Egypt. We
ate all the food we wanted".
Nevermind that they were literallyenslaved, they missed the comfort food.

(03:21):
And honestly, I get it.
Because as easy as it is tojudge them, food is emotional.
Familiar.
We've all had moments where wecraved comfort over freedom, right?
But instead of punishing them,God responds with provision.
Exodus 16:4 says, "I will raindown bread from heaven for you".

(03:46):
And this is where thingsget sweet, literally.
The manna wasn't just any bread.
Exodus 16:31 says it was whitelike coriander seed and tasted
like wafers made with honey.
And Numbers 11:8 adds its taste waslike that of pastry prepared with oil.

(04:09):
Okay, I don't know about you, but thatsounds awfully croissant -like to me.
Are we saying there mightbe croissants in heaven?
Because I'm here for that!
But seriously, God didn't just givethem fuel, he gave them sweetness.
He could have chosenkale, lentils, or barley.

(04:30):
Instead, he gave them somethingthat delighted their taste
buds in the middle of a desert.
Because that's who he is, a providerwho isn't just functional, but generous.
A God who gives good gifts,even in the dry seasons.
And this is a reminder that Godcares if you enjoy your food.

(04:56):
But here's the real life part of thisstory: even heavenly croissants get old.
Numbers 11:8 says they ground it, baked,it boiled it, made cakes out of it.
They tried everythingthey could to mix it up.
I imagine Israelite moms saying,"okay, kids, tonight we're having manna

(05:18):
stir fry, tomorrow manna pancakes".
They were getting creativebecause even perfect food without
variety starts to wear on us.
And here's the application for us today.
You might know thatveggies are good for you.
You might even believe that Godgave them to nourish your body, but

(05:41):
that doesn't mean they magicallybecome exciting every day.
Just like the Israelites had tofind new ways to prepare manna.
You might need to get creativewith your God-given food too.
If broccoli feels boring,don't toss it out.
Toss it in olive oil and roastit until it's crispy and golden.

(06:01):
Throw some lemon on your greens.
Add herbs, add garlic, add joy.
In the Great Depression, people inventednew recipes out of necessity, things that
required very few ingredients and that wewould even look at today as kind of crazy.
But these things came outof a need for creativity.

(06:25):
Need begets creativity, and I thinkGod loves when we use our hands
and our hearts to make somethingbeautiful from what we have.
The God who created your food andcreated you, made you to be creative too.
If your food feels sad, maybeit's time to add some spice,

(06:49):
literally and figuratively.
Let's go back to thedeeper part of the story.
Manna wasn't just sweet,it came with structure.
In Exodus, we find a few commands.
Only gather enough for theday, do not store it overnight,
and rest on the seventh day.
This wasn't just a meal plan,it was a trust exercise.

(07:13):
God was teaching themto depend, not hoard.
To receive, not control.
To pause, not hustle.
That's not easy for us mamas.
We live in a meal-prep, Costco-bulk-buy,never-run-out-of-snacks kind of world.

(07:33):
And while planning ahead is wise,it's easy to slip into fear.
What if it's not enough?
What if I don't have time later?
What if I can't keep this up?
And I know this all too well myself.
As a type A planner person,I love to think ahead.

(07:54):
I love the meal prep and the planning.
But God is teaching me this valuablelesson in the season too, that he
wants me to depend on him and notto control everything for myself.
But there's also a valuablelesson in the seventh day.

(08:16):
Every single day they were instructedto collect the food that they
would need only for that day.
But on the sixth day, theycollected more food so that they
would have enough for two days.
And that food didn't go bad overnight,it actually lasted until the seventh
day so they had what they needed.
Now this is the lesson here.

(08:38):
You don't always need to planahead, but when you do, it's
for the purpose of resting.
I don't know about you, but Ihave absolutely fallen into the
trap of, if I prepare this now,it'll help me do more later.

(08:59):
But that is not God's design for us.
He wants us to rest, and evenfrom the beginning of time, we
see his plan for us to have a dayof rest, even in a weekly cycle.
But the manner rhythm was daily provision,enough for today, and sometimes that's

(09:20):
all God's asking you to focus on.
Eat today's good food.
Rest today's weary body.
Trust today's grace.
So what does manna look like for us?
Maybe it's saying yes to thatleftover roasted chicken and

(09:40):
salad, even if it's not exciting.
Maybe it's letting dinner besimple instead of gourmet.
Maybe it's adding some honeyto your tea instead of reaching
for sugar as an energy crutch.
Maybe it's choosing to stop eating whenyou're full, not because of rules, but

(10:00):
because your body is worthy of respect.
And maybe, just maybe, it'sremembering that God still gives us
sweet things even in the wilderness.
So here's today's heart check.
Are you depending on daily provisionor trying to store up control?

(10:22):
Are you open to receivingsweetness, or stuck believing
nourishment has to be punishment?
Are you open to creativity inyour kitchen, or letting yourself
feel stuck and resentful?
Even in a season that feels dry,God can give you food that surprises

(10:43):
you, that delights you, that teachesyou to depend more fully on him.
Mama, your food doesn'thave to be perfect.
It just has to point you backto the one who provides it.
God's design for food always includesprovision, but it also includes
pleasure, rest, creativity, and trust.

(11:06):
You don't need to overthink it.
Just bring your body to the table.
Ask God to meet you thereand start with what you have.
Next time we're gonna talk aboutwhat happens when cravings take
over, when we try to fix spiritualhunger with physical food, and how
easy it is to slip from trustingGod into turning food into an idol.

(11:29):
We'll look at the Israelites demandingmeat, what their story reveals
about emotional eating, control,and finding true satisfaction.
But until then, add a little honey,add a little spice, trust that what
God provides for today is enough.

(11:50):
Mama, I hope this episode blessedyou and reminded you that you were
beautifully and uniquely made to thrive.
If today's conversation spoke to yourheart, I'd love for you to take a
moment to leave a rating and review.
Not only does it encourage me,but it helps more tired mamas
discover the hope, healing, andenergy they've been searching for.
You are not in this alone.

(12:11):
Make sure to hit subscribeso you never miss an episode.
Together we will reclaim yourenergy, renew your health, and revive
your spirit one step at a time.
Until next time.
Remember, you are beautifully designed byGod to live with energy, clarity, and joy.
You're not just surviving mama.
You're stepping into the vibrantlife you were created for.

(12:34):
I'm cheering you on.