Sermon:
Fresh Every Morning

Exod 16:2-4, 13-20
2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
4 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.

13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.
14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.
15 When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
16 This is what the LORD has commanded: ’Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’"
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little.
18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

SERMON’S PURPOSE: To remind us that the things that matter most in life must be gathered fresh every morning.
Just as in the case of the “manna,” some things cannot be stored up for future use. They cannot be frozen, pickled, or embalmed.

What is it that we like to hang onto?

 Money
 Property
 Youth
 Health
 Possessions
 Relationships

The most valuable things in life are those which cannot be seen; they must be gathered in every morning.

Let’s think together about some of these.


1. God’s Mercy and Compassion

Lam.3:23: “The Lord’s mercies are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.”

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou has been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside.




This hymn was written by Thomas O. Chisholm.

In a letter written in 1941, he said, "My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness."

In other words, we can depend on God. He will not let us down!

Illus.:The Hitchhiker
Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date—