O

ne morning, before leaving the men’s dorm at seminary to go to work, I stood outside my door, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything important.   A quick checklist ensured me I had everything I needed so I locked the door, took out my car keys, and turned to go.  As I turned to walk down the hallway, I noticed that one of the guys who works in the housing office was staring at me with a rather comical smile on his face.  Who knows how long he had been watching me; but I'm sure the sight was entertaining, as I stood there, motionless, staring at my door, seemingly "out to lunch!"

When I realized I had been under surveillance, I had to laugh, imagining what my reaction would have been if our roles had been reversed.  He never asked me what I was doing so I volunteered the information, explaining that usually I forgot to do something and realized it only when I had driven twenty-five miles to work.  At that point, it's a little too late to go back and retrieve something I left behind or to do something I had meant to do before leaving work.

 I got into my car, inserted the key, and started the engine.  A quick glance at the gasoline gauge demonstrated I hadn't forgotten to fuel the car.  The tank was at least three-fourths full, which meant I could make the trip to work with no worry about stopping for gas. That simple little gauge on my dashboard revealed a great truth about the Christian life.

In order to keep my car running, I must keep fuel in it.  Without gasoline in the tank, the engine will not run and the car simply will not go.  No matter how much I plead, cajole, push, or prod the car, without the right type of fuel it will not be able to fulfil its function.  However, knowing the right type of fuel and having a sufficient amount constantly on hand are not the same thing.  If I know where to find gas but never place gas into the tank, that knowledge is of no use to me.  I must act on my knowledge and keep enough fuel in my car so it will always be ready when I need to go somewhere.

The children of Israel learned first-hand the necessity of maintaining an adequate supply of fuel on a daily basis.  Each morning when they emerged from their tents, they found the ground covered with bread they called manna.  God's instructions to them were specific.  They were to gather enough bread to meet their daily needs. Exodus 16:4 records God's instructions with these words: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not."  

According to God's own words, there would be enough bread for all the people and this provision would come daily.  The people, however, would have to glean the manna themselves.  God provided the bread, He made sure there was ample supply, and He was faithful in His provision. However, it was the people's responsibility to gather the manna.  Simply knowing the manna was outside the tent flap didn't fill their containers nor provide the day's supply of food.  Each family was responsible for providing for its own needs.  The jar, like the gasoline gauge in my car, indicated the level of their supply.  When they ran low on manna, and this happened each day, they simply had to replenish their stock.  Failure to do this on their part did not constitute unfaithfulness on God's part. 

There is great truth in this short passage from the book of Exodus.  God provides for us on a daily basis.  All the spiritual nourishment we need is to be found in his word.  It is right there, as close as our bookshelves, or our desks, or our coffee table.  All we have to do is open it and receive our daily bread from it.  Our tanks need refilling each day.  We must ensure that we maintain our spiritual fuel at an optimal level so we will be ready at a moment's notice to meet the challenges that life places in our paths.

What does your spiritual gas gauge tell you?  Is your tank full?  Are you ready to handle the road of life today?  Can you say with all confidence that you have enough of God's word in your tank to complete the day's journey or do you need to fill up?  Why don't you open God's word and fill your tank today?