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."  Exodus 16:4
 
 
French baguettes are intended to be eaten soon after they are baked to a golden crisp. It’s that crunchy exterior with the soft crumb (or mie, pronounced “mee”) inside that sets the baguette apart from its yeasty cousins. Try saving a baguette for the next day, however, and not only will you perhaps be paying a visit to your dentist after you break a tooth, you could use the rest of the baguette as a baseball bat! Because there are no preservatives in the oblong loaves, the crispy surface hardens overnight into something entirely inedible. I know. I’ve experienced it. Now I know to ask for a demi-baguette as sometimes I only really need half.
 
The French don’t seem to mind buying their baguette each day from their favorite boulangerie. The popular bakeries have lines down the sidewalk every morning. But the French are undeterred. They know what goodness awaits them as they patiently queue up. And the boulangères do not disappoint, making dozens after dozens of warm loaves every day.
 
The French baguette-a-day reminds me of an Old Testament story when the Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years. In Exodus 16, the Israelites grumble and complain about not having enough to eat and compare their present circumstances unfavorably to the slavery conditions in Egypt from which they had just escaped. They blame their leader Moses for delivering them out of slavery. They apparently forgot all the hard labor they endured, but they certainly remembered the good food they had eaten. Perhaps their memories deceived them into thinking the food and circumstances were better than they were.
 
In verse 4, God tells Moses that He will rain down bread from heaven for the people to gather each day. God gives strict orders for how the bread is to be gathered and except for preparing for the Sabbath each week, they are only to gather enough bread for that day. They called their bread “manna” which sounds like the Hebrew word for “What is it?”. A wafer-like substance, manna tasted like honey. If the people gathered more manna than they needed in one day (and they did), the manna would spoil and be useless. In the desert, the Israelites had to depend on God’s provision each day for their physical sustenance.
 
Bread is a symbol of God’s provision. The manna God rained down from heaven in the desert provided physical nourishment. God sent it, not because the Israelites were hungry and grumbling, but because they had forgotten who had delivered them from Egypt. It wasn’t Moses. It was God. God had provided a miraculous means for them to escape from slavery and He continued to miraculously provide for them physically in the desert.
 
In the Lord’s Prayer, found in Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray to God for their “daily bread” (verse 11). This bread, like the manna of the Old Testament, is a symbol of God’s provision. It’s interesting that Jesus taught His disciples (and us) to pray for what they needed even though God already knew what they needed. Only in relationship with God do we find we have everything we need. When we hunger after God and draw near to Him in prayer, He hears us. When we trust Him, He provides spiritual blessing after blessing. It is no coincidence that Jesus ties the concept of bread to our spiritual hunger when He declares Himself to be the “Bread of Life” in John 6:35. He reminds His followers that God provides and that when we trust God to meet our needs, He will bless us into that spiritually “abundant life” Jesus talks about in John 10:10. A life filled with peace, joy, love, and hope.
 
Thanks be to God that He doesn’t leave us hungry in the desert, but blesses us with His love and presence when we acknowledge Him as provider and when we ask for our “daily bread”. Unlike manna or baguettes or even buttery croissants, this spiritual bread will not become rotten, stale, or useless. The Bread of Life has come that we may have life and have it abundantly.
 
 
God, You are my Jehovah-jireh, my Provider. Thank You that You give me all that I need every day. May I experience the joy of Your presence and the overflowing goodness that comes from You. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of croissants from a Parisian boulangerie.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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
 
 
I love a good French baguette. With caramel crispness on the outside and creamy softness on the inside, there is nothing else like it. No other bread compares. I would say the French would agree with me as ten billion baguettes are sold in France every year. Created by the 32,000 independent bakeries (or boulangeries), the baguette is a symbol of France and of French culture. Pick one up in the morning while it’s still warm from the oven and stroll down the street with it tucked under your arm as the French do and you’ll feel like you’ve traded your American passport for a French one!
 
Bread in France, particularly the baguette, is such an integral part of everyday life. I would daresay it is absolutely necessary for French life. It is even considered healthy as the baguette is crafted from only flour, water, salt, and yeast. Because the baguette does not contain any preservatives, fresh baguettes are purchased each morning. Try finding a baguette in the afternoon and you may be disappointed as they will all be sold, unless a rare bakery does a second baking in the afternoon.
 
The French government has strict standards for the artisanal baguette. No frozen ingredients or freezing the bread at any stage is allowed. The maximum price charged for a baguette is even controlled. But what cannot be truly controlled is the unique result, the heady aroma as well as the texture and taste, produced by each baker (boulangère). In case you are wondering who bakes the best baguette, boulangeries in Paris compete in a contest known as Le Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris every April. The winning boulangère is awarded a prestigious contract to provide daily bread for the French President for an entire year. Needless to say, the French take their bread very seriously.
 
A familiar story recorded in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus’ miracle of feeding the five thousand. While the Bible mentions 5,000 men, there were probably at least another 5,000 women and children, all of whom are fed until satiated from a small boy’s lunch of just five small loaves and two fish. After turning the bread and fish into a feast, Jesus declares Himself to be the “Bread of Life”.
 
What does it mean for Jesus to be the Bread of Life? Bread produces both hunger and satisfaction. The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through those Parisian boulangeries creates a hunger in us to taste that which we smell. The hunger, the spiritual vacuum, inside us is meant to be satisfied only in Jesus. In John 6, the people were looking to Jesus for what He could do for them, for the miracles He could perform. They weren’t looking to Him for Himself, for a relationship with the living God. Do we look to God only when we’re looking for a miracle or when we need something from Him? Or do we pursue a relationship with Him because of who He is? Is Jesus enough? Or do we pursue material possessions, people, or careers to fill the emptiness and satisfy the hunger in our souls?
 
Like the French baguette, bread provides physical nourishment. When we spend time with Jesus daily, He will feed our souls with what we need for that day. Our hunger will be satisfied spiritually and will not need to look any further for what else we think might satisfy our souls and quench our desires. Jesus is indeed the Bread of Life. And no baguette contest can challenge that!
 
 
Lord, help me pursue a relationship with You, not for what You can do materially for me, but for how You can satisfy the spiritual hunger in my soul. You are enough. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of Parisian baguettes all in a row.
 
 
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6
 
 
The Loire Valley in the heart of France is home to dozens of castles or châteaux as they are called in French. Some are royal châteaux where kings and queens once lived and played out the drama of their court lives. Others were owned by lower nobility. The UNESCO World Heritage Site recognizes forty-two châteaux which receive over three million visitors per year.
 
I am grateful to be one of those millions of visitors, having visited various châteaux on different trips over the last two years. On a recent tour of the Loire Valley, a group of us milled around chatting before dinner. On the itinerary for the next morning was a visit to one particular château. While this one is absolutely beautiful and full of history, I wasn’t particularly excited about spending time visiting it once more, despite the possibility of new photo ops. I was internally debating whether I should plan to do something else the next day instead. I felt I was in a quandary and I even prayed for God to show me what to do because, after all, He does care about ALL the details of our lives. I just happened to mention my hesitation to one of my fellow travelers. A few minutes later, another friend walked over and confidentially let me know that there was a surprise in store for tomorrow and that I would not want to miss it. That was the push I needed to stay the course.
 
The next morning, we headed out to the famous château and I will admit to learning more about it and getting different photos than when I visited previously. As we left the château, I wondered if our “surprise” would materialize. At that point, my decision to stay the course had put me on the bus with our guide and driver. They were in charge. All I could do was follow and participate in the adventure. When the guide announced we were in for a treat, an unscheduled destination, I was thankful I had stuck with the group. Our next stop was a château known for its beautiful Renaissance gardens. I imagined all sorts of photo opportunities awaited in just a few short minutes.
 
Disembarking at the Château de Villandry, I was not disappointed. Although we didn’t have time to tour the castle, we did have time to roam the varied magnificent gardens. Seeing the formal gardens at first from the overlooking terrace, I could see the hedges and topiaries trimmed so precisely. It wasn’t until I walked down the stairs to the ground below that I noticed that the hedges surrounded ornamental flowers and vegetables. I was so thankful I had decided to come on the tour that day after all. What a treat it was to see Villandry! I realized what I would have missed had I chosen to stay behind.
 
Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it? While we don’t know what’s up ahead, we have to trust the One in charge that He is in control and knows what’s best for us. We have to trust God to give us the wisdom to navigate the choices. Even when we think we know it all or have seen it all, there are surprises along the way if we stay the course, if we trust that God is in control.
 
Our key verse for today says we are to tap into and lean on God’s wisdom, not our own. When we depend on God’s wisdom in His Word and not on ourselves, God will direct our steps. He is totally trustworthy in all times, in good surprises and in heartbreaking disappointments. When we acknowledge His leadership in our lives, God will direct our paths. When we depend on Him, when we ask for His wisdom, and when we acknowledge His ways and lay our plans at His feet, He will direct our steps, one by one, along the path of life with surprises and detours with our best in mind. Trust Him today and be surprised by His goodness and love.
 
After praying for guidance, I stepped out in faith that God was working through my friend who had the inside scoop on our real itinerary. After experiencing a beautiful detour with lots of new photo ops, I realized that God was in control all along. When I trust Him first, He will guide my steps and make my path straight, even one within the bounds of green hedges and bright flowers hidden behind a castle.
 
 
Lord, nothing is too small to bring to You in prayer. I thank You that I can trust You with the details of my life. Help me trust You more and lean not on my own understanding but on You to guide me and make all my paths straight. Amen.
 
 
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Text and photograph copyright © 2018 by Dawn Dailey. All rights reserved. Photo of the Château de Villandry and its beautiful gardens, Villandry, France.
 
  
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™