It was a long ride from New Jersey to Virginia with our three growing boys side-by-side poking and prodding each other in the back of my Nissan Altima. When we finally stopped at a rest stop, my husband and I desperately needed some refreshment. There was nothing at that rest stop that could have made me happier than the bag of Chick-Fil-A chocolate chip cookies that he returned with.
Hiding the “Manna”
We didn’t share them with our children, though. Having already provided them a healthy lunch, the cookies were just one more thing for them to fight about. And giving them more sugar would have added to their excessive energy, which would have made an unpleasant ride for us all. (Are there any parents out there who can give me an “amen”?) While we would willingly sacrifice anything we have for our boys’ well-being, this was one of those moments where sharing wasn’t a necessary part of that. My husband and I quickly devoured a cookie in secret behind the car while the kids were getting buckled into the back seat. We hid the rest in the trunk.
Manna Better than Dessert
As I read Revelation 2:17 this morning, I admit that I chuckled at the memory of this scene as Jesus says “to the one who is victorious” … He will “give some of the hidden manna.” Unknown to our boys, there was some manna just behind them in the trunk. Now certainly, Jesus isn’t referring to a Chick Fil-A cookie (although I do think they’re good enough to be heavenly food). But this reference in Revelation is a parallel to the Bread of Life. Jesus is the Hidden Manna to be fully revealed in all His glory and power. As John MacArthur reflects, “Just as Israel received manna, God promises to give the true believer the spiritual bread the unbelieving world cannot see: Jesus Christ.”
If my chocolate chip cookie version of “hidden manna” was that good, what does He have hidden waiting for us? Having claimed Him as my savior and dedicated my life to Him, even in moments where I am as rambunctious and tempted toward rebellion as my boys in the backseat, I am still on the path of victory because of His grace. I’m on the path to the full revelation of my precious savior in all of His glory. And if I can appreciate all the gifts my good Father has already given me, I might just be able to appreciate the glimpse of the hidden goodness to come; even on the long ride there.
