Many scientific attempts have been...
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Many scientific attempts have been made to explain the manna that fed the children of Israel on their exodus from Egypt. Perhaps it was a form of mushroom or fungus that grew overnight, for they found it on the ground each morning. But the important fact about it is they could not keep it more than one day. If they tried to store it away or hoard it, it became inedible. They had to learn to trust God each day for their daily food. The lesson they learned is echoed in the Lord's Prayer and has influenced many people. There are many times when we cannot rely on our own resources and must live in simple trust that the Lord will provide. A story is told about August Herman Francke, a German Lutheran minister and pioneer in what we today call social ministry. Seeing the need all around him, he established hospitals and orphanages to take care of those victimized by the war-ravaged Europe of the nineteenth century. It was a difficult task, because marauding troops during the Napoleonic wars destroyed farms, seized cattle, and took food from the people. One day, even Francke seemed to have come to the end of his rope. The children in his orphanage were hungry, there was no food and little chance of finding it nearby. He had no money and no resources left. As he prayed, "Give us this day our daily bread," he wept in frustration. Where would it come from? Just then there was a knock on his door and a stranger stood before him. "I have heard of your good work and felt you might need help, so I came at once. On my wagon there is some food and here is money." He handed Francke about $400, a small fortune in those days ...
