A Daily Guide to Becoming the Salt God Intended
Christian Self-Help
Date Published: October 9, 2022
Man Na is not just another devotional.
Each day, the typical devotional offers a passage, hopes it inspires, and waits for us to return for another dose of motivation. When the next day arrives, God is expected to feed us with more manna once again.
Man Na, on the other hand, has a secret ingredient that not only fills us up, but creates lasting fulfillment.What is its secret?
Salt. Man Na recognizes we are not only called to fill ourselves, but are designed to be salt for others through service, kindness, forgiveness, friendship, humility, gratitude, happiness, and love.
This devotional helps us stop focusing inward and start concentrating on others throughout the day.
By providing readers with God's bread and His desire for us to be salt for others, Man Na offers what other devotionals do not. So, grab your shaker and get ready to become what God intended.
Introduction:
Man Na
Then
the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you,
and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may
test them, whether they will walk in my law or not.”
Exodus
16:4 English Standard Version
I have a confession.
I’ve
started reading many devotionals and never finished them.
Sure,
they did their best to try to fill my soul, but something was missing that I
couldn’t put my finger on at the time. After a few weeks or months, they became
dust collectors on my nightstand. They still rest there like abandoned cars in
an auto salvage lot. I wonder if you have a similar stack of your own.
I have
another confession.
When I
started writing this devotional, I didn’t think I would finish it.
Writing a
book is hard. If the time commitment to read 365 days of inspiring content
seems intimidating, writing those entries is extremely daunting. Before the
battle began, it felt like Goliath’s shadow loomed over my keyboard, and doubt
crept into me.
I have
final confession.
I
finished, and it’s not like the ones I’ve stopped reading many times over.
There’s a big difference.
These
three admissions are crucial to understanding our journey together over the
next year.
You may
be familiar with the word manna. In the Bible, manna was bread God
rained down from heaven to sustain His followers during their time in the
wilderness. Recreating this event is the goal of many devotionals. They focus
on providing daily spiritual nourishment to their readers and ask them to
simply return to their pages each day to gather the next portion of motivation
and inspiration.
Manna has
its place. There are days and seasons we spend in the wilderness when we need
God’s loving hand to strengthen our faith and provide encouragement and
comfort.
But God
hasn’t called us to just be fed by Him. Rather, in Matthew 5:13 (New
International Version), Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the
salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good
for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
God
expects you to be salt. He wants you to be a preservative to others who are in
danger of spoiling. Through your service, words, example, and deeds, you can
make a difference to those who are searching for manna but don’t know where to
look. You are vital to His plans on Earth.
Man Na is the fusion of our ongoing
search for His bread and our perpetual call to be salt for mankind (the symbol
for salt is Na on the periodic table of elements). If we just focus on filling
our own cups, we will miss our opportunity to truly be full through service.
At the
Last Supper, Jesus made this union of bread and salt clear. After washing His
disciples’ feet, Jesus said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example
that you should do as I have done for you” (John 13:14-15 NIV). Bread without
salt is only half of the equation.
Unlike
many devotionals, in this one, you will find a short motivational message each
week. This will give you an overall theme for the Daily Bread entries that
relate to each day. Try not to read ahead on the Daily Bread. Allow the Spirit
to challenge, feed, and impact you each day. On days when He’s moving you to
action, take action and be salt. On days when He’s providing you sustenance,
allow your soul to be filled.
God is counting
on you to be your best. He’s also expecting you to do your best for others.
Man Na. The satisfied servant.
I’ll see
you at the finish line.
About the Author
John J. Murray Jr. is the award-winning author of Better Than Our Dogs. He leads Bible study groups with members from across the country. After leaving private practice as an attorney, John won the League for Innovation in the Community College Excellence Award as the Paralegal Program Director and law instructor at Alvin Community College. He lives in Texas with his wife, Lana, and their dog, Chloe.
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