What is this hidden manna? '
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"To him who overcomes, I will give some of
the hidden manna to eat." Rev. 2:17
What is this hidden manna?
Is it not God's Word applied with power to the heart?
What does the prophet Jeremiah say? "Your Words
were found, and I did eat them; and Your Word was
unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
When the Lord is pleased . . .
to drop a word into the heart from his own lips;
to apply some promise;
to open up some precious portion of his Word;
to whisper softly some blessed Scripture into the heart;
is not this manna?
Whence did the manna flow? Was it cultivated by the
hand of man? No—it fell from heaven. And is not this
true of the Word of the Lord applied with power to the
heart? It is not our searching the Scriptures, though
it is good to search the Scriptures—but it is the Lord
Himself being pleased to apply some precious portion
of truth to our hearts—and when this takes place,
it is "manna;" it is . . .
sweet,
refreshing,
strengthening,
comforting,
encouraging;
yes, it is angels' food—the very flesh and blood of
the Lamb with which the Lord is pleased from time
to time to feed and favour hungry souls.
But, in the text it is called "hidden." Why "hidden"?
Because hidden from the eyes of the wise and prudent.
Hidden from the eyes of self-righteous pharisees;
hidden from those who fight in their own strength,
and seek to gain the victory by their own brawny arm;
hidden from all but God's tried and tempted family;
hidden from all but those who know the plague of
their own hearts; hidden from all but those who have
learned the secret of overcoming by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of His testimony.
When the Lord leads us to sink down into weakness,
and in weakness to find his strength made perfect—
to fall down all guilty—and then to feel the application
of atoning blood—this is manna.
The children of Israel had to endure hunger in the
wilderness before manna fell—and thus the Lord's
people learn the value of the hidden manna—the
sweet communications from above—by hungering
and thirsting in a waste-howling wilderness.
This is hidden from all eyes except those that are
anointed by the Spirit to see it—and hidden from all
hearts except those that are prepared to receive
and feed upon it.
"I am the living bread who came down from heaven.
If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever."
John 6:51
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