My freezer testifies to the fact that I have an overabundance of frozen food. My husband heartily agrees. I rarely use processed food, but I will cook extra and freeze the remainder for another time. During peak fruit and vegetable season, I freeze local or my own garden produce. The zucchini that stealthily add girth and heft to their tender little selves until, one day, they announce their enormous presence, get shredded and frozen for chocolate cakes. And then there are the grocery specials, and it goes on.

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast a few years ago, and the host’s freezer looked full like mine. I jokingly commented on it, and she asked me a probing question, “Did your mother live through the Great Depression?” Yes, she did, and food was scarce in their home during that time. Later, I heard a professor lecturing about trauma affecting one’s genes, which are then passed to the next generation. That must be it! It’s my genes’ fault—and a very convenient excuse.

Cause aside, I have become aware of a greater principle at issue here. Dependence on God or self-sufficiency; The Frozen Food Principle vs. The Manna Principle. Please note that I am not advocating for neglecting our own needs or being financially irresponsible. I’m speaking about security.

During the Israelites’ forty years of wandering in the desert after escaping Egypt, God provided them with bread from heaven, known as manna, each morning (Exodus 16). The condition was that they only collect what they needed for that day. The exception was that they could gather double on the day before the Sabbath so they could rest the next day. It was a remarkable supernatural provision for them. The people who disobeyed the rules quickly learned that it went wormy and stinky if they tried to hold it over. They didn’t have frozen food as a backup. God was all they had.

The Manna Principle is in dramatic opposition to my stash of frozen food. If I’m honest, I have stashes of other things I’m working on decluttering, too. I would have made a good Boy Scout because I’m prepared for many eventualities. But like a self-sufficient toddler, it bears the earmarks of a stubbornly independent attitude: I can do it myself! As I pondered this idea, a startling thought smacked me. If I do everything myself, I don’t allow room for God’s greatness. And its application is more far-reaching than merely the physical realm.

A line from the Lord’s prayer says, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). That has become the cry of my heart each day. Lord, give me what I need for today. Occasionally, I feel overwhelmed by all that I have to do. Sometimes, by the end of the day, I’ve only ticked off one or two things from the list. In other instances, it’s longer than when I started, with no appreciable progress. Lord, give me this day my daily bread.

One huge benefit of living each day in the awareness of God’s provision is that I don’t have to try to live tomorrow while it’s only today. The future is uncertain, but I can cling to the prayer: ‘Give me this day my daily bread.’ And when I depend on Him rather than myself, I allow room for Him to show His greatness in my life.

Do you struggle with The Frozen Food vs. The Manna Principle in some area? Are you fiercely independent, shutting God out while you lean solely on your own resources? How’s that going for you? If you’re like me, then maybe not so well sometimes. Let’s learn together what it means to trust Him and allow room for His greatness.

Now, I must work through my freezer stash and not add to it because old habits die hard. God is enough. He is enough for today, and He will be enough for tomorrow.