In Revelation 2:17, Jesus makes a mysterious promise to the church in Pergamum: “To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna.” Hidden manna. That might be a strange phrase for some of us, but it was a phrase that many Jewish people in Jesus’ day would have known well. Manna was the daily bread that sustained the Israelites in the wilderness. Every morning, like clockwork, God’s provision showed up on the ground, and it was just enough for that day. No stockpiling. Not to be stashed away or stored in barns, but daily grace for daily need.
To Christians in Pergamum, the place where “Satan had his throne” (Rev. 2:13), Jesus promises “hidden manna.” We might read that as unseen or inexplicable sustenance and strength. What a great promise! The question you might be asking yourself is how to receive that manna. Great question. One day, the disciples asked Jesus if he was hungry, and he answered, “I have food to eat that you do not know about . . . My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” (Jn 4:32, 34) Jesus was energized, strengthened, and sustained by doing the will of God. That’s the same way we receive hidden manna. When we walk with Jesus, he sustains and feeds us.
I’m comforted by the fact that Jesus’ promise still holds: If you hold fast to me, I will give you hidden manna. Manna might not be flashy or opulent, but it’s real and nourishing. And most importantly, it’s always enough. This “hidden manna” is what happens when grace shows up in ways you didn’t expect. It’s that deep breath in the middle of chaos. It’s the sense of peace that doesn’t make sense, but somehow steadies your heart when you pray. It’s the flicker of joy that breaks through your grief. It’s that moment when you’re reading Scripture and a verse grabs your heart like it was written just for you. You didn’t plan for it. You didn’t force it. But Jesus meets you there, and you walk away full in a way you didn’t even know you were hungry for.
Hidden manna is sustenance from God that you can’t always quantify or explain, but you know when you experience it. Take some time today and reflect on the question: What “manna moments” have you experienced? When has Jesus met your needs in a way only He could? How might He be inviting you to seek Him for today’s sustenance?
Pastor Ryan Paulson