Joshua 5:9-12v12 “No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again.”
Today I have rolled away the shame of your slavery in Egypt. Whilst the Israelites were in the wilderness God fed them with a special food, manna, that came in the morning every day. We see here that two things happened. First God took away the shame that was part of the Israelites past life as slaves. He then after faithfully providing them with physical sustenance for 40 years in the wilderness, took it away. The promise of the bounty of the “land flowing with milk and honey “meant that there was no longer the need for manna.” No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again.”
The Israelites must have felt a little like I feel now in retirement as they started the new life in the promised land. If I went to work, I was guaranteed to have food on the table for myself and my family. Manna in the wilderness. Then this new thing called a pension and having past bills paid off like a mortgage led to a new freedom of living. Choosing what to do with my days in this new land has had its challenges but I do not want to go back. I look forward to flexibility in my day to respond to the needs of family, to help with grandchildren, and to focus on the relationships in my life of family and friends and community.
It is what God wants for us all. On this journey of life to forget our past indiscretions and inadequacies and join Him in the new land where we are free to live differently as “No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again.”
Prayer: Holy Father thank you for supporting us when we need it, for forgiving us our past and help us to live a new life following Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Amen.
CrossWalk 