New Promise

       Joshua 5:12 "The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but after that year they ate the produce of Canaan."

      God sent manna to save the Israelites when they were facing harsh conditions - they were running out of food in the wilderness so God provided them with food everyday so they would be full & satisfied. They never had to fear that He would cease sending it, because He was faithful to them and always met their needs. But the first part of this verse says, "The manna stopped." What if you were one of the Israelites, would that scare you?

      Being in training in Guatemala was incredible. God made Himself so real in my life. I have never had such a clear understanding of Him before, and my first deep rooted relationship began there. It was beautiful having plenty of time out of the schedule to sit in His presence and grasp vision of His plan for my life and my purpose as His daughter. But training is over. It feels as though the manna has stopped coming from heaven, and I'm trying to see where the new food is coming from. 

     The work of God was seriously evident in Guatemala - I saw miracle after miracle and God's company was obvious to me day after day. This was the same for Israelites! With manna falling from heaven everyday, how could they forget the love and promise the Lord gave them? But once it was up to them to farm the land and harvest the food, it probably seemed as though God left them to figure it out for themselves... but that wasn't His intention at all. He gave them manna to save them from starvation, in His perfect timing. Now, at this new time, He wasn't abandoning them or withholding His hand. Instead, He was giving them a new promise - an even better one. They now live in Canaan and the provision has taken another form, but it's because He is growing them through different challenges at this time. Reading this made me realize that I can't focus on the radical. God is not always going to rain down manna from heaven everyday, and experiencing what that looks like I am able to see that His presence in my life is taking a new form and it's just as much of a blessing as Guatemala was, but He wants me to experience His realness in a different way on field time. He is still speaking to me, but He is maturing me so maybe it is with a softer voice this time so I can grow with a deeper understanding and greater faith.