Scripture Reading(s)
Joshua 5:9-12
5:9 The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.
5:10 While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho.
5:11 On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain.
5:12 The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
Reflections
There comes a time at the end of the struggles we face that God finally shows us the good that came out of our situation. Here the Israelites were brought to a land in which plenty was provided for them. Before that time, they were given Manna, which should have been enough. Now, they were provided with much more and would give even more satisfaction.
God had lead the nation of Israel through hard times. Through the dangerous escape from Egypt, to surviving the crossing of the red sea, God had faithfully and lovingly laid out each step of the way.
How often do we come to a point in our hard times that we begin to wonder when God will reveal the “good” that is to come out of our unpleasant circumstances? God in His infinite wisdom puts us through hard times and gives just enough “manna” to make it through the day. His Grace is sufficient and just like He continually provided for the nation of Israel, so He does for us today.
” Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).
What a wonderful thing it is for the followers of God that even in their disobedience God blessed them by keeping His end of the covenant. God is much more gracious to His people than they often deserve. Naturally I would not recommend disobeying because we observed in yesterday’s devotional that God will eventually take care of business. But we see clearly in the Old Testament and New Testament that God is slow to apply His wrath.
As written by the Psalter,
The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (Psalm 103:8)
So patient and abounding in love that He saved us while we were dead in our own sins, knowing that we could never earn our own salvation.