FROM THE DESERT TO THE PROMISED LAND

 

"The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan" (Josh 5:12). God calls you to eat from the fruit of your own work. During the exodus from Egypt, Israel had to eat manna, the supernatural provision of God because there was no ability to make a living in the desert. However, the moment they stepped into the Promised Land the manna stopped because God had brought them into a new place. The new land could yield food and provision for their families. They simply had to work it. For most of us God has provided us an ability to derive our provision from the work He has called us to do. God made a covenant with His people that provision would always be there if we were faithful to His commands. "You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock - the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out" (Deut 28:3-6). In order for this promise to be fulfilled we must fulfill His requirements. We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts and minds. And we must avoid having any idols in our lives that will take the place of God. Every believer is called to come out of "Egypt" and enter into our own Promised Land. He has already set aside the land for you. It is your responsibility to prepare yourself to be able to derive the fruit from your land. "The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands" (Deut 28:12).