The Old Has Gone

Joshua 5:11-12 "The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. 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 the produce of Canaan."

Transitions can be difficult can't they? We are creatures of habit and we can get very comfortable in our surroundings so when we are forced to change, it can be very hard. I was born, went to school and married in the plains of the Midwest and even though we lived in several different cities, they all had a small town feel. After my husband finished his graduate studies God moved us to the south and needless to say, we experienced culture shock. This transition was probably one of the most difficult times in my life. He moved us far away from our family not only to a new place but to a new environment both physically and culturally with different traditions, unique speech patterns and a totally foreign way of life. It took me a good year to settle in.

We see in Joshua 5 that God has just transitioned the Israelites from the wilderness into the Promise Land. They had been wandering for over 40 years and during that time God totally took care of all of their needs. He fed them, He clothed them (their clothes and shoes didn't wear out), and He guided them every step of the way. Now He is transitioning them to not only the land that He had promised Moses years before but to a new way of life.

And this is where I want to pick up on the scripture in Joshua 5:11-12. Notice that it says that the day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened bread and roasted grain. They had been eating manna for years which they probably had their fill of and now they would be able to eat all the produce and all the grain that they wanted. You might be thinking, Hallelujah! But think about it for a moment. God had been providing everything that they needed for years and now they were going to have to provide their own meals and work to provide everything else. God was also changing the way He was revealing Himself to them. He was no longer visible through a pillar of fire or a pillar of clouds and a lot of Jews probably felt that He had left them. We like the familiar, don't we? When we are thrust into change for whatever reason it takes a little while for us to readjust and get our thoughts together.

Success or failure in life is often determined by how we handle the transitions that come along whether they be of our own choosing or allowed by God. Often God will lead us to places we don't understand so that He can teach us something or show us an aspect of His nature that we may have not yet realized. My friends, be aware that if He brings us to a time of testing or transition that He has promised to bring us through it. He will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5) so it is important for us to totally trust Him and lean not on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5,6). We must fix our eyes on Jesus who knows all that is transpiring and trust in His promises at every turn.

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Personalize this prayer.

Dear Lord,

You created me so I'm sure that You know me better than I know myself. Transition is hard for me but I know that if I were left to my own bidding I'd become comfortable and would probably stop growing spiritually. Thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for challenging me and pushing me to not only grow closer to You but closer to who You created me to be. I love You and I trust You with my whole being. Apart from You I realize that I can do nothing that is of any value to the Kingdom so I surrender to Your will and Your ways. When I am faced with another transition I know that You will carry me through. Your love is so amazing and honestly, it is overwhelming. Why would you love such a wretched sinner like me? Thank You so saving me and turning my life around. I owe everything to You!

In Jesus Name,

Amen

#TheOldHasGonek #Joshua