Morning by Morning, May 10 - The Day "the Manna Ceased"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be at the center of all I am, all I have, and all I do. ...
"When 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. On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 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" (Joshua 5:10-12).
The manna was good. It was a gift from God to sustain Your people along their journey through the season of their wilderness. "Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed" (Exodus 16:18). You were teaching them to "understand that one does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes form the mouth of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 8:3).
But now they were no longer in the season of their wilderness. They had crossed over in the Jordan into a new season. This was now the season of possessing their inheritance. So the manna stopped. Not because it was no longer good, but because there was more to understand. You were now bringing them "into a good land, a land of with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where (they would) lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from wholes (they would) mine copper" (Deuteronomy 8:7-9).
In this good land of their God-given inheritance, You promised them, "You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that He has given you" (Deuteronomy 8:10). And this good land, they were never to forget their good God, never to exalt themselves as if to say, "It's by our own goodness, our own wisdom, our own power that we have all these good things with the blessing and favor of God" (Deuteronomy 8:17). You warned them that the nation who forgets her God and would not obey His voice in the land of her inheritance would "surely perish" like every nation under the judgment of God (Deuteronomy 8:19-20).
Lord, let my nation and I be thankful for Your goodness every day. Let us remember Your blessings and Your favor in the land of our inheritance-never taking it for granted, never claiming in our pride we've deserved it or earned it by our own goodness, wisdom, and power. And let us grow up into spiritual maturity in our understanding of Your Word, no longer simply living on milk and manna, but the "strong meat" of "the word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5:13-14, KJV).
You've brought us into a good land. You're teaching to understand how embrace and eat of the blessings of the land. And though we've had our seasons of wilderness, give us eyes to see You, ears to hear You, and a heart to obey You in the season of our inheritance. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance" (Psalm 33:12, NKJ). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
My Friend, I pray you will eat well in the land of your inheritance, the strong meat of God's Word, filled with the strong power of God's Spirit. May your nation and your spirit be blessed, as you trust in the Lord and obey His voice. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
We were so honored and blessed last night to have Max Lucado and Denalyn Lucado pray a father's blessing and mother's blessing over us at the last night of our Level 2 School of Ministry being hosted at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. We're forming another team out of this School for inner healing prayer ministry. Thank you for your prayers for us!
We will begin our Level 1 School again over two weekends in June. Please let us know if you'd like to come join us. DVD's and CD's are available on the web site from prior Messiah Ministries' Schools if you're not able to join us, along with my book, Free to Be Like Jesus -- Transforming Power of Healing & Deliverance -- and other resources for equipping in prayer, inner healing prayer ministry, and spiritual warfare
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
