Today's Passage - Joshua 5:10-12

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Joshua 5:10-12    On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover. 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 of the produce of Canaan.     The Israelites ate the produce of the land, and the next day manna stopped. Israelites would no longer have manna. It was not easy to accept this fact. For forty years, Israelites had been custom to picking up manna early in the morning. They knew that they had to pick every morning. What they could not consume would turn bad after night. On the day before sabbath, they had to pick twice the portion. Because on the day of the sabbath, God would not distribute manna. At the beginning, they might not been accustomed to the way God was providing. Some picked more than they could consume. It turned bad. Some forgot to pick twice the portion the day before sabbath. And they had to endure hunger. It had been this way for forty years. Then, there was no manna. It was a big deal for Israelites. Afterward, they started eating the produce of the land.   God's promise will never change. But his way of providing us will change. When we first become believers, quite often, our prayers are always answered, just like the days of Israelites eating manna. We feel that God is so precious. He provides everything. There is no need for us to worry. But after our spiritual lives grow up, God starts to train us. No longer are we in the days of simply relying on manna. We have to produce, and to rely on ourselves. God wants us to stand up, to be responsible for our spiritual lives, not only relying on others or on pastors, even not relying on our comfortable circumstances. God wants to train us so that our spiritual lives can grow, and we are no longer second hand Christians. You may not be comfortable at first. How comes God doesn't answer like He used to? I believe that on the day that manna stopped, there had to be many Israelites out seeking manna. But manna had gone forever.   Many times, God leads us in new ways. May God help us not to rely on the grace of yesterday. Manna was great, but it was only yesterday's grace. No matter how wonderful yesterday's grace was, if we were still relying on it, it will become our hindrance. May God help us not to hold on to yesterday's grace. When God asks us to move forward wholeheartedly, let us follow Him by faith!   Pray with Pastor Tong     Lord, we thank you for all your grace in the past. May you help us not to rely on the grace in the past, but lead us to know your will and follow your steps. We welcome your work in us, and may all the glory be upon you.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!