Eliminating the Manna Mentality

Then the manna ceased… and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan…  Joshua 5:12

This was a watershed moment in the history of the Children of Israel. They had been miraculously emancipated after 400+ years of Egyptian slavery; a slavery so entrenched in their psyche that dependency seemed absolutely normal.

After being dependent on the Egyptian system of government for so long, they viewed themselves as poor victims. Through the 40 years of wandering, God would use their Wilderness experience as a filtering process. That old dependency thinking had to be eliminated if they were to enter their new territory.

Anyone in recovery can tell y

ou that the victim mentality, the poor me attitude, only prolongs the process and holds the freed slave mentally captive to their former state. Most relapse occurs because of “euphoric recall.” That is, during a trying time, one begins to fantasize that the former life may not have been as bad as the present condition. The person goes back or relapses rather than growing forward.

Eliminating the manna mentality meant that Israel would experience a necessary detachment from using God and His servant Moses as their “need-meeters.” That characterizes the immature. But when the manna stopped, it was time to become invested in their own future.

Expecting God to do for them what they refused to do was a big mistake! He is a covenant keeping God. That is, He does His part as we do ours. God was leading His people into a mature phase of being “mutually invested.”

As Israel fought their battles, God would fight along with them. Their battle was God’s battle and vice versa. As they sowed, even in tears, God promised to bring a harvest season. Psalm 126:5-6 As they worked, God worked with them both to will and to do His good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-14 

Does it seem as though God has stepped back from your situation and is not supernaturally intervening like you expect Him too. Perhaps the stopping of the miracle manna is a sign to start sowing and begin doing the work set before you. Perhaps you are in a new season to partner with God in His grand purpose of the ages.

We are all in! How about you?