I love a good plan. Even if I don’t always stick to the original plan, I feel a calmness in my soul if I at least start a journey with a plan. I started this year with a solid Bible reading plan. It helps keep me on track and keeps me accountable. But the challenge for me about this particular “Read the Bible in 90 days plan” is that it estimated that it would take someone approximately 30 minutes a day to read through the Bible. For folks like me who can read fast but who like to take time to process things… it has actually taken me more like an hour a day thus far. Sometimes I like to read things more than once. And then sometimes I come across a verse like Joshua 5:12 and I just pause there for a while:

And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

I don’t know why this particular one was the verse that halted my reading rhythm today but it sure did make me stop and think. I read it several times and had to take some time to ponder. I’m still working through it in my heart and mind as I jot down these thoughts.

The Israelites had grumbled and complained, doubted and rebelled and often wished they had never left Egypt. They had some royal temper tantrums along the way. At one point Moses said they were too great a burden to carry (Numbers 11:14) and they angered God so bad that he threatened to make them go along their way without him lest he destroy them along the way (Exodus 33:3). Yet every single morning of their journey, God provided manna for them to eat. The Israelites were thrilled with this food at first but they eventually started to complain about it too. But because of the manna, they were sustained throughout their initial trek to Canaan and then on into their forty years of wandering in the wilderness.

The manna only stopped coming after they crossed the Jordan River and stepped foot into the Promised Land. Then they were able to eat the fruit of the land of Canaan. Only after God delivered them all the way to end of the journey and made sure they were in the land he had sworn to their fathers, only then did the manna stop.

This is just so fascinating to me. That one simple verse is so comforting. I don’t even fully understand all the parallels and symbolism here but I do know that I, just like the Israelites, can cling to God’s promises even though I rebel against him daily. I know way more of the story than the Israelites did and I still doubt and question. Perhaps it has even been to the point that he’s thought “this girl is too great a burden for me. (or maybe just too plain obnoxious)” But my God is long-suffering and faithful and so good to me even though I fail him.

God provides for us every single day of our earthly journey, even though we are prone to complain and want something more, different, better. He will be with us and He will give us our daily bread until we step foot into eternity. Then we will feast on every good thing heaven has to offer and worship our Lord forever. I can’t wait!