Joshua 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year
If you are like me, you may be sentimental. You may find yourself looking at pictures from a year ago, five years ago, or ten years ago wistfully wishing you could be younger, richer, healthier, or whatever it may be. There is nothing wrong with looking at the past with fondness. It is understandable that although you may anticipate the future, you always approach the future with a little bit of trepidation. You don’t know what it may hold, yet you can only move forward.
In Joshua 5 the Bible says something very interesting about the children of Israel as they moved ahead and God led them into the land of Canaan. Joshua 5:11 says, “And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.”
The old corn is a reference to that which was harvested from the ground in Canaan. God had miraculously provided manna for these people for many years. Manna was food from heaven, food straight from the ovens in heaven, you might say. Yet there came a time when that ceased. Instead of receiving manna from heaven, they received food from the ground. It is important to realize that both of these were God’s provision; both natural and supernatural were from God. It didn’t matter if it came from the sky or the ground, whether it was manna or the harvest of the land. Both were from God either directly or indirectly.
The point is that as you look ahead in your life, you may have a little bit of fear and uncertainty, but remember that you can only move forward. You can’t move back. In Joshua 4 you find that the river Jordan had closed behind them. In Joshua 5:1 there was an increasing number of kings in the land who heard about the nation of Israel and were prepared to fight them. Joshua 5 says Israel’s reproach from Egypt had been rolled away. This is a progression. The manna ceased and the harvest began. Behind them was Egypt’s provision. They had been slaves in Egypt, but at least the food had been consistent and they knew exactly what would happen. In the wilderness it was God’s manna and God provided, though they were living by faith. In Canaan, the manna ceased and what they got was from the land that God was giving them.
God’s best provision is today, and God’s providence is always in the future. So, whatever God has given you today, trust Him, rely on Him, and give thanks for what you have. Don’t wish for the past, don’t fear the future. You can only move forward. You can’t go back. The Jordan has receded. It has closed again. Ahead is the land of Canaan with giants, walls, and who knows what, but if God goes before you and you follow Him, you are as good as you could possibly be.
So, God’s providence is always in the future. Providence, as I’ve said many times, is from two words that mean “God’s looking ahead.” In other words, God knows the need before you even know the need is a need, and God is orchestrating things right now to provide for you in the future as you follow Him now. So, if you want God’s provision, God is not going to provide for you in the past; that is done. He is providing in the present, and God’s providence, His looking ahead, is always in the future. So, we need not fear or fret. We just need to follow. You can only move forward. If God is the one who is in the lead, you can do that with confidence and safety.