From Not Knowing... To Knowing

Have you ever done something that was risky - and you knew it? Of course! We all take chances from time to time. Sometimes it's an ordinary thing like jumping off a diving board. Do you remember the first time you did it? It seemed SO high! If you were little, you might have been terrified. But by the 20th or 30th time, it didn't seem so bad. In fact, fear had turned into fun.

That's an example of what it's like to have a fear of the unknown and to overcome it.

There is a part of the Christian walk that is similar. In fact, many would say that a Christian walk without risk-taking is an impotent venture. It lacks power. It's... dead. Faith without works... right?

But we reach a point where reaching out and sharing the Gospel of Jesus is no longer terrifying. Perhaps it becomes (as it should) second nature. Maybe even fun! I'm just using this as an example. What would scripture say about it?

Jos 5:12 MKJV
(12) And the manna stopped on the next day after they had eaten the old grain of the land. And there was no more manna to the sons of Israel, but they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

Joshua was no longer in the desert. He and the Israelites were now in the Promised Land. Where had they been? They had been in a situation where they could not rely upon their wealth to get them through tomorrow. They had ONLY ENOUGH FOR TODAY! They had to rely upon God to send manna. Manna... remember, means 'what is it'.

Then comes Jericho and the Promised Land. Promised Land living affords us some security we did not have in the desert. With that security comes a responsibility. Now we can save enough food for today and tomorrow and maybe the next day. We can accumulate wealth. The manna stops. The 'what is it' goes away, meaning, there isn't a question about tomorrow any longer. It's a land of plenty. But do we forget God? Does the blessing of today distract us from He who gave it?

Even if the manna stops in the physical, we have a responsibility to continue gathering and consuming Manna in the spirit.

A good question that I heard a rabbi ask is this: Do I have what it takes to go beyond the next ten minutes - alone? I'm a sheep who has wealth. I have enough grass to last me for right now - and I have a Shepherd.