The Manna state of mind
When the children of Israel left Egypt for the promised Land, they were led in the wilderness where God fed them with manna from Heaven.
The manna from Heaven was sent without them having to work for it. They were released from Egypt through the powerful hand of God seen in his miracles.
But when they arrived close to the promised Land, the dynamic changed:' while they were used to receive almost every thing without investing much energy, God required of them to fight in battles in order to conquer the promised Land.
In spite of having witnessed the almighty hand of God, the Israelites concluded that God wanted to kill them in battle (Reference Deuteronomy 1)
You see, the Israelites left Egypt as slaves where they had to work extra hard to get food. They left with a mentality of slaves. In the desert, God showed them that He could feed and release them without much of efforts from their side.
Unfortunately, by the time they reached the entrance to the promised Land, the children of Israel were stuck in a 'manna state of mind'.
You see, there are times or seasons in life where God will feed and provide in the most miraculous ways without involving our efforts, such as for example: ' cheques in the mail from a stranger, assistance offered, etc...'
God can provide miraculously during a specific season and for a specific reason. The problem with some people is that they assume that God's way of providing 'manna' will never stop. In today's context, the manna refers to the miraculous provisions we receive without investing any efforts. As a result of becoming addicted to 'manna', many people barely have strategies to tackle life situations. Even worse,they set themselves in a state of mind where everything must be served to them on silver plates as if the whole world owes them something.
A manna state of mind is:
- a mentality stuck by what God has provided in the wilderness,
- a mentality that refuses to invest energy when God calls for battles.
The manna was good but it was never meant to last for ever. After meditating on the 'manna state of mind', I concluded on three important things:
Firstly, God would not provide manna forever to the Israelite because it would defeat the purpose for which we were created as Ephesians 2:10 states:'For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.'
Works do not save us, only Jesus does. However, as we become saved, there are works we have to accomplish.
Secondly, during the season when God provides with 'manna', there are barely no choice. According to Bible description, manna looked like coriander seed and resin ( Reference Numbers 11:7). Though we have to be grateful for God's miraculous provision, we also need to mention that the 'manna' was a little bit like a restaurant menu with one meal or one option. God did not provide choice of foods because He wanted to use the 'manna' as an extra motivation that would encourage the Israelite in seeking 'milk and honey' (choice foods).
In the promise land, there are food options and if God was giving them beef,turkey,eggs,cakes,sausages...then not much would motivate them to go in the land of milk and honey.
This explains why God was clear when describing the promised land by explicitly describing it as 'land flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3:8). Just the sound of it, should serve as good motivation to someone eating manna on a daily basis.
In the context of reality (and I speak from personal experience), God feeds us with 'manna' to survive in the desert experience. The desert experience is a transitory place of transformation and nobody is called to remain there. To ensure that we don't fall in love with the desert, God only sends the 'manna' which is that 'just enough provision to make it through". You know that miraculous handout that pays just for the rent, just for the food, just for a new shirt....
I remember that during a previous time of wilderness I experienced, provisions came to me miraculously and the handouts were just paying for exactly what I needed and yet the options were limited.
What do I mean by 'the options were very limited?
In other words, I could barely go to the movies, eat out in restaurants, live in decent space...just like the Isaraelites were experiencing in the desert. But God allowed it my life situation so that I would not fall in love or become comfortable with the desert. And when the time to move into the next stage on my journey came, I moved...very quickly!
The manna state of mind could be the reason why so many are struggling financially. When God tells them to work or invest energy in conquering their promised land,they rather wait for more manna in the form of a mail cheque, a handout...as they have been so used to.
I think one of the biggest problem that believers have is in the assumption that God will repeat the exact same miracle all the times. As a result, they freeze any form of action when God tells them to act.
The Israelites saw the 10 plagues against the Egyptians. They saw the splitting of the red Sea, and they saw the Egyptians being killed by the hand of God.
But when they arrived at the entrance of the promised Land, God changed the dynamic. Unfortunately ,the older generation that came out of Egypt refused to adjust to the change...
Now, watch this:
'As a result of refusing to enter, God punished the older and younger generation for 40 additional years in the wilderness. The aim was to ensure that the older generation dies and leaves the fight to the younger ones. Since the younger ones had to eat manna for an additional 40 years, it became a good source of motivation to seek a land where they would eat mutton,beef,chicken, and drink milk.'
This explains one of the reasons why they went with Joshua when their time arrived...
It is possible that your life is so limited in resources because you are in wilderness mode or maybe your time to invest energy in battle has come but you are refusing to step up...as a result, everything is limited.
*If you are still in wilderness mode, remain there until God tells you to move in the Promised land. But on that day, your provision of choice will have to be earned by investing energy.
* If God has already spoken to you about moving out of wilderness and if you are still refusing to obey, then you run the risk of seeing your mandate being transferred to another person as it happened to the first generation of Israelite...Furthermore, your life will never experience the beautiful choice reserved in the land of milk and honey. For those who disobey, there are no choices but prolonged manna oe extinction.
And I say this by experience: 'I am grateful for all the manna God gave me. Manna is very good and limited but when prolonged through disobedience, it (manna) can become annoying.'
If God said it then it's time to step up. Fight for battle and go drink milk and honey.