The Manna Ceased
We are about to embark on a new year. The short time after Christmas but before the New Year marks an interesting space. We are putting away Christmas decorations and looking forward to a year full of possibilities. One thing we should do during this time is get rid of things.
This is a great time to do an inventory and look at items that need to be disposed of, because to enter into something new, you must get rid of the old.
As someone who has had to move several times, the first thing I do when I know a move is coming is to part ways with things I no longer need. I try to keep only the essentials. Each transition I made required new things, and many items that worked in my old space simply would not work in the new one. This applies to our lives mentally and spiritually as well.
Leaving the Wilderness Behind
One significant point of transition in the Bible is when the children of Israel finally enter the Promised Land. In the book of Joshua, they get a new leader because their old leader died. They are finally about to take what God pledged to their ancestor Abraham so long ago, but to make this transition, they had to do two things: get back to the basics, but let go of the past.
In Deuteronomy 34, we see that Moses dies and God buries him. The people mourned, but in Joshua 1, we see something interesting. God announces to Joshua: "Moses my servant is dead." Did God not know that Moses was dead? Was God not the one who buried him? God was well aware, but He wanted the people to understand that Moses's time had ended. They were entering a new era. This was God’s way of signaling that the past is done; it was time to move forward and cross the Jordan.
When the Miracle Ends
In the preceding chapters, Joshua crosses the Jordan, circumcises the men, and they celebrate the Passover. These things were done to honor their covenant and return to the basics. But Joshua 5:12 is where the shift becomes real:
“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land...”
Manna was the food source that sustained the Israelites throughout the wilderness. They didn't have to worry about food; every morning it was just there. But now that they were in the Promised Land, the manna ceased.
Why? Because they were transitioning into something greater. They were no longer in a transient state. They were now settled and able to plant crops and watch them grow. They no longer needed the "survival provisions" because they had received the Promise.
Inventory for 2026
For many of us, the reason we cannot go forward in life, relationships, or with God is that we will not let go of the past. We won't let go of "how things used to be" in order to walk in the new things of God.
How many of us are holding on to old practices and old ideas, then getting upset with God because He won't honor them in this new place? Notice that the things that defined their status with God (the Covenant) were renewed, but the things that were only for the journey (the Manna) were replaced.
As we transition into this new year, 2025 is becoming a memory. The strategies and ideas that worked in 2025 could actually hinder your new life in 2026. Do not be surprised if things from yesteryear no longer have a place. Do an inventory of your life and see what proverbial manna has ceased—and what new harvest God is inviting you to plant.
Pause & Reflect
The Moses Question: Is there a "dead thing" you are still mourning—a past role or season—that God is telling you it's time to leave behind?
The Manna Question: What is a "survival tool" or habit that used to be a blessing but now feels like it's drying up? Could God be calling you to a higher level of partnership?
The Inventory Question: What is one specific "wilderness mindset" (like fear or scarcity) that simply won't fit in the "new room" God has for you in 2026?