This morning as I read Joshua 5, I read a passage that stirred my heart . Joshua 5:12 “No manna appeared that day, and it was never seen again. So from that time on, the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan”.

As many times as I have read Joshua, that has not ever spoke to me before. As I have learned through the years, the Bible teaches us continually, something that we need to learn, at different seasons in our lives! As I sat and thought about this passage, You can just picture the people who have just crossed over into Canaan! For 40 years, they have had manna provided for them each and every day (except the Sabbath when they had been instructed to gather twice the amount the day before so they didn’t have to work on the Sabbath)

All they had to do was gather! They didn’t have to worry about where their next meal came from. It didn’t require faith (after the first day manna was given to them) to depend on God providing sustenance for them. They had learned through the last 40 years that God would provide! Their faith was grown thru different circumstances, of dealing with enemy armies, changing in leadership from Moses to Joshua, having faith to know God would lead them through the Jordan River on dry land even though the river was at flood stage! Our faith is tried and grows by way of enduring different circumstances at different times! But as I read this passage and realized that God was taking them into the promised land after 40,years and taking away the manna He had provided for them! Did the people begin to complain? Did they become fearful and wonder if they would go hungry? Did they get mad that they now had to work for their food? It was now beginning a new season of becoming responsible for their own food and depending upon the produce of the land! And that’s when it dawned on me! God still does the same thing with us. He sometimes takes things that he has provided for us, to take us to new levels of faith!

Isaiah 43:19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

When I think of former days and the different ways I was blessed to be a part of a ministry, which allowed me to serve, I have sometimes complained and grumbled that that ministry is no longer! Instead of seeking how to best serve The Lord now, I was still trying to make things happen to suit my perspective, not the Lords! He has us in places that He puts us! It is up to us to seek His will in how we are to serve and glorify Him best in the new stages of life! To not keep looking back and complaining that He isn’t still providing the “manna” To look ahead, to plant and harvest what is needed in this new season.

Lord, forgive me for wanting to have things like they always were! Forgive me for not trusting You to give me new ways of serving and new opportunities which would allow my faith in You to grow me more into Your likeness! Please help me to always depend on you for your faithfulness even when it looks different. You are still walking with me, no matter where I am or what I’m doing! You are the same God and You are my God!” Amen and Amen!

During my quiet time with the Lord this morning this phrase came to my mind. First time I heard that song was years ago at a funeral so it was always something that came to my mind during the loss of a loved one! “He gives and takes away.” As I sat here thinking about those few words, I began to think of my life and the things we once had, but have now been lost! There are many! Some things have been replaced with better things, some things were just gone. It is during those times of loss that allow us to grow in our faith. Do I grow or do I sit here and contemplate all the things that are no longer in my life? Does contentment reign in my heart during seasons of loss? Or do the things that are gone leave me with a sense of doom and gloom, or do they cause me to look to the One who has always been faithful to me and continues to give to me things that are for my good? Do I cherish Him or things? This week alone has brought news of death to family members of some dear friends! News of friends who are struggling with health issues and are in the hospital, relational issues of others, divorce, friends waiting on test results from their doctor, and so much more. These are the times that cause us to either loose our joy (and sometimes our faith) and struggle to keep our minds “staid on Him” or to stand and say….the joy of the Lord is my strength! Do we still suffer senses of loss? You bet we do. Do we still wonder why we have hard times? Absolutely! But the One who creates us and loves us more than we can ever imagine has a purpose for our lives…even during times of loss! Today I began to think of loss as more than just loosing someone. There are losses in our lives that are hard to bear, and cause us to walk in constant need of His strength. Some diseases which change people from who they always were! The loss of freedom of going and doing the things we always loved to do. The loss of certain friendships or not have the relationships with family that we desire can also cause us to feel discouraged. But as we continue to walk in faith, we begin to realize that even during these times, our lives can still radiate His peace and His joy! We can still be a light in this dark world! If our eyes and our hearts are anchored in Jesus, we can point others going through tough times by sharing Jesus with them. This song has been so precious to me during tough times!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace!

As wonderful as some of the new praise songs we hear today are, it is the old hymns that come to my mind during hard days! Whether you are in a season of Him giving or taking away, Blessed be the name of the Lord

Will end this with the words from the song that inspired this post:

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out, I’ll
Turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun’s shining down on me
When the world’s ‘all as it should be’
Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there’s pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name

Lemon Cream Filling
1 cup sugar
3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks slightly beaten
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup frozen butter
1 cup sour cream

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks and milk in sauce pan, and cook over med heat until thick. Stir in the frozen butter and cool to room temp. Stir in the 1 cup of sour cream and Pour into pie cooked shell.

Whipped Cream and White Chocolate Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Shaved White Chocolate Curls

Right before you are ready to serve your pie, place the whipping cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl (or stand mixer) and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form and you have whipped cream. Dollop the cream on top of the pie. Shave the white chocolate to garnish top…I used a cheese slicer. Serve and enjoy!

Found this on my memory page today from 10 years ago! The recipe is from Welcome Home Blog and it is delicious. Since it is still very hot and cold desserts still sound so good, this one will be on our table tonight. Seems weird making pumpkin decor for the porch and coming in to enjoy a cold slice of lemon pie but….we do live in Texas and stranger things do happen. Randy is on his second piece and he says this,”it taste pretty much like lemon meringue but creamier and I like the whipped cream topping! Makes it so refreshing”. So there you have heard it straight from a not so famous food critic!