I sometimes enjoy seeing the FOOD MENU listed neatly and systematically in restaurants. We can order any food according to our tastes and desires. However, there are restaurants that are not sensitive to the tastes of visitors so they serve food that is not refreshing/appetizing.The deliciousness of the food not only lies in the abundance and luxury of the food. Sometimes when we go out for a fight we feel that the food we touch is different from what we are used to. So, it is not uncommon for people to like to eat out. Let’s examine the spiritual food we touch… whether it is appetizing or boring us?(Ribka Christ)
New Foods In New Lands
At that time there was a third new experience in the first week which was very memorable and occurred west of the Jordan River.
“Then on the day after the Passover they ate the produce of the land, namely unleavened bread and WHEAT, that very day. Then the MANNA stopped the next day.” (Joshua 5:11-12)
Joshua 5:11-12 New Living Translation (NLT)
The very next day they began to eat unleavened bread and roasted grain harvested from the land. No manna appeared on the day they first ate from the crops of the land, and it was never seen again. So from that time on the Israelites ate from the crops of Canaan.Right away, the day after the Passover, they started eating the produce of that country, unraised bread and roasted grain. 12 And then no more manna; the manna stopped. As soon as they started eating food grown in the land, there was no more manna for the People of Israel.
Joshua 5:1-12 – MSG Do you still remember that for 40 years when the Israelites wandered in the desert, every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner they only had one kind of food – MANNA (Exodus 16:1-36). But it was fitting that they should eat such simple meals three times a day, the result of their own rebellion.
I still remember the time when I didn’t know and had not experienced personally what it meant to have Christ in control of my life. Even though I wanted to serve God, I was still walking in the flesh-“wandering in the wilderness.” Sometimes a pastor would read a verse from the Bible, Ephesians 6, for example, I would say, “Oh, no. Don’t talk about those weapons anymore. I’ve heard about that since I was a baby.”
Or if they would read about the prodigal son and I would say, “Oh, skip it, don’t talk about the stubborn son and the pig keeper again. I’ve heard 1,000,007 sermons about that.
In fact, there is very little that sounds new or fresh or alive to me. It all seems like something old and the same–MANNA, MANNA, AGAIN MANNA. Every pastor sounds like just the most boring person ever. stepped behind the pulpit.
If you are wandering in the desert, you are trying to please God with your own strength, then you are eating the simplest food, the MINIMUM. That can be quite boring. God intended to make the food quite boring because He never intended to let us remained in the desert.
If He had given us meat in the desert, perhaps we would never have felt hungry and thirsty for the Promised Land. If we had been satisfied with the bad, we would never have wanted the best from Him. Hebrews 5 states that we need to improve from the most basic things about Christianity-manna and milk are good for babies, they are good for spiritual sores (ulcers), but God wants us to progress to rice (solid) food. Eat meat instead! Let your teeth enjoy the meal the most delicious spiritual!
While the people of Israel were camping in the arid desert, God provided manna as their CONSTANT MENU-for forty years! But, the day after CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER, they had to start using what was available on the land itself. Stubborn themselves, with surrendered hearts, worshiping God, and celebrating their redemption, they began to eat the good fruits of the Promised Land. They began to enjoy the fruits of a victorious life.
A Christian will not be able to begin to enjoy the Gospel until he understands that Christ lives within him. God does not expect him to be a spiritual giant, completely independent of his own efforts, full of devotion, praying for hours, and studying the Bible a lot; that is actually what is expected of him. God is nothing more than letting Christ within him, control him, fulfill him, and direct him.
Once we get to that place (spiritual wilderness), we may know the Bible thoroughly, but soon we become bored spiritually. We may know all the dispensations and can argue with anyone, but feel empty and dry and fundamentally (if we want to be honest) bored of everything. This is what I used to feel.
The Bible told me that I deserved this experience. If you are in a position like that, you also deserve it. But you don’t have to stay there, not even a day longer. You can get out of the spiritual wilderness and cross the Jordan directly. spiritually and begin to enjoy a new life spiritually.
What a change. Everything becomes new. Old Bible passages come alive. Of course you were a child of God even before you came out of the wilderness, but now you no longer have manna.
Writer~Luis Palau
Menu Tanah Perjanjian
Saya kadang-kadang senang melihat MENU MAKANAN yang tertera rapi dan sistematik di restoran-restoran.Kita dapat memesan sebarang makanan sesuai selera dan keinginan kita.
Namun,ada restoran yang kurang peka dengan selera pengunjung sehingga menghidang makanan yang tidak menyegar/menyelerakan.
Keenakan makanan bukan hanya terletak pada banyak dan mewahnya makanan tersebut.Kadang-kadang sewaktu pergi berkelah kita merasa keenakan makanan yang kita jamah lain daripada kebiasaannya.Maka,tidak jarang orang suka makan di luar.Mari kita meneliti makanan rohani yang kita jamah….apakah ia menyelerakan atau membosankan kita?
Makanan Baru Di Tanah Baru
Pada waktu itu aka ada pengalaman baru yang ketiga di dalam minggu pertama yang sangat berkesan dan terjadi di sebelah barat sungai Yordan.
“Lalu pada hari sesudah Paskah mereka makan hasil negeri itu,yakni ROTI YANG TIDAK BERAGI dan BERTIH GANDUM,pada hari itu juga.Lalu berhentilah MANNA itu,pada keesokan harinya.”(Yosua 5:11-12)
Saudara masih ingatkah bahawa selama 40 tahun waktu umat Israel berkelana di padang gurun,setiap hari untuk makan pagi,siang,dan malam mereka hanya mempunyai satu macam makanan saja-MANNA (Keluaran 16:1-36).Namun sudah selayaknya bila mereka harus makan makanan yang begitu sederhana tiga kali sehari,akibat dari pemberontakan mereka sendiri.
Masih teringat masa ketika aku tidak tahu dan belum mengalami secara peribadi apa artinya mempunyai Kristus yang mengontrol hidupku.Meskipun aku ingin melayani Tuhan,aku masih saja berjalan dalam daging-“berkelana di padang gurun.”Kadang-kadang bila seorang pendeta akan membacakan suatu ayat dari Alkitab,Efesus 6,misalnya,aku akan berkata, “Oh,tidak.Jangan tentang perlengkapan senjata-senjata itu lagi.Aku telah mendengar tentang hal itu sejak aku masih bayi.”
Atau bila mereka akan membacakan tentang anak yang hilang dan aku akan berkata, “Oh,lewati saja,jangan tentang anak yang keras kepala dan penjaga babi itu lagi.Aku telah mendengar 1,000,007 khotbah tentang hal itu.
Sesungguhnya,hanya ada sedikit hal saja yang kedengaran baru atau segar atau hidup bagiku.
Semuanya itu kelihatan seperti sesuatu hal yang lama dan yang itu-itu juga-MANNA,MANNA,LAGI-LAGI MANNA.
Setiap pendeta kedengarannya hanya seperti seorang yang paling membosankan yang melangkah ke belakang mimbar.Bila saudara sedang berkelana di padang gurun,saudara mencoba menyenangkan Allah dengan kekuatan saudara sendiri,berarti saudara sedang makan makanan yang paling sederhana,yang paling MINIMUM.
Itu bisa cukup membosankan.Allah memang bermaksud membuat makanan itu cukup membosankan karena Dia tidak pernah bermaksud membiarkan kita tetap tinggal di Padang Gurun.
Seandainya Dia memberi kita daging di padang pasir,mungkin kita tidak akan pernah merasa lapar dan haus akan Tanah Perjanjian.
Bila kita sudah merasa puas dengan yang tidak enak,kita tidak akan pernah ingin mendapatkan yang terbaik dari Dia.Ibrani 5 menyatakan bahawa kita perlu meningkat dari hal-hal yang paling mendasar tentang Kekristenan-manna dan susu itu cocok untuk bayi-bayi,itu baik untuk luka (borok) rohani,tetapi Allah ingin kita meningkat ke makanan beras (padat).Makanlah daging sebagai gantinya!Biarkan gigimu menikmati santapan rohani yang paling lezat!
Selama orang-orang Isreal berkemah di padang pasir yang gersang,Allah menyediakan manna sebagai MENU TETAP mereka-selama empat puluh tahun!Tetapi,pada hari setelah MENYEBERANGI…SUNGAI…YORDAN, mereka harus mulai menggunakan apa yang telah tersedia di tanah itu sendiri.
Lepas dari usaha sendiri yang keras kepala,dengan hati menyerah,memuja Allah,dan merayakan penebusan mereka,mereka mulai makan hasil yang baik dari Tanah Perjanjian.Mereka mulai menikmati buah-buah dari hidup yang berkemenangan.
Seorang Kristen tidak akan bisa mulai menikmati Injil sebelum dia mengerti bahawa Kristus hidup di dalam dirinya.
Allah tidak mengharapkan dia menjadi raksasa rohani,sama sekali lepas dari usaha sendiri,penuh pengabdian,berdoa berjam-jam,dan banyak mempelajari Alkitab;sebenarnya yang diharapkan oleh Allah adalah tak lebih dari membiarkan Kristus yang ada di dalamnya,mengontrol…dia,memenuhi,dan mengarahkan dia.
Sesampai kita di tempat itu (padang gurun rohani),kita mungkin tahu tentang Alkitab secara menyeluruh,namun begitu kita menjadi bosan secara rohani.Kita mungkin tahu semua dispensasi-dispensasi dan dapat berdebat dengan siapapun,namun merasa kosong dan kering dan secara mendasar (bila kita mau jujur)bosan akan segala hal.Inilah yang dahulu biasa aku rasakan.Alkitab menyatakan padaku bahawa aku patut menerima pengalaman ini.Bila saudara ada dalam posisi seperti itu,saudara juga patut menerimanya.Tetapi,saudara tidak perlu tinggal di sana,bahkan tidak sehari lebih lama lagi.Saudara bisa keluar dari padang gurun rohani dan menyeberangi Yordan secara rohani dan mulai menikmati hidup baru secara rohani.
Betapa besar perubahannya.Segala sesuatu menjadi baru.Fasal-fasal Alkitab yang lama menjadi hidup.Tentu saja saudara adalah anak Allah bahkan sebelum saudara keluar dari padang gurun itu,tetapi sekarang saudara sudah tidak lagi mengenyam manna.~LP
