Joshua 5:11 And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

The Israelites have finally made it into Canaan. How wonderful for them to breathe the sweet, clean air of the land God had given them! To plant their feet upon the soil that was their homeland must have been glorious! Up to this point, the Israelites have survived so very much: Pharoah’s army, the rebellion of Korah, the fiery serpents, the punishment for lusting at Kibrothhattaavah, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, eating only manna for many years and the crossing of the Jordan. Now, they will start to drive out their enemies so that they can live in peace. We see in Joshua 5:11-12, that they no longer eat manna! They can now live off the “milk and honey” of the promised land. That must have been a wonderful day in their lives. A day of rejoicing indeed!

This gives me hope. The trials that I am facing will not be forever. I will one day be eating the fruit, or enjoying the rewards, of a life lived for Christ. It may not be until Heaven, but then, I may be in Heaven today! I have the hope that the Lord will allow me to enjoy some fruit now! I have already eaten of some of His blessings, but I long for more. Just as I enjoy eating not one bite of dessert, but two – or twenty – I long for not one blessing, but multiple blessings.

I have hope today that if I keep pressing forward, I surely will see, and even eat of, the fruit of God’s rewards.