Manna ceased: Why God’s people should not live by miracles
Miracles are God’s supernatural interventions in human affairs to rescue, redirect, or reveal His power. But miracles were never intended to be the normal pattern of living for God’s people. They are temporary provisions for extraordinary times. God’s ultimate goal is to raise men and women who can partner with Him to create, build, and govern using the principles of His kingdom.
God’s children are not supposed to live by handouts. God’s supernatural interventions are for fixing things and repairing what needs to be repaired. For instance, God wants us to live in good health and not to seek healing all the time. They are God’s rescue mission, temporary arrangements to bring us to the place.
Interventions are not bad in themselves. However, continuing to depend on interventions for a long time is terrible. Sometimes you will go through stuff. Life happens to people, but you are not supposed to remain there.
This truth becomes clear in the story of the Israelites’ journey from Egypt to Canaan. In the wilderness, God fed them miraculously with manna — bread that fell daily from heaven. He gave them water from a rock, and their clothes and shoes did not wear out. But when they entered the Promised Land, something significant happened.
“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.”
— Joshua 5:12 (KJV)
At that point, God changed their operating system. The miracles ceased, and productivity began. They had to till the soil, plant crops, harvest, and build communities. The season of daily interventions was over. It was time for a partnership.
From interventions to partnership
The wilderness was about survival; Canaan was about stewardship. In the wilderness, God did everything for them. In Canaan, He expected them to do everything with Him. The same God who rained bread from heaven now expected them to bake bread from the grain of the earth.
God was not withdrawing His hand; He was extending His heart — teaching His people to live by wisdom, diligence, and creativity. The manna had served its purpose. Now, they must walk by principles, not by interventions.
In the same way, many believers today still prefer to live in the wilderness — dependent on miracles for daily survival — rather than moving into the land of maturity, where they co-create with God. They wait for divine handouts instead of applying divine insight.
Miracles are signs, not systems
Miracles are signs of God’s power, not systems for human existence. When Jesus multiplied loaves and fish to feed the multitudes, He was revealing the Father’s compassion, not prescribing a permanent method for economic sustenance. After that miracle, He still instructed His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” Even divine provision demands stewardship.
A generation that depends only on miracles without learning discipline and stewardship will remain immature. God wants His people to advance from divine rescue to divine responsibility. The highest proof of faith is not in waiting for miracles but in using what God has already provided.
Africa’s manna syndrome
Africa’s present condition reflects this same wilderness principle. For decades, many nations across the continent have survived through “manna” — aid, loans, and external interventions. While such help has been useful in moments of crisis, it was never meant to be a permanent lifeline. Like the manna in the desert, aid was supposed to sustain temporarily until productivity took over.
Due to this dependence on handouts and interventions, African nations are not respected. No country makes progress depending on aid. The same applies to individuals. We can only make progress by creatively applying ourselves in productive ventures, using the resources God has given us to advance our societies.
Africa has a lot more mineral resources than the US, UK, and most developed countries. Nigeria is blessed with mineral resources beyond oil and gas. Congo is one of the most blessed countries in the world in terms of mineral resources, and unfortunately, that’s why there is always war there. As long as the war continues, foreigners will continue to steal the mineral resources.
Look at what is happening in the Sahel region. Amid the difficulty of dealing with the terrorists who are trying to overrun them and the historic underdevelopment, those countries, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have ended their toxic relationship with France, in which they were permanently subjugated and dependent on France.
The ongoing revolution in the Sahel has exposed many things. These francophone African countries don’t have their own central banks. They depend on France for their currency and more. Now, that is changing in Burkina Faso. I am amazed at what the young military leader is doing. I hear he is building factories and opening up the economy. Burkina Faso now refines its mineral resources, making significant progress in human development indicators.
When the United States President Donald Trump came in and shut down USAID, stopping aid to countries, especially African countries, there was an uproar. Many NGOs were affected. I believe that was a sign to Africa that manna had ceased. It is now time for Africa to wake up and take responsibility for its development and advancement.
God provides for us through work
God expects us to come into an economy that is beyond interventions. We should live by Heaven’s supply chain. Until you understand this, you will feed on crumbs. Let God show you the field He has blessed. Locate the field God blessed for you and stay there. That is your place in the supply chain. Manna had to cease because God wanted them to work. God does not work in a vacuum; work and give Him a reason to bless you. God said He will bless the works of our hands.
If you only pray and never engage in creative and productive ventures, you will be stopping God from blessing you. I called a lady to bring deep-sea fish on a Monday morning. I was going to pay her close to N600,000. She called me and said, “I hope you don’t mind, I won’t be able to come because I am going to church.” I told her to keep the fish. She ran down and brought the fish. She thought I would accept her excuse because I am a pastor. We must strive for balance.
Back in school, my university days, they taught us to pray a certain prayer, and it helped me. The prayer is: “May I not be praying when I am to be reading, and may I not be reading when I am to be praying.”
We must work. It is not right to be idle, saying you are praying. As you pray, do whatever your hand finds to do with all diligence. Work by God’s instruction. By that, you will create a channel for divine supply. His blessing comes on your work, and abundance is created. God works; you ought to work. Have you noticed that none of Jesus’ initial 12 disciples were idle? They were active doing something when Jesus called them. The supernatural must have something to work with for there to be divine supply. Give God an occasion to bless you.
Reverend Austin Ukporhe is the Lead Pastor at Remnant Christian Network, Lagos. Raised in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, he was trained in peculiar firebrand evangelism and was ordained as a pastor in 2001. He has experienced countless and diverse workings of the faithfulness of God over two decades and has developed a passion to see God’s will for Nigeria become a reality. He can be reached at +2348060255604.
