The land of the Scriptures required a very tangible, very gritty faith. Just follow the Israelites in their wanderings in the desert and you'll see hunger and thirst, suffering and doubt, need and longing beyond much of our personal experiences.
The land was dry, wilderness, desert as if God had forgotten to bring life to this portion of the earth. Then He calls His chosen people to inhabit this land as a gift. A gift! What a cruel gift, right.
The real gift though wasn't the land. It was the calling to personally connect with God. Faithfully trusting Him out to fulfill every need, every desire, every ounce of protection and supplication. To walk through life with Him (Deut 6:4-9).
This land demanded a faith I simply don't tap into regularly. I'm sitting on my IKEA couch as I type this on my Gateway laptop wearing Nautica glasses to see the screen while covered in a ridiculously soft blanket to keep me warm in an already heated apartment...are we relying on the Spirit to guide and care for us so tangibly, so holistically, so unmistakably...or is that a moot point here an now?
'Trust in God, trust also in Me' John 14:1 - This never goes out of style. This is never not relevant.
For those of us not living in the wilderness we must contextualize our faithfulness:
1) Examine your attitude - are you growing in Christlikeness - Phil 2:1-18
2) Examine your lifestyle - are you really a part of the Body - 1 Corinthians 12
3) Examine your worship - are you giving to God all of what's His - Matthew 22:21
Faith never ceases to be a part of the Christian journey - whether it's for literal or spiritual bread it's necessary.