By the time Moses arrived, the Israelites had experienced 400 years of captivity in Egypt.  Following Moses, they finally escaped into the wilderness, which was a time and place between Egypt, the land of their slavery and bondage, and Canaan, their Promised Land.  It was in this wilderness (a desert environment - blistering hot during the day but cold at night) that God began to pour out His love on the Israelites.  The Bible records that God provided a moving cloud during the day to shelter them from the heat, and a pillar of fire at night to keep them warm.
 
In this environment it was impossible to plant and harvest any type of crop, so God also provided food for them.  They called this food from God manna.  It is interesting to note two things about this mysterious food: the manna was new every morning and it would not last for more than a day.  Thus, their survival was dependent on their willingness to eat the fresh manna daily.  God was teaching them to flow and to follow.  If they wanted to stay cool in the day and warm at night they had to follow the cloud and the pillar.  If they wanted to eat, they had to eat of the new manna every day.  Their lives depended on it.
 
The word for manna in Hebrew is mawn and is translated as what or what is it?  In essence, God was feeding them with a question.  Questions in the wilderness times of our lives always prepare us for surrender, which is the only way we'll get to our Promised Land.  It is normal to feel a sense of losing control when you choose to eat the what is it of God.  There is absolutely a certain craziness required to relinquish your control of what you think you know.
 
But if you can forego your right to be right, your need to know; to be in control, and your resistance to the what is it (the questions), you will experience the joy of following the Spirit of God into the new and green pastures of your Promised Land.