Manna for Your Morning

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind… —J ob 38:1 (NKJV) When disaster comes in like a whirlwind, and calamity overtakes you like a storm, know that God is in the whirlwind with you. Let His Presence be your perfect peace, the calm in the eye of the storm. The whirlwind will scatter those things that need to be removed out of your life, and God will carry you through it all. I've heard a song on the radio that says, when your life seems to be falling apart, it is actually coming together. Amen to that!

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. — Romans 4:20-21 (NKJV) Now is not the time to waver in unbelief concerning the promises of God, nor doubt and be driven and tossed by the wind like a wave in the sea. We have a great big God, doing great big things! The Message Bible says Abraham plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. Let us follow in the footsteps of Abraham, the Father of faith. Be strengthened in faith, give glory to God and be fully convinced that He will fulfill what He has promised. Amen!

Blessed be the Lord, Who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our salvation! Selah — Psalm 68:19 (NKJV) Not only does the LORD give us new mercies and compassions every morning, He also loads us up, every day, with His priceless benefits. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. He redeems our lives from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion. He satisfies our desires with good things so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:2-5) Bless the LORD O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! (Psalm 103:1 NKJV)

So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. — Acts 27:25 (NLT) No matter how your situation may look right now, continue to believe God, that all will be just as He said. I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13 AMP). Take God at His Word. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8 NKJV). You will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29 NKJV).

When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. — Acts 27:20 (NIV) No matter how fierce the storm rages around you, never lose hope. Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5b NLT). After your darkest day, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise. The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles (Psalm 34:17 NLT).

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—   — Acts 26:22 (NKJV) We have obtained help from God, therefore, we stand. Be convinced that God is on your side and He is working for your good. The LORD is our Helper. He has not brought you this far to leave you now. Instead of worrying, worship God and witness to others, about all the wonderful things He has done in your life. Amen!

Do not, therefore, fling away your [fearless] confidence, for it has a glorious and great reward. For you have need of patient endurance [to bear up under difficult circumstances without compromising], so that when you have carried out the will of God, you may receive and enjoy to the full what is promised. — Hebrews 10:35-36 (AMP) When it comes to God’s promises, we want to enjoy them to the fullest extent possible. In order to get there, the writer of Hebrews says we need to develop patient endurance, perseverance, a stick-to-it-ness. Patient endurance —not just waiting, but continually doing the will of God in all situations, without caving in or giving up. Thank God that His grace gives us the power and strength to successfully do that. Amen!

Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. — Acts 22:14 (NKJV) God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, (Ephesians 1:4). He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). God chose you and accepted you into His family. See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1 NIV). Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; (Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV). Open your heart to receive God's love, and listen to His still small voice as He speaks of His wonderful promises and plans for your life.

After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. — 1 Kings 19:11-12 (NIV) The winds of adversity may blow, your world may get shaken, and you may lose some stuff in the fire, but the LORD is with you and He will see you through. Even in the wind, the earthquake and the fire, God is speaking. If you cannot hear the voice of God, get tuned in to His station. As we offer ourselves to Him, with thankful hearts, and mouths full of praises and prayers, our ears are able to hear His still small voice. He will comfort you with His love and lead you along on the path of life.

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. — Acts 20:24 (NKJV) The Holy Spirit revealed to the Apostle Paul that chains and tribulations awaited him, in every city (Acts 20:23. However, he was not moved. May we make it our aim to finish our race with joy. Don’t be moved by the light and momentary hardships we experience in this world. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV).

Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he’ll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs. — Zephaniah 3:17 (MSG) Our heavenly Father takes great delight in you. He is the Mighty Warrior who saves. He sings songs of victory over us, because He has already made a way for us. Let His perfect love, calm all your anxieties and fears. Let His unfailing love comfort your soul. He enjoys fellowship with you. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” (Psalm 27:8 NLT)

The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. — Isaiah 58:11 (NKJV) When we are dry, the LORD satisfies us with living water. As we draw from His eternal fountain of living waters, we will never run dry. He gives us strength to stand through every storm, strength to face each day as it comes. In His strength, we are able to continue on the path of life, He lays before us. We shall be like a well watered garden, fruitful and thriving.

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. — Acts 17:11 (NKJV) May we, like the people of Berea, be open-minded to receive the Word with great eagerness, and examine the Scriptures daily. The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). The entrance of His Word gives light and understanding (Psalm 119:130). It strengthens us, and comforts us in any affliction. The Word of God gives us life (Psalm 119:50). His Word is settled in heaven and endures to all generations. His Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105). May we delight ourselves in the Word of God.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! — Acts 16:25-26 (NLT) I have often heard that life is not so much what happens to you, it's more about your response to what happens. Paul and Silas were dragged, had their clothes torn off, were beaten and thrown in prison. However, they didn’t let their circumstances get them down. They were praying and singing hymns to God. No matter what your circumstance, turn your attention to God, who holds the universe in His hands. Are there things in your life that need to be shaken? Do you have some doors that need to be opened? A little prayer and praise goes a long way. And it also has a profound impact on those around you, just as Paul and Silas effected the prisoners around them. How are you reacting to

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. — Psalm 139:15-16 (MSG) But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand (Isaiah 64:8 NKJV). Our heavenly Father is the Master potter. He takes us and creates magnificent masterpieces that reveal His greatness. He created you into something special. Let us be pliable and responsive to the touch of His hand as we are living testimonies made to reveal the glory of God, our Creator.

…strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”  — Acts 14:22 (NKJV) In this world we will have tribulation, but be courageous and of good cheer, our Savior has overcome the world. May God strengthen your soul today. I encourage you to remain firm in your faith. Hardships come and hardships go, but the grace of God remains; grace to persevere, grace to continue, through whatever comes your way. Since God woke you up this morning, He has something more for you to do. Continue to pursue His plan, His purpose, His Way, to the end!

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. — Philippians 2:1-4 (MSG) We need each other. Always be willing to lend a helping hand.

But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. — Matthew 14:24 (NKJV) Jesus instructed His disciples get into the boat and go to the other side of the lake, on the way, they encountered contrary winds. As we step out and follow the instructions of the Lord, we also will experience contrary winds, forces at work against us. When our lives get tossed to and fro by the troubles of this world, we may feel like God is not for us. Be confident that as you pursue His purpose and plan for your life, God will definitely work everything together for good. If your plan is of man, it will come to nothing, but if what you are doing is of God, nothing or no one can stop it. (Acts 5:38-39) Only what we do for the kingdom of God has eternal value. Press on!

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? — Romans 8:31 (NKJV) God is for YOU. He chose you. He accepted you and brought you into His family. And He loves you right where you're at today. Nothing can successfully stand against you! Our mighty God is greater than any doctor’s diagnosis. The name of the LORD is above every adverse circumstance that comes your way. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

Rejoice in the Lord always [delight, take pleasure in Him]; again I will say, rejoice! — Philippians 4:4 (AMP) When we make a decision to rejoice in the Lord, we have an abundant pool to draw from. He is the limitless source of all our joy, peace, hope and love. The joy of the LORD is also our strength. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4 NKJV)!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) No matter what happens, always remember, the plans the LORD has for you are good. And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. (Romans 8:28 AMP).

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. — Proverbs 3:5 (NLT) Do not rely on your own insight or understanding. We have a limited vision, we know in part. And sometimes we get carried away by our emotions or led astray by listening to the wrong voices. Instead, rely on God, who wrote the Book and sees the whole picture. Let us trust in the LORD, He has a lasting legacy of fulfilling all His promises. As you seek His will, He will show you which path to take, where to turn and when to keep straight. He will see you through each and every one of life events and circumstances.

Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave the people this message from the LORD: “I am with you, says the LORD!” — Haggai 1:13 (NLT) This morning, I give you this message: “The LORD is with you!” Have you ever wondered why God repeatedly reminds us, in His Word, that He is with us? Could it be that He wants us to remember that He is always there to help us and comfort us, to lead us and guide us. We never have to feel alone, rejected or abandoned. He is there to catch us if we fall. In Isaiah 41:10 , He says, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” He is with us to support and strengthen us. Praise the LORD for His Presence!

I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 3:14 (NKJV) God chose us and called us, and He has plans to give us a future and a hope. We are to progress forward and upward, as we pursue the good plans and purposes God has for us. In Philippians 3:12, the Apostle Paul says, not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. May we too, PRESS ON! Instead of letting the difficulties set you back, use them to take a step up, into a stronger, more spacious place in God. Run your race, with your eye on the prize, being fully confident that He who began a good work in you, is faithful to complete it.

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. — Ephesians 6:10 (AMP) So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels (Ephesians 6:11-12 MSG). In order to fight to the finish, we must continually draw our strength from the Lord. And let us fight the good fight of faith with the weapons He has provided, His Word and prayer. Then we will stand victorious!

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9a (NLT) The Apostle Paul was given a thorn in his flesh, to keep him from becoming proud. Three different times he begged the Lord to take it away and each time, the Lord directed Paul’s attention back to Himself. (2 Corinthians 12:7-8) We all have some thorny things in our lives that continue to prick us and make us uncomfortable. They constantly call for our attention. Sometimes we pay too much attention to our weaknesses, those things that consistently challenge us. That will cost us our peace and our joy. Instead, let us remember what the Lord said, (His grace is all we need), and shift our focus to the Lord. Then, His power is able to work in us and through us, to bring about God's perfect will in our lives. His grace strengthens us to be and do all that we are called to be and do. His grace gives us what we need to live a successful and fulfilled life. In His grace, we r

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, — Acts 3:19 (NKJV) In the presence of the Lord we are refreshed, revived and restored. As we surrender our will and flow with the Spirit of the Lord that dwells within us, we are strengthened and His power enables us to accomplish all that He designed for us. The Lord rebuilds that which is broken and makes us into brand new creations. Every morning, He pours out new mercies and compassions on us. So we have a fresh start each day. As we continually abide in His Presence, we are refreshed and our lives are changed from ordinary to extraordinary.

This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” — Isaiah 48:17 (NIV) Our heavenly Father created us and knit us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Most of us would sell ourselves short, but God knows whats best for us. And He reveals it to us, as we faithfully follow Him, step by step. All the days ordained for us were written in His book before one of them came to be (Psalm 139:16). So He already has our journey mapped out. Trust God to guide you along on the path of life, to good success and victory.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NKJV) In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, the Apostle Paul spoke of the troubles they experienced. He says, they were crushed and overwhelmed beyond their ability to endure, and thought they would never live through it. In fact, he says, they expected to die. But as a result, they stopped relying on themselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. When troubles press in on us from every side, may we learn to rely on God. Keep things in the proper perspective. With all that has come against us, we are not destroyed. Praise God that we are still alive and we can always count on Him to bring us through whatever comes our way!

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. — Proverbs 23:18 (NIV) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23 NIV). And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us...  (Romans 5:5a NLT). Let us continually look to our heavenly Father, full of expectation and hope, for our help comes from the LORD. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD (Psalm 31:24 NKJV).