Manna for Your Morning

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NLT) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. (Romans 8:37 AMP) We may have to endure some battles, but we have already won the war.  Hallelujah! …thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB) Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One … — 2 Corinthians 2:14a (VOICE)

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens [outsiders without rights of citizenship], but you are fellow citizens with the saints (God’s people), and are [members] of God’s household, — Ephesians 2:19 (AMP) As children of God, we no longer belong to the domain of darkness, but we are fellow citizens of the Kingdom of God and children of light. We are members of God’s holy family, and residents of His household. (See Ephesians 2:19 VOICE) For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8 NLT) (…the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), (Ephesians 5:9 NASB) So let us walk as children of Light. “ The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. ” — Zephaniah 3:17 (NASB)

A true friend loves regardless of the situation, and a real brother exists to share the tough times. — Proverbs 17:17 (VOICE) In John 15:13-15 (NASB), Jesus said: “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus is a friend who loves at all times, (See Proverbs 17:17 NASB) Jesus is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother. (See Proverbs 18:24 AMP) Choose today, to follow Jesus closely and serve Him, the One who gave His life to save us.

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. — Lamentations 3:21 (NASB) “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1 NASB) “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]” (John 14:27 AMP) “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NASB) You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. — 1 John 4:4 (NASB)

Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, LORD. They rejoice all day long in your wonderful reputation. They exult in your righteousness. — Psalm 89:15-16 (NLT) Blessed are the people who know the passwords of praise, who shout on parade in the bright presence of God. Delighted, they dance all day long; they know who you are, what you do—they can’t keep it quiet! Your vibrant beauty has gotten inside us— you’ve been so good to us! We’re walking on air! All we are and have we owe to God, Holy God of Israel, our King! (Psalm 89:15-18 MSG) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. (Romans 12:1 NLT)

“ I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. ” — John 17:23 (NASB) As believers, let us build bridges and come together in unity, peace and love, instead of erecting barriers. “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging.” (Matthew 7:1-2 MSG) For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:4-5 NASB)  The Amplified Bible adds, we are mutually dependent on each other. (Romans 12:5) Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. — 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. — 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT) So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Romans 12:1-2 MSG)

Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true [supreme and sovereign] God, and [in the same manner know] Jesus [as the] Christ whom You have sent. — John 17:3 (AMP) Let us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (see 2 Peter 3:18 NASB) God always makes his grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of his endless triumph. Through our yielded lives he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go. (2 Corinthians 2:14 TPT) …he is the exalted God, the only powerful One, the King over every king, and the Lord of power! He alone is the immortal God, living in the unapproachable light of divine glory! No one has ever seen his fullness, nor can they, for all the glory and endless authority of the universe belongs to him, forever and ever. Amen! (1 Timothy 6:15-16 TPT) asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom an

Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us, I heard your call in the nick of time; The day you needed me, I was there to help. Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. — 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (MSG) Today is the day of salvation. Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6  NASB) The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. (Psalm 145:18 NASB) But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. — John 4:23 (NLT)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. — Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT) What are you watching? The nightly, negative news, the stock market, your bank account? The Word of God instructs us to fix our eyes on Jesus, not current earthly circumstances. Jesus is the answer. The Amplified Bible says, “[looking away from all that will distract us and] focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith…” (Hebrews 12:2). If our eyes are fixed on Jesus, we will not compare our race to another person’s course. With our eyes on Jesus, we will not be able

The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. — 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG) Our spiritual weapons are energized with divine power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.  We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and arrogant attitude and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. (See 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 TPT) Let us use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to break dow

With passion I pursue and cling to you. Because I feel your grip on my life, I keep my soul close to your heart. — Psalm 63:8 (TPT) Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. (Psalm 105:4 NASB) I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8 NASB) “…Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!” (John 14:27b TPT) And stick close to God. Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Come back to me! By returning and resting in me you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will be made strong.”  But you refused. — Isaiah 30:15 (TPT)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].” — Revelation 22:13 (AMP) Jesus is the beginning and the end. His coming to earth signified the beginning of Good News being preached to the poor, the release of captives and the recovery of sight to the blind. (See Luke 4:18)  In John 19:30 Jesus said, “ It is finished! ” He had done it all and gained the victory for us. His resurrection and departure from this earth signified the conclusion of the battle and declared victory over sin and death, for all who accept Him as their Lord and Savior.  He is the Beginning of a new and more abundant life. He is the beginning of a Kingdom that is about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 14:17) Believe in God, believe also in Jesus. (John 14:1) Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12 ESV) “For the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts says

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV) His thoughts toward us are of peace. Put your whole heart into seeking YAHWEH and His perfect will. The plans He has for us are good. In Him, our future is filled with hope. With a deep longing in your heart, seek Him and require Him as a vital necessity. (See Jeremiah 29:13 AMP) “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. (See Jeremiah 29:13 MSG) “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” says the LORD who has compassion on you. — Isaiah 54:10 (NASB)

 “ My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking. ” — James 1:2-4 (TPT) And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all loving grace, who has called you to share in his eternal glory in Christ, will personally and powerfully restore you and make you stronger than ever. Yes, he will set you firmly in place and build you up. (1 Peter 5:10 TPT)  To Him be dominion (power, authority, sovereignty) forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 5:11 AMP)  … thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. — 2 Corinthians 2:14 (AMP

  So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over. — Jeremiah 18:3-4 (NLT) When our choices cause the shape of our lives to veer away from the good plan the LORD has for us, He takes us, and uses the same lump of clay to start over. As long as we stay on His Potter’s wheel, He will give us a “do over.” He will use everything and work it together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  (See Romans 8:28) We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.  (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT) But now, O LORD, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand. — Isaiah 64:8 (NASB)

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.” — Jeremiah 17:5 (NLT) If we put our trust in human strength and the abilities of mere mortals, our hearts turn away from the living God, Elhoim, the all-powerful God. The Message Bible says, a person who depends on mere humans is like a tumbleweed on the prairie... He lives rootless and aimless in a land where nothing grows. (Jeremiah 17:6) “But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT) You are my refuge and my hope in the day of disaster. (See Jeremiah 17:17 AMP) O LORD, you alone can heal me; you alone can save. My praises are for you alon

LORD, there is no one like you! For you are great, and your name is full of power. Who would not fear you, O King of nations? That title belongs to you alone! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like you. — Jeremiah 10:6-7 (NLT) Then I said, Listen. Listen carefully: Don’t stay stuck in your ways! It’s God’s Message we’re dealing with here. Let your lives glow bright before God before he turns out the lights, before you trip and fall on the dark mountain paths. The light you always took for granted will go out and the world will turn black. (Jeremiah 13:16 MSG) Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! Give glory to the LORD your God before it is too late… (Jeremiah 13:16a NLT) “As for any nation that will not listen to and follow My ways, I will uproot it and destroy it completely.” This is what the Eternal has declared. — Jeremiah 12:17 (VOICE)

As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.” — 2 Corinthians 10:17 (NLT) “This is what the LORD says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the LORD who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the LORD, have spoken!” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 NLT) Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. (Psalm 20:7 NASB)  “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” (See Isaiah 6:2-3)  Everything within me wants to pay tribute to Him. Whenever the poor and humble hear of His greatness, they will celebrate too!  — Psalm 34:2 (VOICE)

This is what the LORD says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ — Jeremiah 6:16 (NLT) The way of the LORD is the tried-and-true road. It is the path that leads to a more abundant life and eternal life, in His Presence. So, “Trust [confidently] in the LORD forever [He is your fortress, your shield, your banner], for the LORD God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages]. (Isaiah 26:4 AMP) Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. (Psalm 25:4-5 NLT) Those who know Your name will rely on You, for You, O Eternal One, have not abandoned those who search for You. (Psalm 9:10 VOICE)

Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word [treasuring it and being guided by it day by day]. Open my eyes [to spiritual truth] so that I may behold wonderful things from Your law. — Psalm 119:17-18 (AMP) Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89 NASB) When we stand on the Word of God, we are standing on solid ground. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8 NASB) Jeremiah 1:12 (NASB) says, He watches over His word to perform it. His word is a lamp to guide our feet and a light for our path. (See Psalm 119:105 NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (Joshua 1:8 NLT)

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.  — Psalm 28:7 (NLT)  Sometimes we have to do as the LORD instructed Gideon in Judges 6:14 and “Go with the strength we have!” And remember that God strengthens the weary and gives vitality to those worn down by age and care. (Isaiah 40:29 VOICE) Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually [longing to be in His presence]. (1 Chronicles 16:11 AMP)  “I’ll refresh tired bodies; I’ll restore tired souls.” — Jeremiah 31:25 (MSG)

Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” — John 6:67-69 (NLT) Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Jesus. (John 14:1) In the words of John the Baptist, Jesus must increase, but we must decrease. (See John 3:30) Let us keep Him at the center of our lives, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2) And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

Seek the LORD while He ma y be found; Call upon Him while He is near. — Isaiah 55:6 (NASB) Any material thing you seek is temporary and will not satisfy. Psalm 63:5 (NLT) says: You (God) satisfy me more than the richest feast. Our great God is eternal. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) We have all we need, as we abide in YAHWEH. Psalm 23:1 (NLT) says: The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He is the great “I AM.” If it’s peace you want, Isaiah 26:3 says, as our thoughts are fixed upon Him, He will keep us in perfect peace. Are you in pursuit of happiness? Psalm 16:11 tells us, in His presence is fullness of joy.  If it's love you seek, Psalm 103:11 (NASB) says, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. The LORD redeems our lives from the pit, and crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion. (See Psalm 103:4) If you are lost, He will show you the way in which you sho

“ I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ”  — John 15:5 (NASB) Apart from Jesus, that is cut off from vital union with Him we can do nothing. (See John 15:5 AMP) Our union with Jesus is vital for life, growth and fruitfulness. It is prideful to think we can do life on our own, apart from Him. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. (Proverbs 16:18) Apart from Him, we can nothing of eternal significance. Stay connected. … be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. — Ephesians 6:10 (AMP)

John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord, saying, “Are You the Expected One (the Messiah), or should we look for someone else?”  — Luke 7:19 (AMP) Believe in God, believe also in Jesus. (See John 14:1) We have a Redeemer. Yahweh is his name, the Commander of Angel Armies, the Holy One of Israel! (Isaiah 47:4 TPT) So turn your heart to me, face me now, and be saved wherever you are, even from the ends of the earth, for I alone am God, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22 TPT) Remember your history, your long and rich history. I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have— incomparable, irreplaceable— From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, all along letting you in on what is going to happen, assuring you, ‘I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll do exactly what I set out to do,’ (Isaiah 46:9-10 MSG) I will rescue you for my sake— yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols! (Isaiah 48

Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us, I heard your call in the nick of time; The day you needed me, I was there to help. — 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (MSG) “Do not fear, for I, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will rescue you. I have called you by name, and you are mine. When you pass through the deep, stormy sea, you can count on me to be there with you. When you pass through raging rivers, you will not drown. When you walk through persecution like fiery flames, you will not be burned; the flames will not harm you, for I am your Savior, Yahweh, your mighty God, the Holy One of Israel!” (Isaiah 43:1-3a TPT)

“ Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. ” — John 15:13-14 (NASB)      God sent Jesus to preach good news to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, announce freedom to all captives, and pardon all prisoners. (See Isaiah 61:1) Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. (Revelation 19:16)  He is the holy Lamb that was slain. “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” (Revelation 5:12) He rules and reigns as the Lion from the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5:5), who has overcome the world.       He is also our Friend and constant Companion, IF we do what He commanded. In John 15:15 (NASB), Jesus said: “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.” Jesus is the true friend who sticks closer th

Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough. Pause in his presence — Psalm 32:7  (TPT) For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, In His tent I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. (Psalm 27:5-6 AMP) When you sit enthroned under the shadow of Shaddai, you are hidden in the strength of God Most High. He’s the hope that holds me and the Stronghold to shelter me, the only God for me, and my great confidence. (Psalm 91:1-2 TPT) I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide. So don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn w

“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. ” — Isaiah 55:9 (NASB) When God calls us to be holy and separate from the world, He is calling us to rise to a higher level. To be more like Him and not replicate the things of this world. Let us depart from the ways of this world, and always seek to go higher, my beloved brothers and sisters. Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17 NASB)

“ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. ” — Matthew 11:29-30 (NASB) A yoke joins two to work as one. When Jesus invites us to put His yoke on, it is an invitation to join our lives with His. As His disciples, we are to learn from Him. For in him we live and move and exist. (Acts 17:28a NLT) In the same way you received Jesus our Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with him! (Colossians 2:6 TPT) If we are tired and worn out, it is because we have been trying to do life in our own strength, without Him. When we put His yoke on, it’s a collaboration. We work together. He leads and guides and does the heavy lifting, we just need to follow and follow closely. When we stay yoked with Jesus, we find rest and renewal for our souls. In Matthew 11:30 (MSG) Jesus says: “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay