Manna for Your Morning

A good life is a fruit-bearing tree; a violent life destroys souls. Proverbs 11:30 (The Message) For healthy hearts that produce much fruit we must be rooted deeply in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the source from which we draw the living water that sustains us. He is the light that causes us to blossom. His sacrificial love provides the right environment for us to thrive. Stay planted in the Lord's garden and not only will you flourish, but your fruit will enrich the lives of others.

Fear of the Lord lengthens one’s life, but the years of the wicked are cut short. Proverbs 10:27 (NLT) Respect and honor the LORD and your life will be lengthened. Let us put God first in all we do and bring glory to His name as His dearly beloved children.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT) Make room for the faults of others. All of us are a work in progress. Instead of taking offense, seek to understand and do what is in your power to make peace. Just as readily as we accept God's forgiveness, let us be quick to extend forgiveness to others. Amen.

Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life. Proverbs 4:23 (NCV) As a person thinks, so is he or she. Anxious thoughts make us upset and troubled. When our thoughts are fixed on the Lord, we are kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). So, all of you holy brothers and sisters, who were called by God, think about Jesus, who was sent to us and is the high priest of our faith (Hebrews 3:1, NCV).

Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Proverbs 2:2-4 (NCV) Let us hunt for wisdom as we would for hidden treasure. May we listen carefully to wisdom and set our minds on gaining understanding. Proverbs 2:10-11, NLT tells us, wisdom will enter our hearts, and knowledge will fill us with joy. Wise choices will watch over us and understanding will keep us safe. Amen.

I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done. I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Psalm 143:5-6 (NLT) Ponder all the wonderful works of the LORD. He commands the sun and fills the sky with clouds. He sends rain to the earth and makes grass grow. He gives food to cattle and to the little birds (Psalm 147:7-8). Think about all the great works the LORD as done in your life. Offer up a prayer of thanksgiving with a heart full of appreciation for God's active involvement in our lives.

If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. 1 Peter 3:10 (NLT) Colossians 3:8 (NCV) tells us not to do or say things to hurt others. We must set a guard over the door of our lips and speak words that are kind, true, positive and uplifting. Let us not tear each other apart with our words. Instead, let us use our words to build each other up. Amen.

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. Ephesians 5:18-19 (NLT) As we submit more of ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us, more of His fruit will be produced in our hearts: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor, who will lead us into all truth. May you be filled with His Spirit today and every day.

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. Psalm 138:2 (NIV) If there is any confusion about our focus here on earth, the above Scripture makes it clear. God identified our two main concerns when He exalted His name and His word above all things. Our 1st priority is getting to know Him. His different names give us insight into God’s multi-faceted nature. He is Abba Father, our Daddy. He is Elohim, the great Creator. He is El Shaddai the benevolent Blesser. He is Jehovah Jireh the God who provides. He is Jehovah Shalom, our peace. And 1 John 4:16 says, God is love. Our 2nd priority is to follow His Word, the narrow path that shows us the way. His Word is our GPS system that directs us to an abundant life here on earth and an eternal life to follow. Bow down and worship the great, “I AM,” Almighty God, the exalted One.

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21 (NLT ) Don't put much value in the passing fancies of this world. They are here one moment and gone the next. When you stockpile your treasures in heaven, where they cannot be stolen, your heart will surely follow and you will not suffer loss of the things you most cherished. Among the heavenly treasures that transcend time are the love, patience and grace we extend to others, including our enemies.

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. . We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (NLT) If you have strayed away from God's path to do your own thing, God is calling your name to return to Him. He will lead you to still, peaceful waters and restore your soul. Return to the LORD. He is all you need.

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you. Psalm 84:10-12 (NLT) The LORD God is our sun and shield. The light of His face brightly shines upon us. He turns our darkness to light. His shield protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Let us dwell in the house of our God. He withholds no good thing from those who do what is right.

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. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJ) Don't let the present circumstances get you down. The LORD has everything already worked out. He has loving, peaceful thoughts toward you. The LORD has a wonderful plan for your life, a plan to give you hope and make you smile at the future.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:13-18 (The Message) Make sure you use every weapon God has given us to fight this spiritual war, if you want to be still standing strong in the LORD, when its all over.

I remember you while I'm lying in bed; I think about you through the night. You are my help. Because of your protection, I sing. I stay close to you; you support me with your right hand. Psalm 63:6-8 (NCV) Keep the LORD on your mind. Think about His goodness. He is the One who comes to your aid. Let your mouth continually sing praises to Him. Stay close to the LORD and His right hand will be your support.

My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:7-8 (NLT) In God, we are victorious. He is our place of protection and a safe shelter against those who want to harm us. Fully trust in the LORD at all times. No matter how doomed a particular situation may appear, we can be confident that God will work all things together for good.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the LORD Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:30-31 (NKJ) Those who wait on the LORD, find new strength. If we charge ahead of God we are likely to find ourselves tired and weary and falling by the wayside. Wait on direction from the LORD and for wisdom from His Holy Spirit within, and you shall mount up with wings like eagles and soar toward your God-given destiny.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. Psalm 55:22 (NIV) Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will take good care of you. Seek His help, the LORD is always there for you. Amen.

And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. Ecclesiastes 5:19-20 (NLT) In comparison to the rest of the world, God has blessed the American people with wealth and good health. Let us enjoy the tasks He has given us and be content with where we are during each step of our journey in life. Keep moving forward, while enjoying the present and learning from the past.

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2-4 (NKJ) Let us see the challenges that come our way as an opportunity to strengthen our faith and develop the fruit of patience. After we have persevered and patience has been fully developed, we will be perfect, complete and lacking nothing. Glory to God!

A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired. Proverbs 17:22 (The Message) A merry heart is good for you. It is like medicine to your soul, but feeding on the constant negative news of the world drains your energy. In the LORD's presence we have fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). Our joy is not contingent upon our outer circumstances. Let us rejoice in His Presence.

Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Psalm 32:6-7 (NLT) May all of us who believe, pray to the LORD at all times. Our heavenly Father is our safe haven. As we remain in Him, He protects us from trouble. In Him, we shall sing songs of victory. Amen.

Put God in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place. Proverbs 16:3 (The Message) If we think we can achieve something worthy without God's help, we are puffed up with pride and deceived. The LORD gives us the ability, strength and know-how to accomplish our God-given assignments and it is His purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21). When we continually rely on the LORD and commit our works to Him, our plans succeed.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8 (NLT) Instead of letting your mind dwell on the bad, the worst and the ugly, think about what is good, true, respectable, and admirable. If anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Elevate your thoughts and you will live your life above the circumstances of this world. Amen.

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NLT) Because of God's love for us, He sacrificed His Son to pay the debt for our sins. Because of God's unrelenting love, Jesus binds up the brokenhearted, sets the captives free, releases the prisoners from darkness and comforts those who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2). No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). This is REAL LOVE!

No, the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me. My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been beautiful. Psalm 16:5-6 (NCV) The LORD is all we need. He is faithful to take care of all His children. The LORD has given us pleasant and full lives. Praise the LORD!

"I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Job 42:5 (NLT) It is one thing to hear about God, but quite another to look upon Him with our own eyes. I sincerely believe that when Job saw Almighty God, he forgot all about the extent of his suffering. I'm sure that glorious moment was incomparable to anything he had ever experienced. Once we truly see Abba Father with our own eyes, our hearts and lives are changed forever. When we catch a glimpse of God's glory and come face-to-face with His holiness, we humbly fall to our knees in absolute adoration, too choked up to speak, and moved beyond tears. Or we stand to our feet and shout His praise and declare, "How Great is our God!"

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:12 (NIV) -- In Christ Jesus our Lord and through faith in Him, we are free to approach our heavenly Father with our concerns and we can be confident that He will hear our pleas and answer. If we, God's people, humble ourselves, repent and cry out to God on behalf of our nation, He will forgive our sins and heal our land. However, we have to be the light of hope that brightly shines in the midst of the darkness before the hearts of the American people return to the God in whom the foundations of America began. The amazing love of Jesus radiating from us, will draw women, men and children, young and old unto Him. Have a blessed Independence Day!

Then he saw wisdom and evaluated it. He set it in place and examined it thoroughly. And this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’ ” Job 28:27-28 (NLT) Reverence the LORD and avoid all evil. True wisdom comes from God alone. He always knows what to do. Fill your heart and mind with wisdom through His Holy Spirit who dwells in you. As we gain a deeper understanding of God and His ways, we are more equipped to fulfill the wonderful plans God designed for each one of us.

"For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food." Job 23:11-12 (NLT) Job 1:1 describes Job as blameless and upright. In the midst of his suffering Job worshiped God. Job went through severe trials, to include physical infirmity, the loss of his children and his possessions, but the LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first (Job 42:12). The LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10). Let us be like Job and stay on God's path, closely following His steps. May we treasure His Words more than the food we eat. Amen.

You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care. Job 10:12 (NLT) God has given us life in abundance and overflowing with sweet fruit. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). Abba Father continually shows us His unfailing love and compassion. He takes good care of us and preserves our spirits. The LORD be magnified!