Manna for Your Morning

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. — Isaiah 26: 3 (AMP) As we keep our minds on the LORD, we will experience a continual flow of perfect peace. Let's fill our minds with thoughts of Him. Our God is mighty and strong and over all the universe. Our God, Jehovah Jireh, foresees all our needs and makes provision for us. He heals and restores us, spirit, soul and body. He delivers and saves and gives us the victory! Our God, Jehovah Shalom, is our peace. Keep your mind stayed on Him. And remember, no matter what you are going through today, this too shall pass.

let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. — Hebrews 10:22 (NAS) James 4:8 assures us that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. So let us draw closer to our heavenly Father, in complete confidence that our God is faithful, that He loves us and nothing we do will make Him love us less. Nothing can separate us from His great love. His desire is to spend time with us. We were created for fellowship with our Creator. Draw near to Him in full assurance. In His Presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). His Presence makes our joy complete.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, — 2 Peter 1:2-3 (NKJV) As we grow in our knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord & Savior, grace and peace will be multiplied unto us. Our great God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. He has given us ALL things that pertain (relate to) to life. Our physical healing pertains to life, the well-being of our children pertains to life, healthy, joyful relationships with our spouses, family and friends pertain to life. As we grow in our knowledge of God, and Jesus who is the truth (John 14:6), the less likely we are to believe the lies of the enemy. May we always endeavor to share an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Christ, His Son!

Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  — Psalm 126:5-6 (NKJV) To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance; (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4). During times of hardship, we may sacrifice, sweat, and tears, but if we persevere through the pain, we shall reap a bountiful harvest with shouts of joy!

If God hadn’t been for us —all together now, Israel, sing out! —If God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us, we would have been swallowed alive by their violent anger, swept away by the flood of rage, drowned in the torrent; We would have lost our lives in the wild, raging water. — Psalm 124:1-5 (MSG) With God on our side, who can stand against us? No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory (Deuteronomy 20:4, NIV). Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)!

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; — Psalm 121:1-3 (NIV) Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? (Psalm 42:5) Lift up your eyes and put your hope in God, our Savior. He is where our help comes from. His arm is not too short to reach into your situation and turn it around. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore (Psalm 121:5, 7-8). Amen! Thank you LORD.

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. — Philippians 4:13 (AMP) We can do all things through Christ (NKJV). The key word here is “ through ” or “ in. ” If we rely on our own power and strength to accomplish anything, our confidence is in the flesh, and not in the Spirit of God. This almost always guarantees failure. In order to have the ability to do ALL things, we must operate through Christ and let His power work in us and through us. In order to experience good success and walk in victory, we are to be filled and led by the Spirit of God within us. Any type of vehicle has only one driver’s seat. If you want to get somewhere in life, leave the steering wheel in God’s hands!

If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have revived me. I am Yours, save me; — Psalm 119:92-94a (NAS) In the midst of troubles and afflictions, may we delight in His statutes and not forget His word (Psalm 119:16). God’s Word gives us life and revives us. The living Word of God is the sword that pierces the darkness and allows light to come flooding in, bringing hope, peace and joy. The LORD saves us from our distress. He sends out His word and heals us (Psalm 107:19b-20). Amen!

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. — Psalm 32:8 (NLT) Yes, the LORD will guide us, but we must pay attention. Last night, on my way home, I got on the freeway going south instead of north. I drove four miles in the wrong direction before I read the sign and realized I was going the wrong way. This little incident was a reminder of how important it is to pay attention, if we want to arrive at our intended destination. As you journey through life, make sure you stay attentive to the leading and guiding of the the Holy Spirit within you. He is like a GPS system, He will guide you in the right direction, and along the best pathway!

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. — Psalm 84:11 (NKJV) What a lovely promise we have in the Word! It may help us to remember that things are not always as they appear. Everything that looks like a good thing may not be. Like a young child whose parent does not want him to cross the street alone, even if it is to get to a playground, we must trust our heavenly Father that He is not trying to restrict us, He just wants to keep us safe and protected. Some things that seem good to you, may not be good for you. Praise God that He gives grace and glory and gives us what is good at the perfect time!

My daughter sent me this powerful question that she was asked at a church service this weekend: What if you awoke this morning and all you had were the things you thanked God for yesterday? It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; (Psalm 92:1). And forget not all His benefits (Psalm 103:2)! . . .giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, — Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. — 1 John 1:5, 7 (NKJV) May we live in the light of God, and let it brightly shine through us and touch those around us. His light is full of LOVE and abundant life. The spout of God’s love is constantly pouring His love into our hearts and upon us, each and every moment of the day. Let it continually flow out of you, so those around you can be drenched in His love. We never have to fear that our cups will run dry, because our heavenly Father has an endless supply and He will always refill them. Let all that you do be done with love (1 Corinthians 16:14), as you live your life in His brilliant light.

For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. — 1 John 5:4-5 (NLT) Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4, AMP). Jesus said, “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our victory is already a done deal, we just have to walk it out. Keep fighting the good fight of faith!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. — 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) God, the Creator of the earth and all it contains, cares about you. He had you on his mind before He laid the foundation of the earth. Even before he made the world, God loved you and chose you (Ephesians 1:4, NLT). How precious are His thoughts about you. They cannot be numbered! You can’t even count them because they outnumber the grains of sand! And when you wake up, He is still with you! (Psalm 139:17-18) He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30, MSG)! He goes before you and follows you. He places His hand of blessing on your head (Psalm 139:5, NLT). Amen!

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV) Whatever care we have needs to be cast on the Lord, whether it is something we care about so much we don’t want anything to happen to it or whether it's a heavy, burdensome care that causes us anxiety and worry. The “ing” on the word cast, indicates that it is a continual process. When we cast something, we throw it. That means it doesn’t land anywhere near us. Leave that care in God's hands and let your mind stay on the Lord and He will keep you in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. — 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NLT) The NAS version says, the fiery ordeals come upon us for our testing. How will we ever know if we believe what we say we believe, if our faith is never tested? The fiery ordeals serve to burn away the impurities and strengthen our resolve. May we endure the hardships, knowing that after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, will restore, support, and strengthen us, and place us on a firm foundation (1 Peter 5:10). Glory hallelujah!

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. — 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NKJV) Stay clearheaded and alert so that you don’t end up in the snare of the enemy. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping (1 Peter 5:8, The Message). Resist him, standing strong in your faith. James 4:7 instructs us to submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Our God is greater! Amen.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; — 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV) God loved us and chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:4). Never listen to the lies of the enemy for one second if he tells you that your life is insignificant and doesn't matter. You belong to the family of God. God created you and chose you with a purpose and a plan. And He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. — James 1:2-4 (NIV) We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful (James 5:11, NAS). Job suffered for a little while, then, God richly blessed him in the end, and gave him double for his trouble. Let perseverance do a thorough work in you, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name. — Hebrews 13:15 (AMP) Through Jesus, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise from the depths of our hearts. The Word says at all times, not just when we feel like it or when its convenient, that's the sacrifice part. As long as we have breath, we have plenty to thank God for. He has done so much for us, we could never thank Him enough. May the fruit flowing from our lips be a constant praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father. Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever ( Psalm 106:1 ). Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the Lord!  ( Psalm 150:6)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, — Hebrews 12:1-2a (NKJV) How do we run with endurance? 1) We strip off everything that hinders us from drawing closer to the Lord and throw it aside. We don’t need any extra baggage. Runners strip down to the bare minimum. 2) We look unto Jesus, from whom our help comes. He will lead us to the finish line. See every hardship as a hurdle to be jumped over. Notice the Word says to run, not walk. This indicates a sense of urgency. I think we all agree that we are living in the end times. Take the vision and run with it (See Habakkuk 2:2)!

Jesus said, “ Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock ” ( Luke 6:47-48, NKJV ). But everyone who hears the words of Jesus and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on sinking sand. If you are building on sinking sand, the moment floodwaters rise, what you have built will collapse into a heap of ruins. However, if you build on the solid Rock, what you’re building will not be shaken, when the storms of life hit.  For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? — Psalm 18:31 (NLT)

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. — Ephesians 4:1 (NIV) As any parent can attest, we only want the best for our children. We want to see them do well and excel in life. Our heavenly Father desires the same for us. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity (Hebrews 6:1a, NIV). May we live the dynamic life, full of freedom, power, and joy, that Jesus paid the price for us to have! Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1:22, NAS). Stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God (Colossians 4:12b, AMP).

As I see a flurry of halloween decorations and activities, I am reminded of the real horror in life. The truly horrific thing is to live without hope in your heart. Hope is the earnest  expectation that your future is better and more glorious than your past and your present; the belief that you will see the fulfillment of God’s promises and your dreams. To be alive and without hope is like being a zombie, the walking dead. Before we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were in the world, dead in ours sins, and without hope (Ephesians 2:1, 12). But now in Christ Jesus we have been made alive and partakers of God’s wonderful promises. Put your hope in God and it will not be cut off. Hebrews 10:23 says, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.” — Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)

At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, — 2 Timothy 4:16-17a (NKJV)  Although people may desert you when you need them most, the Lord is faithful. He will never abandon you. Not only does He stand with you, He gives you the strength to stand. You may be hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; you may be perplexed, but not in despair; you may be persecuted, but not forsaken; you may be struck down, but, praise God, you are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)!

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.  — Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) Thank God for waking us up this morning, to live a life full of His grace. Praise God that His compassions never fail. Today we have received brand new mercies (Lamentations 3:22-23). The LORD is our God, and we will praise Him; He is our God, we will exalt Him. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:28-29).

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. — 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT) Avoid shipwreck! Keep your conscience clear and tightly hold on to your faith in Christ. He is our Life Preserver. Don't be moved by the winds of adversity nor tossed to and fro by violent waves. If we keep the faith and remember that we have the victory in Jesus, we can weather any storm and keep sailing on course, to our desired destination.

But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. — 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NAS)  Isaiah 54:17 says, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection (Proverbs 30:5, NLT). After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you (1 Peter 5:10, NAS). Amen!

It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. — Psalm 118:8-9 (NKJV) The solid foundation of God stands, and it will not be moved. Fully trust and rely on the LORD. Your help comes from Him. The LORD is your keeper and He will not slumber (Psalm 121:3, 5). The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore (Psalm 121:8). Keep your confidence in Him. Amen!

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; — Colossians 4:2 (NKJV) Do not grow weary in prayer, but maintain a sincere and intense conviction that God hears you and He is faithful to answer. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Let prayer be your first course of action, not your last resort.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. — Philippians 5:6 (NLT) In every situation and circumstance, pray and petition God. Continue to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19, NKJV).