Manna for Your Morning

Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. — Philippians 3:12 (AMP) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14 AMP) Instead of dwelling on the loss and disappointments of 2020, look forward to 2021 with a living hope and expectation of what our great God will do and is doing right now. We must hold on to the progress we have already made (See Philippians 3:16 NLT), and press on to perfection. Press on to maturity (See Hebrews 6:1) Let’s press on to know the LORD!  (See Hosea 6:3) Press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize.

People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. — Isaiah 26:3-4 MSG Set your mind on the LORD. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude  (Psalm 62:8 NLT) Yes, trust in the Lord Yahweh forever and ever! For Yah, the Lord God, is your Rock of Ages! (Isaiah 26:4 TPT) Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who makes the LORD his trust, and does not regard the proud nor those who lapse into lies. (Psalm 40:4 AMP)

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Interlude — Psalm 46:1-3 (NLT) Our mighty God is a proven help in time of trouble. He is more than enough and always available. Just call upon Him. In the dark day of gloom and doom, His light still shines bright. Amen.

But I have trusted and relied on and been confident in Your lovingkindness and faithfulness; My heart shall rejoice and delight in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me. — Psalm 13:5-6 (AMP) Thus says the LORD, “ Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind ...” (Jeremiah 17:5 AMP) Let us trust in and rely on the unfailing love of the LORD. His love is constant. It does not change on the basis of our performance. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but he who trusts in and relies on the LORD shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness. (Psalm 32:10 AMP) “ Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the LORD and whose hope and confident expectation is the LORD. ” — Jeremiah 17:7 (AMP)

Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul, and all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name. Bless and affectionately praise the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits; Who forgives all your sins, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle. — Psalm 103:1-5 (AMP) Never forget all the good Yahweh has done. Long before He gave birth to the earth and before the mountains were born, He has been from everlasting to everlasting, the one and only true God. (See Psalm 90:2 TPT). And what a good God He is!

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer]. For He is our God and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you will hear His voice, — Psalm 95:6-7 (AMP)  May we continually give thanks and worship the LORD, our Maker. Bow down in humility and with a heart attitude of submission to our heavenly Father. For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for us all, he certainly won’t withhold from us anything else he has to give. (Romans 8:32 TPT) Now may God, the inspiration and fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with his super-abundance until you radiate with hope! — Romans 15:13 (TPT)

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” — Matthew 2:1-2 (NLT) The wise men came to Jesus to worship Him. They did not come to see what they could get from Him, instead they bowed down in humility and worshiped Him in adoration. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (See Matthew 2:11) May we come to the throne of grace and worship Christ each and every day, God gives us breath. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen. — Jude 25 (NLT)

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. — John 8:44 (NLT) I know this is an odd Scripture for Christmas Eve, but I was reminded in my quiet time this morning, how much of a liar the devil really is. One Christmas morning over 28 years ago, I was being bombarded with suicidal thoughts. The devil was telling me, I may as well kill myself because my life was never going to get any better. Liar, liar, liar! God has blessed my life exceedingly beyond what I could have ever imagined that day. If this Christmas season finds you in a difficult place, remember the Scripture God gave me that morning: Psalm 27:13 (NKJV) , I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. If you are be...

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6 (NASB) Isaiah says Jesus will be called. Have you called upon Him today? He is the Wonderful Counselor . Unlike therapists and advisors in the world, our Wonderful Counselor has no office hours. We can talk to Him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. One of the definitions of wonderful is extremely good. Oh how good, is our God! Call upon our Mighty God . He is all-powerful. He is the source of strength and power. With Him, ALL things are possible. Call upon Eternal Father . Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, and is in every moment in between the two. Wherever you are today, He is there with you. And He cares for you as a good Father. Call upon the Prince of Peace . God’s peace, exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds ...

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. — James 1:17 (NASB) During this time of year, so many are consumed with finding the perfect gift. Let us pause and remember that JESUS is the most precious and perfect gift of all time. Let us reflect on how we can give more of Jesus to those in our lives. He is the best and greatest gift of all time. Then we need to ask ourselves, what gift are we going to offer King JESUS , our Savior? It is the season in which we choose to celebrate HIS birth. Will we bring Him a humble heart, submitted to doing the will of the Father? Will we present the members of our body to Him as holy vessels, ready to be used to bring glory to the Kingdom of God? Will we seek peace and actively pursue it, with all people? What are you willing to lay on His altar today?

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. — 1 Peter 4:19 (NLT) Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12 NLT) …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) Amen.

So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. — Hebrews 6:18-19 (NLT) So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)

One thing I have asked of the LORD, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD [in His presence] all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. — Psalm 27:4 (AMP) The one thing we have that no one can ever take away from us is the Presence of our heavenly Father. In His Presence, we have all that we need. His hand has no limitations. His love knows no boundaries. The love of His light and grace reaches into the darkest crevices of our hearts and brings healing and wholeness. He sees all and knows all, and He still loves us, and wants only the best for us. He says to each person, “ Come closer. ” Let His love draw you closer and gaze upon His divine and glorious beauty today.

“And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are  the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. — Hebrews 10:38-39 (NLT) The righteous do not live by their fickle feelings, nor by the ways of this world. We live by faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV). So now we must cling tightly to the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. (Hebrews 10:23-24 TPT)

Do not yield to fear, for I am always near. Never turn your gaze from me,[a] for I am your faithful God. I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation. I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.’ — Isaiah 41:10 (TPT) Have no fear because our great God is near. He is Elohim, the all-powerful Creator of the universe. Nothing is too difficult for Him. He is also, El Roi, the God Who sees you. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He knows what you're going to say even before you say it. (See Psalm 139:4) Our heavenly Father knows your exact circumstances, and He has already made a way through, just for you. Amen and Hallelujah!

If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. — John 12:26 (AMP) Faithfully follow Jesus, without hesitation. May everyone who knows your mercy keep putting their trust in you, for they can count on you for help no matter what. O Lord, you will never, no never, neglect those who come to you. (Psalm 9:10 TPT) Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (Psalm 23:4 NLT)

At my first trial no one supported me [as an advocate] or stood with me, but they all deserted me. May it not be counted against them [by God]. But the Lord stood by me and strengthened and empowered me… — 2 Timothy 4:16-17 (AMP) When all others desert you, know that the Lord stands by you. He will strengthen and empower you to do His will and complete the ministry He has given to you. I encourage you to fight the good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith. (See 2 Timothy 4:7) Be a good soldier of Jesus the Anointed One.  For You bless the righteous person, LORD, You surround him with favor as with a shield. — Psalm 5:12 (NASB)

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. — 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) The world is unstable, and constantly changing, but we don’t have to be blown back and forth with the waves of current events. Bombarding your mind with a constant flow of negative news, will lead to despair and feelings of defeat. Instead fix your gaze upon Jesus and renew your mind with the living Word of God. He is our strong foundation and our stability. He is the everlasting Prince of Peace. In His Presence is fullness of joy, and He has already gained the victory for us. And He will be the security and stability of your times, a treasure of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is your treasure. — Isaiah 33:6 (AMP)

Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “The LORD is certainly in this place, and I did not know it!” — Genesis 28:16 (NASB) When Jacob was in the middle of the desert, on the run for his life, God gave him a dream. As he slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. The LORD stood at the top of the stairway and spoke to him. When Jacob woke up, he was aware that God was with him. Wherever you are today, remember, the LORD is certainly in that place with you. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Let His Presence give you comfort, confidence and courage to press on.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. — Romans 8:2 (NASB) We are no longer slaves to sin. Jesus has set us free to live a more abundant life of love, joy, and peace, in holiness and righteousness. So now, what can I ever give back to God to repay him for the blessings he’s poured out on me? I will lift up his cup of salvation and praise him extravagantly for all that he’s done for me. (Psalm 116:12-13 TPT) Lord, because I am your loving servant, you have broken open my life and freed me from my chains. Now I’ll worship you passionately and bring to you my sacrifice of praise, drenched with thanksgiving! (Psalm 116:16-17 TPT) May our lips continually give thanks to God and praise Him. He has been so good to us, and His goodness and mercy extends to all generations. “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to captives, and recovery of si...