Manna for Your Morning

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. — Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) “I will sing of the LORD’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness. Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.” (Psalms 89:1-2 NLT) “Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 TPT) In Psalms 89:33-34 (NKJV) the LORD said: “…My lovingkindness I will not utterly take from him, nor allow My faithfulness to fail. My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” May we trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. (See Psalms 37:3 NASB1995)

“But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.” — 1 Peter 2:9 (TPT) God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. (See 1 John 1:5 NASB1995) He has called us out of the darkness to live in the light. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8 NLT) With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. (Ephesians 4:17 NLT) Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. (See Philippians 2:15 NLT) “For at one time you were not God’s people, but now you are. At one time you knew nothing of God’s mercy, because you hadn’t received it yet...

Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was over nine feet tall! Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! — 1 Samuel 17:4, 8 (NLT) When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. (1 Samuel 17:11 NASB1995) However, when David heard the taunt of Goliath, he volunteered to go and fight the Philistine (See 1 Samuel 17:32) David had confidence that the LORD who delivered him from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, would also deliver him from the hand of the Philistine. Don’t be like the Israelites and cower in discouragement and fear, when the enemy taunts you with his lies. Instead, be like David, and face your enemy in the name of the LORD of hosts (See 1 Samuel 17:4...

Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name.  — Psalm 100:4 (AMP)   Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 107:1 NKJV) Our Heavenly Father is so kind, faithful and generous. He created the heavens and the earth and all that they contain. God richly and ceaselessly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (See 1 Timothy 6:17 AMP) Instead of complaining about what we don’t have, may we receive with an heartfelt attitude of thanksgiving, all that Yahweh has provided for us. And learn to be content with whatever we have. May we know how to live on almost nothing or with everything, and in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. (See Philippians 4:11-12 NLT)  They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor 
and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.” — Revelation ...

“Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.” — Job 16:19 (AMP) Satan is the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses us before our God day and night. (See Revelation 12:10) But Jesus is our Mediator and Advocate. He intercedes for us, with the Father. For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.(1 Timothy 2:5 NLT) He offered Himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. “You are my dear children, and I write these things to you so that you won’t sin. But if anyone does sin, we continually have a forgiving Redeemer who is face-to-face with the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 TPT) He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. (Psalm 37:6 NKJV)

“In those coming days,” says the LORD, “the people of Israel will return home together with the people of Judah. They will come weeping and seeking the LORD their God. They will ask the way to Jerusalem and will start back home again. They will bind themselves to the LORD with an eternal covenant that will never be forgotten.” — Jeremiah 50:4-5 (NLT) If we have strayed away, in any part of our hearts, let us return home into the arms of our loving, heavenly Father. May we sever the ties to this world and bind ourselves to Elohim, our Creator. In Jeremiah 24:7 (NLT) God says: “I will give them hearts that recognize me as the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.” May we have a heart that recognizes Him as the Most High God, the all- sufficient One, the Everlasting God. He does not change (See Malachi 3:6) and God shows no favoritism. (See Acts 10:24) He is Immanuel, God with us!

““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” — Isaiah 55:8-9 NASB Our thoughts are like the railroad tracks and our ways are like the train. Our thoughts will lay the path for the actions we take. Continually renew your mind with the Word of God. And elevate your thoughts. For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he... — Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. — Philippians 2:5-8 (NASB) For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Philippians 2:9-10 NASB) Come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:6-7) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:8,10)

For You have made him most blessed forever; You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. — Psalm 21:6 (NKJV) If we have allowed the enemy to steal our joy, we have probably been focusing on our problems instead of His Presence. Instead of external circumstances being the thermometer of our joy, may we continually draw our greatest joy from the presence of the LORD's Holy Spirit who dwells in us. And do not be worried, for the joy of the LORD is your strength and your stronghold. (Nehemiah 8:10 AMP) He is the stability of our lives. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. (Psalm 16:11 NLT)

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 12:1b-2 (NLT) Jesus endured the cross by focusing on His future. May we triumph over the challenges of today by keeping our eyes on Jesus and the glorious future we have in Him. Never lose sight of where you are headed.  For I consider [from the standpoint of faith] that the sufferings of the present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us!  (Romans 8:18 AMP) Revelation 2:7 (AMP) says,  …To him who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant [the privilege] to eat [the fruit] from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.’ Revelation 21:3-4 (NLT) goes on to say, I he...

“Be still, and know that I am God!I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” — Psalm 46:10 (NLT) There is immeasurable value in knowing God our heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit at work in us. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him (Philippians 3:8-9a, NLT). The Amplified Bible says, it is a priceless privilege and supreme advantage to know Christ Jesus my Lord. (Philippians 3:8) Our lives do not have to be so complicated. When we still our minds from racing through “what if” scenarios and focus on drawing near to our God, He will make all things quite clear. Let us focus on His loving nature, His mighty power and infinite wisdom to bring us through life’s challenges, and He will provide exactly what we need, when we need it.

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. — Isaiah 40:31 (NLT) Have you ever read this Scripture and wondered why you felt weary? I have found that I grow weary when I'm trying to accomplish a task or face a challenge, in my own strength. As we maintain our trust in the LORD, we will always find new strength. We are to let the wind of His love be the force that carries us above our current set of circumstances and keeps us in His perfect state of peace. As we surrender to God’s will and His ways, His mighty power works through us to fulfill all that He desires of us. That's when we are able to soar high.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, — Psalm 92:12-14 (NKJV) Cedars of Lebanon have been growing for 1000 to 2000 years. They are stable and experience continuous growth. No matter what your age, if you are alive on this planet at this time, God has a plan and a purpose for you! May we continually grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) and bear fruit for His Kingdom. Let’s stay fresh and continue to flourish in the courts of our God!

For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.  — Psalm 18:31-32 (NKJV) Our God is a solid rock. We can stand securely in Him. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength (Isaiah 40:29). God arms us with strength and His glorious power works in us and through us to bring about His perfect will. Stay on the path He has for you and run or walk, but at least keep going in the right direction. The LORD will make a way for you!

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, — Romans 14:17 (NIV) The person who serves Christ with this in mind is pleasing to God and respected by people (Romans 14:18, GW). Do what you know is the right thing to do in every situation. Pursue those things which bring peace in all your relationships. And don't let the enemy steal your joy! That's living large in the kingdom of God!

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV) Cast all your cares on the LORD and then be still. When we trust God enough to leave our concerns in His hands, we come to know that He is God, that He is a mighty God and that He is able to handle everything that concerns us. Be still and know that He indeed is Almighty God, the Most High over all the earth. Hallelujah!

But God told Samuel, “Looks aren’t everything. Don’t be impressed with his looks and stature. I’ve already eliminated him. God judges persons differently than humans do. Men and women look at the face; God looks into the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (The Message) Don’t be impressed with physical characteristics. As 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NAS) says, “our outer man is decaying.” When it comes to being a man or woman of God, the condition of your heart is what matters. God looks for people after his own heart. When God looks into your heart what does He see? Is it overflowing with unconditional love, kindness and compassion? When you are squeezed, does patience and humility gush from the crevices of your heart? Is His Word among the hidden treasures of your heart? May God create in you a pure heart that is fully committed to Him. I pray your heart would be continually filled with the glorious light and joy of His Holy Spirit.

"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Matthew 12:40 (NIV) Those three days Jesus spent in the heart of the earth were a time of mourning and weeping for His followers. They lost all hope. However, Jesus had already told His disciples in John 16:20, "I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy." We will experience times of weeping, as well as times of laughter. There will be times to mourn and times to dance. We often walk through dark valleys, before we come into the Light. We have to endure the battle before we can claim the victory. Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5). Hallelujah! May the rising of the Son usher a season of great joy into your life. Love, Jackie