Manna for Your Morning

Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead (Luke 10:30 NIV). First a priest and a Levite, a religious man passed by on the same road, and avoided the injured man. Then a Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. — Luke 10:33-35 MSG Does your heart go out to those in need? Many of us, in the busyness of our day, pass by those in need, physically and spiritually, everyday. May we have discernment and let our hearts engage with those in need. If we picture ourselves in the place of the man left half dead on the side of the road, it will be easier to extend a helping hand. In Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to on...

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. — Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV) When we have done or said something contrary to the nature and character of God, we often try to hide, like Adam did in the Garden of Eden. But no matter where we go, our heavenly Father is there. Even the darkness does not hide us from Him (Psalm 139-11-12). What is helpful for us to remember is that He is not there to beat us up, but to pick us up and guide us back onto the path of life and into fellowship with Him. Instead of running away, return to Him and be restored.

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)