Manna for Your Morning

And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’” — 1 Kings 17:13-14 (NKJV) After the brook dried up, God instructed Elijah to go to the village of Zarephath, because He had instructed a widow there to feed him. (1 Kings 17:7-9). When Elijah came to the gate of the city, the widow was there gathering sticks. When he asked her for a little water and a morsel of bread, she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” (1 Kings 17:12-14) When Elijah relayed God’s message to her, the widow went away and d...

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” — Luke 24:30 (NKJV) In all of these accounts: Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, and Luke 24:30, Jesus blessed the bread before it was broken. Just because we have been broken by some horrific events in our past, doesn't mean that we are not blessed. We can be both at the same time, blessed and broken. We may be struck down, but never destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9 AMP). After Jesus was beaten, and  crucified, He received the blessing of sitting at the right hand of the Father. We too will be broken as we receive our blessings and go from one glory to another. Brokenness builds strength and tenacity in us, and increases the capacity we have to give to others. It adds a richness and depth to our life experiences than if we never had anything to overcome. In our brokenness, we have bits and pieces of ourselves that we can share with those God brings into our lives an...

Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. — Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NKJV) All of what God provides is not for our own consumption. We are to invest some into the Kingdom of God and into others. Our heavenly Father insures a return. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap (Galatians 6:7, NKJV). Be a wise steward of all that you have received from God. Give generously of your time, your talents and your finances, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Luke 12:34). Amen!

When the Israelites saw it, they said one to another, Manna [What is it?]. For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. — Exodus 16:15 (AMP) Manna was bread from heaven which the LORD provided for the children of Israel to eat, for forty years. However, when it first came, they didn't recognize it. Sometimes God’s provision for us doesn’t come the way we thought it would or it doesn’t look the way we thought it should. At those times we must fully trust the LORD, and know that He has a master plan for our lives and it's a plan for good and not for harm. Let’s stand in faith, and be thankful for all of God’s provision.

Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”  — Mark 8:4-5 (NKJV) What appeared to be lack to the disciples, fed four thousand people. They ate and were satisfied and the disciples took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments (Mark 8:8). We serve a God of more than enough. If you have been asking God "how?" look at the skills, talents and resources He has already given you. Thank God for them and start using them! He will provide whatever is lacking.

After he took the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and blessed the food. He broke the loaves apart and kept giving them to the disciples to give to the people.  — Mark 6:41 (GW) Jesus fed more than five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish. All of them ate as much as they wanted and the leftover pieces, filled twelve baskets. Instead of looking at where you seem to be lacking, take what you DO have and look to Almighty God. Thank Him for what He has given you and ask Him to bless it. Our heavenly Father is the God of more than enough. The enemy would like you to believe you don't have enough, but God will show you His abundant supply. Keep looking up!