Manna for Your Morning

“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ — Malachi 3:7 (LSB) James 4:8 (AMP) says: “Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].” You can be sure that when you draw near to Yahweh He will draw near to you. In Isaiah 29:13 (NASB1995) the Lord said: “…this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…” 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 NASB1995)

The LORD is good, a strength and stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows [He recognizes, cares for, and understands fully] those who take refuge and trust in Him. — Nahum 1:7 (AMP) In Isaiah 29:13 (NKJV), the Lord said, “…these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me…” Yahweh is good and it is good for us to draw near to Him, with sincere hearts. Let us make the Lord GOD our refuge and place our trust in Him alone. Be sure to tell of all His wonderful works. (See Psalms 73:28 AMP) “Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting.” (James (Jacob) 4:8 TPT) “But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh, for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!” — Psalms 73:28 (TPT)

“And since we now have a magnificent High Priest to welcome us into God’s house, we come closer to God and approach him with an open heart, fully convinced that nothing will keep us at a distance from him. For our hearts have been sprinkled with blood to remove impurity, and we have been freed from an accusing conscience. Now we are clean, unstained, and presentable to God inside and out!” — Hebrews 10:21-22 (TPT) Being united with God is our highest good. (See Psalms 73:28 GW) Therefore let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. (Hebrews 4:16 AMP) In Matthew 15:8 (NKJV), Yeshua says: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.” Let us draw near to the throne of our graciou...

‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. — Exodus 19:4 (AMP) The continual call of Yahweh is for us to come to Him and stay close to Him, on a daily basis. The call of God in Christ Jesus is an upward call. (See Philippians 3:14) “Don’t you know? Haven’t you heard? The Eternal, the Everlasting God, the Creator of the whole world, never gets tired or weary. His wisdom is beyond understanding. God strengthens the weary and gives vitality to those worn down by age and care.” (Isaiah 40:28-29 VOICE)  Even youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, but those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired. (Isaiah 40:30-31 AMP) Entwine your heart with Yahweh and you will ex...

But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. — Ephesians 2:13 (TLV) The call of God is always for us to come closer to Him. The nearness of God is for our good. When we wander away from Yahweh we make ourselves vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Draw near and abide in Him. Make the Lord GOD your refuge, and tell of all His wonderful works. (See Psalms 73:28) Dwell in the shelter of the Most High and abide in the shadow of the Almighty. For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper and from the deadly pestilence. (See Psalms 91:1, 3 NASB1995) “ Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting. ” — James (Jacob) 4:8 (TPT)

Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people]. — James 4:8 (AMP) When we draw near to God, it is a matter of the heart. James 4:8 (TPT) says: Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. Let us come close to our heavenly Father with a repentant heart. One that is soft and ready to be molded by Him. If our loyalty is divided between God and the world we are being double-minded. (See James 4:8 NLT) Don't let the desire for any earthly thing, lure you away from the Kingdom of God, which is about your righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. (See Romans 14:17) May we cast off the ways and attitudes of this world and set our affections on Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is our Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6), and the Savior of the World (1 John 4:14). Love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,...

Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other. — James 4:8 (VOICE) So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time (See James 4:7-8 MSG) Our Heavenly Father is faithful. James 4:8 (NASB1995) says when you draw near to God, He will draw near to you. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 NASB1995)  Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to h...

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. — Psalm 100:4-5 (NASB) It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim His unfailing love in the morning, and His faithfulness in the evening, (Psalm 92:1-2). Enter His gates and come into His courts. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. (James 4:8 NLT) …let us [with privilege] approach the throne of grace [that is, the throne of God’s gracious favor] with confidence and without fear, so that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find [His amazing] grace to help in time of need [an appropriate blessing, coming just at the right moment]. — Hebrews 4:16 (AMP)

Come close to the one true God, and He will draw close to you. Wash your hands; you have dirtied them in sin. Cleanse your heart, because your mind is split down the middle, your love for God on one side and selfish pursuits on the other. — James 4:8 (VOICE) Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you. (James 4:8a TPT) So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. (James 4:7-10 MSG)

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. — James 4:8 (NLT) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. How can we draw near to God? We are drawing closer to God when our first thoughts, after we awaken, are of Him and His goodness, for giving us another day. We draw near to God when the deepest desire of our hearts is for more of His Presence living in us, occupying every crevice. We draw near to Him, when we acknowledge that we can do nothing without Him. We come closer to our heavenly Father when we worship Him, with humble hearts and attitudes of gratitude, grateful for even the air He gives us to breathe. We draw near to God when we realize that He is the only One who can fulfill us, the only One who can mend the broken pieces of our lives. He is the One who completes us. No matter where we are, in our walk with God, He is always calling us to come closer.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. — James 4:8 (NLT) With the flurry of activity that comes during the Christmas season, remember to draw near to God and abide in Him. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us. He is good and He does good. The LORD is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation. (Psalm 145:9) His nearness is our good. As long as we continually draw near to our Heavenly Father, we are good. And if we wander off...  The LORD is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. (Psalm 25:8) But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign LORD my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do . — Psalm 73:28 (NLT)

“ Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love. ” — Isaiah 55:2-3 (MSG) Let us come close to the LORD and listen carefully to His life-giving, life-nourishing words. His Word brings healing and wholeness. It comforts, strengthens and encourages. His Word stands forever and lasts throughout all types of storms and battles. His Word gives us hope and preserves our lives. In His Word, our heavenly Father tells us of the sure, solid and enduring love, He has for us. May we feast on His Word.

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. — James 4:8 (NLT) If you have let the world draw you away from God, come running back to Him. Isaiah 55:7, in the Message Bible says: ...come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness. Continually come closer to our heavenly Father and let Him love you the way only He can. Nothing in this world can satisfy our souls, like our Abba Father. May the greatest hunger of our hearts be for more His Presence in our lives. As we first fellowship with the LORD, then we are able to flourish in our relationships with others. “Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words. I’m making a lasting covenant commitment with you, the same that I made with David: sure, solid, enduring love.” (Isaiah 55:3 MSG)

Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. — James 4:8 (NLT) May we set our affections on the Lord and be totally devoted to Him. What the world has to offer is temporary and superficial. It is good for us to draw near to God (Psalm 73:8), for in Him we live and move and have our being, (Acts 17:28). Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free, and God’s loyal people will triumph. (Proverbs 11:21 MSG) For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. (2 Chronicles 16:9a NKJV)

The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. — Psalm 145:18 (NLT) The key to experiencing a successful, productive and prosperous life is to consistently walk closely with our heavenly Father. We were created for fellowship with Abba Father and His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalm 27:10 NLT says, even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Our hearts long for that fellowship and anything else we use as a substitute leaves us empty. When we wander away from Him, we are like sheep gone astray. We end up falling into ditches and dark places. We don’t have to go to any particular place to maintain a closer walk with Him, since our body is His temple. We maintain a close intimate relationship with Him by having a continual conversation as we go about our day and always giving thanks. We keep that connection with Him as we praise Him for all He is doing and worship Him for who He is.  Come close to God, and God will come...

But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. — Matthew 26:58 (NIV) When they arrested Jesus, Peter followed at a distance. This distance eventually led to his denial of Christ. When we allow distance between us and the Lord, it leaves room for distractions, deception and detours off of the right path. It is beneficial for us to closely follow Jesus. His nearness is our good. May we continually draw near to God and He will come close to us. And instead of sitting back being a spectator, let us engage and be an active participant in what God is doing in our lives and in the world. Rather than wait to see the outcome, we can have a positive impact on the outcome. But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; (Psalm 73:28a NIV)

So they brought what Moses commanded before the tabernacle of meeting. And all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD. — Leviticus 9:5 (NKJV) Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of meeting, and came out and blessed the people. Then the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people (Leviticus 9:23 NKJV). When the Israelites drew near to God, He drew near to them. God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34). When we come close to God, God will come close to us. (James 4:8a NLT). And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you, by the mercies of God, that you daily draw near to God and present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. Give Him all of you, as a vessel for His glory. And He will fill your temple with His Presence. What greater blessing is there?

“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.” — Isaiah 55:3 (NLT) The Message Bible says, Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. Pay attention, come close now, listen carefully to my life-giving, life-nourishing words . With all the extraneous noise and voices clamoring for our attention, let us keep an open ear to hear His still small voice. His words give life and nourishment to our souls. Draw near to our heavenly Father, with your ears wide open. The closer you are to Him the more likely you are to hear His voice.