Manna for Your Morning

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NASB1995) Instead of looking for comfort in the culture of this world, look for comfort in the arms of our heavenly Father and in His Kingdom. Anything of this world that gives us comfort is temporary. It eventually leaves us empty and dry. In the LORD, we have everlasting joy and peace, and a love that never fails. He is faithful and forgiving and full of grace and mercy. Romans 15:5 says, He is the God of patience and comfort. Second Corinthians 7:6 (AMP) says, God comforts and encourages the depressed and the disquieted. No matter what you are going through, may you find comfort in His Presence. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of compassion and God of all...

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Then Gideon said to him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about…” — Judges 6:12-13a (NASB) God never said His people would not go through things. In John 16:33, Jesus warned that in the world we would have many trials and sorrows. The promise is that He is with us always. He is our constant Companion and Comforter. The Lord makes a way for us, through the storms of life. He gives us strength to persevere to the end. Take courage, Jesus has overcome the world. Continue in prayer and praise to our heavenly Father. Keep your trust and hope in the Lord. The  “ why? ”  of our circumstances is not as important as the  “ WHO ” In God, we have all we need to overcome.

My dearly loved brothers and sisters, don’t be misled. Every good gift bestowed, every perfect gift received comes to us from above, courtesy of the Father of lights. He is consistent. He won’t change His mind or play tricks in the shadows . — James 1:16-17 (VOICE) As Believers, our heavenly Father has bestowed upon us so many gifts:  to eat and drink and see the good in all of our hard work is a gift from God. (Ecclesiastes 3:13 VOICE) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8 NLT) He has given us grace, peace, joy, and so many precious promises in His Word. He continually lavishes us with His unfailing love. However, the most prized and precious gift of all is the gift of His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:45) dwelling within us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Helper and guide. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead, resides in us. The Holy Spirit enables us to fulfill the will of God...

But the Helper will teach you everything and will cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name. — John 14:26 (NCV) Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19) We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows that the great power is from God, not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7 NCV) We ourselves are like fragile clay jars with the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, in power and glory. What an awesome treasure! The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5 NKJV) The Holy Spirit is our Helper, Comforter, and Counselor. May we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our entire being, and let Him work in us and through us, to bring about the perfect will of the Father in our lives.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— John 14:16 (AMP) Our heavenly Father chooses to dwell with us. How awesome is that! With the Spirit of the LORD dwelling in us, we have an infinite source of strength and wisdom. The Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. Zechariah 4:6  says, ’Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. His Spirit working in us empowers us and enables us to do all that He has called us to do. Let us wait for His help and His guidance. So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. (Isaiah 30:18 NLT)

David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God. — 1 Samuel 30:6 (NIV) When David and his men came to Ziklag, their enemies had invaded the city, attacked it and burned it with fire. (1 Samuel 30:1) And their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive. (Samuel 30:3) Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they were too exhausted to weep [any longer]. (1 Samuel 30:4 AMP) But David found strength in the LORD. When the enemy invades your life and everything seems lost, find strength in the Lord of lords and the King of kings. When those who once walked with you, hurl bitter insults and accusations against you, find strength in our faithful God. During those times that cause you to weep until you can weep no more, rise up out of the ashes and find strength to continue on with our mighty S...

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. — John 14:16-17 (NKJV) John 16:7 (AMP) tells us that Jesus sent the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) to be in close fellowship with us. He wants to develop an intimate relationship with us. Because He dwells in us, we have overcome (past tense). You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. (1 John 4:4 NLT) ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6 NKJV)

But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”  — Ruth 1:20-21 (NKJV) First, Naomi lost her husband, then her two sons died. In Ruth 1:13, she said, “the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!” Sometimes, our pain has a way of distorting our perspective of God. Despite the bitter life events you may face, remember that God is for you and He is with you. His Holy Spirit who dwells within us, is our comforter and helper. Naomi’s story is one of perseverance. Even though she returned to her home town empty, she had more than she realized. God was with her and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, stood by her side and listened to her instruction. As a result, Ruth married Boaz and bore a son, and Naomi was able to care for her grandchild. Then the women said to N...

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. — Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) Believing that God exists is the first step in the right direction. He is the great I AM. He is in your past, present and future. And He will always be all that you ever need: Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Helper, Counselor, Friend, Comforter, Guide, Protector, etc. We must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. His eyes search the whole earth looking for those whose hearts are loyal (fully committed) to Him, that He might show Himself strong on their behalf (2 Chronicles 16:9). Diligent implies consistent, rigorous devotion and attention. Diligently, seek the LORD, not just in bad times or when its convenient, or when you “feel” like it.

But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty.” — Ruth 1:20-21 (NKJV) Naomi was to busy looking at her losses, the death of her husband and two sons, to see what she did have. She had a faithful daughter-in-law who was committed to her and her God. In the midst of adversity and affliction and even extreme suffering, we must remember that God is on our side and He is in the process of working everything together for good. It’s not over yet! Instead of focusing on the emptiness, what you don’t have, look at what you do have, a compassionate God who loves you. When you “feel” empty, fill your cup with the Presence of His Holy Spirit, our Comforter.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace. The number of people increased as people lived in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. — Acts 9:31 (GW) The early church had peace when the believers lived in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May we live with a deep sense of reverence and honor for God. And be encouraged by the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. He is our Helper and comforter. Then you will live in peace.