Manna for Your Morning

“I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” — Philippians 1:6 (AMP) Yahweh is faithful to complete the good work He is doing in each believer. Know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (See James 1:3-4 NASB1995) “Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25 NLT)

So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. — Colossians 2:10 (NLT) Walk in continual union with Christ. This union we have with Him is vital for our spiritual, mental and emotional well-being. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “… apart from me you can do nothing .” In this union with our Savior, love is completed and perfected with us (See 1 John 4:17 AMP) We can draw our strength from Him and be empowered through our union with Him. (See Ephesians 6:10 AMP) In His Presence, we have fullness of joy. (See Psalm 16:11) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union with the Christ, the Anointed] have clothed yourselves with Christ [that is, you have taken on His characteristics and values]. (Galatians 3:27 AMP) Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in [union with] Him [reflecting His character in the things you do and say—living lives that lead others away from sin], (Colossians 2:6 AMP)

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. — 1 Peter 5:10 (AMP) We will endure some light momentary affliction and times of trouble, however, God will restore us, support us, and give us strength. He will place us on a firm foundation and build us up. Our heavenly Father blesses us with His favor and has called us to His everlasting presence through Jesus, the Anointed One. He endured the cross, disregarded its shame and is now seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. “... In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. ” — John 16:33 (NKJV)

But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace. — Acts 20:24 (CSB) Our purpose is to complete the course, that we received from our Lord and Savior. The primary assignment the Master Jesus gave Believers of letting everyone we meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. May we continually do the work, with joy, of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1 NLT) Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.  (Hebrews 12:1 MSG) May we continually...

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. — 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (NIV) Let us remember that the troubles we experience in this life, are light and momentary, when compared with the eternal glory they are producing for us. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever (2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG). After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace [who imparts His blessing and favor], who called you to His own eternal glory in Christ, will Himself complete, confirm, strengthen, and establish you [making you what you ought to be]. (1 Peter 5:10 AMP)

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. — James 1:2-4 (NLT) When troubles come, don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG) The opportunity for great joy is always there, when we look to Christ as our source, and not earthly circumstances. You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last det...

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. — Colossians 2:9-10 (NKJV) Most people spend many years trying to fill the emptiness in us with things or people of this world. This is a fruitless effort. However, when we open our hearts to Jesus, we experience fullness of joy and complete peace. In Christ, we can have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. (John 10:10b AMP) You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything. (Colossians 2:9-10 MSG) May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:19 (NLT)

...for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ — Acts 17:28 (NKJV) When we try to “do” life without God, it leads to frustration and failure. In Him, we are able to live the abundant life. In Him, there is fullness of joy. The Lord is the only One who can complete us. We were created to live and move and exist in Him. Don't let the enemy draw you away from the very source or your life, your purpose and your extraordinary destiny.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. — James 1:2-3 (NLT) When troubles of any kind come your way, there exists a opportunity for advancement and success. Your perseverance leads to your perfection. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:4 NIV). The challenges we face, are opportunities for God to show Himself strong and mighty on our behalf. Any obstacle we face gives us a chance to strengthen our faith. They remind us that we walk by faith and not by what we see. What appears to be a drawback is really a set-up for your success.

God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us… — 1 John 4:17 (MSG) If we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! (1 John 4:12 MSG). Let the love of God be fully formed in you by taking up permanent residence in Him and allowing Him full access to every area of your life. As we open our hearts to God, the flow of His love from us to others will be constant. When people say or do something that offends us, we are able to respond with the love that God has poured into our hearts. It's God's amazing love that heals our hurts and strengthens our spirits. It's His perfect love that brings unity to the family of believers and draws unbelievers closer to Him. The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both (1 John 4:21 MSG).

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. — Colossians 2:9-10 (NLT) In Christ, we have everything we need. When we come to Him anxious and fearful, He gives us true peace, strength and courage. When we are emotionally wiped out, He refreshes our souls. When we come to Him broken, He heals us and fills in the gaps. When we come to Him empty, He fills us with joy, hope and a more abundant life. The Message Bible says: You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. Colossians 2:9-10 (MSG)

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. — James 1:2-4 (NKJV) James 1:2, in the New Living Translation says, dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. The various trials and challenges we go through give us the opportunity to let faith and patience work in us, to make us perfect, complete and mature; a state of lacking nothing. Be patient and remain confident that you will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13 (NIV). Amen.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. — Isaiah 55:10-11 (MSG) When current events and circumstances don’t seem to line up with the promises God has spoken to you, go with His Word. Stand on His Word. Speak His Word. Live His Word. Our words and actions need to align with His Word. And then we can rest in His Word, knowing that His words do not return to Him without doing the work He sent them to do. He has a 100% track record of fulfilling every promise. Hallelujah!

Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer. — Romans 12:12 (AMP) Keep your hope in God alive. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Proverbs 10:28 says, the hope of the righteous will be gladness. As you face various trials, let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:4). And devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart (Colossians 4:2 NLT). Instead of a prayer time, have a prayer life. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. (James 5:16b)

The LORD replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” — Exodus 33:14 (NLT) When God called Moses to lead His people to the Promised Land, Moses felt inadequate for the task and voiced concerns about who God was going to send with him. (Exodus 33:12). We may feel unequipped to perform the task the LORD has given to us, but as long as we have His Presence with us, we are more than able. God He will provide whatever we need to complete the assignment.  In Exodus 33:14 (NCV), the LORD says, “I myself will go with you, and I will give you victory.” Amen!

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. — Ephesians 3:18-19 (NLT) It’s an unconditional love that says, “no matter how bad you messed up, I forgive you.” It’s a love so strong, that even when we walk away or turn our backs to Him, He still loves us and holds His arms open wide upon our return. It’s a love so generous, that Jesus, gave His life for our reconciliation to the Father. God desires to be in fellowship with us, His beloved children. He takes great delight in us. Nothing on this earth can separate us from His unstoppable love. We will only experience the fullness of His life and power in us, when we begin to understand this amazing, amazing love we have in God.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. — Romans 5:3 (AMP) Regardless of any troubles and sufferings, we can be full of joy right now, knowing that patient endurance is the outcome. Patient endurance is what we need now, so that we will continue to do God’s will. Then we will receive all that He has promised (Hebrews 10:36 NLT). When our endurance is fully developed, we will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 1:4 NLT). Therefore… let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us (Hebrews 12:1 NLT).

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day. — Psalm 139:15-16 (MSG) Whatever stage of life you are in, be confident that God has prepared you for it and He will provide exactly what you need to get through it gracefully. He comprehends your path and your lying down, and is acquainted with all your ways (Psalm 139:3 NKJV). God is shaping you into a marvelous, awe-inspiring masterpiece. Let the Master Sculptor complete His perfect work in you.

Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. — John 19:30 (NAS) When Jesus gave up His spirit, on the cross, it was a complete work. He paid the debt for all our sins, past, present and future. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5, NKJV). Let us walk in the freedom and victory that Jesus established for us.

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.   — Psalm 37:5 (NLT)  Thoughts from my fourth hike: From the view at the beginning of this hike, it was obvious that it was a steep, uphill climb. It took courage to even start this hike, but once on the path, I stayed committed to complete the course. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we commit to follow Him. Sometimes we encounter a lot of uphill battles, but stay committed to Jesus. In difficult situations, remember to always pray and NEVER give up! (Luke 18:1, NLT) At the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint (Galatians 6:9b, AMP). The view from the top is sweet! The view from the top!