Manna for Your Morning

Jesus …[willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.  — Titus 2:14 (AMP) “…you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (See 1 Peter 2:9 NLT) “And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. (Titus 2:12-13 NLT)

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” — Matthew 1:23 (NKJV) No matter what you are going through, remember, God is with you. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. (Colossians 2:9 NLT) When you go through deep waters, He will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (See Isaiah 43:2 NLT) Don’t fear nor be discouraged because God is with you. He will strengthen you and help you. Surely, He will hold you up with His victorious right hand. (See Isaiah 41:10) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. — 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT)

This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. — Psalm 118:24 (NASB1995) Even though we may be distressed by various trials, we can still rejoice. The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials. (See 2 Peter 2:7-9NLT) For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV) So don’t focus your attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (See 2 Corinthians 4:18) …and though you have not seen Jesus, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (See 1 Peter 1:8-9 NASB1995)

Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. — Psalms 100:4 (NASB1995) My soul longs and even yearns for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. (See Psalms 9:1,84:2,10) Psalm 92:13-14 (AMP) says Planted in the house of the LORD, the righteous will flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age; They will flourish and be vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; Amen. Give to the LORD the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his courts. (Psalm 96:8 NLT) May we offer to YAHWEH a humble heart that is open to doing His will. Set your affections on ...

Every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change. — James 1:17 (TPT) Nothing in this world can compare to the good and perfect gifts we receive from our Heavenly Father. His gifts last forever, and they never fade or fail. Let us remember the wonderful gifts He has freely given us. God lavished His love on us before He laid the foundation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4). God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) (Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT) Our Heavenly Father has given us everlasting peace which surpasses all understanding (see John 14:27 & Philippians 4:7). And may we always treasure the One good and perfect gift: JESUS, our Savior! He is Immanuel (God with us), eternal King of king...

“And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are  the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. — Hebrews 10:38-39 (NLT) The righteous do not live by their fickle feelings, nor by the ways of this world. We live by faith. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV). So now we must cling tightly to the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love. (Hebrews 10:23-24 TPT)

Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; — Deuteronomy 7:9 (NASB) Know without a doubt that our God is a faithful Father. While people may disappoint you and let you down, our heavenly Father is forever faithful. He is faithful to fulfill every promise He has spoken. Trust and rely on His lovingkindness and faithfulness; Rejoice and delight in His salvation. (Psalm 13:5) Like a bird protecting its young, God will cover you with His feathers, will protect you under His great wings; His faithfulness will form a shield around you, a rock-solid wall to protect you. (Psalm 91:4 VOICE) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. — 1 Chronicles 16:34 (NLT)

Then Mary said, “My soul praises the Lord; my heart rejoices in God my Savior…” — Luke 1:46-47 (NCV) Let us rejoice in God, our Savior. How often? Rejoice always! (1 Thessalonians 5:16 NKJV) In any and every circumstance we can rejoice that our God is a good God. He is loving and He is faithful. God will show his mercy forever and ever to those who worship and serve him. (Luke 1:50 NCV) Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! — Psalm 103:1-5 (NLT)

And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” — Luke 1:28 (NKJV) The angel Gabriel spoke these words to Mary, but we can rejoice also because the Lord is with us too. She carried Jesus for nine months, but He abides in us forever. We are indeed blessed and highly favored! And with God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:37) His Holy Spirit dwelling in us, enables us and empowers us to do all that He has called us to do. In His strength we can crush an army; with our God we can scale any wall. (Psalm 18:29) Rejoice! He has already gained the victory for us.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. — Luke 2:7 (NKJV) Have you ever had to call around attempting to make a reservation only to find out everything is full, totally booked? I imagine it was like that for Joseph and Mary as they sought a place to stay in Bethlehem. Well, everyday Jesus stands and knocks on the door of our hearts, desiring for us to open the door and let Him enter. Do you let Him in, or do you hold the door closed because you don’t want Him to see how messy your house is? Or is your heart so cluttered with affections for things of this world, that there is no room for Jesus? Decide everyday, to make room for Jesus in your heart, —His home. He wants to dine with you. Let Him in and partake of the bread of life and be filled with the living water.

“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride. Whoever hears, echo, “Come!” Is anyone thirsty? Come! All who will, come and drink, drink freely of the Water of Life! — Revelation 22:17 (MSG) Jesus continually says, “Come!” And His Bride, the church, is to echo the call to the world. There are no pre-onditions, no additional requirements. Just Come. Come be washed with the water of His Word. Come stand under the flow of His grace and mercy. Come bask in the light of His unfailing love. Immerse yourself in the springs of His healing waters. If you hunger and thirst for righteousness, you shall be filled (Matthew 5:6). Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). He will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” ( Jeremiah 31:25 NIV). Answer His call today and COME !

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. — 2 Corinthians 4:16 (MSG) There’s far more here than meets the eye. 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). When we look beyond the things we can see with our natural eyes, we see God’s goodness, we see His grace unfolding in our lives,  and His abundant love and mercy. With eyes of faith, we can see every need met and our hearts abide in His peace. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT)

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was . — Matthew 2:9 (NKJV) The wise men followed the star and it led them to Jesus. May we keep our eyes on Jesus, the Light of the world (John 8:12) and follow His ways. As believers, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14a). Let us do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that we may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then we will shine among them like stars in the sky (Philippians 2:14-15, NIV)!

“There are those who rebel against the light; They do not know its ways nor abide in its paths.”  — Job 24:13 (NKJV) Don't be one of those who fight against God. Who do you think is going to win that battle? Jesus came as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Him should not abide in darkness (John 12:46). We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord. Let us walk as children of light and He will lead us along on the path of life. For this light we have within us produces everything that is good, that has God’s approval, and that is true (Ephesians 5:8-9). Abide in the light!

“I made the earth, formed it, and set it in place. My name is the LORD. This is what the  LORD  says: Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you great and mysterious things that you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:2-3 (GW) If you are not sure you are doing the right things, and traveling on the right path in life, call upon the LORD. We don't have to try to figure things out on our own. God knows all things and He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us. Once we make the call, we have to LISTEN for His still small voice. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Open your ears to hear the words of the LORD. Listen to the Holy Spirit within, as He leads you and guides you into all truth. Just a note from my personal experience: Don't look for a NEW word from God, if you haven't done the last thing He told you to do.

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash, Seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best. He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah! Psalm 113:7-9 (The Message) Our heavenly Father is the ultimate transformer. He specializes in changing the condition of our lives, hearts and minds. God picks up the poor out of the dirt and raises us up in Christ and seats us in heavenly places in Christ. He shows us the incomparable riches of His grace. He crowns us with glory and honor and gives us a deposit, guaranteeing our inheritance. He takes those who have been thrown out by society and treasures them with love and compassion. God takes that which is dead and barren and brings it back to life and makes it fruitful. Glory be to God!

Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:4-5 (NIV) Weeping may last through the night but rejoice with the dawn of each new day. Proclaim the unfailing love of the LORD when He wakes you up. The favor of the LORD lasts for a lifetime and He pours out new compassions on you every morning. Glory Hallelujah! With Love, Jackie

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8 (NIV) When we are hemmed in on every side, we have to look up to our heavenly Father from whom our help comes. When the world pushes in on us, we need to press in deeper to God, our strong tower and mighty fortress. We are in a non-stop battle against the forces of evil and as long as we abide in Christ we can be assured of victory.  Love, Jackie