Manna for Your Morning

“ Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test you [that is, to test the quality of your faith], as though something strange or unusual were happening to you. But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, keep on rejoicing, so that when His glory [filled with His radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may rejoice with great joy. ” — 1 Peter 4:12-13 (AMP) Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Romans 8:18 NLT) In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen. (1 Peter 5:10-11)  “ You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. ”— Psalms 71:20 (NLT)

“He will be your constant source of stability in changing times, and out of his abundant love he gives you the riches of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. Yes, the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure!” — Isaiah 33:6 (TPT)

 The conditions and state of this world consistently fluctuate. However, Yahweh is the One constant. In Malachi 3:6 (LSB) He says: “I, Yahweh, do not change;” Our Everlasting God remains the same, and He shows no partiality. He is a good, good Father. In His abundant love, He always takes care of His children. Return to your rest, O my soul, for Yahweh has dealt bountifully with you. For You have rescued my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. I shall walk before Yahweh in the land of the living. (Psalms 116:7-9 LSB)  I have set Yahweh continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. — Psalms 16:8 (LSB)

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  — Ephesians 2:8 (NASB1995) ...the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, (See Titus 2:11-12 NASB) God is not one to show partiality. (See Acts 10:34 NASB) His salvation is the perfect gift and it is for ALL people. Each person must choose to receive it for themselves. Like any gift, we must accept it before we can enjoy the benefits of it. He has set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; (See Deuteronomy 30:19) …the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him. (Psalm 37:39-40 NASB1995)...

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. — James 3:17 (NLT) Let your ear be attentive to the wisdom that comes from above. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. (Proverbs 2:6 NASB1995) If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 AMP) But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (James 1:6-8 NLT) Do not ...

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) Is your heart so full of other things, that there is no room for Jesus? If you are more concerned about tending to man-made traditions and completing a list of tasks, than spending time devoted to the King of kings and Lord of lords, I implore you, to de-clutter your life. And it starts in your heart. Proverbs 4:23 (AMP) instructs us to watch over our heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. If our hearts are full of mess (busyness, unforgiveness, bitterness, pride, etc.), then the message of the Messiah will not get through. His love, grace and mercy have no room to flow through us. Let go of anything that is not of God and let Him occupy the throne of your heart today and every day.  

One thing I have asked of the LORD, and that I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD [in His presence] all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the LORD and to meditate in His temple. — Psalm 27:4 (AMP) The one thing we have that no one can ever take away from us is the Presence of our heavenly Father. In His Presence, we have all that we need. His hand has no limitations. His love knows no boundaries. The love of His light and grace reaches into the darkest crevices of our hearts and brings healing and wholeness. He sees all and knows all, and He still loves us, and wants only the best for us. He says to each person, “ Come closer. ” Let His love draw you closer and gaze upon His divine and glorious beauty today.

Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the flock under his care. — Psalm 95:6-7a (NLT) May you yearn for His Presence more than you desire to possess any earthly thing. Jesus is the greatest gift of all. Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. For the LORD is a great God, a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1-3 NLT) They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.” — Revelation 7:12 (NLT)

“Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to help his people and has given them freedom. He has given us a powerful Savior from the family of God’s servant David. — Luke 1:68-69 (NCV) Praise God that He helps His people! Psalm 54:4 (NLT) says, God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! Psalm 27:9 says, He has always been my helper. Not only does our help come from the Lord, but He has given us a powerful Savior. Jesus, our mighty Savior has gained the victory for us and set us free. No matter what fire storms you have gone through, the Lord helped you to rise up out of the ashes and live a new day, full of hope and promise.  So we can say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6 NLT)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. — James 1:17 (NKJV) As we search for a good bargain and the perfect gift for those special people in our lives, let us remember that Jesus, our Savior, is the most perfect gift one could ever receive. Our heavenly Father gave His only Son as a free gift. Salvation is free for us, there is nothing we can do to earn it, yet it cost Jesus everything. What good gift can we bring to Jesus, as we celebrate His birthday? I think the best gift we have to offer is our hearts, laid on His altar, to be molded and shaped by His hands. To be healed and made whole. To be filled with His love, His joy, and His light.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; Luke 2:10 (NASB) The good news about who Jesus is and what He has done for us, is for everyone, people all over the world, of every race, color and tongue. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:11-13 NIV) Let us continually call on the name of Jesus, our Savior. He brings great joy and a deep abiding peace, as we trust in Him.

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. — Matthew 2:11a (NLT) The initial response the wise men had when they entered the presence of Jesus was to bow down and worship Him. Bowing down is an act of surrender and submission. It’s an acknowledgement of His lordship over our lives. Bowing down is an indication of a humble heart. It says not my will but Your’s be done. As wise men and women, may we bow down and worship Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, every day God gives us breath. He is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. He is worthy of all praise and honor! Alleluia!

“True wisdom and real power belong to God; from him we learn how to live, and also what to live for.” — Job 12:13 (MSG) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you (James 1:5 NLT). If you are weary and worn out, God is the source of all strength and power. When you are in need of direction, He has counsel and understanding. God is all we need! Let us live our lives in Him.

Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. — Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT) Yesterday, on a hike, I was reminded of the importance of staying on the path. For us to stray off the path would have meant time spent wandering in the wilderness or we could have fell off the cliff to our own destruction. Much the same results we get when we stray off the path of life God has placed before each one of us. Proverbs 23:19 (NIV) instructs us to set our hearts on the right path. The Amplified version says, direct your mind in the way [of the Lord]. As long as we seek His will in all we do, He will show us which path to take (Proverbs 3:6, NLT). He does not fail to guide us along on our path. On our hike, we encountered muddy puddles, big rocks and steep hills. His path may lead us through some adverse winds and floodwaters but He will always make a way for us, through it all. (Isaiah...

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  — Psalm 145:8-9 (NIV) The LORD is full of grace and compassion, and He is good to all. He has compassion over all His creation. You are the handiwork of God, Himself and He has not forgotten about you. He showers you with compassion. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; (Lamentations 3:22-23). Stand under the nozzle of His grace and get saturated with His love!

 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2 (NKJV) When the wise men set out to seek Jesus, they had to go on a journey. Even though they didn't get there in a day, they were determined to go and worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings. For months they stayed focused on their goal, despite any storms that may have come. And the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was (Luke 2:9). Today we can worship the Lord, right where we are. May we persistent in seeking to worship the Lord, in spirit and in truth. He is the Lord of lords! For unto us a Child is born. Unto us a Son is given; And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Princ...

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM . - Exodus 3:14 (NIV) “I am Almighty God, the Holy One of Israel. I am God, and there is no other. There is none like me. I am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. Do not be afraid, for I am with you and I watch over you wherever you go. I am your shield, your very great reward. I never change. I am faithful. Those who hope in me will not be disappointed. My promises never fail. I am your Creator, the One who formed you in your mother’s womb. I am your Father. I know you better than you know yourself. I am the potter who shapes your life. I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go (Isaiah 48:17). I am compassionate. I am He who comforts you. I am the LORD, who heals you. I am the Sovereign LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? ” (Jeremiah 32:27)

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. Psalm 31:19 (NLT) Be confident that you will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Out of His goodness, God amply supplies all of our needs in every area of life. When we go to Him for protection, God shelters us in the shadow of His wings. He watches over us and guides us along our path as we journey through life. Great is His goodness! With Love, Jackie

...you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:12-13 (NIV) We have been brought near to the throne of God. Now we can fellowship with Almighty God, Creator of the universe. Let us always seek to draw closer to Him. Because of the blood of Jesus, we can approach His throne with confidence and receive mercy and grace. He loves us and wants to spend time with us. Draw near. Love, Jackie