Manna for Your Morning

Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked... — Mark 5:41-42 (NKJV) This little girl was dead and when Jesus said, “ Arise ,” she came back to life. We were once dead in our sin and Jesus said to us, “ Arise! ” He set us free and gave us new life! If you're discouraged, feeling down and defeated, Jesus says, arise! You are more than a conqueror. We were full of darkness, but now we have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8 ) He gives us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1 NKJV)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. — Psalm 34:19 (NASB) We may face many hardships and difficult circumstances, but we are not defeated. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37 NKJV). Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:57 NASB) With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort. (1 Corinthians 15:58 MSG) God will cause you to be fruitful in the land of your affliction.

Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing. — 1 Kings 18:21 (NIV) In Deuteronomy 30:19, God set before us life and death, blessings and curses. and told us to choose life, so that us and our children may live. Let us choose life. Let us chose Jesus, every moment of the day. There is no sitting on the fence. There is no need to waver, wonder or wander away from the LORD. Wavering gets us nowhere. In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). In Him, we progress toward the wonderful plans the Father has for us. When we choose Jesus, we choose eternal life, abundant life, everlasting peace, joy and unfailing love. When we choose Jesus we no longer have to be discouraged and defeated. In Jesus, we are more than conquerors and we know we have the victory because He has overcome the world!

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. — Exodus 17:11 (NIV) The Israelites defeated their enemies because Moses continually held his hands up to God. We will win our battles as we continually lift our hands up, in surrender to God and in praise of Him. Lifted hands are a sign of surrender, letting go and giving our cares to God. Raised hands indicate a submission to God, His Word and His ways. We also lift our hands to worship and praise our Heavenly Father. So get your hands up and start praising God for your victory! “The LORD will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.” (Exodus 14:14 AMP)

Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus’ death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way. — Hebrews 9:16-17 (MSG) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). When we accept Christ as our Savior, we transition from being lost to saved, from the old obligations to new promises, from being poor to being rich. As we continue to walk with God, we transition from being full of doubt, to having great faith, from being defeated and in despair, to triumphing over our troubles and walking in victory.

  So David and his troops went up to Baal-perazim and defeated the Philistines there. “God did it!” David exclaimed. “He used me to burst through my enemies like a raging flood!” So they named that place Baal-perazim (which means “the Lord who bursts through”). — 1 Chronicles 14:11 (NLT) So David did what God commanded, and they struck down his enemies. (1 Chronicles 14:16). The secret to David’s success is that He obeyed God. The price we pay or the investment we make is consistent obedience. And our faithful, mighty God will cause us to burst through our enemies or any other obstacles that dare stand in our way. Amen!

We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9  (NCV) Look at the troubles before you, as opportunities for God to display His greatness. No matter what hostile environments we must endure, God is there with us. We are not abandoned nor forgotten. We may get hurt, but we are not destroyed. Never give up the hope of living the abundant and fruitful life Jesus came to give us (John 10:10).

Those who trust in the LORD are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, both now and forever . — Psalm 125:1-2 (NLT) Whatever you go through today, remember, the LORD has you surrounded NOW and forever! He has you covered on every side. Psalm 5:12 (NLT) says, He blesses the godly and surrounds us  with His shield of love. He is our hiding place; He protects us from trouble and surrounds us with songs of victory (Psalm 32:7 NLT). In His care, we are surrounded and secure. Hallelujah & Amen!

  But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. — Matthew 28:5-6 (NKJV) When the women told the apostles about the empty tomb, their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them (Luke 24:11). In order for the power of the resurrection to have any effect in our lives, we must believe. Followers of Jesus can rejoice in the resurrection. The fact that Jesus defeated death and rose again, gives believers the power to live in freedom and victory. His resurrection infuses in us renewed strength and hope. Just as Jesus triumphed and overcame the world, we too can be victorious. He made a way for us. Thank you, Jesus!

We have troubles all around us, but we are not defeated. We do not know what to do, but we do not give up the hope of living. We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed. — 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NCV) We may be surrounded by troubles, but we are not crushed. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble,” so we can expect that, but He also said, “take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). Whatever life brings our way, we are not defeated, nor destroyed and we will never be abandoned by God. So, don't ever give up the HOPE of living a victorious life!

A righteous person may fall seven times, but he gets up again. However, in a disaster wicked people fall. — Proverbs 24:16 (GW) When the enemy knocks you down, you don’t have to stay down. We may be struck down, but we are not destroyed. The righteous are never defeated, because we already have the victory in Jesus! If you have fallen, declare the words of Micah 7:8, “Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” Arise, and shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you! (Isaiah 60:1)

“Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.”  — 2 Chronicles 20:15 (NKJV) When the people of Judah were being pursued by their enemies, the LORD told them, the battle was not theirs. Are you trying to fight battles, God will fight for you? God's people were told to position themselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD (2 Chronicles 20:17). The LORD set ambushes against their enemies and they were defeated. If you want to be victorious in the battles you face, MAINTAIN your POSITION in the LORD. Be wherever He has directed you to be. Be humble and worship Him in all that you do (2 Chronicles 20:18). Stand by and see the LORD deliver you!

Little children, you are of God [you belong to Him] and have [already] defeated and overcome them [the agents of the antichrist], because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world. — 1 John 4:4 (AMP) We have the Spirit of the living God in us. If you have opened your heart to Him, He lives in you. Our God is mighty and by far, stronger than anything or anyone in this world. We are overcomers because God has given us the victory. Praise the LORD!

It wasn't their swords that took the land. It wasn't their power that gave them victory. But it was your great power and strength. You were with them because you loved them. —Psalm 44:3 (NCV) The Israelites defeated their enemies and took the land because God was on their side. It is with God's mighty power and strength that we win our battles. Don't think for a minute that you can do it on your own. God is with you because He loves you and with His help you gain victory. Hallelujah!