Manna for Your Morning

When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. Thus the Israelites left Egypt like an army ready for battle. — Exodus 13:17-18 (NLT) When I'm driving, my husband and I rarely agree on the shortest or fastest route to our destination. But praise the LORD, on our journey through life, our Heavenly Father is our guide. Yahweh may not always lead you on the shortest route to your destination. However, don’t give in to the temptation to take the shortcut, against God's will. His protection and provision is on the path He has set before you. We should not follow someone else's path, if that is not the way the Holy Spirit is leading us. You are called according to His...

Just as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment, so the Anointed One, our Liberating King, was offered once in death to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to rescue those who eagerly await His return. — Hebrews 9:27-28 (VOICE) What a glorious destination we have in Christ. Eagerly and confidently wait for His return. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB1995) Glory hallelujah! Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul...

God, your Redeemer, who shaped your life in your mother’s womb, says: “I am God. I made all that is. With no help from you I spread out the skies and laid out the earth.” — Isaiah 44:24 (MSG) When life seems stormy and chaotic, remember God has a perfect plan for your life. He has all your days written in His book, and you have not come to the end of the story yet. He chose you and called you to live a life of purpose, with a glorious destination. The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (Proverbs 4:18) Our heavenly Father will work everything together for good. Give all your cares and concerns to Him. Nothing is too difficult for Him. ‘Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You,  — Jeremiah 32:17 (NASB)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. — John 14:6 (NKJV) Yesterday morning I drove to work through the fog, and there were times when I could only see the road right in front of me. But I focused on the spot where the headlights hit the road, and I made it to my destination safely. As we journey through life, we will not always see the way ahead of us, but we can keep our eyes on Jesus. He is The Way, and the light of the world. When we continually follow Him, He will get us to our desired destination successfully. Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

In light of all this… I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. — Ephesians 4:1 (MSG) The moment a train is derailed, it is headed for destruction. It has to progress steadily, on the tracks, and allow the tracks to guide it, in order to reach the intended destination. Similarly, once we step off the track of what God has for us, we are headed for a wreck. When we stay in continual communion with the LORD, He will be our guide and support, enabling us to run strong and long, with purpose and determination. Then we will see promises fulfilled and dreams materialized. As we stay on track with God, we will be sure to reach our desired destination. Good wants the best for you, don’t settle for less.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) A thought from my hike yesterday: I could not always see the top of the mountain, but I continued to take each step, looking as far ahead as possible. Eventually, we reached our goal, the mountaintop. As we journey through life, we may not be able to see the destination God has in mind, with our eyes. But if we take each step, as He directs, with faith, He will guide us to our desired destination. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day (Proverbs 4:18, NIV). Keep walking by faith, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. — 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT) Avoid shipwreck! Keep your conscience clear and tightly hold on to your faith in Christ. He is our Life Preserver. Don't be moved by the winds of adversity nor tossed to and fro by violent waves. If we keep the faith and remember that we have the victory in Jesus, we can weather any storm and keep sailing on course, to our desired destination.

Then he said to me, Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of [and in response to] your words. — Daniel 10:12 (AMP) In order to gain understanding, we have to set our minds on the Word of God and how to apply it to our lives. We must set our hearts on seeking the LORD and His specific will. To set means: to put, lay, or stand something in a specified place or position. When we begin a journey, we set a GPS to direct us to our desired destination. Likewise, we should also purposefully position ourselves in a posture of prayer and consistently meditate on His wonderful Word, and wait to receive direction from our heavenly Father. Then, like Daniel,  we open the door to receive visions of our future and the intervention of angelic beings.

...they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. — John 6:19-21 (NKJV) May we eagerly receive Jesus, just as the disciples willing received Him into their boat. Let us receive Him in our hearts, and in our homes. May we take Him into our workplace and everywhere we go. With Jesus in our boat we can be certain that we will ENDURE the storms of life and arrive safely at our desired destination. With Jesus near, there is no reason to fear. Amen!

“I can guarantee this truth: You will cry because you are sad, but the world will be happy. You will feel pain, but your pain will turn to happiness. A woman has pain when her time to give birth comes. But after the child is born, she doesn’t remember the pain anymore because she’s happy that a child has been brought into the world.” — John 16:20-21 (GW) Just as a woman must go through the painful process of labor, in order to deliver a baby, we will experience much travail, in order to give birth to the dreams God has put in our hearts. Just remember, the pain is part of the process that must be endured if we are to get to our desired destination. I encourage you to see your dreams through to the end! Fulfill the God-given purpose for which you were created.

So Pilate again asked them, “Then what should I do with the king of the Jews?” — Mark 15:12 (GW) The question each of us must ask ourselves everyday is, “What am I going to do with Jesus?” The soldiers, chief priests and scribes made fun of Him. Pilate handed Him over to be crucified. Others rejected Jesus, while others bowed down and worshiped Him. The disciples accepted Jesus as the Son of God, their Lord and their Savior and affected the whole world with their faithfulness. What are you going to do with Jesus? The answer to this question marks your final destination for all of eternity as heaven or hell. When you choose to follow Jesus Christ, you choose life!