Manna for Your Morning

“For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,” — 1 Peter 2:20-21 (NASB1995) May we intentionally follow the example of our Savior, King Yeshua. “He never sinned and he never spoke deceitfully. When he was verbally abused, he did not return with an insult; when he suffered, he would not threaten retaliation. Jesus faithfully entrusted himself into the hands of God, who judges righteously.” (1 Peter 2:22-23 TPT) “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25 NASB1995) Closely follow the good Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep. (See John 10:11 NKJV)

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. — Luke 18:1 (NLT) “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7 NKJV) Pray without ceasing. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:17 & James 5:16 NASB1995) Keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. “For the eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12 NASB1995)

Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. — Isaiah 40:30-31 (NLT) The Eternal is the source of my strength and the shield that guards me. When I learn to rest and truly trust Him, He sends His help. This is why my heart is singing! I open my mouth to praise Him, and thankfulness rises as song. (Psalms 28:7 VOICE) Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols. (Psalms 40:4 NLT) You who [reverently] fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is our help and our shield. (See Psalms 115:11 AMP) As we rest in His Presence and trust Yahweh, He will lead us and give us the strength to go and accomplish what He has called us to. I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me [to fulfill His purpo...

“Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:30-31 (NLT) Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power. (Isaiah 40:28-29 NASB1995) Yahweh is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him. (Psalms 28:7 LSB) Yahweh will give strength to His people; Yahweh will bless His people with peace. (Psalms 29:11 LSB) Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the LORD. (Psalms 31:24 NKJV)

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” — Matthew 7:7-8 (NASB1995) Keep asking, seeking and knocking. For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. (Psalms 84:11 NASB1995) Psalms 34:10 (NASB1995) says, they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing. What if you ask and do not receive? While something may appear to us as a good thing, our heavenly Father knows it may not be a good thing for us, at this time. And James 4:3 (NLT) says: And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. The Amplified Bible elaborates on wrong motives: out of selfishness or with an unrighteous agenda. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His ...

“When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree. — Jeremiah 29:12-13 (MSG) It's no game of “hide and seek” with our heavenly Father. When we search for Him with all our heart, we will find Him. When we pray to Him, we can be sure that He is listening. Psalm 34:15 (NKJV) says,  “ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. ”  When we desire His Presence more than anything, we will not be disappointed.

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. — Luke 11:9-10 (NLT) “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. (John 3:16 MSG) For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, the gift of his Son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for us all, he certainly won’t withhold from us anything else he has to give. (Romans 8:32 TPT) Our heavenly Father is a generous giver. As with any gift given, we must believe the gift is for us and receive it. Believe that our God is a good Father who loves you and wants nothing but the best for you. Settle for nothing less than God's best.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NASB) The LORD will be found by a heart that is genuinely seeking Him. In Jeremiah 29:14 (MSG), He says, “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” May our ears be open to hear His still small voice beckoning us to come to Him. As Jesus said in John 10:27 (NKJV), “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” When we fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, we can run with endurance the race God has set before us, knowing that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Later Simon and the others went out to find him. When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” — Mark 1:35-37 (NLT) Are you looking for Jesus? Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:66) God made us, every nation of mankind, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being… (Acts 17:27-28 NKJV) May we passionately and purposefully seek to follow the Lord, each and every moment that God gives us breath. It is only in Him that the good plans our heavenly Father has for us will be fulfilled.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:13   (NASB) Wow! This Scripture pricked my heart this morning. If we half-heartedly seek the LORD, we will miss Him all together. We can scurry around doing good things, trying to get an A+ on our Christian report card but our relationship with Jesus is not about trying to get a checkmark in a box. If that is all we ever do, we are in the classroom, but we are too distracted to learn the real lesson. Sit at the feet of Jesus and let Him instruct you. May we be motivated by a true love for God, to do the right things. Let us seek to please the Lord and be more like Him. We can learn about Jesus, or we can know Jesus by seeking Him wholeheartedly. Draw near to God in every area of your heart (all in) and He will draw near and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. My prayer this morning: Create in me a clean heart, O God… (Psalm 51:10 NKJV).

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. — James 1:5-6 (NIV) With all the decisions and choices we make on any given day, we all need wisdom. Remember to ask our heavenly Father, who knows all and sees all, for the wisdom to make the right choices. “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.!” (Luke 11:9-10 NIV). May you confidently walk in the wisdom of God and not fall in the trap of the enemy.

You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. — 1 Kings 8:24 (NKJV) Man may fall short of what his mouth has spoken, but God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He fulfills every word He has spoken. If you seek the LORD our God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul (Deuteronomy 4:29). He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5). When you pass through the waters, He will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you (Isaiah 43:2). Continue to stand on the promises of God, no matter how circumstances appear. Our God is Faithful!

Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God. — Psalm 34:10 (MSG) Those who seek the LORD and His will, with all their heart, find Him and walk in His ways. They shall not lack any good thing. No matter how many troubles you face, the LORD comes to the rescue each time (Psalm 34:19, NLT). Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him (Psalm 34:8, MSG).

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?” — Matthew 2:1-2a (NKJV) The wise men were looking for Jesus. Who or what are you searching for today? Is your heart longing for more of Jesus? In Jeremiah 29:13, the LORD says, “you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” If you are seeking Jesus, take comfort in knowing that Jesus is near. In Revelation 3:20, He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Come, dine with the King!

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. — Jeremiah 29:12-13 (NKJV) As children, many of us enjoyed playing hide & seek. However, as children of God, we want to always seek the LORD and His will and He says when we search for Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. Now is the time to seek and find! The Amplified version says, to seek the LORD, inquire for, and require Him [as a vital necessity]. His constant Presence in our lives is a vital necessity. Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you (James 4:8).

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” — Luke 18:8 (NKJV) May you never suffer shipwreck with regard to the faith. (1 Timothy 1:19) Hold on to faith and a good conscience, because without faith it is impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Through faith we are shielded by God’s power (1 Peter 1:5, NIV). Our faith is the victory that has overcome the world (1 John 5:4) So build yourselves up in your most holy faith (Jude 1:20). Fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith!

Seek the LORD while He may be found,  Call upon Him while He is near.  Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV) Devote your whole heart and soul to seeking the LORD, our God, and He will make sure you find Him. Return to the LORD and He will have mercy on you. Our heavenly Father freely forgives us. He never forsakes those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). Call on Him now while he is near (Isa. 55:6, NLT). It is good to be near God, make the Sovereign LORD your refuge (Psalm 73:28).