Manna for Your Morning

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” — Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) When are we to be full of joy? First Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT)  tells us to ALWAYS be joyful. Consider every day God gives you as a sacred day to celebrate. It is a gift from above, coming down from the Father of lights. James 1:2-3 (NASB1995) says: Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  So, do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength. He will turn your mourning into joyful dancing. He will take away your clothes of mourning and clothe you with joy, that you might sing praises to Him and not be silent. O LORD my God, let us give thanks to You forever! (See Psalms 30:11-12 NLT)

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our LORD. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” — Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24 NASB) In His Presence we have strength and peace. Draw near to God. Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “ The LORD be magnified! ” (Psalm 40:16 NASB) You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. — Psalm 16:11 (NASB)

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. — Psalm 139:1-3 (NASB) God knows us better than we know ourselves. We are an open book to Him, there is no reason to try and hide. Our heavenly Father knows everything about us and He still loves us. Why set your hopes on the temporal things of this world for fulfillment. They are fleeting, and will soon disappear. However, His gifts are eternal. Abba Father continually pours out grace and compassion upon us. We receive a constant flow of His love, and it will never fail us. His mercies are new every morning. Stake your confidence in God and His love for you. And when we allow Him to fill us, we experience an overflow that splashes on those around us, and enriches their lives. Live in the overflow!

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. — Matthew 6:33 (NLT) Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face continually. (1 Chronicles 16:11 NASB) May we seek God's will in all we do. Put Him first in how you spend your time, use your finances and in how you utilize the talents and gifts He has bestowed upon you. Psalm 115:12 says, the LORD has been mindful of us. Let your mind be occupied with thoughts about His greatness and goodness more than anything else. Give Him your whole heart and full adoration.  Worthy is the LORD, our God, to receive all praise, glory and honor! You have been my constant helper; therefore, I sing for joy under the protection of Your wings. My soul clings to You; Your right hand reaches down and holds me up. — Psalm 63:7-8 (VOICE)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. — Psalm 32:8 (NIV) But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. (Galatians 5:22-23 MSG) If you want good success in all you do and wherever you go, do it God's way and at His appointed time.

“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 2:2 (NKJV) When the wise men saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:10-11 NLT). May we follow in the steps of the wise men. Let us be filled with joy as we gaze upon Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star. (Revelation 22:16). Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. (Psalm 95:6). And may our worship lead us to open the treasure chests of our hearts and give Him our all: our time, our talents and all that we hold dear.

Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. — Genesis 2:1 (NKJV) Just as the LORD God prepared a place for Adam and Eve, He has prepared a place for you. There is a mountain with your name on it. A place that you were destined to occupy, a place where you will thrive as you tend and keep it. And as you activate the gifts and talents God placed inside of you, others will be blessed also. Follow God and He will lead you to place He has for you. He will enable you to overtake the giants in the land, whether it is fear, doubt, etc.  You can recover all the enemy has stolen and occupy the place prepared for you. “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.” (Exodus 23:20 NIV)

“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they exist, and were created and brought into being.” — Revelation 4:11 (AMP) We exist because it was God’s will and good pleasure. He chose us for Himself, as His own dearly loved children, before the foundation of the world. He intentionally created us with purpose and vision. It is no mistake that you are here for this time and season. We are to display His glory in our own unique way, utilizing the gifts and talents He has given to each one of us. Passionately pursue God and He will show you the way to overcome challenges and reach your destiny. May His light shine brightly through us, like stars in the sky, drawing others out of the darkness and into His marvelous light.

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.” — 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NKJV) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure (Ephesians 1:5 NLT). God takes great delight in His children. He is a good Father and as any good father, He takes care of His children. He wants nothing but the best for us. If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him  (Matthew 7:11 AMP). Our heavenly Father is loving and faithful. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7).

Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. — Acts 10:30-31 (NIV) Acts 10:1-2 (NIV) says, Cornelius and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. God does not show favoritism (Acts 10:34), just as He heard the prayers of Cornelius and remembered His gifts to the poor, as we commit our lives to Him, our prayers and acts of kindness to those in need ascend before God as a memorial offering. In every nation the person who fears God and does what is right [by seeking Him] is acceptable and welcomed by Him. (Acts 10:35 AMP). He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6b)

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. — Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) We are God’s masterpiece. Within our earthen vessels lie great treasure. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! (2 Corinthians 5:17 MSG). Every day is a new day for us to pursue all God created us to be. We have the potential in us, to do great things. He created us  extraordinary, not average. While our outside is perishing, inside we are in a process of continual renewal. Don’t settle for average, be EXTRAORDINARY! Release the gifts and talents that lie dormant in you and be the blessing to this world that God created you to be. Make your dreams, your reality and let them live!

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) The Word tells us God lavishes His great love on us (1 John 3:1 NIV) and His great goodness. Lavish means He gives it liberally, in generous or extravagant quantities, in abundance. Over the top! He also gave us His Holy Spirit that we might realize, comprehend and appreciate the gifts of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly bestowed on us by God (1 Corinthians 2:12). Let us thank God for all that He has so richly and generously bestowed upon us!

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. — Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) When the wise men found Jesus, they went into the house and worshiped Him. Don’t be an outsider, looking in. Eliminate the barriers and draw near to Jesus. Our heavenly Father adopted us and brought us into His family as His beloved children. Come in and worship the King of kings, and Lord of lords!

Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people— God’s grace and mercy and justice! The good person is generous and lends lavishly; No shuffling or stumbling around for this one, but a sterling and solid and lasting reputation. Unfazed by rumor and gossip, heart ready, trusting in God, Spirit firm, unperturbed, ever blessed, relaxed among enemies, they lavish gifts on the poor— a generosity that goes on, and on, and on. An honored life! A beautiful life! — Psalm 112:4-9 (MSG) In your darkest hour, light will arise! Walk in the light of His love. Extend your arm with compassion and give handfuls of grace to all who come your way.

But as it is, God has placed and arranged the limbs and organs in the body, each [particular one] of them, just as He wished and saw fit and with the best adaptation. — 1 Corinthians 12:14-18 (AMP) God knows the gifts, talents and abilities He has given to each one of us. And He has arranged us so that we can function well together and fulfill His plan. Whatever tasks you perform in your workplace or business and wherever you fellowship at, be confident that you have been equipped to do what God has called you to do, in that place. You have an instrumental role to fulfill in your circle of influence, in your marriage, family and every other place God called you to. So we, numerous as we are, are one body in Christ (the Messiah) and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on one another].  — Romans 12:5 (AMP)   Let's value our differences and do our part!

Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied,  so human desire is never satisfied. — Proverbs 27:20 (NLT) Now that the anticipation and excitement of Christmas Day 2013 has come and gone, we may look back and say, “if only...” The natural inclination of human desire is to want more. Let us be thankful and appreciative for the time we shared, the gifts that were exchanged, etc. In Philippians 4:11, the Apostle Paul says, he learned to be content in whatever state. May we do likewise.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: — Romans 12:6a (NKJV) We all have a variety of gifts, given to us by God. For a gift to be of benefit to anyone, it must be accepted, opened and put to use. If we are to enjoy our gifts and talents we have to unwrap them, and explore how we may use them to be a blessing. Just as a muscle that is not used begins to waste away over time, a gift that is not used as God purposed, is a waste. Be sure to use your gifts and talents. You don’t have to wait until January 1st and make it a new years'  resolution. Don’t let the music die inside of you. Sing your song now!

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. — Psalm 51:11 (NKJV) Of all the wonderful blessings our heavenly Father gives, of all the good and perfect gifts that come from above, I am most thankful for His Presence in my life. With His Presence, we have purpose, protection and provision. His Holy Spirit dwelling within us, is our source of strength, peace and power. “When we don’t have the Holy Spirit, what we have is a distressing spirit,” (Pastor Matthew Pollock). Let’s keep God at the center of all that we do and say, today and always.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  — Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) You are among God's wonderful creations. He chose you for Himself, in Christ, before the creation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). You are a very special person. God knit you together in your mother's womb, with a unique set of gifts, talents and abilities. Only you can fulfill your God-given purpose. He has destined you for greatness and for His glory to be shown. Praise the LORD!

By ourselves we are not qualified in any way to claim that we can do anything. Rather, God makes us qualified. — 2 Corinthians 3:5 (GW) Let us not boast about anything or think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. All of our gifts, talents and abilities come from God. He gives us wisdom and revelation knowledge. He gives us the power to create wealth. He gives us strength and a sound mind. He will give you whatever you need to accomplish His will in your life. Let us always give thanks to God for all the He provides.