Manna for Your Morning

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. — 2 Peter 1:2-3 (NLT) Yahweh has graciously and freely given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness. The Scripture says, we receive all of this by coming to know Him, the one true and living God. He calls us to Himself. Come, to know Him. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable us to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. (See 2 Peter 1:4) May we grow [spiritually mature] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory (honor, majesty, splendor), both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (See 2 Peter 3:...

Hear the word of the LORD, O people of Israel! The LORD has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land.” — Hosea 4:1 (NLT) In Hosea 4:2-3, the LORD goes on to say: “…you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another. That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away.” In Hosea 4:6, He says: “My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me…” In Hosea 7:16, He says: “They look everywhere except to the Most High.” Sounds like current events in our world today. Oh, that we might turn to Yahweh and strive to know Him! “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your heart as Israel did when they rebelled.” (See Hebrews 3:15)  “…let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] LORD [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn,...

“ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you .” — John 15:15 (NKJV) If we want to be a friend of the Lord, obedience is the key. Jesus said, “ You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. ” (John 15:14)  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13 NLT) Jesus gave His life for us. Let us follow His example, and lay our lives down to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. Be a friend to our risen Savior and to those God has placed in your sphere of influence.

I am the Good Shepherd, and I know [without any doubt those who are] My own and My own know Me [and have a deep, personal relationship with Me] — John 10:14 (AMP) Our heavenly Father desires for us to know Him. He says in the Word many times, “that they shall know that I am the LORD.” He is Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! He is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. (Exodus 34:6) He wants us to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. (Ephesians 3:18) Know that He is a mighty God, who is able to make what seems impossible to us, possible when we trust and rely on Him. In Psalm 46:10 He says, “ Be still, and know that I am God. ”

Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ — Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV) No one wants to hear Jesus speak these words: “I never knew you; depart from Me” But we must realize that a religion is not going to save us. Being a member of God’s family and living forever in His Presence is all about having a relationship with Jesus the Christ. For through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father (Ephesians 2:18 NASB). Philippians 3:10 (AMP) says, “ And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers] …” Our greatest pursuit in life is to know Him and be kno...

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ — Matthew 22:36-39 (NLT) As believers we have a call on our lives, a mission to pursue that aligns with the two greatest commandments. First we are to know Him, then we are to make Him known to others. To know the LORD is to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. As we grow in the knowledge of our great God, we are able to see ourselves the way He sees us, as extraordinary children of God. We can then love and accept ourselves the way our heavenly Father loves us. Consequently, we are able to love our neighbors with the same kind of love God lavishes on us, sacrificial and unconditional. When we walk in this kind of love with our neighbors, we are making God known to a world that needs ...

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. — Luke 2:15-18 (NKJV) Just as the shepherds went in haste to see Jesus, let us have a sense of urgency, not only to see Jesus, but to know Him personally. May we have a richer and deeper experience of His love and grace, each and every day.  And let’s introduce others to our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 NIV). The LORD anointed Him to bring good news to the poor. He was sent to comfort the brokenhearted and to announce freedom to all captives, and pardon all prisoners. (Isaiah 61:1). Hallelujah! Enjoy your day as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.