Manna for Your Morning

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? — Psalms 42:1-2 (NASB1995) Praise Yahweh, we have the awesome privilege and honor to approach the throne of our gracious God, with confidence and without fear, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. …each day the LORD pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. (Psalms 42:8 NLT) May we desire the Presence of God, more than anything else this world has to offer. We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. (Psalms 33:20-22 NLT)  In Isaiah 55:1-3 (NASB1995), the LORD says: “Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without c...

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious and merciful to me, for my soul finds shelter and safety in You, and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge and be confidently secure until destruction passes by. — Psalms 57:1 (AMP) In the midst of calamity, cry out to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for you. He will send from heaven and save you; He reproaches those who trample upon you. Selah. God will send His lovingkindness and His truth. (See Psalms 57:2-3) You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the LORD is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap. (Proverbs 3:25-26 NLT) As for God, His way is blameless; The word of Yahweh is tried; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God, but Yahweh? And who is a rock, but our God? (2 Samuel 22:31-32 LSB) And if God is for us, who can ever be against us? For He blesses the righteous man, and surrounds him with favor as with a shield....

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. — 1 Peter 5:8 (NASB1995) The Message Bible says: …The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. (1 Peter 5:8) So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 AMP) Stand strong. Remember, that followers of Christ have the victory. Revelation 12:10 (NKJV) says: …I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.”  “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful.” (Revelation 17:14 NASB1995) Amen. And hallelujah!

The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. — Psalm 28:7 (NLT) Let us praise the name of God and magnify Him with thanksgiving. We may not be where we want to be in life, but thank God we are not where we used to be. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to the Most High. (Psalm 92:1 NLT) …for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’ (Acts 17:28 NKJV) Out of a  grateful heart will flow continual thanksgiving to our great and awesome God. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

 “Never stop praying.” — 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Prayer is a continual conversation with our Heavenly Father. “Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.” (Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭TPT‬‬) “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews‬ ‭4:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Trust in the Lord completely, and do not rely on your own opinions. With all your heart rely on him to guide you, and he will lead you in every decision you make. Become intimate with him in whatever you do, and he will lead you wherever you go. — Proverbs 3:5-6 (TPT)  Never depend on your own ideas or human opinions. Totally rely on the Lord, El Elyon, the God Most High. He knows all and sees all. He is the Sovereign God in whom we can put our trust. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. (Psalm 37:5 NLT)

Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. — 1 Timothy 4:7b (MSG) “What God wants to do is not just to make you happy. He wants to make you holy.” (Francis Chan) The good news is that we have already been given everything we need to live a godly life. Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. (2 Peter 1:3 MSG) Let us exercise discipline and self-control for the purpose of godliness. First Timothy 4:8 (NKJV) says, godliness is profitable for all things. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:  — Hebrews 12:14 (NKJV)

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. — Matthew 9:35-36 (NASB) Jesus sees you today. And He is still moved with compassion for people. No need to be distressed or discouraged. Whatever troubles you, is in this world, and Jesus has overcome the world. (John 16:33) He is your stability in the storm. Jesus is the answer to any question and the solution to every problem. If you are sick, He is the physician. For those who are lost, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6a). He is the Good Shepherd. Follow Him. He is able and willing to take care of all that concerns you.

Jesus followed up. “Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, ‘Come on in; the food’s on the table.’ “Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses… — Luke 14:16-18 (MSG) In Luke 14:21-23 (NLT), the servant is sent out a second time. He went into the streets and alleys of the town and invited the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. There was still room for more, so the servant was told to go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone he could find to come, so that his master's house would be full. Whether you are on the city streets or the country roads, the invitation goes out to you today. Jesus says to “Come!” Daily, we are invited to open the door of our hearts to Jesus. He wants to come in and dine with each one of us. (Revelation 3:20) Everyday, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and our heavenly Father have a fe...

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life. — James 1:12 (MSG) The Amplified Bible says, “Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted;” (James 1:12a). As we remain loyal in our love for God and continually rely on His love for us we are able to endure the challenges, trials and temptations. Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39). When we depend on God’s love, we can be confident that no matter what comes our way He has our best interests in mind. As a loving Father, He is faithful to help us overcome every challenge. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. Romans 8:37 (AMP)

Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?” — Romans 15:1 (MSG) Even though our society is concerned about what is convenient, what we learned in school of ministry last night is that any area of strength we have is to be used to serve others. You will find true joy when you keep your eyes on Jesus and Others instead of yourself.

The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you. And that’s it. Eventually God will bring everything that we do out into the open and judge it according to its hidden intent, whether it’s good or evil. — Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (MSG) King Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, searched high and low for the meaning of life. His final conclusion was that the greatest and most meaningful thing we can do is to fear God (honor Him) and do what He tells us to do. For this is man’s all (Ecclesiastes 12:13b NKJV). It is only when we pursue our God given purpose that we live truly happy, successful and fulfilled lives.

Offer to God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High, and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall honor and glorify Me. — Psalm 50:15 (AMP) Psalm 34:17 says, the righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. Who do you call in the day of trouble? Your heavenly Father wants you to call upon Him. His ears are always open to the cries of His children. He is listening and ready to rescue you from all your troubles. Just call!

The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens a door that no one can shut, and who shuts a door that no one can open, says: I know what you have done. See, I have opened a door in front of you that no one can shut.  — Revelation 3:7-8 (GW) Sometimes we are so focused on the closed doors that we spend all our time and energy trying to force them open. May God give us the wisdom to know when to move beyond the closed doors and to always look for the open doors in our lives. It is the open doors that lead to new opportunities, and to the greater things He wants to do in our lives.

The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. Psalm 92:12-15 (NKJ) Plant yourself in the house of the LORD and you will stay fresh and flourish in the courts of our God. On the outside, our bodies are aging, but on the inside, our spirits are being renewed day by day. Let us proclaim that the LORD is just and faithful. He is our Rock!

Surely you know. Surely you have heard. The Lord is the God who lives forever, who created all the world. He does not become tired or need to rest. No one can understand how great his wisdom is. He gives strength to those who are tired and more power to those who are weak. Isaiah 40:28-29 (NCV) The Lord is the everlasting God, who created all the earth. He never grows tired or weary. In fact, He gives strength to those who are tired and increases the power of the weak. Draw from His endless supply and be refreshed.

They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Nehemiah 4:8 (NIV) When the enemies of the Israelites heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had proceeded and the gaps were being closed they were very angry. Sometimes, we meet opposition when we go forth with our assignments. When our enemies stir up trouble against us, may we pray to our mighty God and constantly be on guard not to fall into any snares. Love, Jackie