Manna for Your Morning

“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’” — Acts 17:27-28 (NLT) Instead of following the behavior and customs of the world, let us seek after God and follow His ways.  The Word instructs us to seek after God. It does not say to seek fame, fortune, a celebrity, or a sports team, etc. Our heavenly Father is the only One Who can fulfill the deep longing in our hearts. “Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to the LORD, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.” (See Isaiah 55:2 NKJV)  The LORD has looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand (act wisely), Who [truly] seek after God, [longing for His wisdom and guidance]. — Psalms 14:2 (AMP)

“ You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation]. ” — Isaiah 26:3 (AMP) The key to remaining in perfect and constant peace is to keep our mind stayed on our great and awesome God. Give more attention to the Good News than to the nightly negative news. Keep your thoughts focused on the Most High God, Elohim, the all-powerful One. For you know the saying, “We live in God; we move in God; we exist in God.” And still another said, “We are indeed God’s children.” (Acts 17:28 VOICE) “ Trust in the LORD forever, for in God the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. ” — Isaiah 26:4 (NASB)

for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ — Acts 17:28 (NASB) I have heard it said many times, “When God is all you have, you realize God is all you need.” God gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. (Acts 17:25 NLT) He determined our appointed times and the boundaries of our habitation, (Acts 17:26). His purpose in all this was that people of every culture and religion would search for this ultimate God, grope for Him in the darkness, as it were, hoping to find Him. Yet, in truth, God is not far from any of us. (Acts 17:27 VOICE) Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.  — Isaiah 55:6 (NASB)

“ For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His… ” — 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NASB) The eyes of the LORD search for sincere hearts, not physical appearances, or lofty titles. When our hearts are fully committed to the LORD, we can rely on Him to strengthen us. We can do all things [which He has called us to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers us. (Philippians 4:13) Realize, it's through Him. You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts [keep them energized and firmly committed to God], because the coming of the Lord is near. (James 5:8 AMP) God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. — 2 Chronicles 16:9a (MSG)

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. — Acts 20:24 (NKJV) Don’t be moved by the troubles that come your way. For our light and momentary afflictions won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! (2 Corinthians 4:17) Continue to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) Let's not just finish the race, but let us cross the finish line with joy. The joy of the LORD is your strength. Never let the enemy steal your joy.

And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved … — Joel 2:32a (NKJV) Call on the name of the LORD and be saved, 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) When you call, He will hear you. He is not far from each one of us; (Acts 17:27). “ And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. ” (Joel 2:28) God pours out His Spirit on all who believe in Christ and accepts Him as their Savior. He fills us and empowers us to fulfill the dreams and visions He has placed in our hearts. Call on His name today.

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.

But my eyes are upon You, O GOD the Lord; in You I take refuge; Do not leave my soul destitute. — Psalm 141:8 (NKJV) The most effective and beneficial move we can make, in any and every situation is to keep our eyes on the LORD, our God. As Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was able to walk on the water, but when he looked at the external conditions, the wind, around him, he got fearful and started to sink (Matthew 14:28-30). With our eyes on Jesus we can do the extraordinary. In Matthew 14:19-21, Jesus took five loaves and two fish, and looked up to heaven. He then proceeded to feed five thousand men, besides women and children. They all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the leftover fragments (Matthew 14:19-21). When we look to the Provider, He will take care of the provision. Instead of examining the complexities of the challenges, keep your eyes on the Lord and entertain the possibilities of our great God. We keep looking to the LORD our God for his...

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up. — Psalm 5:3 (NKJV) At a recent safe driving class, the instructor said, we tend to follow where our eyes go. Maybe that is why the Word of God tells us to look up. Why look up? Because that is where your help comes from. Psalm 121:1 says, “ I will lift up my eyes to the hills— from whence comes my help?”  Look up in expectation of an answer. Watch and wait for Him to speak to your heart (Psalm 5:3b AMP). Look up in expectation of seeing Him move on your behalf. Looking at circumstances may cause you to look down. But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. (Psalm 3:3 NKJV)

...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) When we try to “do” life without God, it leads to frustration and failure. In Him, we are able to live the abundant life. In Him, there is fullness of joy. The Lord is the only One who can complete us. We were created to live and move and exist in Him. Don't let the enemy draw you away from the very source or your life, your purpose and your extraordinary destiny.

“For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. — Isaiah 54:10 (NLT) Your world may be falling apart, but His unfailing love will remain. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (Romans 8:35 NLT). No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (Romans 8:37 NLT). None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. (Romans 8:38 MSG)

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone. — Ephesians 1:11-12 (MSG) In the Lord we live and move and have our being, (Acts 17:28, NKJV). In Him, a glorious destiny awaits each one of us. Be true to the call of God on your life. It is when we love God and respond to the call of His plan and purpose, that He works all things together for the good. (Romans 8:28). In Christ, we thrive and are triumphant. I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope. ( Jeremiah 29:11, GW )

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. — Psalm 73:23-24 (NLT) When we feel inadequate to perform our God-given assignments, it’s because we are looking at ourselves, instead of our awesome God. One of the greatest pitfalls is for us to be preoccupied with self. Whatever God has called you to, realize, it’s not about you. It’s much bigger than you, and it has eternal consequences. Keep your eyes on the LORD and let Him be your guide. In Him, we live, move and have our being (Acts 17:28). When we focus on God, His faithfulness, and His mighty power, we will rise above the daily circumstances and live in peace and joy, knowing that nothing is too difficult for our great God!

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, — 1 Peter 5:6 (NKJV) How do we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God? By acknowledging that He is our Creator and everything we have accomplished in this world is because of Him and His grace and mercy. For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). By recognizing that without Him, we have nothing of any value. We humble ourselves under His mighty hand, when we fill our mouths with thanksgiving to God and our hearts with grateful appreciation for ALL He has done and is doing in our lives. We humble ourselves when we stop trying to force our way and surrender all we do and say to His will and His ways (unconditional love and kindness). We are under His mighty hand, when we resort to His Word for answers instead of the world. Our heavenly Father knows best. He sees the whole picture from beginning to end. So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s str...

Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things behind] is fit for the kingdom of God. — Luke 9:62 (AMP) “The reason you’re not living the life you want to live is because you’re not dying to the life you used to have.” —Pastor Jeff Osborne. Let us pay attention to what God is doing today. You have come to far to go back. In the Message version of Luke 9:62, Jesus says, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.” Press on! The righteous will move onward and forward, and those with pure hearts will become stronger and stronger (Job 17:9 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) As God sustains us with His breath in our lungs, let us seek to live and move in Him. As we live in the LORD, we will experience the fullness of all He has for us, His peace, joy and love. We will think the way He thinks and our ways will become more like His ways. As we live and move in God, His wonderful plan for our lives unfold and we fulfill our purpose and reach our glorious destiny.

For in Him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your [own] poets have said, for we are also His offspring. — Acts 17:28 (AMP) Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture (Psalm 100:3 NKJV). God created us in His own image (Genesis 1:27 NKJV), with a purpose and plan for our lives. We are His offspring, and He watches over us. As long as we remain IN HIM, He protects us, guides us, strengthens us and gives us wisdom. Anything we have outside of Him is merely rubbish and will disintegrate in the fire. What we build in Him, will last forever.

He must increase, but I must decrease.  — John 3:30 (NKJV) Need more of God in your life? What about in your heart? This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while we slip off to the sidelines (John 3:30 MSG). Today is the day, now is the time, give God complete access to all of you: your heart, your thoughts, your mouth, etc. May we be led by His Spirit, in all that we do and say, then we can experience His fullness in our lives. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9 NKJV).

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, — Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) How do we run our race with endurance? The key factor in running well is to learn how to "let go." When we experience disappointments and setbacks in life and people don't measure up to our expectations, we have to let it go and move on down the road. Philippians 3:13 (NIV) says it this way: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Strip off that heavy weight of past hurts and bitter disappointments and keep running! The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger. — Job 17:9 (NLT)

God himself put it this way: “I’ll live in them, move into them; I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people. So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good,” says God.
“Don’t link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself.” — 2 Corinthians 6:16-17 (The Message) If we live in the land of compromise, we are standing on middle ground, and in danger of being lukewarm. In Revelation 3:16, God says, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. As children of God, we are not supposed to succumb to the ways of this world. Instead, we are to let the light of His love and grace shine so brightly through us, that we light up the darkness that is in the world. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8)!