Manna for Your Morning

His father and mother objected. “Isn’t there even one woman in our tribe or among all the Israelites you could marry?” they asked. “Why must you go to the pagan Philistines to find a wife?” But Samson told his father, “Get her for me! She looks good to me.” His father and mother didn’t realize the LORD was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines, who ruled over Israel at that time. — Judges 14:3-4 (NLT) Samson was disobeying Yahweh’s instructions not to intermarry with the nations He was driving out of the land before the Israelites. (See Deuteronomy 7:1-3) But God had a plan to use Samson’s disobedience to bring about His will.  Sometimes we cannot see how God is working, but let us confidently believe that He is always working for our good. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways, and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. (See Isaiah 55:9) May we trust God and continue to follow the lead of His Holy Spir...

  Then Job answered Yahweh and said, “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.” — Job 42:1-2 (LSB) In Daniel 5:18—21 (NKJV), Daniel said to king Belshazzar, “O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor. And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. ...But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.” (See Daniel 5:18—21 NKJV) Know that our great God rules. Instead of being puffed up with pride, keep a humble heart before Yahweh...

We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. — Proverbs 19:21 (MSG) Before every person lies a road that seems to be right, but the end of that road is death and destruction. (Proverbs 14:12 VOICE) When we are in the driver’s seat, we are sure to end up on a dead-end road or going over a cliff. God allows us the free will to do things our way but realize that there are always consequences to that. In addition, when we choose to do things our way, it’s not God’s best for us. Some people think the word submission is a bad thing, but we are all submitting to something. Are you submitting to your flesh, to this world, or to God, our Maker? It is a good thing when we are submitting to the right authority. Submit your life to our heavenly Father, and to the authority of His Word. May we follow Him all the days of our lives. He knows the best way for us to go so that we arrive at the glorious destination of His master design. The steps of a [good and ri...

We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. — Proverbs 19:21 (MSG) God has a perfect plan for each and every person. And Jesus gave His life to save us and empower us to fulfill it. The LORD has a good plan for each one of us. He created us with purpose and a glorious destiny. As we follow His Word and are led by His Holy Spirit, He will take us from one glory to another level of glory. When we let the devil or our flesh, lure us off the path that leads to everlasting life and a more abundant life here on earth,  we are making detours away from His good and perfect plan. But no matter where we are today and no matter what poor decisions we have made in the past, God will work everything together for good. Choose today, to follow God and serve Him only.

We are confident that God is able to orchestrate everything to work toward something good and beautiful when we love Him and accept His invitation to live according to His plan. — Romans 8:28 (VOICE) We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. (Proverbs 19:21 MSG) The sooner we understand that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9), the sooner we will accept His invitation to live according to His plan. Only then will we live our best life and enjoy the more abundant life Jesus came to give us. Life is not always going to be pretty, but Ecclesiastes 3:11a (NLT) says: Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time . Give Him time.

We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails. — Proverbs 19:21 (MSG) Instead of getting upset and frustrated when things don’t work out as you had planned, keep a positive perspective. God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). What appears to be a setback, may actually be a set-up for God to show Himself mighty on your behalf. Just as Joseph went into a pit and in prison, before he made his way to the palace, the plans the LORD has for us are good. Be assured God will do abundantly more than you could ever ask or imagine.

Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]. — Proverbs 16:3 (AMP) Whatever goals or plans you have made for the coming new year, may you submit them to the LORD. Then, let us remember not to run off and do our own thing and end up turning to Him to fix a mess. Instead, continually seek the LORD and ask for His help and guidance along the way. We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9 NLT). Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails (Proverbs 19:21 NIV).