Manna for Your Morning

“Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God? You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.” — Psalms 71:19-21 (NLT) No matter what hardships come, remember Yahweh is a God of restoration.  …You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. (Psalms 3:3 LSB) I will exalt You, O Yahweh, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies be glad over me. (Psalms 30:1 LSB)  O God, restore us and cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved. (Psalms 80:3  NASB1995)  He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. — Psalms 23:3 (AMP)

“You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.” — Psalms 71:20 (NLT) According to 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NASB1995), our affliction is momentary and light. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV) So after you have suffered a little while, God will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. (See 1 Peter 5:10 NLT) In the meantime, keep on hoping for His help, and praise Him more and more. (See Psalms 71:14 NLT) Our mighty God is a God of restoration. “Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” (Psalms 94:17-19 NLT) In Psalms 30:2 (NLT) David says: “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health.” In Isaiah 5...

“Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. I went away full, but the LORD has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the LORD has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” — Ruth 1:20-21 (NLT) In the land of Moab, Naomi’s husband and two sons died. (See Ruth 1:3-5) She returned home to Bethlehem, with her loyal daughter-in-law, Ruth, feeling quite empty. However, Yahweh was not finished with her. In the midst of horrific circumstances, know that God is still at work. He provided a kinsman redeemer named Boaz. Ruth became his wife. The LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. (See Ruth 4:13-14) And indeed, their son, Obed became the grandfather of King David. (See Ruth 4:22) Loss, pain and suffering are part of our li...

When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before! So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys. — Job 42:10, 12 (NASB1995) When Job took his eyes off of himself, and prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. May we bless those who curse us, and pray for those who mistreat us. (See Luke 6:28 NASB1995) “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your offenses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your offenses.”] (Mark 11:25-26 NASB)  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm...

He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. — Psalm 23:3 (NASB1995) Yahweh is a God of restoration. In addition to the restoration of our souls, He will restore us to the joy of His salvation (see Psalm 51:12), the joy we had when we first accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. In Joel 2:25 (NKJV), He says: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust...” After much calamity and affliction, the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. (See Job 42:10 AMP) After you have suffered a little while, 1 Peter 5:10 (NLT) says, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. Turn back to Yahweh, rely on Him and you will be restored. The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be ...

You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again. — Psalm 71:20-21 (NLT) Job lost all his children, his possessions, and experienced pain and suffering in his physical body, yet he continued to worship YAHWEH. In all of this he did not sin by blaming God. (See Job 1:22)  In Job 42:10, the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. (AMP)  In Joel 2:25 (NKJV) the LORD says: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust... He gives His people beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. (See Isaiah 61:3 NKJV) Psalm 23:3 (NASB1995) says, He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’...

When the LORD saw their change of heart, he gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief…” — 2 Chronicles 12:7 (NLT) In 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT), the LORD says, “…if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” Relief for the people and restoration of the land comes when the people of God humble themselves and seek His face. Pride causes people to manipulate situations and try to force their own way, but the humble seek God’s will. They are led by the Spirit of God and do things His way, which always lines up with His Word. “I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists! Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.’” For no one on earth—from east or west, or even from...

“ So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you .” — J oel 2:25 (NKJV) Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; (1 Peter 4:12 NASB). There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven— (Ecclesiastes 3:1 NASB1995) Psalm 119:71 (NLT) says: My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. We will endure some trials and troubles. We will experience suffering and pain, but know that our great and mighty God is a God of restoration. So after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. (See 1 Peter 5:10) Psalm 23:3a (AMP) says: He refreshes and restores my soul (life). Job endured much suff...

I have fought the good and worthy and noble fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [firmly guarding the gospel against error]. — 2 Timothy 4:7 (AMP) Let us be like the Apostle Paul and keep fighting the good fight, until we finish the race. Keep the faith, no matter what the circumstance. Our mighty God is a God of restoration. He will restore what the locusts have eaten. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12 NASB) Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; (Philippians 2:12)

...behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.” — Matthew 9:18 (NKJV) When Jesus went in and took the ruler’s daughter by the hand, the girl arose. (Matthew 9:25)  When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened… (Matthew 9:27, 29-30) In Matthew 8:14-15, Jesus saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. A touch from Jesus makes dead things, come alive again. Those with blind eyes are able to see again, after a touch of His hand. His touch brings healing, strength and restoration. What or who in your life needs to be touched by Jesus? May we humble ourselves, worship the King, and acknowledge that we need to live with the touch of His ...

We’re free of it! All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. — 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (MSG) Let there be nothing between you and God. Only our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. He formed us in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) Open the door of your heart and let God enter those rooms that you have padlocked shut. Let His glory bring light to the dark areas. We become more and more like Him as we allow Him to enter the crevices of our hearts and perform His restoration project. He takes lives that have been seemingly reduced to rubble and transforms them into lives full of His beauty and glory, as we allow Him to work in us, and through us.

They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its [fortified] gates have been burned (destroyed) by fire.” — Nehemiah 1:3 (AMP) There are times when we feel like we have nothing left; emotionally and physically, we are wiped out. Many have lost all material goods, as a result of a natural disaster (fire, flood, etc.) But we are all survivors. We have survived the attacks of the enemy and we still have the breath of life. When the walls of our lives are broken down, let us look to the Master builder. He is a God of restoration. God will provide your every need and give you strength to get through the restoration process. You may feel helpless, but never lose hope. Rise up out of the rubble and begin to build. Trust that with God's help, what you build, will be bigger, better and stronger. whether it's a relationship, a home, or a business.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe [in Me], you will see the glory of God [the expression of His excellence]?” — John 11:40 (AMP) Lazarus had been dead four days when Jesus said, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” (John 11:44 NKJV). Jesus is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25a). He can resurrect whatever dead situation or relationship exists in your life. Jesus is a God of restoration, He can bring that which is dead, back to life. “ If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. ” Mark 9:23 (NKJV)

Listen, God! Please, pay attention! Can you make sense of these ramblings, my groans and cries? King-God, I need your help. Every morning you’ll hear me at it again. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar and watch for fire to descend. — Psalm 5:1-3 (MSG) God is our helper. May we look to Him, each and every day to give us wisdom and guidance. Let us look to Him every moment of the day to be our strength and joy. As we expose every area of our lives to His light and love, He will bring about the healing and restoration that is needed. At His alter is where things get altered —changed forever!

Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” — Nehemiah 2:17, 18b (NKJV) Even though their enemies tried to stop the work of God, Nehemiah and his team successfully completed the wall. At times, our lives may seem to be no more than a pile of rubbish, broken pieces of debris scattered about. But God is in the business of restoration. He will use every piece of our broken lives and make something beautiful. Let us rise up and actively engage in what God wants to do in our lives. Out of the rubbish, Nehemiah re-built the walls of Jerusalem. What will you build for the LORD, with the rubble of your life?

We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead  — 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (NLT) In spite of the most difficult times, totally trust God! He changes circumstances for the better. The LORD will eventually bring about restoration and reconciliation, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28 (NLT).

The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.  — Psalm 121:5 (NLT) When calamity comes, people have a tendency to ask, “Where was God?” He is where He always is, right by your side. His eye constantly watches over you. He is there to catch every tear that rolls down your cheek. When someone does you wrong and you are devastated, all the broken pieces of your heart fall in His hand. He is there to bring healing and restoration. He carries you when you don't have the strength to walk. Our heavenly Father turns your sorrow into joy. Every tear that was sown reaps a harvest of joy. Those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing (Psalm 125:6, The Message).

“Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. — 2 Chronicles 29:5 (NKJV) During King Hezekiah's restoration project, he instructed the Levitical priests to clean out the holy place. First Peter 2:9 says, we are a a royal priesthood. We are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in us (1 Corinthians 3:16). So, let us take a survey of all that we have accumulated throughout the year and carry out any rubbish. Get rid of all debris: offense, unforgiveness, pride, rebellion, etc. These are things which will cause a root of bitterness to grow and defile our temples. Amen!

So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all . — 1 Samuel 30:18-19 (NKJV) In the midst of his grief and loss, David inquired of the LORD. And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.” As we encounter various trials, may we remember to always inquire of the LORD. He is a mighty God of restoration and He has given us the victory!

Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved . — Psalm 80:19 (NIV) Our God is a God of restoration. He restores us to the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12). First Peter 5:10 says, after you have suffered a little while, He will restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. May the Lord make his face shine on you today and be gracious to you.