Manna for Your Morning

All of this is a gift from our Creator God, who has pursued us and brought us into a restored and healthy relationship with Him through the Anointed. And He has given us the same mission, the ministry of reconciliation, to bring others back to Him. It is central to our good news that God was in the Anointed making things right between Himself and the world. This means He does not hold their sins against them. But it also means He charges us to proclaim the message that heals and restores our broken relationships with God and each other. — 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (VOICE) If we want our horizontal relationships with other people (spouse, siblings, extended family members, friends, co-workers, etc) to be healthy and harmonious, we must get the one vertical, foundational relationship with God in alignment first. If someone claims, “I love God,” but hates his brother or sister, then he is a liar. Anyone who does not love a brother or sister, whom he has seen, cannot possibly love God, whom he...

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...

Oh, remember that my life is a breath! My eye will never again see good. — Job 7:7 (NKJV) Job made the above statement in the midst grief and suffering. However, God had another plan for him, a triumphant plan that was good and full of hope. Job 42:10 (NASB) says, the LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. In Job 42:12, the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. Job 42:16-17 says, after this, Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons and his grandsons, four generations. And Job died, an old man and full of days. God has all the days ordained for us written in His book. (Psalm 139:16) When you are in a chapter that contains tragic life events, remember, your story is not over. Don’t make a final conclusion based on a temporary condition. Know that our heavenly Father is with you in each chapter. He is taking you from one glory to the next as each chapter unfolds. God has a plan for you th...

What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You’ve heard, of course, of Job’s staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That’s because God cares, cares right down to the last detail. — James 5:11 (MSG) As we exercise patience and perseverance, God will work it all together for good. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord (James 5:11a NKJV). The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10 NKJV). The Lord is very compassionate and merciful. (James 5:11b NKJV). May He restore unto you, double for all your troubles.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) When Jesus gave His life on the cross, to pay the debt for our sins, He restored us into fellowship with our heavenly Father. Where there was once separation, the blood of Christ brought us near to the Father of compassion. He is there to comfort us whenever we encounter troubles of any kind. He keeps track of all your sorrows. He has collected all your tears in His bottle. He has recorded each one in His book. (Psalm 56:8, NLT). When anxious thoughts multiply within you, His comforts will delight you. (Psalm 94:19). Amen.

Then the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?” And Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.” — 2 Samuel 9:3 (NKJV) Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, was found hiding out in Lo Debar. King David sent for him, restored to him all the land of King Saul and invited him to eat at his table continually, like one of the king’s sons. (2 Samuel 9:5,7, 11). Are you hiding out in Lo Debar, when you could be dining at the King’s table? When we mess up or when something doesn't go the way we think it should have, we allow the enemy to draw us away from God. We think we are hiding from God, but He knows exactly where we are. And no matter where we are, spiritually, emotionally or physically, God just wants to show us His kindness. So come out of hiding, stop living a lame spiritual life, and dine with Him continually. Daily partake of the delicacies at the King’s table. You are a child o...

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, — Acts 3:19 (NKJV) In the presence of the Lord we are refreshed, revived and restored. As we surrender our will and flow with the Spirit of the Lord that dwells within us, we are strengthened and His power enables us to accomplish all that He designed for us. The Lord rebuilds that which is broken and makes us into brand new creations. Every morning, He pours out new mercies and compassions on us. So we have a fresh start each day. As we continually abide in His Presence, we are refreshed and our lives are changed from ordinary to extraordinary.

Please run now to meet her, and say to her, ‘Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?’” And she answered, “It is well.” — 2 Kings 4:26 (NKJV) The son of this Shunammite woman had just sat on her lap and died. How could she say, it is well? She was not looking at the way circumstances appeared at the moment. She was looking with eyes of faith, that God would bring her son back to life. Because she believed in her heart, and didn’t speak the negative, but took action, her son’s life was restored. Do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). No matter what you are going through today, “It is well!” Our God reigns and He is on your side.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. — Psalm 139:7-10 (NKJV) When we have done or said something contrary to the nature and character of God, we often try to hide, like Adam did in the Garden of Eden. But no matter where we go, our heavenly Father is there. Even the darkness does not hide us from Him (Psalm 139-11-12). What is helpful for us to remember is that He is not there to beat us up, but to pick us up and guide us back onto the path of life and into fellowship with Him. Instead of running away, return to Him and be restored.

And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the  LORD  gave Job twice as much as he had before. — Job 42:10 (NKJV) Job lost everything and greatly suffered with painful boils, all over his body. But Job persevered through the adversity and prayed for his friends, who had made many accusations against him. Then, God restored him. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part (Job 42:12). After his troubles, Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations (Job 42:16). In the midst of whatever circumstances come our way, may we remember to take our eyes off of ourselves and pray for our friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.

God has done all this. He has restored our relationship with him through Christ, and has given us this ministry of restoring relationships. In other words, God was using Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn’t hold people’s faults against them, and he has given us this message of restored relationships to tell others. — 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (GW) Just as God no longer counts believer’s sins against them, may we not hold people's faults against them. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a complaint against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13). Let us pursue peace and walk in love.