Manna for Your Morning

Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. — 1 Corinthians 1:7-9 (NLT) Psalms 92:1-2 (NKJV) says: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night. His faithfulness endures to all generations; (See Psalms 119:90 NKJV) So, we can have unwavering trust and rely on Yahweh with great confidence. Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy, guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own]. (1 Thessalonians 5:24 AMP) Just as Yahweh is fait...

“From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ — Malachi 3:7 (LSB) James 4:8 (AMP) says: “Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].” You can be sure that when you draw near to Yahweh He will draw near to you. In Isaiah 29:13 (NASB1995) the Lord said: “…this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote…” let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:22 NASB1995)

Lord Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Come back to me! By returning and resting in me you will be saved. In quietness and trust you will be made strong. But you refused.” — Isaiah 30:15 (TPT) The LORD is a faithful God. He longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him. (See Isaiah 30:18 NASB1995) Yahweh desires for us to come to Him so He can show us His love and compassion. Isaiah 30:19 (NLT) says: “He will be gracious if you ask for help. He will surely respond to the sound of your cries.” Even though the Lord may allow you to go through a season of hardship and difficulty, he himself will be there with you. He will not hide himself from you, for your eyes will constantly see him as your Teacher. When you turn to the right or turn to the left, you will hear his voice behind you to guide you, saying, “This is the right path; follow it.” (Isaiah 30:20-21 TPT)

Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; And to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. — Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV) People in this world seek many things: love, fame, fortune, power, etc. However, when we abide in Yahweh, we have all that we need. Call upon Him while He is near. If you truly seek Him, He will be found by you. Let us seek Almighty God, and His will and walk in His ways, all of our days. In His presence is fullness of joy; At His right hand are pleasures forevermore. (See Psalms 16:11) “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the LORD, but shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12 NKJV)

Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands [in prayer] toward God in heaven; — Lamentations 3:40-41 (AMP) We tend to examine the lives of others and give unsolicited commentary. However, the Word of God tells us to examine ourselves. Second Corinthians 13:5 (AMP) says: Test and evaluate yourselves to see whether you are in the faith and living your lives as [committed] believers. Examine yourselves [not me]! “Now your souls will be strengthened and healed if you hold steadfast to your faith…” (See 2 Corinthians 13:5 TPT) For the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel has said this, “In returning [to Me] and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and confident trust is your strength.” But you were not willing, (Isaiah 30:15 AMP). Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to Yahweh, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:7 LSB)  ...

Just as mortals are appointed to die once and then to experience a judgment, so the Anointed One, our Liberating King, was offered once in death to bear the sins of many and will appear a second time, not to deal again with sin, but to rescue those who eagerly await His return. — Hebrews 9:27-28 (VOICE) What a glorious destination we have in Christ. Eagerly and confidently wait for His return. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NASB1995) Glory hallelujah! Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [that is, separate you from profane and vulgar things, make you pure and whole and undamaged—consecrated to Him—set apart for His purpose]; and may your spirit and soul...

For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, — 1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NASB1995) Let us turn away from idols, which is any person, place or thing that we have more affection for, than we do for Elohim, our loving Creator. Do you place more importance on some earthly activity than drawing near to Yahweh? Do you give more time, attention, or energy to someone or something, than you do to worshiping, thanking and praising, El Elyon, our mighty God? An idol can be TV, social media, a parent, a spouse or your child, a form of entertainment, sports, money, material possessions, any man-made traditions, the sun, moon, or stars, etc. …turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. (See Acts 14:15 NASB1995) May He occupy the primary place in our hearts and minds. “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, ...

So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; and that He may send [to you] Jesus, the Christ, who has been appointed for you, — Acts 3:19-20 (AMP) Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (See 1 Peter 2:24) Repent and return to God. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 NASB1995) Amen.

“Even now,” says the LORD, “Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance], with fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored];” — Joel 2:12 (AMP) “…rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil.” (Joel 2:13 NASB1995) Don’t get caught up in just going through the motions. Make sure He has your whole heart. He will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust. (See Joel 2:25) Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:14 NASB1995) NOW (says the LORD). There is a sense of urgency in His Words. Make a decision today to return to Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13) Amen.

But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. — Revelation 2:4 (AMP) “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, weeping and mourning; and rend your heart and not your garments.” Now return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. (Joel 2:12-13 NASB1995)  In Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT), the LORD says: “...I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” Come. Let us return to the LORD wholeheartedly, with tender hearts that are responsive to Him. 

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; — Acts 3:19 (NASB) Let us repent of any ways we have missed the will of God. The Voice Bible says, …you need to rethink everything and turn to God… (Acts 3:19).  So repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins] and return [to God—seek His purpose for your life], so that your sins may be wiped away [blotted out, completely erased], so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [restoring you like a cool wind on a hot day]; (Acts 3:19 AMP) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him. — Psalm 103:11-13 (NASB)

For as rain and snow can’t go back once they’ve fallen, but soak into the ground and nourish the plants that grow, providing seed to the farmer and bread for the hungry, so it is when I declare something. My word will go out and not return to Me empty, but it will do what I wanted; it will accomplish what I determined. — Isaiah 55:10-11 (VOICE) Acts 17:11 (NASB) says, the believers in Berea received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily… May we be open vessels to receive the Word of God and let it soak into the good soil of our hearts. It will nourish our spirits and restore life to us. Then we can feed a good Word to the hungry and hurting in our sphere. The Word of God cleanses and refreshes, and it stands forever. Amen. Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. — Psalm 119:92-93 (NKJV)

O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity; — Hosea 14:1 (NKJV) This morning, as I read Hosea 14:1, the cry of my heart was for America to return to the LORD our God. For there is no savior besides the LORD (Hosea 13:4). There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12)  Our culture has so many distractions, that steal our affections away from our heavenly Father, but He is always calling us back to Him, with His loving arms wide open. Let us prioritize His Presence, and treasure His Word in our hearts. “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)

God, the Master, The Holy of Israel, has this solemn counsel:  “Your salvation requires you to turn back to me and stop your silly efforts to save yourselves. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on me— The very thing you’ve been unwilling to do.” — Isaiah 30:15 (MSG) “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength…” (Isaiah 30:15 NLT). May we return to the LORD with our whole hearts and rest in His loving arms. Rest in His goodness and grace. Rest in His will and in His ways. Rest in His compassion and kindness. When we quietly and confidently trust in the LORD we find strength to overcome every challenge. Those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; (Isaiah 40:31a)

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” — Isaiah 30:15 (NLT) With today’s multi-tasking, always-on-the-go lifestyle, we are constantly caught up in a flurry of activities, that will serve as distractions and cause us to drift away from the LORD. May we remember to unplug and unwind. Return to Him and rest in quietness and in confident expectation, that He will enable you to do all that He has called you to do. Settle down in complete dependence on Him. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” — Psalm 46:10 (MSG)

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, — Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV) When we wander off of the path the LORD has for us, our inclination is to run away from Him and hide, but our heavenly Father beckons us to return to Him. "Come," He says. He wants a close and intimate relationship with us. And as we quietly rest in Him and put our trust and confidence in the LORD, we are strengthened to continue our journey along the path that leads to abundant and eternal life.

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.

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. — Psalm 75:1 (NKJV) It is good to give thanks to the LORD (Psalm 92:1). First Thessalonians 5:18 instructs us, to give thanks in everything, no matter what the circumstances may be; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. In Luke 17:16, only one of the ten lepers that Jesus healed, returned, fell down on his face at His feet, and gave Him thanks (Luke 17:16). Remember all the wondrous works God is doing in your midst. And be the one who returns to give Him thanks!

Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Joel 2:13 (NLT) When you don't know what to do or where to go, run to the LORD our God. He is full of grace and mercy, always ready to forgive. He crowns us with love and compassion (Psalm 103:4) and His compassions never fail. They are brand new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Our God is extremely patient and extravagant in love. And nothing can separate us from His great love. Amen!

Seek the LORD while He may be found,  Call upon Him while He is near.  Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV) Devote your whole heart and soul to seeking the LORD, our God, and He will make sure you find Him. Return to the LORD and He will have mercy on you. Our heavenly Father freely forgives us. He never forsakes those who seek Him (Psalm 9:10). Call on Him now while he is near (Isa. 55:6, NLT). It is good to be near God, make the Sovereign LORD your refuge (Psalm 73:28).