Manna for Your Morning

“Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the LORD will soon arrive.” — Joel 3:14 (NLT)  The day of the LORD is near, the day when destruction comes from the Almighty. How terrible that day will be! (Joel 1:15 NLT) Make a decision today to follow Yahweh. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (See 2 Corinthians 6:2 NKJV ) That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. (Joel 2:12-13 NLT) “And it shall come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved [from the coming judgment]… (See Joel 2:32 AMP).

“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” — Daniel 3:17-18 (NASB1995) Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego chose to be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire rather than to bow down and worship the golden image that king Nebuchadnezzar had set up. They were absolutely confident that Yahweh was able to rescue them. No matter how hot the fiery trial becomes or how high the floodwaters rise, let us be fully persuaded that our awesome and mighty God is able to deliver us. Many hardships and perplexing circumstances confront the righteous, but the LORD rescues him from them all. (Psalms 34:19 AMP) Refuse to serve any other false god or idol. Yahweh is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, ...

I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved;
 He who keeps you will not slumber. — Psalm 121:1-3 (NKJV) Look to the LORD. Our help comes from Yahweh, and He is with us each moment of the day. He does not sleep, nor take vacations. When you call upon Him, He will answer. I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, and will trust in the LORD. (Psalm 40:1-3 NKJV)  Since I am afflicted and needy, let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God. — Psalm 40:17 (NASB1995)

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. — Matthew 27:50 (NASB1995) Before He went to the cross, Jesus prayed: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” (See Luke 22:42 NASB1995) In John 6:38, He said: “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.” As followers of Christ, may we submit to the will of our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:4 says: You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; (NASB1995) “Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. Please receive instruction from His mouth and establish His words in your heart.” (Job 22:21-22 NASB1995) Jesus also said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:21 NASB1995) Do not go on offering members of your body to sin as instrum...

That is why the LORD says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. — Joel 2:12-13 (NLT) Repent and return to the LORD. Joel 2:25 says, He will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust. He will pour out His Spirit on all mankind (see Joel 2:28) and everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved (see Joel 2:32). Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision (see Joel 3:14). Don’t wait. Today is the day of salvation. Call upon the LORD of Heaven’s Armies today. The LORD of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. Interlude — Psalm 46:7 (NLT)

A mind focused on the flesh is doomed to death, but a mind focused on the Spirit will find full life and complete peace. — Romans 8:6 (VOICE) It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. (Ephesians 1:1-3 MSG) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:4-5 NASB). Our spiritual well-being comes from walking with God, now and forever. Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes ...

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was no rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside. — 2 Corinthians 7:5 (NLT) The Passion Translation says, … we found no relief. We were restless and exhausted; troubles met us at every turn. Outwardly I faced conflicts and inwardly emotional turmoil. (2 Corinthians 7:5)  We often face conflict from all directions, in addition to dealing with internal fears, but remember the words of Jesus: “ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. ” (John 14:27 NASB) In 2 Corinthians 6:4 (NLT), the Apostle Paul says, “In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind.” May we be true ministers of God and patiently endure the troubles, hardships, and calamities that come our way, knowing that Jesus has over...

Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed. — Mark 1:16-18 (MSG) When Jesus told the early disciples to follow Him, they immediately left their nets and followed Him.  They didn't wait, wonder or wander. They were not like Gideon, who proceeded to ask God for a sign (Judges 6:36-40). They were not like Jonah, who went in the opposite direction, in an attempt to run away from God. (Jonah 1:2-3) May we have the heart to just FOLLOW JESUS, no matter where He may lead us.

Though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive fails and the fields produce no food, though the flock is cut off from the fold and there are no cattle in the stalls, yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the LORD; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! — Habakkuk 3:17-18 (AMP) No matter what the current situation may be, let us choose to rejoice in the LORD, because He is with us and He has given us the victory. In Isaiah 43:2-3, He says, “ When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior… ” (NLT) “ See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. ” (Isaiah 12:2 NLT)

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) Sometimes we wrestle with God for the steering wheel of our lives. We want to be in the driver’s seat and God wants us to rest in the passenger seat and enjoy the companionship of His presence as we journey together. At other times we want to put our feet on the accelerator and speed up the process, instead of patiently waiting and trusting God’s timing. Your strength will come from settling down in complete dependence on Him… (Isaiah 30:15b MSG). Let us return to the LORD, rest in Him and rely on Him, knowing that He is faithful to fulfill every promise and provide for every need.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? — Romans 8:31 (NKJV) God is for YOU. He chose you. He accepted you and brought you into His family. And He loves you right where you're at today. Nothing can successfully stand against you! Our mighty God is greater than any doctor’s diagnosis. The name of the LORD is above every adverse circumstance that comes your way. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the LORD. (Isaiah 54:17 (NKJV)

“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” — John 14:27 (NLT) My beloved, stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled (John 14:27 AMP). If you are preoccupied with the things of this world, don’t expect to experience the deep and lasting peace that only Jesus can give. If we accept the Lord’s gift, then we can enjoy the benefits inside. And we open the gift by abiding in His Presence. We maintain peace, by giving ALL our worries and cares to God, and keeping our eyes on Him for the answer, the solution and the deliverance. Amen!

I have no interest in giving you a chatty account of my adventures, only the wondrously powerful and transformingly present words and deeds of Christ in me that triggered a believing response among the outsiders . — Romans 15:18 (The Message) Let all that we say and do be aimed at triggering a believing response in those around us, who do not know Jesus. When others look at us may they see the love, compassion and kindness of Christ. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12, NIV). So that we may have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God (Romans 16:17, NKJV).

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand.  — Psalm 95:6-7 (NKJV) We are the people of God's pasture and He watches over His flock like a shepherd. We belong to Him and He takes care of us. We are the sheep our heavenly Father feeds from His hand. He searches for the lost and brings back the strays. He binds up the injured and strengthens the weak (Ezekiel 34:16). He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart (Isaiah 40:11). Don't let the forces of this world pull you out His pasture, away from His protection and His Presence.

And after you suffer for a short time, God, who gives all grace, will make everything right. He will make you strong and support you and keep you from falling. He called you to share in his glory in Christ, a glory that will continue forever. All power is his forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11 (NCV) The Apostle Peter warns us not to be surprised at the painful trials that come upon us (1 Peter 4:12). Jesus warned us that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33). However, we are encouraged to stand firm, and be strong in our faith. James 5:10 urges us to be patient in hardship. The Apostle Paul instructs us to rejoice in our sufferings, because suffering produces perseverance (Romans 5:3). After we have suffered for a while, we have the promise that God will make everything right. He will work everything together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Glory hallelujah!

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they replied. Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; and their sight was restored. Matthew 9:27-30 (NIV) Believe that God is able to work everything together for good in your life (Romans 8:28). Believe that He is able to deliver you from all your troubles. Know that if you ask God for wisdom to make the right decisions, He will generously give it (James 1:5). God loves you and He created you with a purpose and He has a wonderful plan for your life. Only believe. Love, Jackie

Happy are those who are strong in the LORD, who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains! Psalm 84:5-6 (NLT) Happy are those who draw their strength from the LORD and set their minds on finishing the course God has placed before them. No matter where our personal paths take us, we are on a journey and if we continue to walk with God, we will get through it. And our low valleys will become places where God pours out His blessings and refreshes us. Praise the LORD.   On the journey with Him, Love, Jackie