Manna for Your Morning

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” — John 8:12 (NASB) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8) When we follow Christ and live in the light, we no longer have to stumble around in darkness, doubt and confusion. We have the Word of God, illuminating truth and wisdom. As children of light,  we no longer have to be tossed to and fro by the waves of adversity,  but we are stable and confident to stand strong. As we continually follow Jesus, we have the Light of life within us, to lead and guide us along, through each season of life. The life of the godly is full of light and joy, but the light of the wicked will be snuffed out. — Proverbs 13:9 NLT)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV) It’s when we try to figure everything out on our own that we end up anxious, worried, and frustrated, or even fearful. When we take everything to God in prayer, and continually thank Him for all He has done and for the gracious God that He is, we experience the peace of God. [that peace which reassures the heart, that peace] which transcends all understanding, [that peace which] stands guard over your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus [is yours]. (Philippians 4:7 AMP) When we have the peace of God guarding our hearts and minds, we can stand strong, and not be moved by adverse circumstances.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. — Ephesians 2:10  (NLT) In order to be the magnificent masterpieces that God created us to be, we need to yield to the work of His Holy Spirit within us. Let us bend in the places He directs us to bend, give where He says give and be firm in the areas where He wants us to stand strong. The Master Potter gently molds  us and shapes us with His hands, into unique creations. As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so we are in the hands of our heavenly Father. Be soft and pliable. And yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand. (Isaiah 64:8 NLT)

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! — Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) We are instructed to cast our cares on the LORD because the act of throwing them will get them as far away from us as possible. As we cast all our cares on God, we acknowledge that He is able and admit that we are not. When we focus on solving problems, our thoughts become problem-centered. A mind focused on the cares of this life will cause anxiety, frustration and impatience. However, when we cast all our cares on our heavenly Father and focus on His mighty power and His unfailing love for us, our minds will be God-centered. This empowers us to stand strong in faith and trust God, no matter what. A mind centered on God will remain in perfect peace and full of joy. Fix your thoughts on Him today and release the power of God to work in your life!

Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence. — Psalm 140:13 (NKJV) When we live in His Presence we have fullness of joy and a perfect peace that surpasses the comprehension of the human mind. When we live in His Presence, we are not moved by life’s circumstances and challenges. Instead, we stand strong and remain faithful. We do not allow the darkness of this world to infiltrate us, but we illuminate the atmosphere with His light and love, and draw others closer to God. When we live in His Presence, overwhelming victory is ours. In His Presence, we have an ample supply of all that we need. Give thanks to God for the opportunity and privilege of living in His Presence. There is no better place.

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. — Ephesians 6:10 (AMP) So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels (Ephesians 6:11-12 MSG). In order to fight to the finish, we must continually draw our strength from the Lord. And let us fight the good fight of faith with the weapons He has provided, His Word and prayer. Then we will stand victorious!

…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. — Daniel 11:32 (NKJV) Our strength comes in knowing God and abiding in Hs Presence. When you know your God, you are confident that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). When you know your God, in spite of all opposing forces which come, you will stand strong and give thanks to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV). Know that our God is good and He is working everything together for good in your life.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? — Romans 8:35 (NLT) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37 NLT). Don’t let the challenges you face disturb you. Stand strong! We are more than conquerors. With God on our side, how can we lose? And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:38 NLT). Amen!

He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. — Isaiah 33:6 (NIV) No matter how unstable and volatile this world may be, our mighty God is the sure foundation. The Message Bible says: God keeps your days stable and secure (Isaiah 33:6). He has a rich store, an abundant treasure of salvation, wisdom and knowledge for those who fear and worship Him. The Amplified Bible says: the reverent fear and worship of the Lord is our treasure and His. Instead of being tossed to and fro by the circumstances of this life, stand strong on the sure foundation.

Focus on the storm or the Shelter. So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” — Matthew 14:29-30 (NKJV) Are most of your thoughts centered on God’s Presence or your problems? When we give more time, energy and thought to the challenges we face, fear and doubt appear. Instead, we can focus on the Lord and doing whatever He has called us to do. When we stay centered on God and His mighty Presence at work in our lives, we rise above the circumstances of this life and remain in His peace. Then we are able to stand strong and walk in faith toward all that He has for us. When we elevate our thought life to the God realm, all things are possible!