Manna for Your Morning

At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, — 2 Timothy 4:16-17a (NKJV)  Although people may desert you when you need them most, the Lord is faithful. He will never abandon you. Not only does He stand with you, He gives you the strength to stand. You may be hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; you may be perplexed, but not in despair; you may be persecuted, but not forsaken; you may be struck down, but, praise God, you are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)!

But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.” — Acts 23:11 (NKJV) Today, we can be of good cheer, because the Lord stands by us. If all others forsake us, He will still be there. The Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:3, NIV). In 2 Timothy 4:17, the Apostle Paul says, “the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached...” We are to bear witness of Jesus, at this time, to this generation, and He stands by us to give us strength.