Manna for Your Morning

For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, — Philippians 2:9-10 (AMP) JESUS. It truly is a beautiful name! God’s goodness, grace, and glory is contained in the name of Jesus. When we know Jesus, we know joy and peace. We have forgiveness and freedom. Jesus saves and He rescues. He heals and makes whole. When we call on the name of Jesus, we have strength and hope. His name contains power to overcome challenges. In the name of Jesus, the love of God unfolds. Praise the name of the Lord, it’s the only name worth praising. For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven. (Psalm 148:13) O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. — Matthew 17:14-15 (NKJV) This father humbly came to Jesus on behalf of his son and the child was cured that very hour (Matthew 17:18). Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. (Psalm 95:6) May we humble ourselves and kneel before the LORD. Kneeling is a reminder of our position before Him. He is above all. He is our Maker, the One who created us. He is worthy of our worship. Kneeling is a sign of submission, reverence, respect and honor. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (1 Peter 5:6).

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. — Exodus 17:11 (NIV) The Israelites defeated their enemies because Moses continually held his hands up to God. We will win our battles as we continually lift our hands up, in surrender to God and in praise of Him. Lifted hands are a sign of surrender, letting go and giving our cares to God. Raised hands indicate a submission to God, His Word and His ways. We also lift our hands to worship and praise our Heavenly Father. So get your hands up and start praising God for your victory! “The LORD will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm.” (Exodus 14:14 AMP)

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. — Matthew 2:11a (NLT) The initial response the wise men had when they entered the presence of Jesus was to bow down and worship Him. Bowing down is an act of surrender and submission. It’s an acknowledgement of His lordship over our lives. Bowing down is an indication of a humble heart. It says not my will but Your’s be done. As wise men and women, may we bow down and worship Jesus, the Lord of lords and King of kings, every day God gives us breath. He is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last. He is worthy of all praise and honor! Alleluia!

Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! — Psalm 103:1 (NKJV) Just as we want God to bless us, we are to bless our heavenly Father. How can we bless the LORD? We can give God our all —all that we are, all that we have, all that we hope to be, our dreams, our fears and our regrets. We bless the LORD with our tongues (James 1:9), as we sing His praises. We bless the LORD with our bodies as we walk in His ways. And as we worship Him with lifted hands, in total surrender and submission. We bless the LORD as we give Him all our cares and concerns, and totally trust in Him. We bless Him when we stand on His Word in the face of adverse circumstances and contrary reports. Bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in your mouth (Psalm 34:1). We will bless the LORD from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 115:18). Amen!

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. — James 4:7-8a (NKJV) In today's world, submission is a foreign concept, but as children of God, we are called to submit to our heavenly Father. Submission is a continual process of re-aligning our hearts and attitudes to reflect the Most High God. Instead of pushing our own agendas, we learn to yield to His Ways. Yes indeed, His ways are higher and better than our ways. When we are submitted to God, our words, thoughts, and actions show His kindness, grace and compassion. In submission, we actually DO what His Word says: love, forgive, etc. Allow His Supreme authority to rule and reign in your life, today and forever!

“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” — Luke 22:42 (NKJV) The commitment and submission Jesus had to the Father, led Him to give His life to save a lost world. For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will and endured the pain of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). May we fully submit to God, and yield to His will and His ways. It may not always “feel good,” but after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you (1 Peter 5:10). Just like Jesus, we have a future full of hope and joy, that grows brighter and brighter. Stay committed to the Father's will and the rest of your life will be the absolute BEST of your life!

By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours - a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, "Father, I place my life in your hands!" Then he breathed his last. Luke 23:44-46 (The Message) Let us be like Jesus and place our lives into the hands of the Heavenly Father. Instead of trying to force our own way, may we submit to the will of God. When we let go and let God, He will lead us into victorious living. At the times when we seem to be experiencing a total blackout, the light of God floods our soul and He causes us to triumph over our enemies, like He did with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Remember, Friday is here, but Sunday's a coming....  Love, Jackie