Manna for Your Morning

“...drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places. Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.” — Numbers 33:52-53 (NIV) The children of Israel were to completely drive out the inhabitants of the land and destroy everything that belonged to them. Anyone they let remain would be irritants in their eyes and thorns in their sides, and they would harass them in the land (Numbers 33:55 NKJV). God has given us a promise land to possess. If there are some harassing things going on, some thorns in our sides, then there remains some things that need to be destroyed, in order for us to occupy the land and settle in it. Is it pride? Offense? Self-pity? Rebellion? Whatever it is, drive it out and take possession of your promised land!

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. — Matthew 13:22 (NKJV) Weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it (Matthew 13:22b, The Message). Don't let the worries of this world choke the Word out of you. First Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all our cares upon God. When we clear our hearts of worldly cares, we allow the Word to grow, take root, and bear much fruit in our lives. Get rid of the thorns and thrive! Stand on the Word, no matter what, and you will persevere through all seasons of life!