Manna for Your Morning

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.” — Matthew 6:19-21 (AMP) Matthew 6:21 (TPT) says: “…your heart will always pursue what you esteem as your treasure.” So, love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (See Matthew 22:37) May we value God’s Presence with us as our greatest treasure. When He says, “Seek My face,” may our hearts say to Him, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.” (See Psalms 27:8) Passionately pursue a deep and intimate relationship with our eternal God and Father. Isaiah 33:6 (AMP) says: The fear of the LORD is your treasure.  Also, treasure His Word in your heart, that you may not si...

Some people store up treasures in their homes here on earth. This is a shortsighted practice—don’t undertake it. Moths and rust will eat up any treasure you may store here. Thieves may break into your homes and steal your precious trinkets. Instead, put up your treasures in heaven where moths do not attack, where rust does not corrode, and where thieves are barred at the door. — Matthew 6:19-20 (VOICE) Our culture tends to be of the gathering and collective nature. The proliferation of storage businesses serve as clear evidence. We store up all kinds of things. Some are attracted to glittery, shiny things and others are into loud and fast-moving things. Some stockpile money, gold, silver, coins, etc. However, money cannot buy the things that are the most valuable. May we treasure the glorious Presence of God-with-Us (Immanuel) more than anything. He is our constant Companion, our Savior & Lord, our Healer, our Guide and Teacher, etc. May we treasure loving God, loving His Word, an...

“Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;” — Matthew 6:19-20 (AMP) The material things we accumulate in this life, will eventually disintegrate and become rubbish. Let us invest into the Kingdom of God. In Matthew 25:35-36, Jesus said: “ I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. ” And in Matthew 25:40, He says, “... inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me .”  Let's not only invest our finances, but our talents and time also. As we walk in love, peace and unity with others, we are expanding the Kingdom of God. When we show patience, kindness and gentleness...

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19-21 (NASB) Our security is not found in our possessions, but in His Presence. The richest resource we have is the presence of Almighty God dwelling in us. For in Him we live and move and have our being… (Acts 17:28 NKJV). In His Presence, we have fullness of joy, everlasting peace and a wealth of wisdom. Treasure His Presence above all else. In His Presence is protection and provision of all that we need. Any investment into His kingdom is one that will pay back full dividends.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. — James 1:17 (NKJV) Every good and perfect gift is from our heavenly Father— our family and friends, our freedom, good health, our time, our talents and our treasures. May we not prize our possessions, which are temporary, more than the blessing of His Presence, which is eternal. Let us set our hearts and our hope on the giver of the gifts: El Shaddai, the all-sufficient, all-bountiful, Almighty God. He is our source. And cherish Christ. Jesus is the greatest gift every given. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  (John 3:16) Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: (Psalm 103:1-2)

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” — Matthew 6:19-20 (NLT) Instead of collecting material things, let us us treasure the things of God’s kingdom. For wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. (Matthew 6:21) Let us hold a high value on love, joy, peace, righteousness, and forgiveness. May we cherish His Presence, where we find fullness of joy. In His Presence, we have peace in the midst of any storm.

Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” — Matthew 27:22a (NKJV) What do you do with Jesus? Our very lives hang in the balance of how we answer that question. Do you praise Him in private, but are an invisible and silent partner when it comes to taking a stand for Him in public? Are you a believer or follower? Followers are believers, who follow up what they believe with action. Are you a spectator or imitator? Spectators never win because they never get involved in the game. (1 Corinthians 11:1). If you shut Jesus in a closet, for six days of the week, there is not much of an investment being made and the result is surface level, lukewarm living. (Revelation 3:16). When we live our lives for Jesus, out in the open, seven days a week, then we store up treasures in heaven and enjoy a deeper, richer and more satisfying life. If you surrender your life to Him, He will make you a into new creation. When you give Him your heart, He will be your lo...

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. — Matthew 2:11 (NKJV) When the wise men found Jesus, they went into the house and worshiped Him. Don’t be an outsider, looking in. Eliminate the barriers and draw near to Jesus. Our heavenly Father adopted us and brought us into His family as His beloved children. Come in and worship the King of kings, and Lord of lords!

The next day they offered sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord…and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. — 1 Chronicles 29:21 (AMP) In today’s culture of convenience and entitlement, most of us rarely entertain the notion of giving sacrificially, giving of our time, our treasures and our talents, until it hurts. Sacrifice is the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else regarded as more important or worthy. What are you willing to offer to God as a sacrifice today, for the sake of His Kingdom? May we freely sacrifice to the LORD in abundance. Let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name (Hebrews 13:15). Psalm 27:6 tells us to offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle. Psalm 51:17 says God will not despise, the sacrifices of a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. And then, Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God. Amen!

‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that I, the LORD, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel.’  — Isaiah 45:2-3 (NKJV) May the LORD go before you and make the crooked places straight. May He break whatever confines you, whatever is trying to hold you back. As we go through the dark places, we discover the true treasures of life in the secret places of our hearts: love and appreciation for God and others, a peace that surpasses understanding and an indescribable joy, because we know our heavenly Father and we are known and loved by Him. We know that He is with us, and He is able to bring us through all of our troubles. Amen.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) We can tell where our treasure lies by looking at where we spend our time, what we think about and where we spend our money. Are you consumed by the things of this world? May we stockpile our treasure in heaven by spending time with God, in His Word, letting it impact our hearts, in prayer and in worship. We store treasure in heaven when thoughts of fulfilling God's will in our lives occupy our minds. And when we invest our finances in the kingdom of God and helping those in need, we are laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where they cannot be destroyed or stolen. Amen!

We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. — Acts 14:15 (NLT) The things of this world are of no value, when compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul suffered the loss of all things, and counted them as rubbish in order to gain Christ (Philippians 3:8). Invest your time, energy and resources into the Kingdom of God. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be (Matthew 6:20-21).

“Stop storing up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moths and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. Instead, store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moths and rust don’t destroy and thieves don’t break in and steal. Your heart will be where your treasure is.” Matthew 6:19-21 (GW) The material things we hold onto so dearly on this earth are temporary. Let our hearts be set a little higher, on the eternal things of heaven, on things of God's kingdom: righteousness, power, peace, love and joy. Value the Presence of Almighty God in your life, above all else. He is the most valuable treasure we can ever receive. Amen!

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  Matthew 2:10-12 (NKJV) When the wise men came to Jesus, they they bowed down and worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented gifts to Him. The greatest treasure we can offer the Lord is our hearts. Open your whole heart to the Lord today. Worship the Lord today and every day, by letting Him reign in your heart. Let Him occupy every nook and cranny. Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of all. Let us rejoice with exceedingly great joy in His presence!