Manna for Your Morning

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. — Matthew 11:12 (NKJV) I often wondered about these violent people who take the kingdom by force. I’m sure one of them was the woman in Mark 5:25-30, who suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. This woman has always intrigued me, more than the other people Jesus healed. She didn’t wait for her friends to carry her to Jesus on a cot. She didn’t lay by the pool waiting for an angel to stir up the water. Jesus didn’t find her laying in bed or hiding in a barn. No. She actively pursued her Healer, the great Physician. She believed the word she had heard about Jesus, and her belief compelled her to take action. She said to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” This woman had spent everything she had on doctors and her condition only grew worse. The people who take the kingdom by force, probably gave everything to the world, at one ti...

If God hadn’t been for us —all together now, Israel, sing out! —If God hadn’t been for us when everyone went against us, we would have been swallowed alive by their violent anger, swept away by the flood of rage, drowned in the torrent; We would have lost our lives in the wild, raging water. — Psalm 124:1-5 (MSG) With God on our side, who can stand against us? No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory (Deuteronomy 20:4, NIV). Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)!

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. — 1 Timothy 1:19 (NLT) Avoid shipwreck! Keep your conscience clear and tightly hold on to your faith in Christ. He is our Life Preserver. Don't be moved by the winds of adversity nor tossed to and fro by violent waves. If we keep the faith and remember that we have the victory in Jesus, we can weather any storm and keep sailing on course, to our desired destination.