Manna for Your Morning

I have wandered down the wrong path like a lost sheep; come find me, Your servant, because I do not forget Your commands. — Psalm 119:176 (VOICE) When we wander down the wrong paths, we make ourselves vulnerable to the attack of the enemy. Let us closely follow Yahweh, and stay on the path that leads to life. In Psalm 63:7-8 (NKJV), David says: Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.  He restores your soul; He guides you in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. (See Psalm 23:3 NASB1995) He will make known to you the path of life; In His presence is fullness of joy; In His right hand there are pleasures forever. (See Psalm 16:1 NASB1995)

For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. — 1 Peter 2:25 (AMP)  All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
 Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. Jesus bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. (See Isaiah 53:6, 53:12) Hebrews 3:10 (NASB1995) says, this generation always go astray in their heart, and they did not know the ways of the LORD. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. (Psalm 73:22-24 NLT) Make a dedicated decision to abide in YAHWEH, in your heart and follow His ways.  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.  — Isaiah 58:11 (N...

Jesus: Don’t get lost in despair; believe in God, and keep on believing in Me. — John 14:1 (VOICE) I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13 NASB) Don’t let your faith grow weak and cause you to waver and wander away from our heavenly Father. for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises] (2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP) So God has given us two unchanging things: His promise and His oath. These prove that it is impossible for God to lie. As a result, we who come to God for refuge might be encouraged to seize that hope that is set before us. That hope is real and true, an anchor to steady our restless souls… — Hebrews 6:18-19a (VOICE)

I will teach you and tell you the way to go and how to get there; I will give you good counsel, and I will watch over you. — Psalm 32:8 (VOICE) No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 MSG) His eye is on us to lead us and guide us. His Spirit within, enables us to go where He directs and empowers us to do as He instructs. Instead of aimless wandering, just follow Him. The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” — Psalm 32:8  (NLT)

He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young. — Isaiah 40:11 (NLT) Our heavenly Father holds us close to His heart. Don't wander away. It is good for us to draw near to God; (Psalm 73:28). How precious are His thoughts about us, they cannot be numbered! We can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when we wake up, He is still with us! (Psalm 139:17-18) He leads us along the narrow path that leads to a fruitful land, full of promise and hope. A peaceful land, overflowing with His love and joy. The LORD leads us to an abundant and everlasting life. Follow Him. The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. (Psalm 23:1-3 NLT)

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. — Romans 8:37-39 (MSG) Jesus, our Lord and Savior embraces us. He holds us close to His heart and nothing can separate us from His love. Don’t be fazed by the events of this world, because we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:37 NKJV). Jesus is the good shepherd and we are the flock under His care. He protects us from the wolf who desires to come in, divide and destroy. Instead of letting the enemy woo us and get us to wander away from the Lord, let us stay in the sweet spot, in the safety of His fold.

‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!’ — Haggai 2:5 (NKJV) God didn’t bring you out of the place where you were enslaved for you to aimlessly wander through this life. He brought you out, to take you to a better place, as you go from one glory to another place of glory, in Him. You were not saved to sit. God’s Spirit remains with us, because He wants to lead us to a certain place and He wants us to bring as many people with us, as are willing to come. He is there for us, no matter what we may encounter on the way. Not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit, we prevail, progress and prosper.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) God is doing a NEW thing! Do not dwell on the past. Instead of complaining about the door that closed, look for the new door of opportunity, that God is opening. Whether we are wandering in the wilderness or in the wasteland, our heavenly Father is making a way for us, where there seems to be no way. Hallelujah!

For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, — Isaiah 30:15 (NKJV) When we wander off of the path the LORD has for us, our inclination is to run away from Him and hide, but our heavenly Father beckons us to return to Him. "Come," He says. He wants a close and intimate relationship with us. And as we quietly rest in Him and put our trust and confidence in the LORD, we are strengthened to continue our journey along the path that leads to abundant and eternal life.

Stay on the path that the LORD your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. — Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT) Yesterday, on a hike, I was reminded of the importance of staying on the path. For us to stray off the path would have meant time spent wandering in the wilderness or we could have fell off the cliff to our own destruction. Much the same results we get when we stray off the path of life God has placed before each one of us. Proverbs 23:19 (NIV) instructs us to set our hearts on the right path. The Amplified version says, direct your mind in the way [of the Lord]. As long as we seek His will in all we do, He will show us which path to take (Proverbs 3:6, NLT). He does not fail to guide us along on our path. On our hike, we encountered muddy puddles, big rocks and steep hills. His path may lead us through some adverse winds and floodwaters but He will always make a way for us, through it all. (Isaiah...

But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. — Matthew 9:36 (NKJV) While observing some sheep on Friday, I gained a visual understanding of why the Word says we are like sheep. Without the shepherd, the sheep wander around aimlessly. The only time they made any progress is when the shepherd gave them direction. Just like the sheep, we need our Shepherd. Jesus is the good shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep (John 10:11). Jesus is moved with compassion to guide and protect us. He refreshes and restores our souls and leads us on the right paths. Instead of wandering through life aimlessly, always follow the Good Shepherd, no matter where He may lead.