Manna for Your Morning

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  — James 4:8 (NKJV) As we make our New Year resolutions and set our goals for the coming year,  may pursuing the peaceful, yet powerful Presence of Almighty God be our number one priority. To know our heavenly Father and stay connected to Him, is truly our primary purpose. Allow the fullness of His Spirit, and the abundance of His love to fill your empty, broken places. Intimacy, let our wonderful Creator see into you and shape you into the unique, marvelous creation you were meant to be. He will perfect all that concerns you (Psalm 138:8). Amen.

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.  — Psalm 31:20 (NKJV) Trust in the LORD, for in the time of trouble He shall hide you in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide you; (Psalm 27:5). Stay in the secret place of His Presence, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Yes, dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).

Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever,  — Psalm 146:5-6 (NKJV) Happy is the person who has learned to rely on the LORD for help. He or she can lay down and sleep in peace because they know their heavenly Father is always working for their good. And they realize that nothing is too difficult for God, the Maker of heaven and earth! He is a faithful Father who fulfills all His promises. Rejoice because He has already given us the victory and made us conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:57) Don't worry, be happy!

“Why do you see the piece of sawdust in another believer’s eye and not notice the wooden beam in your own eye?” — Luke 6:41 (GW) Why is it so easy to see someone else's “stuff” and not our own? We conveniently make excuses for ourselves when we say something that should have been left unspoken. And we are able to justify and minimize our attitudes, when they are not right. However, the second greatest commandment is for us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39). So let us always look to see the good in the other person. Maybe they are just having a “bad” day. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” — Mark 15:34 (NKJV) As Jesus bore our sins on the cross, He experienced separation from God. That was the most agonizing, gut-wrenching moment of all. More than the pain of having nails hammered into His hands and feet. More than the beating which ripped the flesh off His back and left Him unrecognizable as a human being. It was not being mocked and rejected by men. It was being separated from His Father that made Him cry out. He suffered all of this, to reconcile us back into fellowship with the heavenly Father. What a privilege we have, to fellowship with our heavenly Father, to have access to Him, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Pursue His Presence today. Live in it every moment of every day!

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  — Psalm 145:17-18 (NIV) While we may not always understand the circumstances that God allows to come our way, we can be assured that the LORD our God is righteous and just in all the works which He does. As He says in Isaiah 55:9 “My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” God is also forever faithful. He will never leave us or forsake us. No matter what comes our way, our heavenly Father, will be with us and He will see us through it all. Amen!

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. — Luke 2:10-11 (NIV) The good news about Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, is a message that should fill everyone's heart with joy. Jesus was sent to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1). Our Lord and Savior came that we may have life, and that we may have it more abundantly (John 10:10). That includes a healthy, prosperous life on this earth and for all eternity. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day (Psalm 96:2). Hallelujah!