MORNING MANNA            4-25-24 

 REJECTED

   “The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”– Psalms 118:22-24

Years ago I worked as an Inspector for the Missouri State Highway Department. Part of my job was to inspect and test the materials used in the construction of highways and bridges. Anything that wasn’t up to code, of insufficient quality, was rejected.

Our text today is a prophetic picture of the spiritual leaders of Israel rejecting Christ  – the Chief cornerstone. In their judgment He didn’t qualify as the Messiah. However, although despised and rejected, He became “the head stone of the corner”. As we think about this we can also see a principle of practical value regarding the flawed judgment of man.

Consider David who was deemed too young to, small, and weak to get the job done. God, however, thought different. He used the lad to defeat the enemy and to lead His beloved people. Who would have guessed?

Matthew could serve as another example. Being a tax collector he was considered by many to be dishonest and a traitor to his people – someone worse than worthless. However, Christ chose him as one of the twelve, an apostle, and author of one of the four gospels.

Examples could go on and on. Think about John Newton, who wrote “Amazing Grace “. By his own admission he was a wretched man involved in the slave trade. However, after coming to Christ he became a great messenger for God. To this day many are greatly blessed by reading the “Letters by Newton”.

In all this we see examples of how God can take those who seem useless, who are despised and rejected by man, and make them vessels of honor fit for the Master’s use. He can take the most weak, wicked and worthless person and make him a testimony of God’s saving grace and a blessing to others. 

Let us then say, ,”This is the LORD’S doing ; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it”. Don’t be deceived by the naysayers who say, “You are worthless. You will never be good for anything “. The transforming power of God can enable you to live a meaningful, satisfying, useful life. Considering the greatness of His grace and the might of His power we have only ourselves to blame if we fail. There really is victory in Jesus, if we receive the One who was rejected. – HDS 

    
David Stone

   Lakeway Baptist Church

   Humble,Tx.

MORNING MANNA               4-24-24

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE

“—forgetting those things which are behind–I press toward the mark for the prize—“Philippians 3:13-14 

In these wonderful verses we see Paul’s past, his proclamation, and his pursuit. Then in the next verses we see his plea–setting himself forth as an example.

 That dear old apostle refused to allow anything in his past divert his attention and dim his vision of the prize before him. That is really rather amazing when you consider all of the things from his past that he could have been thinking about– his abilities, his accomplishments, his authority, his associates, his adversaries, his afflictions, etc. Yet he was looking ahead to “the prize of the high calling”. And he wasn’t just looking, he was reaching–straining with all his might to gain what God had for him.

 Paul was no quitter, nor loafer, nor coaster. He had a fixed purpose and a burning desire to fulfill it. He was willing to pay the price regardless of the circumstances, cost, conditions, or consequences. Although he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Phil.4:11) he was not content to remain as he was as a person. 

Some of us need to get past the past! Although we can learn from it we must never be controlled by it. We would do well to learn from the example of Paul. If you’re going to build momentum for a better future you’ve got to get rid of the ball and chain of your past. As Lehman Strauss wrote,” There is no bright future for the Christian who wastes time dwelling on the past.”

 
Winston Churchill was right when he said,”We must learn to accept the past as unalterable and move on.” Good advice! And, Paul proved that it can be done. God records this information about Paul to inspire us, not so we can idolize him. He wants us to see what He can do in our life. Regardless of your past, God can give us a glorious future. That’s where our attention needs to be.- HDS , 8-22-10 

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E.
Humble, Tx. 77346

MORNING MANNA               4-23-24

IN THE DARK

”And they entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.”–John 6:17 “

It was now dark”–those few words sum up the situation. They had been sent out on the sea alone, a storm was developing, it was dark, and no help was in sight. Dread was sure to follow. 

We’ve all found ourselves in a similar situation. Although not in a boat or on the sea, we find ourself in a storm of some sort and, in our mind, there doesn’t seem to be any way out. We are alone and alarmed. We have followed the Lord’s directions, but we are in the dark and scared stiff. Why? We followed His command, instead of rebelling, so why are we in this sad scary situation? Something about this just doesn’t seem fair. We can’t help but wonder “Why?” Why this? Why me? Why now?

God doesn’t answer all our questions, but we do know there is a good reason for His actions—we just don’t see it. However,I believe we can see enough so as to find comfort. Think about it. We are reading the story of an event that happened nearly 2000 years ago–a story that reminds us of God’s great power. And we aren’t left in the dark with the disciples being in the dark. We have the rest of the story. We know that Jesus saw them, came to them and delivered them. They were comforted and now, if we’ve really paid attention, so are we. We are helped by knowing that they were helped.

 Now things start to make sense. Not only did the disciples benefit from this experience, so do we. That’s the way it shoud be. We need to remember that when we are in the dreadful darkness of some danger, we’re not seeing the whole story. Others are affected by what happens to us just as we are affected by reading this story. In other words, for every trial that comes your way God has a plan that goes beyond how you are affected. He intends for others to profit as well. 

Paul had this in mind when he spoke of “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort”(2 Cor. 1:3). He reminds us that we are comforted “that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God”(2 Cor. 1:4). Every problem has a purpose, a purpose that includes others. What you’re going through might not seem to benefit you, but it will work for some good just as God has promised. You are not the most important person in the world, nor am I. And, since we belong to God, we should not complain if He wants to use us in some way that will minister good to others. After all, is that not what He did with His own dear Son? He endured the darkness of the cross for you, and He did so with joy (Heb.12:2). HDS 

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E.
Humble, Tx. 77346

MORNING MANNA          4-22-24 

MORNING MANNA           4-21-24  
TRUST HIM   

“He knoweth the way that I take.”- Job 23:10
“Man’s goings are of the Lord; how can a man then understand his own way?”-Prov. 20:24