MORNING MANNA            4-15-24
BURDENS INTO BRIDGES
“-–the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel”.–Phil. 1:12

We live in a pressure cooker world and everyone feels the heat! Even believers are often burdened down to the point that they feel they will be crushed if relief isn’t found. No one is exempt from trials (Job 14:1). We all have our share of suffering and sorrow, but people view them and deal with them differently. Some poor souls throw their hands up in despair and quit. Others become bitter and resentful, often rebelling and resorting to destructive habits. A few, however, have learned to turn their burdens into bridges. Their burdens make them better rather than bitter.

The Apostle Paul gives us a good example as to what our attitude should be. Numerous passages tell how he benefited from his burdens. He knew God had a purpose in all that He allows to enter our life, a plan to use it for good, and the power to make it happen.

We too can benefit from our burdens. While burdens weigh heavily upon us, impeding our progress, bridges enable us to rise above difficulties and enable us to cross over into new territory. When your burden becomes a bridge it brings you to places you could have never reached by any other means. It can promote spiritual growth, protect you from danger, or put you in a place of ministry that you could never be in without it. Believe it or not you can advance through adversity, grow through grief, and benefit from your burdens.

Don’t allow your burden to become a barrier, shutting you off from the good things God planned for you. Make your burden a bridge whereby you can experience the blessings of God in your life. In other words, don’t waste your suffering. You cannot escape it, but you can embrace it and allow God to use it to make you the person He wants you to be. 

Having received the promise that God’s grace would be sufficient, Paul wrote, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then am I strong.”–2 Cor. 12:9-10. No doubt about it–Paul turned his burdens into bridges, so can you! –HDS

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

MORNING MANNA            4-14-24

THE LOVE OF CHRIST

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”– Eph. 3:17-19

“Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful” the old song says. And I say, “Indeed it is! It is so wonderful that it “passeth knowledge” ( Eph. 3:19). it is so marvellous that, as another song says – “I could sing forever of Jesus’ love divine”. To think that God, who is holy, could and would love sinful man staggers the mind. Our feeble minds simply cannot grasp something so glorious as that. The “breadth, and length, and depth, and height” ( Eph. 3:18) goes far beyond what we can understand. We can’t explain the love of God, but we can experience it!

MORNING MANNA              4-13-24

HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.“ 2 Cor. 4:17-18

Fanny Crosby lost her sight as an infant. Yet, amazingly, she went on to become one of the most well-known lyricists of Christian hymns. During her long life, she wrote over 9,000 hymns. Among them are such enduring favorites as “Blessed Assurance” and “To God Be the Glory.”

Some people felt sorry for Fanny. A well-intentioned preacher told her, “I think it is a great pity that the Master did not give you sight when He showered so many other gifts upon you.” It sounds hard to believe, but she replied: “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I was born blind? . . . Because when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.” Fanny saw life with an eternal perspective. Our problems look different in light of eternity: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal”( 2 Cor.4:17-18). All our trials dim when we remember that one glorious day we will see Jesus!

God, please help us to see this life from a heavenly perspective. Remind us that our trials, however difficult, will one day fade from view when we see You face to face. Copied

The way we view eternity will affect the way we live in time.

Though Fanny was blind listen to her words describing her 20/20 eyes of faith!

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Savior am happy and blessed
Watching and waiting, looking above
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble,Tx

MORNING MANNA           4-12-24  
A LIFE OF LIGHT   
“Ye are the light of the world.A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid”. Matt.5:14 

MORNING MANNA            4-11-24

HOW TO WIN OVER WORRY“

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.”- Philippians 4:6 

I’ve got an idea that the most commonly confessed sin is worry. Few people have the audicity to say that they never worry. But although we readily admit it, we seldom repent of it. Why ? Maybe it’s because we fail to realize what great harm it does. We seem to believe it is a harmless sin. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Someone defined worry as “a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” James describes the danger like this–“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”(James 1:8). The worrier is like the mule that starved to death while standing between two stacks of hay, because he couldn’t make up his mind which one to eat out of.

 The fact of the matter is that worry affects us in every way: emotionally, physically, socially, and spiritually. Worry can be deadly. When the Bible says,”Be careful for nothing” we ought to take it as a serious warning. God is looking out for our welfare! Heed His warnings, obey His commands,and claim His promises. A child of God in the will of God has nothing to worry about. When trouble come, go to God in prayer. When your burden is heavy cast “all your care upon him” and leave it there. 

Mike Singletary was one of the greatest football players ever. Mike grew up in the ghetto of Houston. He was one of ten children and times were tough, especially after his father abandoned the family. Six months later, the oldest child was hit and killed by a drunk driver. Everyone wondered how Mike’s mother could ever support such a large family by herself. How could a poor single mother possibly provide for so many children? Mike answered that question when he was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame”. He said,”She responded the only way true champions respond: on the knees”. Dear friend, that’s the only way any of us can make it!- HDS 

David Stone  
Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble,Tx