MORNING MANNA             11-4-23              
 LENGTH OF LIFE IS FOR GOD TO DECIDE
“I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world.”-  John 17:15
 
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time-the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may eventually be with Him where He is, He does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven. He wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;” but Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for ourselves. He asks that we may be kept from evil, but He never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Ask them why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.” We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial. They want to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest. Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave Him to say when “it is enough.”–Morning and Evening, by Spurgeon

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, Tx 

MORNING MANNA            11-3-23

GOD’S LOVE

God’s love has no measure; God’s grace has no limit; and God’s power is supreme. His wisdom is unbounded; and, praise His name, His provisions are never exhausted! No wonder the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus expressing his desire that they might “know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge” and be conscious of the fact that He “is able to do exceeding abun­dantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

Oh, that we might learn to walk in this confidence each day, and never worry about tomorrow! Thanking God for His present provision, we should go forward a step at a time knowing that “there’s more when this gets all!”

“There’s more, there’s more, when this gets all”;

Assurance blest: He hears our call,

Though sad our way — filled with regret —

Through His supply we’ll conquer yet!”- H. G. Bosch

Our prayer and God’s supply are like two buckets in a well; while one ascends, the other descends!

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

MORNING MANNA             11-2-23

FULL SURRENDER

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 

Let’s face it–we are seldom completely honest about our spiritual condition. We are prone to stretch the truth, so as to put ourself in the best possible light. Instead of singing “I surrender all”, some should be singing “I surrender some” or “I surrender nothing”. That would be more honest. If we want to experience God’s best and enjoy our relationship with Him, we must present ourselves as “a living sacrifice”. Only then can we be what He wants us to be. 

We would do well to meditate on these words written many years ago by William Law:When it is the one ruling, never-ceasing desire of our hearts, that God may be the beginning and end, the reason and motive, the rule and measure, of our doing or not doing, from morning to night; then everywhere, whether speaking or silent, whether inwardly or outwardly employed, we are equally offered up to the eternal Spirit, have our life in Him and from Him, and are united to Him by that Spirit of Prayer which is the comfort, the support, the strength and security of the soul, travelling, by the help of God, through the vanity of time into the riches of eternity. Let us have no thought or care, but how to be wholly His devoted instruments; everywhere, and in everything, His adoring, joyful, and thankful servants.

If ever there was a time when we need to wholly devoted to God it is today. We face great challenges and God alone can enable us to prevail. Let us surrender all that we might be enabled to do all that God has planned for us.

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church    

Humble, Tx 

MORNING MANNA            11-1-23

THE PRECIOUS BIBLE

“O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”Jeremiah 15:15–16

William Tyndale had a burning passion to translate the Word of God into the English language so that people could read it for themselves. For this “crime” he was persecuted, forced to leave England and live in exile, and eventually tried and executed. While he was in prison, Tyndale wanted to continue his work on this vital task. He wrote to a supporter, “I entreat your lordship that by the Lord Jesus, if I must remain here for the winter, you would beg the Commissary to be so kind as to send me, from the things of mine which he has, a warmer cap—I feel the cold painfully in my head. Also a warmer cloak, for the one I have is very thin. But most of all I entreat you and implore your kindness to do your best with the Commissary to be so good as to send me my Hebrew Bible, grammar, and dictionary, that I may spend my time in that pursuit.”

Most of us have several Bibles in our homes, in addition to having the Scriptures available on phones, tablets, and laptops. Yet in spite of (or perhaps because of) that ready availability, many believers neglect the Word of God. The Bible that only comes out on Sundays to go to church will have little impact on a life. All of us need regular times of Bible reading and study for ourselves—in addition to the input we receive in church and other settings—to be healthy and growing Christians. Never lose sight of what a great treasure God has given to us in His Word.- copied

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx