MORNING MANNA             8-11-23

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE?

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”- Matt.6:19-21

When I read this story it reminded me of the many years I cherished and displayed trophies I won and collected newspaper clippings that mentioned my name. Then came the day when they meant nothing to me. I realized that what matters is the treasures we lay up in heaven. Here’s the story:

A man was giving a coworker a quick tour of his home one afternoon, and saw him admiring the kids’ trophy collection. So the man picked one up and said, “My daughter worked hard for this trophy playing softball. She was so proud as they called her name to receive it.”

Next, the coworker’s eyes landed on an even larger trophy. In fact, it was the largest of all. But strangely, it didn’t have a nameplate – only two small holes where the plate used to be. Confused, the coworker piped up and asked, “What’s this one for?”

“Ah,” said the man, “I bought that one at a thrift store for $2.79. It used to belong to someone who obviously worked hard for it. I’m sure they were pretty proud when they got it too. But now, it’s basically worthless.”

Noticing his coworkers furrowed brow, the man continued, “You see, I bought this trophy to show my kids that every treasure and trophy we have on earth will pass away. The material things we hold so dearly right now will one day be junk.”

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when He taught us to store our treasures in heaven – because everything we have on earth will one day be worthless. So don’t place value on the stuff’ you have on earth. Store your treasure in heaven, and you’ll keep it forever!

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx 

MORNING MANNA              8-10-23

SITTING IN THE SON LIGHT

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, bears much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing.”- John 15:5

James Montgomery Boice wrote about a dinner he had with a fellow pastor. During the meal, the pastor relayed to Boice the story of a man who had challenged him deeply in his walk with Christ. Bishop James Ussher, an old man who was once a notable Bible chronologist, suffered from many diseases, and was crippled by an inflammation in his joints. His condition forced him to stay home, unable to participate in normal activities.

A visitor hoped to encourage Dr. Ussher, and didn’t know that he was the one who would be most encouraged. The experience that day gave him a life-changing perspective.

It seems that every day Dr. Ussher asked his nurse to seat him by the east window in the morning, where he could enjoy the warmth of the rising sun. At noon, his nurse moved him to a window with southern exposure, where the warm rays of the midday sun cheered and soothed him. As the afternoon wore on, he was moved again to a window facing westward, and he sat watching the sun slip below the horizon. As the pastor recalled to Boice during their meal, “Dr. Ussher spent his day literally abiding in the sun.”

What an incredible reminder to us! How closely do we follow theSon? Are you abiding in Him as He commanded? If you focus your energy on abiding in Christ, He will reproduce His character in you, over time. That is His promise to us. All those who choose to abide in Him, to literally walk with a constant acknowledgment of His presence, will eventually bear the same qualities that distinguish Him.

Think of it this way: You never sat down with your child and said, “Okay, I’m going to teach you to talk just like me, and speak your words with my accent and inflection.” Mom, you didn’t give your little girl lessons on how to hold her hands like you do; Dad, you didn’t give your son a lesson on how to walk like you do. They learned it over the years of abiding with you—you literally rubbed off on them.

And they are not the only ones who bear resemblances to their parents. Even now, things that you learned from your father and mother are manifested in a variety of situations. You can’t fight it . . . this is an inevitable result of spending time with someone, observing and imitating both the desired and undesired characteristics.

Resemblance is the result of relationship.

That’s why we must focus our eyes on Christ and give daily attention to our relationship with Him. He will teach us to talk like Him, walk like Him, view life like Him, and love like Him.

When you begin to abide in Christ, people will not see you only, but Christ in you. It will be His life, through you, responding to the daily environment and conditions that affect you.

Like Dr. Ussher, we are all crippled and in need of Sonlight. We need His warmth and soothing touch. So pull up your chair beside the window of God’s Word, gaze upon the glory of the Son, and reflect the warmth of His light . . .  the true Sonlight.

 Ask the Lord to give your heart contentment in His presence; ask Him to cause you to long for His presence in your daily activities; take time to talk to Him throughout the most mundane activities you perform today.

Read Ephesians 5 where Paul calls believers to imitate God just as a child imitates his parents.–Wisdom for the Heart

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

MORNING MANNA              8-8-23

WORRY AND STRESS

“ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”- 1 Peter 5:7

I received this following story from Dr. Bob Griffin. It serves as good food for thought: Once, a psychology professor walked around his classroom full of students holding a glass of water with his arm straightened out to the side. He asked his students, “How heavy is this glass of water?” 

The students started to shout out guesses–ranging anywhere from 4 ounces to one pound. The professor replied, “The absolute weight of this glass isn’t what matters while I’m holding it. Rather, it’s the amount of time that I hold onto it that makes an impact.” 

“If I hold it for, say, two minutes, it doesn’t feel like much of a burden. If I hold it for an hour, its weight may become more apparent as my muscles begin to tire. If I hold it for an entire day–or week–my muscles will cramp and I’ll likely feel numb or paralyzed with pain, making me feel miserable and unable to think about anything aside from the pain that I’m in.“ 

“In all of these cases, the actual weight of the glass will remain the same, but the longer I clench onto it, the heavier it feels to me and the more burdensome it is to hold.”

The class understood and shook their heads in agreement. The professor continued to say, This glass of water represents the worries and stresses that you carry around with you every day.  If you think about them for a few minutes and then put them aside, it’s not a heavy burden to bear.

If you think about them a little longer, you will start to feel the impacts of the stress. If you carry your worries with you all day, you will become incapacitated prohibiting you from doing anything else until you let them go. Don’t carry your worries around with you everywhere you go, as they will do nothing but weigh you down. Don’t let life pass you by while you focus your attention on your stressors. And remember to put your “glass down” each night; don’t carry extra weight into the next day.

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx 

MORNING MANNA            8-7-23

RIGHT ON TIME

“ And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.”Mark 6:46-48

J.R. Miller wrote: “He did not come immediately; indeed, it was almost morning when He came, and the disciples had been struggling all night in the storm. Yet He had not been indifferent to them meanwhile. From the mountainside where He was praying–He kept his eye upon them. “He saw that they were in serious trouble.” All that dark night, He kept a watch upon that little boat that bore His disciples in the midst of the waves.

There is something very suggestive in the picture. This ‘boat in the storm’, is a picture of ‘Christ’s friends in this world, in the storms of life’. Sometimes we think we are forgotten–but from His place in glory, Christ’s eye is always on us! He sees us struggling, battling with the waves, beaten, and distressed. He has full sympathy with us in all our struggles. It ought to be a great strength and comfort to us in trial, to know this. Jesus intercedes for us in our distresses!

It may not be best always to deliver us immediately–but His prayer continually ascends, that our faith may not fail in the struggle. This also should encourage us.

Then, He always comes in time. He may delay long–but it is never too long. If we call upon Him in trouble–we may be sure that He hears and sees us, and knows just how hard it is for us to endure; that He prays for us that we may not fail, and that He will come at the right time for our deliverance!-“

This reminds me of an old song that says: 

They sent for Jesus your friend’s about to die, but tarried he still on behind. They laid Lazarus in the tomb, and said their last good byes and coming down the road was Jesus right on time.

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx