MORNING MANNA           6-10-23

AFTER GOD’S HEART

“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will”. – Acts 13:22

God seems to indicate that when he looks at the heart of David, he is reminded of His own heart.

What does this mean? What does it mean to have a heart after God’s own heart? Is it possible for you to have this kind of heart, or is this concept something only a king like David could understand?

Notice again what God says about David. He says that He has found a man “which shall fulfill all my will.” It doesn’t take a king to understand this message: you demonstrate that your heart is after God’s heart when you do God’s will.

What does it mean to do God’s will? Well, the Bible is full of instruction about how you can do God’s will. God gives you very clear commandments about how to live your life. God tells you what is pleasing to Him. When you spend time in God’s Book you will learn how to do God’s will.

This is what David did. Yet, before God describes the actions of David, He refers to David’s heart. No doubt there is a reason for this. Consider what David writes in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

When you see the need for God’s work in your heart, don’t try to hide this from Him! Don’t try and fix it yourself! Take this need to Him. He will lead you in the straight and narrow way, the “way everlasting.– copied

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

MORNING MANNA                6-11-23

“He hath done all things well.”  Mark 7:37

This was the testimony of the multitude concerning Jesus, He did many things, but He did every thing well. Cannot we bear the same testimony this morning? He called us by His grace, and when we reflect upon the means, the manner, and the period, must we not say, ” He did it well?” He has tried us in many ways; but when we think of His design, the mercies He mingled with the afflictions, and the deliverance He granted us out of them, must we not say, “He hath done all things well?” If we look back, and see Him standing forward as our Surety with the Father in eternity; or if we behold Him taking our nature, bearing our sins, procuring our righteousness, and sending His Holy Spirit to sanctify and save us; must we not say, ” He hath done all things well.” And when our mansions are prepared, our bodies raised from the grave, and our persons are perfectly conformed to His image; when we hear Him say, “Come, inherit the kingdom;” oh, with what rapture, gratitude, and love shall we shout, “HE HATH DONE ALL THINGS WELL!” (James Smith, 1840)

How sovereign, wonderful, and free,
Is all His love to sinful me;
He pluck’d me as a brand from hell!–
My Jesus hath done all things well.
And since my soul has known His love,
What mercies has He made me prove;
Mercies which all my praise excel–
My Jesus hath done all things well.

The great thing about this is that what the Lord did in the past He continues to do today and will always do. He will do all things well, for He never changes! – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA             6-9-23“

”HOLY, HOLY, HOLY”

“Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

When we speak of the holiness of God, we mean that He is spiritually and morally perfect in His thoughts, deeds, motives and in every other way. He is absolutely free from sin and defilement. He cannot be anything but pure.

The Scriptural testimony to His holiness is abundant. Here are a few examples. “I the Lord your God am holy”. “There is none holy as the Lord”. “O Lord my God, mine Holy One… Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity”. “God can not be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man”. “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”. “Thou only art holy”.

Even the stars are not pure in His sight. The priesthood and the sacrificial system of the Old Testament taught, among other things, the holiness of God. They taught that sin had brought distance between God and man, that there must be a go-between to bridge the gap, and that a holy God can be approached only on the basis of the blood of a sacrificial victim.

The holiness of God was also demonstrated in a unique way at the Cross. When He looked down and saw His Son bearing our sins, God forsook His Well-beloved for those three terrible hours of darkness.

The application of all this to us is clear. The will of God is that we should be holy “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification” ( 1 Thess. 4:3). “As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation”.

Thoughts of the holiness of God should also produce in us a profound sense of reverence and awe. As He said to Moses, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground”.

T. Binney marveled at the holiness required to stand in the presence of God.

Eternal light! Eternal light!

How pure the soul must be

When, placed within Thy searching sight,

It shrinks not, but with calm delight

Can live, and look on Thee.

Our hearts overflow with worship when we realize that we have that necessary purity imputed to us through faith in the Lord Jesus. (William MacDonald)

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA             6-8-23

HEAVEN ON MY MIND

“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. 4:18

When I woke up this morning (for about the fourth time) I got dressed. And sitting there hurting all over I felt like crying rather than rejoicing about the gift of another day. The next thing I did was to turn on some music. The first song that came on was “In a land where we’ll never grow old”.

That’s not a bad way to start the day – thinking about that land of pure delight where there will never be night, nor pain, nor tears. There all will be glory rather than grief, pleasure instead of pain, rejoicing rather regrets, a continual celebration instead of constant complaints! Heaven will be glorious beyond anything we can imagine. No wonder we sing, “I’m homesick for heaven, I’ve got a longing to go”!

Words cannot describe heaven’s happiness, nor can the mind imagine how wonderful it will be. So, if perhaps you just woke up feeling tired, weary, and wondering what difficulties you might be forced to face today, maybe you ought to spend some time meditating on your heavenly home.

MORNING MANNA                  6-7-23

BRING IT TO JESUS

“He said, Bring them hither to Me.”  Matthew 14:18

Our compassionate Lord was surrounded by a starving, fainting multitude; His disciples had only five small coarse loaves, and two little fishes, and yet He had bidden them to feed the company. The commands of Jesus are often intended to try our faith, and bring us as children to His feet. He says, “Bring them to Me.” Things are not what they appear, but what Jesus makes them. His blessing produces a wonderful change. He bids you bring everything to Him. Have you a family? He says “Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not.” Have you trials? Take them to Him; His blessing sweetens and lessens trials. Are you in poverty? Carry your poverty to Him; He can increase your little and bless it with a peculiar flavour. Whatever troubles you this day, or any day, think that you hear Jesus saying, “Bring it hither to Me.” Carry all things to Him, small things as well as great ones; it is only by so doing, that you can surmount trials; conquer foes; glory in tribulation; and joy in God.—James Smith, 1840

The privilege I greatly prize,
Of casting all my cares on Him,
The mighty God, the only wise,
Who reigns in heaven and earth supreme.

How sweet to be allow’d to call
The God whom heaven adores my Friend;
To tell my thoughts, to tell Him all;
And then to know my prayers ascend.

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