MORNING MANNA           7-24-22

WORSHIP JOYFULLY

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.” Psalm 100:1-2

Worship should never be boring. In fact, worship is so important to God that the first four of the Ten Commandments deal exclusively with our worship. No book in the Bible talks more about worship than the Book of Psalms; and no chapter talks more about worship than Psalm 100. Notice the first word used in this worship chapter: Shout. The word “shout” here literally means to give a “sound that splits the ear.” While the psalmist isn’t saying that we should actually yell or act crazy, he is saying that worship should be full of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement. It should be expressive and emotional. In other words, if you are bored, you are not worshiping.

Think about it in this context: How do you behave when you watch your kids, grandkids, or your favorite team play in a sporting event? How much do you care about what is happening in that game? For many of us, we care a lot (possibly too much). We might dress in our team’s colors, tune in or purchase tickets to the game, and cheer loudly throughout. We are ecstatic if our team wins or disappointed if they lose. We get excited. We get expressive. And we get emotional. How much more, then, should we be in that spirit when we worship the God of the universe?

Please don’t misunderstand…I am not saying that your worship has to be outwardly expressive in specific ways to be heartfelt. I am talking more about the condition of your heart. As Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” So if your heart is engaged in worship, then that will be reflected in your countenance and your participation. As Psalm 100:1-2 says, your gladness and joy should be evident in your worship. This is what it means to worship gleefully.

Dear God, You are worthy of all of my worship and praise. Please forgive me for the times that I just go through the motions of worship without truly engaging my heart. May my excitement, expression, and emotion about You be greater than anything else in my life. In Your Name I pray, Amen.- copied

 

David Stone

 Lakeway Baptist Church

 Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA          7-23-22

RICH BEYOND MEASURE 

“Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.”– Psa. 68:19

Satan delights in troubling God’s people and one of the most effective tools in his workshop is discouragement. To accomplish his goal he tries to convince us that we are deprived. He tells us that we deserve more, bigger,better,the best. But it is a lie.
Our best defense against this trap is to remember what we have by virtue of being a child of God and to focus on what God gives us, rather than what we don’t have.
God gave His Son to save us, His Spirit to empower us, His Word to guide us, His wisdom to direct us, His goodness to supply us, His mercy to pardon us, His grace to restore us, His joy to strengthen us, His peace to calm us,His gifts to use us, and His promises to cheer us.

So, cheer up child of God, you are rich beyond measure! If God never did anything but save us we would have nothing to complain about. The great God who saves us provides everything we need, and far more than we deserve, until we arrive at our heavenly home where there will be no more needs. Count your blessings, but remember this — if we could count all the benefits of God they would be more than the sand of the seas or the stars in the sky! HDS

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

MORNING MANNA             7-22-22

IN TRAINING

‘Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Phil. 1:6

A few weeks ago I spoke about having the privilege of meeting Ian Thomas and hearing him preach.I mention that now because the following was written by him.He said:
“God is preparing you for the ministry that He is preparing for you. He’s working at both ends of the process—in your life to prepare you for a unique role of service, and He’s preparing beforehand the work He’ll give you in His timing. So wherever you are right now is God’s classroom for future service.

Joseph’s prison term prepared him to be God’s man on Egypt’s throne. Moses’ years in Pharaoh’s court equipped him for his tasks as leader of Israel. For years Joshua served as Moses’ aide, and Elisha did the same for Elijah; God was preparing them both as successors. Paul’s years in Arabia were readying him for years of missionary service. Even Jesus experienced an extended period of preparation in the carpenter’s shop of Nazareth.

Whatever you are right now, God is giving you experiences that are training you for future service. It may be over a long period of time or only a few minutes, but He equips us with what we need to serve Him.

Think of your circumstances today as God’s Seminary.

All there is of God is available to the man who is available to all there is of God.”- Major Ian Thomas

I might add that the ministry He is preparing you for might even be something you will do beyond the grave. Whatever it is, what you go through will be worth the price you pay and the time you wait. It will be worth it all, because it will never be a waste. – HDS

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

MORNING MANNA        7-21-22

WONDROUS THINGS

“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”–Psalm 119:18

An elderly woman was living in Scotland in the worst kind of poverty. She had tattered clothes, a weathered house, and barely enough food to fill her stomach each day. Many years earlier, her son had come to America and had not returned to his native land. He had gone to make a way for himself and to provide a good life for his mother. But since that day, she had not seen him.

One day, a friend came to visit the mother. He said, “Does your son ever help you with expenses?”

Reluctantly she admitted, “No, but he writes me nice long letters and sends me interesting pictures.”

The visitor wanted to speak harshly of the man, but held back and instead asked, “May I see the pictures?”

The aged mother brought them out of the drawer, and to the friend’s amazement they were valuable bank notes. Through the years, she had been needlessly living in poverty. All the while she had in her possession everything she needed to live. 

Many times, in our attempt to learn more about God’s Word, we skim over some of the most important things that could be valuable at that time in our lives. Unless we daily spend time in the Bible, it will be to us as it was to the mother in the story above—nothing but words or pictures that we can’t quite understand. 

Most of us don’t realize the pile of gold sitting right in front of us found in Scripture. If we will just take some time every day to meditate on the truths, we will see its value.

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

MORNING MANNA            7-20-22

AN AMAZING ATTITUDE
“ ....I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Phil. 4:11

As long as we are in this corrupt world, characterized by conflict, circumstances will never be ideal, conditions will never be perfect, and changes will keep coming. Yet in all this we are commanded to be content (Heb. 13:5). Impossible? It seems so. Paul, however, proved it isn’t (Phil.4:11). Speaking of Paul’s great attitude, S. G. Rees wrote:

“Paul not only stood the tests in Christian activity, but in the solitude of captivity. You may stand the strain of the most intense labor, coupled with severe suffering, and yet break down utterly when laid aside from all religious activities; when forced into close confinement in some prison house. That noble bird, soaring the highest above the clouds and enduring the longest flights, sinks into despair when in a cage where it is forced to beat its helpless wings against its prison bars. You have seen the great eagle languish in its narrow cell with bowed head and drooping wings. What a picture of the sorrow of inactivity.

Paul in prison. That was another side of life. Do you want to see how he takes it? I see him looking out over the top of his prison wall and over the heads of his enemies. I see him write a document and sign his name–not the prisoner of Festus, nor of Caesar; not the victim of the Sanhedrin; but the–“prisoner of the Lord.” He saw only the hand of God in it all. To him the prison becomes a palace. Its corridors ring with shouts of triumphant praise and joy. 

Restrained from the missionary work he loved so well, he now built a new pulpit–a new witness stand–and from that place of bondage come some of the sweetest and most helpful ministries of Christian liberty. What precious messages of light come from those dark shadows of captivity.”

My dear friend, as the old song says, what He’s done for others He can do for you! Like Paul, we can have peace in prison, joy in jail, contentment in the worst circumstances, an amazing attitude although greatly afflicted. – HDS

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.