MORNING MANNA         7-13-22

The Strength of our Source

“My help cometh from the LORD which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved.”–Psalm 121:2-3

While we need to think about the source of our strength, we also need to think about the strength of our source. God has the power to create and control all of creation! Wow! Who can comprehend that? Being able to do that, your problem is no problem to God.
 
The phrase,“He will not suffer thy foot to be moved” isn’t as meaningful to us as it was to folks in those days. We don’t travel much by foot and when we do it is usually on smooth surfaces rather than rugged terrain. In those days and in those places travelers faced many difficult and dangerous situations, where one slip could result in death.

MORNING MANNA          7-12-22

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS

“The battle is not yours, but God’s.”– 2 Chron. 20.15

If a man is a soldier of the Cross, he can expect to be attacked sooner or later. The more courageously he declares the truth of God and the more accurately he exemplifies the truth in his own life, the more he will be subjected to assault. An old Puritan said, “He that standeth near his Captain, is a sure target for the archers.”

He will be accused of wrongs he did not do. He will be savaged by gossip, slander and backbiting. He will be ostracized and ridiculed. This treatment will come from the world and, sadly enough, it may sometimes come from fellow-Christians.

At such times, it is important to remember that the battle is not ours, but God’s. And we should claim the promise of “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” What this means is that we don’t have to defend ourselves or fight back. The Lord will vindicate us at the proper time.

F. B. Meyer wrote, “How much is lost by a word! Be still; keep quiet; if they smite thee on one check, turn the other also. Never retort. Never mind your reputation or character—they are in his hands, and you mar them by trying to retain them.”

Joseph stands out as an example of one who did not try to vindicate himself when falsely accused. He committed his cause to God, and God cleared his name and promoted him to great honor.

An aged servant of Christ testified that he had been wronged many times over the years. But he prayed in the words of Augustine, “Lord, deliver me from the lust of always vindicating myself.” He said that the Lord had never failed to justify him and to expose his accusers.

The Lord Jesus, of course, is the supreme Example. “…when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously”.

This, then, is the message for today. We don’t have to defend ourselves when we are falsely accused. The battle is the Lord’s. He will fight for us. We should hold our peace.

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

MORNING MANNA           7-11-22

A FIRM FOUNDATION

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.– Psalm 46:1-3

On October 17, 1989, just before the start of Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland As and the San Francisco Giants, a powerful 6.9 earthquake rocked the region. The damage was widespread in the San Francisco Bay area. Dozens of people were killed, thousands were injured, and homes, buildings, schools, churches, and more were devastated. One of the gripping images of the destruction was the double deck of the Nimitz Bridge collapsed on itself. When the ground shakes, anything that is not anchored securely and built on a firm foundation will be lost.

Our world is filled with doubt, confusion, turmoil, and trouble. In the face of these dangers and threats, it is imperative that we have something stable and reliable on which to base our lives. The only sure foundation we can find is in God and His Word. God never changes, and the Word of God never needs to be revised, updated, or changed to reflect new knowledge. It is eternal and unchanging. Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

As long as we live in this world we will have to face the storms and tests of life. God is not going to remove all of those from our lives. Instead He calls us to trust Him regardless of our circumstances. A faith that is shaken by storms and even earthquakes is a faith that is not properly grounded on a deep and abiding relationship with God and the Bible. He offers refuge from the storms and invites us to come to Him in confident faith that He, the unchanging God, will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. God will always be a place of refuge for those who fully trust Him. The more our minds are filled with the Bible and our hearts are filled with faith in God, the better we will be able to withstand the shocks of the world.( Daily in the Word)

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

MORNING MANNA          7-9-22

FOLLOW AFTER LOVE

“Follow after charity….” 1 Corinthians 14:1

Charity is love; and what can be so worthy of the Christian’s thought, care, and anxious desire, as love? Love to God, the centre and source of all excellence; to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, the personification of everything that is lovely; to believers, for His sake, and because they are His children and representatives; and to sinners, because He commands us. The law requires it, and the gospel, when applied by the power of the Holy Ghost, produces it. It is not in our hearts by nature; we are enmity. It is not to be produced by human effort. It flows from grace. It is produced by the Holy Ghost. It is connected with evangelical sentiment. Its exercise is our happiness and our holiness. There is no real religion without love; and only so much true godliness as there is love. Let us follow after charity. Let us cultivate love to the Lord’s people, for the Lord’s sake; not merely those who see as we see, attend the place of worship we attend, and are our personal friends; this is love of party; but let us love all who love Jesus, though in some things they differ from us. James Smith, 1840

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

MORNING MANNA         7-8-22
PEACE

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” – John 14:27