MORNING MANNA           3-22-22

REST

“I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

There is no rest for the Christian in the world. There will be always something to disturb, perplex or distress him; it is an enemy’s land. But Jesus says, “I will give you rest.” He does so by enabling us to rely on His word, recognise His hand, submit to His will, and trust in His perfect work. He assures us that our sins are forgiven us; that our persons are safe in His keeping; that His presence shall always be with us; and that all things shall work together for the best. We can rest on His faithfulness; He has been tried, and found faithful. We can rest on His love, for it knows not the shadow of a turn. We can rest on His power, it is ever engaged on our behalf. We can rest on His covenant, it is ordered in all things and sure. We can rest on His blood; it speaks peace, pardon, and acceptance with God. We can rest at His feet; there we are safe, and can never be injured. We cannot rest on our graces, on our comforts, on our friends, or on our possessions; but we may rest on Jesus. We should rest on Him with unshaken confidence and

In the ark, the weary dove

Found a welcome resting place;

Thus my spirit longs to prove,

Rest in Christ, the Ark of grace.

— James Smith, 1840

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

MORNING MANNA        3-21-22

POWER TO THE FAINT

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength”– Isaiah 40:29

It is not hard to find someone who will give support to the powerful, attention to the famous, notice to the remarkable, or recognition to the accomplished. Virtually everyone is willing to jump on the bandwagon of some well-known, talented, or beautiful person.

But God gives encouragement to the faint. He gives strength to the exhausted. He does not join the crowds hurrying after celebrities; He seeks out the broken-hearted and the overlooked and gives them the greatest honor imaginable — His attention and His love.

This is not because God is a cosmic talent-scout, finding the individual diamonds in the many roughs throughout the world. It is to those who truly have no merit, who can stake no claim to His assets, who have no might that He sends reinforcements of strength and provision. It is God’s grace, not our value, that draws Him to hurting, helpless humanity.

While this is humbling—even humiliating—to realize, it is also liberating and invigorating. We can let all our collected claims of good works and inherent worth fall around our feet as we reach out to a God Who only heals the sick, Who only mends the broken, Who only gives strength to the powerless.

How do you see yourself? It doesn’t matter how others might describe you; perhaps they even consider you among the great, the mighty, the successful. But are you broken-hearted and helpless before the Lord? If so, then prepare for a strength infusion from the most High Himself. (Baptist Bible Hour)

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

MORNING MANNA           3-20-22

FORGIVEN FOREVER

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.- Romans 8:32-24

One of the most common and difficult issues people deal with is guilt. All of us have done things for which we are sorry, and all of us have failed to do other things we know we should have done. The devil uses our guilt over things from the past to hinder us in our walk and work for God. Guilt is not a bad thing in itself, as God uses that to prick our consciences and prompt us to return to Him. But there is no reason for feeling guilty over something we have confessed and forsaken. It is no longer on our record as far as God is concerned. Paul wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1).

In the US legal system, there is the principle of double jeopardy. A person who has been found “not guilty” can not be tried again for the same offense. When the blood of Jesus Christ is applied to our account, all of our sins are gone forever, and there is no venue in which God will allow them to be brought against us. Charles Spurgeon said, “There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dares to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth.” 

God holds us blameless for our forgiven sins, and He will never allow us to be held guilty for them.- Daily in the Word

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

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this,that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”- James 1:2-4

MORNING MANNA           3-18-22

SAVED AND SURE

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”– 1 Peter 1:3-5

We do not save ourselves. We cannot save ourselves. It is only the mercy and grace of God that makes salvation available to those who trust Jesus for it. And we do not keep ourselves saved. The same divine power that makes salvation possible secures the destiny of all who receive it. And once we are saved, we need never fear that God will decide we have sinned too greatly and disown us. We need never fear that He will forget one of His children. We are both saved and kept.

Dr. A. T. Pierson told the story of an elderly lady with strong faith. She was poor and uneducated and someone the world may not see as important. When she expressed her confidence of going to Heaven, someone said, “Nobody knows anything about you, and if you go to the Hell, the universe will be ignorant of it.” She responded, “It won’t make no difference to the universe but it would make a great difference to the Lord. His honor would be gone.”

Many people struggle with doubts and fears regarding the future. That is a sign that our focus is in the wrong place. It is true that many times we are disappointed or let down by people who fail to do what they have promised. God never fails. He does not just want us to be secure in Him, but to be fully confident regarding the future. “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

 Our future is secure because it does not depend on us but on our unfailing God.-Daily in the Word

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