MORNING MANNA         12-28-21

ENJOYING GOD

“Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” – Psalm 16:11

The gifts have been unwrapped. The mess has been cleaned up. Perhaps visiting friends and family have returned home leaving your home quiet for the first time in a while. The traffic has died down and the stores are emptier. Another Christmas has come and gone. And in just a few days, another year will have passed. With a fresh year approaching, I think it is a perfect time to ponder this question with me: Do I love God for His gifts or for who He is?

Yikes, right? That is a tough question to examine ourselves honestly about. Most of us probably understand the difference between enjoying a giver through his gifts and enjoying gifts instead of the giver. Maybe you have even experienced that in your own life.

The goal of everything God does for us is so that we can know Him and enjoy Him. He loves giving us gifts…and He wants us to enjoy them just like we want our loved ones to enjoy the gifts we give. We never have to feel guilty for enjoying God’s gifts. We do, however, want to make sure we are experiencing Him through His gifts.

So how can we ensure we are doing this? I believe this comes with recognizing that God’s gifts are expressions of His kindness to us. The gift of another day of life, the gift of health or healing, the gift of time with those we love, and the gift of food and shelter are all expressions of His grace. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” If this verse is true, then as believers every gift He gives to us comes out of the truth that He didn’t spare His own Son. Jesus is the basis for every other gift.

Dear Lord, I want to thank you, God, for the amazing gift of Jesus. How grateful I am that you sent your Son to live and die so that I can have an eternal relationship with you. Help me to remember this season and in all the days to come that that is the greatest gift I will ever receive. In Jesus’ name, amen. – Copied

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

MORNING MANNA            12-27-21

WALK IN  LOVE

“ And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” – Eph. 5:2

Religion is love: the love of God shed abroad in the heart, transforming our nature into love. The blessing is bestowed to be exhibited; we are to let our light shine, and walk in love.

Under the influence of love to God, for His mercy towards us; and love to man for God’s sake. By the rule of love, doing unto others as we would they should do unto us. Seeking their spiritual and eternal welfare. Letting it be clearly seen, that we indulge no envy, jealousy, malice, or ill-will in our hearts against any; but that we wish them well, and desire to promote their best interests in any way we can.

Love should run through the whole of our actions, and be the ruling motive in our souls. God acts towards us from love. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love; and love is the brightest and surest evidence of regeneration.

Let us not be satisfied to feel that we love, but let us manifest it; let us “WALK IN LOVE”; this is the way to be happy, useful and honourable. Bitterness, wrath, censoriousness, and selfishness, prove that we are under sin; but love is of God; and he that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

May I from every act abstain,

That hurts or gives my brother pain;

Nay, every secret wish suppress,

That would abridge his happiness;

And this may I Thy follower prove,

Great Prince of peace, great God of love!

– James Smith, 1840

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

MORNING MANNA           12-26-21
A THRILL OF HOPE
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”– Rom. 15:4

MORNING MANNA            12-25-21

THE GOD WHO SAVES

“I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.” – Psalm 18:3-6

David spent several years after Samuel anointed him with oil and declared that he would be the next king of Israel running for his life. The current king, Saul, did not want to give up the throne, and he did everything in his power to hunt down David and kill him. Humanly speaking, David had no hope of survival. Yet again and again God delivered David, and when the running was finally done, David wrote a psalm of praise and thanks for God’s protection. When David needed Him most, God was not distant or indifferent to his circumstances. Instead He provided the hope and help that David needed and kept him safe until he was finally seated on the throne.

The physical deliverance God provided for David is a beautiful picture of the spiritual deliverance Jesus came into the world to provide for us. There was nothing we could do to gain or earn or deserve to stand before a perfectly holy God. Humanly speaking, we had no hope of salvation. Yet God provided what we needed most by sending His Son. When Jesus met with the publican Zacchaeus, some people complained that a man reviled as a traitor to his people would be offered a hope of redemption. But that was the reason Jesus was here. He said, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The ultimate meaning of Christmas is not presents or trees or lights. It is all about the coming of the Savior. Above all else, Jesus was born to be the Savior of all those who believe in Him. – Copied

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA           12-24-21

THE SUPPLY CHAIN

Read John 1:32-45