MORNING MANNA            4-19-21

A PRECIOUS REMEDY

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”-‭‭John‬ ‭14:1‬ ‭

This verse is rich in precious truth — it has been peculiarly dear to Christ’s believing servants in every part of the world. Many are the sick rooms which it has lightened! Many are the dying hearts which it has cheered!

We have in this passage, a precious remedy against an old disease. That disease is trouble of heart. That remedy is faith.

Heart-trouble is the commonest thing in the world!
No rank, or class, or condition is exempt from it.
No bars, or bolts, or locks can keep it out.
Partly from inward causes — and partly from outward causes;
partly from the body — and partly from the mind;
partly from what we love — and partly from what we fear
 — the journey of life is full of trouble! Between grace and glory — even the best of Christians have many bitter cups to drink. Even the holiest saints find the world to be a valley of tears! “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows!” John 16:33 

Faith in the Lord Jesus is the only sure medicine for troubled hearts.
To believe more thoroughly,
to trust more entirely,
to rest more unreservedly,
to lay hold more firmly,
to lean back more completely—
this is the prescription which our Master urges on the attention of all His disciples.

Never let us forget that there are degrees in faith, and that there is a wide difference between weak and strong believers. The weakest faith is enough to give a man a saving interest in Christ, and ought not to be despised — but it will not give a man such inward comfort as a strong faith. Vagueness and dimness of perception are the defect of weak believers. They do not see clearly what they believe and why they believe. In such cases more faith is the one thing needed. Like Peter on the water, they need to look more steadily at Jesus — and less at the waves and wind.- J.C. Ryle

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in thee.”— Isaiah 26:3

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

MORNING MANNA          4-18-21

ALL THINGS

All these things are against me  (Gen. 42:36)

A.B. Simpson wrote, “Many people are wanting power. Now how is power produced? The other day we passed the great works where the trolley engines are supplied with electricity. We heard the hum and roar of the countless wheels, and we asked our friend, “How do they make the power?”

“Why,” he said, “just by the revolution of those wheels and the friction they produce. The rubbing creates the electric current.”

And so, when God wants to bring more power into your life, He brings more pressure. He is generating spiritual force by hard rubbing. Some do not like it and try to run away from the pressure, instead of getting the power and using it to rise above the painful causes.

Opposition is essential to a true equilibrium of forces. The centripetal and centrifugal forces acting in opposition to each other keep our planet in her orbit. The one propelling, and the other repelling, so act and re-act, that instead of sweeping off into space in a pathway of desolation, she pursues her even orbit around her solar centre.

So God guides our lives. It is not enough to have an impelling force–we need just as much a repelling force, and so He holds us back by the testing ordeals of life, by the pressure of temptation and trial, by the things that seem against us, but really are furthering our way and establishing our goings.

Let us thank Him for both, let us take the weights as well as the wings, and thus divinely impelled, let us press on with faith and patience in our high and heavenly calling.”

All this reminds us that many times we hate things that help us. In our ignorance and lack of faith we misunderstand God’s purpose in our miseries and we despise the things that develop us into mature Christians. We don’t seem to understand that pain and pressure are profitable. If you aren’t in a hurry take time to read the following poem by Annie Johnson Flint. – HDS

In a factory building there are wheels and gearings,
There are cranks and pulleys, beltings tight or slack–
Some are whirling swiftly, some are turning slowly,
Some are thrusting forward, some are pulling back;
Some are smooth and silent, some are rough and noisy,
Pounding, rattling, clanking, moving with a jerk;
In a wild confusion in a seeming chaos,
Lifting, pushing, driving–but they do their work.
From the mightiest lever to the tiniest pinion,
All things move together for the purpose planned;
And behind the working is a mind controlling,
And a force directing, and a guiding hand.
So all things are working for the Lord’s beloved;
Some things might be hurtful if alone they stood;
Some might seem to hinder; some might draw us backward;
But they work together, and they work for good,
All the thwarted longings, all the stern denials,
All the contradictions, hard to understand.
And the force that holds them, speeds them and retards them,
Stops and starts and guides them–is our Father’s hand.

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

MORNING MANNA       4-17-21

HEIGHT OR HIGHT?

“Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me….” 2 Cor. 13:3

“Examine yourselves….” 2 Cor. 13:5

Like the folks to whom Paul wrote in Corinth, proud people are prone to condone in themselves what they condemn in others. I recently read the following story that should serve as a warning to all of us.

John Holliday was the founder and editor of the publication The Indianapolis News. One day while reading a particular article, he noticed the world height spelled as hight. Perturbed about the incident, Holliday demanded to know who was responsible for the misspelling. When the original copy of that edition was discovered, it was indicated that Holliday himself was to blame. 

Refusing to acknowledge his wrongdoing, Holliday said, “Well, if that’s the way I spelled it, it has to be right.” For thirty years, the publication blatantly misspelled the word height in every edition of their paper. 

When we reject the notion that we may possibly be wrong, we set ourselves up for widespread scrutiny. Just because you spell height hight, doesn’t mean you are right! Sydney Howard Gay said, “Pride is to character like the attic to the house – the highest part, and generally the most empty.” No one lives a mistake-free life, and to believe otherwise is a recipe for failure. Those who think they are above improvement, typically live below their potential. Drop your pride so that you can reach your greatest hights…excuse me, heights.

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

MORNING MANNA          4-16-21

TROUBLE

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.“ Psalms 91:15

Sin is the parent of trouble; all sorrow originated in departing from God. It is generally occasioned by transgression, or sent as a preventive to a greater evil; it may be occasioned by good, for saints are sometimes persecuted for righteousness’ sake. It is intended to correct, improve, and to bring us near to God. Whatever may be our trouble, if we are the Lord’s, He is with us; and with us for the most gracious purposes. He fixes the period of our troubles, nor can they continue longer than He sees needful. He regulates the heat of the furnace nor will He suffer us to be tried more than we are able to bear. He sanctifies our troubles, and causes them to work our good. He delivers out of trouble, when the purposes of His love are accomplished. In every trouble remember God is now especially present. He is with you to hear your prayer, increase your strength, direct your way, and make you a conqueror. His grace is sufficient; His presence is sure; your deliverance, in His time and way, is certain. Therefore, “wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”– James Smith, 1840

He that hath made his refuge God.
Shall find a most secure abode;
Shall walk all day beneath His shade,
And there at night shall rest his head.

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

MORNING MANNA            4-15-21

OBSERVING OR OBEYING?
“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you”– John 15:14