Like you, I get tired of reading all the bad news. That’s why I was so blessed when I read the following story — “Man falls in love after falling down”. 23 year old Nate Lytle was working on a ladder when he fell. The impact of hitting the ground broke bones and his skull was cracked when his head hit a metal pipe. As he lay in a coma,”a young, shy and not particularly religious nurse named Brianna Hartman” said,”I just felt led to pray for him”and she did. As time went on the day came when she was assigned to remove the staples from his head. He opened his eyes—- well you know the rest of the story. They fell in love.”Lytle went from falling to his near death to falling in love”. Don’t you love stories with happy endings? But there’s more to this story.

Not only did Nate find love, through his experience he discovered a purpose in life. He now works with people with disabilities like autism, blindness, and mental retardation. He said,”When you are in a coma, most people think it is the worst thing to happen. Actually, it can turn out to be the best “. That’s something we all need to remember!

It is often the case that what we think is a bad thing, or even the worst thing, turns out to be a good thing or even the best thing. Were it not for being flat on their back some people would never look up. Sometimes it takes a fall of some sort to make us see our need of God. We should be greatly encouraged by the fact that God is always at work in our life, and can turn a tragedy into a treasure. God can cause “all things” to “work together for good to them that love God”(Romans 8:28). So, remember– although everything is not good, good can come from all things. Your tragedy can produce a treasure.- HDS

ENOUGH

A mother and daughter were spending their last moments together at the airport. As they hugged, the mother said, “I love you, and I wish you enough.”

To which the daughter replied, “Mom, your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too.”

As the daughter boarded the plane, the mother walked to a nearby window, ready to cry. A man noticed the woman but didn’t want to intrude. Thankfully, she volunteered, “Have you ever said goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever?”

“Yes, I have,” replied the man. “Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever goodbye?”

The mother responded, “I’m old and she lives far away. I have challenges ahead of me and the reality is that her next trip back will be for my funeral.”

The man said, “I heard you say ‘I wish you enough.’ What does that mean?”

Before walking away, she smiled and tearfully said, “It’s a wish that has been handed down to others for generations, so that they might have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them:

I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get through the final goodbye.”

It has been said that it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, and an entire life to forget them. Remember the people you love and take some time today to tell them how much you care!

David Stone   

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble,TX

MORNING MANNA             6-30-25
IS GOD TOO SEVERE?

People are confused by calamity because they believe man is basically good and deserving. That’s why there is so much talk about things being “unfair”. It’s also the reason for so many “Why?” Questions. The Bible, however, tells us that we are sinful and undeserving.

That’s why we Christians speak so much about grace. As long as a person believes the lies about “self-worth”,”self-esteem”,”self-love”,etc. he will be confused, disappointed, angry, and bitter when things don’t turn out as he desires. In his pride he reasons that his view alone is valid and anything not meeting with his approval ought to be condemned.

What we need is a Biblical, rather than a bias, perspective. Someone said it well when they wrote these words:

“He who has deserved a hanging has no reason to charge the judge with cruelty—if he escapes with a whipping! And we who have deserved a damning have no reason to charge God for being too severe—if we escape with a fatherly lashing!…

You have no reason to complain, as long as you are out of hell. Do you murmur, because you are under pain and sickness? Nay, bless God, you are not there where the worm never dies! Do you grudge, that you are not in so good a condition in the world as some of your neighbors are? Be thankful, rather, that you are not in the condition of the damned! Is your money gone from you? Thank God that the fire of His wrath has not consumed you! Kiss the rod, O sinner! and acknowledge mercy!”

If you will give serious consideration to these thoughts it will make you better rather than bitter. So, please, think about it.- HDS

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

“WHAT?” Not “WHEN?”

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭

 Under the pressure of severe problems and pain we tend to ask, “When shall I get out of this?” or “How shall I get out of this?” But those are the wrong questions. A better question is, “What shall I get out of this?” But even then we do not always find an immediate answer.  That’s OK!  We don’t always need an answer.  We just need to believe that God will use the experience for some good reason as He has promised. 

If Job had followed the counsel of his wife it would have made matters worse.  Thankfully he refused to give up his faith and remained faithful to God. In the face of his great loss he knew the best was to come. He said, “ “And though after my skin worms destroy this body, Yet in my flesh shall I see God:” Job‬ ‭19‬:‭26‬ ‭

Anyone can give up and complain when life gets difficult, but they pay a high price for doing so.  Someone said, “If Columbus had turned back, nobody would have blamed him, but nobody would have remembered him either.  If you want to be memorable, sometimes you have to be miserable.”

As believers we are called to live by faith.  To do that we must accept what God allows and do what He demands, regardless of cost, circumstances, or consequences. We must believe that He is working out His perfect plan in ways we cannot understand. We must also rely upon the promise the Lord made to Paul in 1 Cor. 12:9  “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” Even so, what we gain from God’s grace can get us through any trial that we ever face. – HDS

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble, TX

Back To The Bible

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”–Psalm 119:11

 When we talk about what is most important we better be careful.  All too often we get things out of their proper order.  However when I say that nothing is more important to the Christian than the Word of God, I do so without reservation.  It is impossible for us to live as God desires if we neglect His Word.  We must know it and obey it.  Sadly many folks don’t seem to care.  They go day after day without ever reading or studying the scriptures.It’s no wonder that they fail to grow spiritually, resist temptation, cope with difficulties, etc.  They are spiritually malnourished.

 I can’t understand how a Christian could not love the Word of God.  It is food for the soul, light for our path, a map to guide us, and a weapon against our enemy.  It provides information, insight, and inspiration.  We need that whether we think so or not.  However, as great as the Bible is, it does you no good setting on a shelf gathering dust.

 It would be good if every believer would study the Bible as does a teacher who is preparing a lesson or a pastor who studies in preparation for a sermon.  The problem is that many do not see it as the treasure it is.  That is a dangerous thing.  Thomas Guthrie wrote, “If you  find yourself loving any pleasure better than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven – take alarm.”

     A. W. Tozer gave us this wise advice: “Read it much, read it often, brood over it, think over it, meditate over it—meditate on the Word of God day and night.  When you awake at night, think of a helpful verse.  When you get up in the morning, no matter how you feel, think of a verse and make the Word of God the important element in your day.  The Holy Ghost wrote the Word, and if you make much of the Word, he will make much of you.  It is through the Word that He reveals Himself.  Between those covers is a living Book.  God wrote it and it is still vital and effective and alive.  God is in this Book, the Holy Ghost is in this Book, and if you want to find Him, go into this Book.”

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, TX