MORNING MANNA                6-26-25
HIS HANDS
It’s strange how the words of a song stick in your mind–even for many long years. As I was thinking about the “terrible times” in which we live, I was reminded of that old song that says,”He’s got the whole world in His hands”. We need to think about that! 

The fact of the matter is that sometimes it seems that everything is whirling madly out of control. Admit it–sometimes you feel that God has forgotten all about you. It seems that He either doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or can’t help. We know we shouldn’t feel that way, but we do. Right? That’s when we need to get back to the facts, rather than following our feelings. To do that we must get into the Word and get the Word in us. Here’s a fact that ought to help you–“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”(Isa. 49:16). Isn’t that great! 

God not only has the “wind and the rain” and “the little bitty baby” in His powerful hands, He is constantly mindful of us. Think about it dear friend–we are on His mind and in His hands! The failures of the past, the frustrations of the present, and the fearful prospects of tomorrow are all in His hands. And things are never out of control when they are in His hands! 

If you still feel a bit apprehensive go get your Bible and read Psalms 139:1-10. It ends with these words–“Even there (wherever “there” might be for you) shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” No wonder we sing “Safe am I”. He guides us and guards us. God knows–He cares and He can help. —  HDS

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble, TX

MORNING MANNA               6-23-25
SHINE
“—shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15 

Do you remember the old song, “Brighten the Corner where you are”? Lots of folks in the South used to wake up each morning listening to the Blackwood Brothers Quartet sing that as their theme song on the radio. It’s a message we would do well to remember. We live in a sin darkened world that’s in desperate need of light.

 
Most of us will never be known around the world or able to make an impact beyond the county line where we live, but we all have a little corner where we come in contact with people–a circle of influence. The problem is that we don’t always see the importance of our presence. Those who would break their neck in an effort to do something great, if they knew the world was watching, or if it paid big bucks, don’t make any effort in their little corner. Others refuse to do anything because they feel their efforts would be futile–as though that relieved them of duty. But, there’s another excuse that is often used. These folks say,”I’m not very good at it” or “Someone else can do it better”. That might be true, but does that give you the right to do nothing? Shine! If everyone did nothing because someone does it better nothing would get done.

 
I confess there are times when I’m tempted to never write another article. I’m a preacher, not a writer. My English is terrible and I have an awful time trying to figure out the proper grammatical structure of a sentence. I’m a Christian who writes, but I’m sure not a” writer” in the strict sense of the word.I have to hunt and peck on the computer and it makes me a nervous wreck! But I write, because folks in my little corner of the world need to be informed, warned and encouraged. So I do what I can. This is my corner and I am responsible for what I do in it. 

Where are you at in your corner of the world? It might not be a pleasurable place, but don’t let it keep you from your duty. It may be painful, but with God’s help you can push through the pain and help others get through theirs. You are not responsible to change the course of the world, but you are accountable to God for what you do in your little corner. Folks there need the Son-shine that you can bring into their lives.Shine!   HDS

David Stone  
Lakeway Baptist Church  
Humble, TX

MORNING MANNA              6-21-25
Fruit From Failure

 Someone called Peter “the apostle of failure”. That seems a bit harsh, but the fact remains that that Peter was prone to fail. Aren’t we all? That’s why we ought to remember Proverbs 24:16 “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” Search the scriptures and you will see numerous examples of great men who failed, yet recovered and were used mightily of the Lord. 

Everyone fails from time to time and that’s bad, but that’s not all. Believe it or not, good can come from it. That’s right! Although it would be better if we never failed we need to realize that something positive can come out of it. We need to look for it. Generally we see only the bad in failure, but the truth is that God can use our failure for some good purpose. 

Let me give you just one example. Failure can make us aware of our weakness, and that can lead to a greater dependence upon God. Let’s face it–we all tend to get a bit arrogant at times. We suppose we are better, smarter, or stronger than we really are. Failure brings our feet back down to the ground! You don’t hear much boasting about being tough from a kid who just got the stuffings knocked out of him by some other kid with no reputation for being tough. Even so, failure often transforms our attitude in the same way. 

So the next time you fail, learn from it, and look for some good to come out of it. Sometimes it takes a failure to make us aware of our weakness and to rid us of pride. Failure doesn’t have to be final. It can be the very thing that leads to success. But to get up and get going you have to confess your failure, do what you can to make it right, and look to God for the strength to avoid another fall. Your recovery can be an inspiration to someone else who has failed and given up all hope of ever being of any use to God. Think about it! – HDS

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church   

Humble, TX