MORNING MANNA                 3-25-25

Understanding Understanding
As hard as we might try, we can’t always understand one another. As we listen to people pour out the burdens of their heart, we’re often guilty of saying,”I understand” when we don’t. O we mean well, we want to understand and we try, but we can’t. We are different in nature and needs. We are all different in our character, our calling, and our circumstances. And we need to remember that.
 
Sometimes we are guilty of criticizing others when we would actual do worse were we in their shoes. They fare better than we would were the roles reversed, yet we complain about their short-comings. We need to realize that we can’t always understand the degree of their temptation, the weight of their burden, the extent of their weakness, and the effects of their past. If we could truly understand we might commend them rather than condemn them.
 
In a thousand years I could not explain to you what it is like to be a pastor. Unless you are a pastor, you don’t have a clue! However, neither can I always understand what it is like being in your shoes. Since that is true, we both need to work at being more understanding regarding things that we don’t understand. Although we can’t understand we can be more understanding, and that would make a tremendous difference in our relationships.
 
We are all different, imperfect, and in need of help. So,let’s pray for others, and for ourselves—asking God to help us understand that we don’t understand. Since we all fail, it behooves us to be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”(Ephesians 4:32). That’s not just good advice, it is a command. HDS

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

MORNING MANNA                 3-24-25

CONSTANT COMPANION
– – – I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.— Hebrews 13:5

What wonderful words! What tremendous truth! I say “truth” because “he hath said” and “He” cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Through every difficulty, in every danger, even in death we can depend on this precious promise. We can find comfort because we are confident of His company. That dear friend is blessed assurance in deed.

Here is a declaration we can depend on. In the face of every—
— terror that frightens us
— temptation that entices us
— trial that tests us
— tribulation that afflicts us
— trouble that bothers us
we have the promise of Him whose name is “Faithful and True”. When there is no one else to stand with you, He is there. When all the world is deaf to your cry,His ear is open. When none other can help, He is a very present help in time of trouble. He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.So, regardless of how fierce the fight, or how strong the enemy, or how heavy the load, with Him there is grace sufficient for every need. There is victory in Jesus. With Him we are on the winning side.

Leave your pity party, rise up out of your pit of depression, fear no more— Jesus is with you. Hold your head up high, put a smile on your face, scotch your feet, square your shoulders, and walk with confidence. March headlong into the face of your challenges. Wherever life takes you today you’re not alone. You have a constant companion who “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think”( Eph. 3:20). Cling to this promise as you would a life-preserver were you overboard at sea. He will not fail you!- HDS

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

MORNING MANNA               3-23-25    
NEVER GIVE UP

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again–“ Proverbs 24:16 

You can fail without being a failure. The fact is, you can’t succeed without failing. Those who have experienced the greatest success have also failed. 
When Thomas Edison was trying to invent the light bulb he tried 700 things that failed. A friend said to him,”Mr. Edison, you have failed 700 times. Why don’t you quit?” Edison replied,”I have not failed 700 time; I discovered 700 things that won’t work.” It’s no wonder that he is responsible for more than 1,000 inventions. He refused to let failures stop him. That’s the attitude we all need.

 
Dr. Bob Jones used to say, “Make chariot wheels out of your failures and ride them to success.” That’s good advice! We aren’t a failute because we fail. We are a failure when we stop trying. Think about it—we learn from our failures and that enables us to succeed. None of us learned the alphabet on our first try. Neither did we learn to ride a bicyle on our first attempt–we fell, we got bumps and bruises, and we got up and tried again and again, until we finally learned how to do it. That’s a good lesson for life. 

Everybody fails, but only those who quit trying are failures. Regardless of how you have failed, get up, brush yourself off, learn from your failure and ask God to help you – He never fails. Don’t be discouraged by your failures, they are the stuff that that success is made of. As Winston Churchill said,”Never give up!”  —H.D.S.
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA               3-22-25

BETTER HIGHER UP

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:13

The famous preacher D.L. Moody told the story about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman—a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb upward. 

When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, “What a dark and filthy place!” Her friend replied, “It’s better higher up.” When they arrived at the third landing, the remark was made, “Things look even worse here.” Again the reply, “It’s better higher up.” The two women finally reached the attic level, where they found the bedridden saint of God. A smile on her face radiated the joy that filled her heart. Although the room was clean and flowers were on the window sill, the wealthy visitor could not get over the stark surroundings in which this woman lived. She blurted out, “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!” Without a moment’s hesitation the shut-in responded, “It’s better higher up.” 

While she could have focused on her suffering, the old woman realized that her pain was temporary and that one day she’d be in Heaven where things were better. 

Even so, if we are to endure our suffering and remain faithful to God, we must remember that our trials and pains are only temporary. First Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

According to God’s Word, we can rejoice during times of adversity. Because Christ has suffered and endured adversity on the Cross, we can take part of that suffering and have our sins forgiven. Knowing we are saved and are taking part in Christ’s suffering, we can rejoice!

These trials can be times of joy! When we compare our trials with the trials and suffering our Lord went through, we have no need to be discouraged. God is in control! And because He has suffered the same adversity, we can look to Him for help during these times.

Rejoicing comes through putting your confidence in the Lord. Too often we can face the challenges of life and try to tackle them by ourselves. But God wants us to step aside and let Him work out the difficulties. When we realize that Christ is in control and will take care of the trial, we can rejoice!

Are you rejoicing in your time of adversity? Are you looking to Christ as your source of strength? The way to overcome adversity and to have joy in times of suffering is by looking to the Cross for strength. Spend time reflecting on Christ’s suffering today. Take time to read John 18–19. Then as you go about your day, remember that in light of all that the Lord went through, our sufferings are minimal! ( Copied))

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬

Several years ago I heard one of our members say, “I know       is.     but I love him anyway”. That’s great, and that’s what unconditional love is all about. It is loving one another in spite of their faults. That should characterize every Christian. Without such love there is no evidence that we are true believers. Without it relationships are ruined, families are fractured, friendships fail, and churches are crippled.

When love is lacking sin is flourishing, needs are growing, divisions are multiplying, people are suffering and joy is absent. Love is the power that gets us together and the glue that holds us together. It makes a household a home, a church a family, and all of society a better place to live. With love nearly all things are possible. Without it nothing works as it should. Until you love unconditionally you will never, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.(Matt. 5:44). That command is a tall order and nothing short of genuine love can suffice. With it we cannot fail. Without it we cannot succeed.

But where does such love come from? It comes from us first loving God– the first and great commandment. In loving Him above all else we are enabled to love others just as we look out for ourselves. All this is made possible because God first loved us. Considering God’s great love for us, we never have a reason to not love Him or others. We might not like another person’s ways, but we ought to love them–faults and all. If we fail it is due to our relationship with God, not the shortcomings of others. Unconditional love depends on our character, not the other persons conduct.

But, as much as we need such love we cannot create it ourselves. Will power isn’t that powerful. To get love we have to go to the source, which is God. No amount of human effort is ever enough. If the benefits are big enough we might treat people as though we love them, but we don’t. We tolerate them and treat them kindly because it works to our advantage. The real test of love comes when there is an offense of some kind. Unconditional love doesn’t stop because someone fails. That doesn’t mean we pretend that nothing happened. It means we love them regardless of what happens.

It is unconditional love that impresses hearts, changes lives, builds relationships, keeps marriages together, and makes churches successful. Nothing else on earth is so powerful. Convincing others that we love them unconditionally can change them when nothing else can. Now if we could just see our need, rather than the other person’s faults, and love people as Jesus did we could make a major difference in the world. Let us pray earnestly for God to fill us with such love.- HDS

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