MORNING MANNA                  3-20-25
PERPETUAL PRAISE
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is , the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”–Heb. 13:15
” …… Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave , and the LORD hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the LORD.–Job 1:21

It’s easy to praise the Lord when all is well with us, but when light turns to night, and blessings give way to burdens, and pain chases away pleasure it is another story. But is not God the same regardless? Should we praise Him in the sunshine and then ignore Him in the storm? Is He not good all the time? God never changes. Whether yesterday, today, or tomorrow He is the same. If we are to give Him the praise that is His due we must praise Him in our pain as well as in our pleasure. Whether we are prospering or in poverty God is to be praised. He is not worthy one moment and unworthy the next. Our praise is to be based on His character, not our circumstances. And since He is forever perfect our praise should be perpetual.

Because of this, you just have to wonder how pleased God is with our praise during the good times when we ignore Him during the bad times. Have you ever thought about how insulting it must be to God when we treat Him as though He is undeserving of our praise? Really! When we act like that we are indicating that it is all about self rather than God. The emotion such people feel when they receive some special blessing from God is the same as the elation they would have if they just won the lottery or inherited a fortune–it has nothing to do with God Himself. When they say “Praise the Lord” it is just religious jargon, not an acknowledgement of His goodness. The true test of how we feel about God is our attitude during afflictions. If we don’t praise Him then, are we really praising Him when we mention Him in connection with our blessings.

You cannot determine, nor measure, God’s love by considering your circumstances. He loves you whether you are grieving or glad. He loves you just as much when He takes away as He does when He gives. It is essential that we remember that. Living in the light of this fact will help you profit even during the most painful and perplexing periods of your life. God demands and deserves your praise regardless of what your situation might be. To withhold it is to misrepresent God, to indict Him of wrong-doing. So, every trial is a test and an opportunity regarding your attitude toward God. Have you lost something dear to your heart? Are you suffering from some affliction, seemingly without cause or cure? Are you misunderstood and mistreated by others for no reason? Regardless of what you are going through, you just make things worse when you fail to give God what He deserves. Let us then, “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually”—He is worthy!- HDS, 8-24-14
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

THE SHADOW WE CAST
“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” –Romans 14:7

We all shall die and our bodies will return to the dust, but our influence lives on. It lingers like an invisible hand touching and guiding those we’ve come into contact with. And it is powerful! Much more than we realize. Understanding this makes every step significant.

While every loving parent wants to set a good example, and most make a conscious effort to do so, we all fail to some extent— mostly without even being aware of it. We fail to watch our step, for one reason, because we forget that others are watching our steps. In other words, we are not aware that they are aware– always watching, even from afar, both our attitude and actions.

Another thing that causes us to mislead others is that we forget the big importance of “little” things. A little stretching of the truth, a little crude language, a little fit of anger, etc. makes a huge impression on others. That “minor” matter becomes a major factor in another person’s life. Our slip leads to their slide, our failure to their fall. Our shadow becomes their snare— often without them even being aware that were shaped by our shadow. The fact is they might despise what they see in you and vow never to be like you, only to discover years later they became what they once hated. It goes without saying that the danger is all the worse if, for some reason, they admire you. Dare we not be at our best? Saying, ” Do as I say, not as I do”, isn’t good enough. The power of your influence will lead them to do things contrary to their own reasoning and your well meant advice.

We must make a constant conscious effort that our shadow doesn’t lead them astray. Were you infected with an awful infectious disease it would be a crime for you to go from house to house spreading your illness to others. Is it then not a sin to contaminate others with your corruption? Your actions, attitude, affections, and ambitions cause others to be influenced by the shadow you cast. We should do our best to see that they are never a stumbling-block to others ( see Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 8:13).

The shadow you cast will no doubt, for good or bad, affect others. God help us to so live as to make a positive influence on those we come into contact with, those who come under our shadow. Make no mistake about it, what you are is due, at least in part, to the shadow of others and your shadow will determine what others become. Let us endeavor to leave a legacy that will lead to a lovely life for all those who have passed through the shadow we cast.- HDS, 7-6-14

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

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

MORNING MANNA                3-17-25

THE SCHOOL OF CHRIST

”I will instruct thee and teach thee”—. Psalm 32:8 

Here is a precious promise! The all-knowing God will teach us–and we are in desperate need of the lessons. James Smith wrote,”At best we know but little–and we are slow to learn. But the Lord has promised to instruct us. The Lord’s teaching always produces humility, self-loathing, confidence in God, zeal for His glory, and heart devotion to Christ! The Lord’s teaching always brings us to the feet of Jesus, and delivers us from this present evil world. Under Divine instruction we learn the true nature of sin, the vanity of the world, the emptiness of creatures, and the fullness and preciousness of Christ!”. 

Seeing that God is willing to instruct us, should we not be eager to learn? Considering that our problems are so large and our abilities are so small, should we not be found early and often sitting at the feet of Jesus, with our Bible open, our body rested, and our mind clear, soaking up the rich treasures of His Word? Since the great God who designed, created, and controls this vast universe bids us to come, should we not be found continually at the throne of grace praying, as the Psalmist, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”(Psalm 25:4-5).

 In the school of Christ, Jesus is both the teacher and the theme. It is for that reason He said,”Come unto me–and learn of me-“(Matthew 11:28-29). Have you? Is He your teacher? Have you enrolled in the class of Christ, by trusting Him as Lord and Savior? If so, sit at His feet, soak up His words, surrender to His demands, show forth His praise. If you know Him–love Him, learn of Him from Him, leave all to follow Him, live for Him, lean upon Him for support, and look to Him always. Make this your daily prayer–“Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path–“(Psalm 27:11).-HDS, 2-1-11

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

MORNING MANNA                 3-16-25

GOD’S LOVE

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”–John 3:14–17

Dr. H. A. Ironside told of a missionary who visited the church he attended when he was a little boy. After he showed them artifacts that he brought back from Africa the missionary asked, “How many good boys have we here?” Ironside said, “A lot of us thought we were good, but our mothers were there, and so not one of us dared hold up his hand.” The missionary said, “I have the same message for you that we have for the heathen in Africa; God loves naughty boys.” Ironside said he thought, “He is all mixed up. If you are good God will love you. That is what I had heard, but that is not true. God is not waiting for you to be good so He can love you; God loves sinners.”

Whether we have been saved for a few days, a few years, or for decades, we must never lose sight of the fact that God reached out in His boundless love and compassion and offered us salvation. This offer was not made because we deserved it, but because we needed it so desperately. So many religions are based on what people do or do not do. Christianity—true Christianity based on what the Bible teaches—is different. Instead of our efforts, salvation is all about what God’s love has provided to us, despite our sinful enmity against Him. What amazing love! There is no place for pride in the hearts of those who remember that God’s love was freely given.( Daily in the Word)