MORNING MANNA       1-29-25 

THE SCHOOL OF SUFFERING

 “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I might learn thy statutes.Psalm‬‭119‬:‭71‬ 

MORNING MANNA              1-28-25

THANKFUL FOR ANOTHER DAY

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”- 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 Verna Chambers, of Willcox, AZ., got out of bed one morning and put on a t-shirt with these words on it,”Be nice to me. I had a hard day”. Shortly afterward little Eric looked at her and said,”How can you tell this early in the morning?.

 That ought to get our attention. Sometimes we start the day expecting the worst. Before our feet ever hit the floor we have convinced ourself that this is going to be “a hard day”. We rise with no chreeful expectation of what the day might hold. We just assume the worse. In other words, we make ourselves miserable before God has had a chance to bless us with some good thing.

 The sad thing is that our attitude usually shows in our face and affects those we come in contact with. So, how are you doing so far this morning? Have you already decided that this is going to be a bad day? Is there really nothing to smile about? Is it not possible that some delightful blessing is just a few hours, or maybe only minutes, away?

 I know, some of you would like to punch me in the nose about now. And you are right, I don’t know how hard life has been for you. And I don’t know what the day will bring. But I do know this. As a child of God I have a loving Father in heaven who is anxious to bless me–and you. Why then should we not expect Him to do so?

 By the way–blessings come in many forms. Just being able to get out of bed and dress yourself is a great blessing. Many can’t do that. Having a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, and something to eat should be a reason to rejoice. Things could be a lot worse than they are!

 I’ll admit, I don’t know what your day will hold. It might indeed be “a hard day”, but why should we expect it to happen when we have no evidence that it will? Even if it does can God not use it for some good? The best way to start the day is to be thankful for the gift of life, the gifts in life, and the gift of eternal life. Now, you have a good day! 

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

MORNING MANNA                 1-27-2

5THE BEST IS YET TO BE

“Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilest we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord”.–2 Corinthians 5:6-8

For many years I have said over and over again, For the Christian the future always looks bright, if you look far enough ahead. The best is yet to come! It’s just a matter of time. It is for that reason I was so blessed when I read the following story.

In his book, The Best Is Yet to Be, Henry Durbanville told the story of an elderly woman who lived in southwest Scotland. She wanted very much to see the city of Edinburgh, but was afraid to take the train because it had to go through a long tunnel to get there.

Things came up and she was forced to travel to Scotland’s capital. Filled with fear and anxiety, the trip began and she became more anxious as the train sped along the tracks. Before the train reached the long tunnel, the older woman, exhausted with worry, fell fast asleep. When she awoke, she was already in the city.

Of this story, Durbanville commented, “It is even so with the dying saint. He closes his eyes on earth, passes into what he thinks of as the tunnel of death, and opens them immediately in the celestial land.”

Your earthly body is nothing more than a temporary home. Moving day is coming for everyone. You’ll never know when the moving truck will pull up to your “house,” with its crumbling foundation, failed heating system, and cracked windows, load up what’s left inside, and take it away to your new home.

The Scripture says, “For here we have no continuing city, but we seek to come” (Hebrews 13:14). As moving day approaches, it is important to realize in this analogy that death for the believer is not a dreaded parting—it is a glorious homecoming.

Pray that God would give you peace as you prepare to leave your earthly home. Thank God for the upcoming homecoming reunion that will take place when you are reunited with the ones you love and most importantly—the Lord Jesus Christ. 

If you haven’t received Christ as your Savior you do well to fear death, it will lead to a Christless eternity of suffering in hell. Trust Him today and you to can live without fear, knowing the best is yet to come.- HDS

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

MORNING MANNA               1-26-25

”Looking unto Jesus”—Hebrews 12:2 

We cannot avoid adversity, but we can conquor our cares. Since God’s fobids us to worry He must provide a means whereby we can do as He commands. That provision is Himself. He doesn’t just show us a solution–He is the solution. God is glorious and fixing your focus on Him is the key to bearing up under the burdens of life. Jesus wasn’t lying when He said “without me ye can do nothing”, nor was Paul being untruthful when he said,” I can do all things through Christ”. 

But to do it we must ever be looking unto Him

His Word is wonderful  

 His promises are precious      

His grace is glorious        

 His mercy is marvellous            

His love is lavish               

His patience is plenteous                  

His faithfulness is fabulous                     

His power is profound                        

His blessings are bountiful                           

His plan is perfect

We sing “How Great Thou Art”, but after we’ve said all that we can say the half has not been told. He is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. We simply cannot describe God–He is altogether lovely! 

However, we can fix our focus on Him, and doing so changes our perspective on everything. Although our circumstances are the same we aren’t. We are changed! As Paul said, “But we all, with open faces beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”( 2 Cor. 3:18) 

Regardless of what you are forced to face today, if you fix your focus on Christ you can be victorius, ie., faithful to God. We cannot meditate upon Him without being changed. So, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, think about Him and you will come away saying, “O for a thousand tongues to sing my Redeemers praise.” Now you’ve got the emphasis where it ought to be!-  HDS

MORNING MANNA             1-25-25

NO PLACE FOR THE DEVIL

“Neither give place to the devil.-“ –Ephesians 4:27 

This is another way of saying, “Don’t give the devil a foothold, or a toe-hold”, don’t give him an opportunity. And, believe me, Satan is always on the look out for an opportunity to do us harm.Not to merely frighten us or hurt us, but to destroy us and all that we hold dear. 

Notice where this command is located. It is between temper (vs. 26) and theft (vs. 28). It is located there for a reason, not just to fill up space. Thomas Manton wrote: ” Nothing makes room for Satan more than wrath.” You might question that assertion, but there is no room for argument about the fact that the Bible warns us repeatedly about anger. We best listen. 

Charles Spurgeon said,”Anger is temporary insanity—I have no more right as a Christian to allow a bad temper to dwell in me than I have to allow the devil himself to dwell there”. 

Some foolish folks seem to think that if they give God a place in their life that there isn’t anything wrong in giving the devil a little place. The fact of the matter is, if you give God first place in your life there isn’t any place for the devil. Why should there be?(see Romans 6:13-21). 

When you give any place to the devil he will take over the whole place–just like the old saying about getting the “foot in the door”. Remember this–when you give the devil an opportunity he never passes it up. He takes advantage of every opportunity to defeat and destroy us. Don’t give an inch or he’ll take a mile. 

You can’t gain ground if you’re giving ground, and you can’t keep from giving up ground unless you are guarding ground. To do that we must, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”(Ephesians 6:11) Your survival depends on it.- HDS, 2-25-11

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