MORNING MANNA           8-13-24  

CONSIDERING OUR COUNSELLOR 

“Is thy Counsellor perished?” Micah 4:9

The attitude of some folks toward Christ is shocking. As I’ve often said, sometimes they act as though God is weak, mighty sick, dead, or unconcerned about their problems. Or it might be that they are too proud to admit that they need help, or too ignorant to see that they are in need of counsel. Way back about 1840 James Smith wrote the following regarding our text.

“The Lord’s people need counsel, and Jesus is given to them as a COUNSELLOR. He is exactly suited to their needs, being possessed of infinite wisdom, unbounded benevolence, great experience, and high honour. He never lost a cause. He counsels freely, cheerfully, and successfully. He turns the counsel of all our foes into foolishness. But though we have this Wonderful Counsellor, we neglect to consult, employ or trust Him; and it may often be demanded of us, Is thy Counsellor perished? If not, why this perplexity? Why these mistakes? Why those fears and groans, and forebodings? Why this running to creatures for advice and succour? Beloved, let us stand reproved; we have walked in our own counsels, we have not waited for His counsel, we have neglected and forgotten Jesus in His office. Let us in future never act without His counsel, never employ men to His dishonour, never listen to Satan when he would persuade us not to apply to, trust in, and expect advice from Jesus as our COUNSELLOR. He says, I will counsel thee, Mine eye shall be upon thee.”

I pray you will consider this wise counsel and depend upon Christ, the Chief Counselor who never fails. HDS

Lord, be my Counsellor,
My Pattern, and my Guide;
And through this desert land,
Still keep me near Thy side;
O let my feet ne’er run astray
Nor rove, nor seek the crooked way.

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble, TX

MORNING MANNA            8-12-24

GIVE THANKS
“In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” – 1 Thess. 5:18

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” – Eph. 5:20

MORNING MANNA                   8-11-24

BACK TO THE HEART OF WORSHIP

”Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Revelation 4:11 

How do you start your day? Do you check out the game scores? the stock market? the weather? the news? Or do you just hit the ground running, rushing off to work? Isn’t it a shame that, although God gives us the gift of life and another day to enjoy His blessings, we do not start the day in a spirit of adoration and praise? 

In his book, Called to Worship, Dr. Vernon Whaley writes about anticipating the heavenly worship services described in the Book of Revelation:  “One day, worshipper, you and I will be a part of that great multitude, that choir from all the nations. No one really knows what kind of choir it will be–contemporary, classical, traditional, or gospel–but it won’t matter. And even if you couldn’t carry a tune on earth, or didn’t have a lick of musical talent, it won’t matter. You and all who love Christ will be qualified to join the eternal chorus, and together our voices will sound across the universe in one unified statement:  ‘We love Jesus; He is worthy to be praised!'” 

Dear friend, worship should be as natural for the Christian as breathing. We should respond to His presence by worship. And it shouldn’t be limited to a few minutes on Sunday. We ought to start every day and live every moment in an attitude of worship. You don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to enjoy God. He is here and you can enjoy Him right now through worship. Do you? – HDS, 7-19-10

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

MORNING MANNA                8-10-24

NEVER ALONE

“God is ‘a very present help in trouble’. But He permits trouble to pursue us, as though He were indifferent to its overwhelming pressure, that we may be brought to the end of ourselves, and led to discover the treasure of darkness, the unmeasurable gains of tribulation.

We may be sure that He who permits the suffering is with us in it. It may be that we shall see Him only when the trial is passing; but we must dare to believe that He never leaves the crucible. Our eyes are holden; and we cannot behold Him whom our soul loveth. It is dark–the bandages blind us so that we cannot see the form of our High Priest; but He is there, deeply touched. Let us not rely on feeling, but on faith in His unswerving fidelity; and though we see Him not, let us talk to Him. Directly we begin to speak to Jesus, as being literally present, though His presence is veiled, there comes an answering voice which shows that He is in the shadow, keeping watch upon His own. Your Father is as near when you journey through the dark tunnel as when under the open heaven!”

Remember this, although we may moan we must not murmur. Our pain is preparing us for God’s purpose. We are in training for reigning! -HDS

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

MORNING MANNA              8-9-24