MORNING MANNA           7-18-21

I got a pleasant surprise this week. A dear family in our church posted pictures of them on Table Rock Lake in Missouri. The caption said, “Bro. Stone we love your beautiful Missouri!” That brought back a whirlwind of memories! I can remember when that lake was first formed by a dam on the White river and I have spent countless days fishing on it. As a boy I fished the same area before the lake was formed. Later Bev and I lived on the Bull Shoals lake which was formed on the same river just a few miles from Table Rock.

Had God said, “I want you to spend the rest of your life preaching, but you may choose any place on earth to live while doing so”, my choice would have been in that part of the Ozarks. But God never gave me that option. Instead He led me to Texas and not just anywhere in Texas. To make it worse He sent me to Houston, the fourth largest city in the USA. A hillbilly in the city is something that happens only by strong persuasion, and the Holy Spirit can do just that. So here I am and, believe it or not, I would rather be here than any place on earth – because I know this is where God wants me to be. Take God out of the picture and I would have never chosen this place, but now I love it. My best friends on earth are in this area and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Point is – in the will of God is where everyone ought to live. It isn’t just the right place to be, it’s the best place to be. That is true for everybody and every area of our life. Who you marry, where you live, where you work, what church you join, and every other detail of your life should be determined by God’s will. My advice would be to get there as fast as you can! Every choice you make should be of God’s choosing. We are not wise enough to know what’s best for us or for the glory of God.

God had plans for Elijah and a promise of provision as well, but everything depended on him being “there” – the place to which God sent him. And it works the same way in our lives. “There” represents God’s will for us whether it is in Texas or some other location, or any other matter in our lives. Being “there” assures us of our needs being met just as we are promised in Matt. 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Are you “there”? If not, it’s time to move! – HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346