MORNING MANNA             3-18-23

HIS HANDS

“ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”- Psa.139:10

It’s strange how the words of a song stick in your mind–even for many long years. As I was thinking about the “terrible times” in which we live, I was reminded of that old song that says,”He’s got the whole world in His hands”. We need to think about that! 

The fact of the matter is that sometimes it seems that everything is whirling madly out of control. Admit it–sometimes you feel that God has forgotten all about you. It seems that He either doesn’t know, doesn’t care, or can’t help. We know we shouldn’t feel that way, but we do. Right? That’s when we need to get back to the facts, rather than following our feelings. To do that we must get into the Word and get the Word in us. Here’s a fact that ought to help you–“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”(Isa. 49:16). Isn’t that great!

 God not only has the “wind and the rain” and “the little bitty baby” in His powerful hands, He is constantly mindful of us. Think about it dear friend–we are on His mind and in His hands! The failures of the past, the frustrations of the present, and the fearful prospects of tomorrow are all in His hands. By the way–things are never out of control when they are in His hands! 

If you still feel a bit apprehensive go get your Bible and read Psalms 139:1-10. It ends with these words–“Even there (wherever that might be) shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.” No wonder we sing “Safe am I”. God knows–He cares and He can help. —  HDS 

DAVID STONE
LAKEWAY BAPTIST CHURCH
5801 FM 1960 E.
HUMBLE, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA                3-17-23

The Power of the Bended Knee

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”–Psalm 95:6

Have you ever watched how a bird sleeps on its perch and never falls off? How does it manage to do this?

The secret is the tendons of the bird’s legs. They are so constructed that when the leg is bent at the knee, the claws contract and grip like a steel trap. The claws refuse to let go until the knees are unbent again. The bended knee gives the bird the ability to hold on to his perch so tightly.

Is this not also the secret of the holding power of the Christian? Daniel found this to be true. Surrounded by a pagan environment, tempted to compromise with evil, urged to weaken his grip on God, he refused to let go. He held firm when others faltered because he was a man of prayer. He knew the power of the bended knee.

From sleeping birds we can learn the secret of holding things which are most precious to us—honesty, purity, thoughtfulness, honor, character. That secret is the knee bent in prayer, seeking to get a firmer grip on those values which make life worth living. When we hold firmly to God in prayer, we can rest assured He will hold tightly to us.(From A Treasury of Bible Illustrations)

“If your knees are knocking kneel on them.”

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA            3-14-23

THE WASHING OF THE WORD

“ And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”- Luke 4:4“ 

“Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”- Psa. 119:9

There’s a story about an old man who lived in the mountains with his young grandson. Each morning, the grandfather would sit at the kitchen table and read from his worn-out Bible. Wanting to be just like his grandfather, the young boy would imitate him by reading his own Bible.

One day the grandson asked, “Grandfather, I try to read the Bible just like you, but I don’t understand it. When I do understand it, I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?”

The grandfather simply replied, “Son, take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.”

The boy did as he was told, but the water leaked out of the basket before he could get back to the house. The grandfather sent him back three more times and told him to move faster each time. Every time, the frustrated boy returned with an empty basket.

Finally, out of breath, the young boy said to his grandfather, “See…it’s useless!”

The old man said, “Look at the basket. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it’s now clean. Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand it or remember everything you read, but when you do, it will change you from the inside out.”

As believers in Christ in a fallen world, you and I must saturate our hearts and minds with the Word of God every day. Just like the young boy above, it may seem that we can’t retain or comprehend everything we read. But remember that God uses His Word to change us from the inside out!–copied

David Stone 

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.