MORNING MANNA              3-8-23
CLEARING UP THE CONFUSION
Have you ever placed unrealistic expectations on God?

Some people believe that if they accept Christ, they will automatically receive material wealth and earthly blessings. But the truth is that prosperity is not guaranteed in the Christian life.

The sad reality is that many people who fall for prosperity teaching end up leaving the faith when they realize they’ve been lied to. They were promised a life of ease and comfort, but it was all a mirage. They demanded prosperity from God, using Him like a genie to grant their wishes.

Asaph, the author of numerous Psalms, confessed that he almost walked away from the faith. He was troubled by the prosperity of the wicked. He wondered how those who were most defiant toward God seemed to be showered with glory here on earth.

Asaph confessed: “ But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3).

His prayer was blunt. He confessed that he was jealous of the success of the wicked around him. It almost caused him to walk away from God.

But there is no prayer too blunt for God to hear. He already knows what you’re thinking before you say it. So when you’re struggling with doubt, bring your struggles to God and allow Him to reconstruct His purposes and plans back into your life.

As Asaph’s prayer continues, we learn two important lessons about how God works on earth. First, God’s judgment toward sin may be delayed, but it will not be denied. Asaph continues: “ For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee.” (Psalm 73: 27). We may not see the judgment of sin immediately, but God is just and justice will be served.

Second, God may seem indifferent toward our suffering, but He is never absent. Asaph said to God, “ Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.” (Psalm 73:23-24). He believed that God was with him, even during times of difficulty. Glory is not guaranteed on earth but is received afterward.

When life seems unfair, when persecution is great and God seems absent, may the lyrics to this hymn be the song of your heart: ( Stephen Davey)

Be still, my soul! The Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain. …

Be still my soul! The hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forget, love’s purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul! When change and tears are past,
Safe and blessed we all shall meet at last

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA              3-6-23

BETTER THAN BISCUITS 
“ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”- Rom. 8:28

A pastor was hosting a men’s breakfast out in a farming community. He asked one of the older farmers to say grace before the meal. The old farmer said, “Lord, you know I hate buttermilk.” The pastor opened one eye to see where this was going. The farmer continued, “And Lord, I can’t stand the taste of lard.” Now the pastor was worried. He figured this old guy had lost it. The farmer kept praying. He said, “And Lord, I don’t really care for the taste of raw white flour.” By now the pastor was ready to interrupt the old man with a real prayer. But then the farmer prayer, “But Lord when you mix ‘em all together and bake ‘em up, I do love these fresh biscuits. So, Lord when things come up we don’t like; when life gets hard, when we don’t understand what You’re doing, we just need to relax and wait until You’re done mixin’ and probably it will be somethin’ even better than these biscuits. Amen.”

Even so there are a lot of things in life that we don’t like, some are very painful and beyond our ability to understand. But through faith in God’s precious promises we can be at peace knowing that God will make something good out of them. He never fails to keep His promises. – HDS

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA              3-5-23

COMMITTMENT

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.”-Daniel 1:8

Our effectiveness in the Christian life depends on our perseverance during failure.

Many of the world’s finest athletes and leaders have suffered seemingly sidelining blows early in their lives, but they never gave up. Consider these who faced what some people would consider insurmountable odds.

Johnny Fulton was run over by a car at the age of three. He suffered crushed hips, broken ribs, a fractured skull, and compound fractures in his legs. It did not look as if he would live. But he would not give up. In fact, he later ran the half-mile in less than two minutes.  

Shelly Mann was paralyzed by polio when she was five years old, but she would not give up. She eventually claimed eight different swimming records for the U.S. and won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.  

In 1938, Karoly Takacs, a member of Hungary’s world-champion pistol shooting team and sergeant in the army, lost his right hand when a grenade he was holding exploded. But Takacs did not give up. He learned to shoot left-handed and won gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.  

Lou Gehrig was such a clumsy ball player that the boys in his neighborhood would not let him play on their team. But he was committed. He did not give up. Eventually, his name was entered into baseball’s Hall of Fame.  

Woodrow Wilson could not read until he was ten years old. But he was a committed person. He became the twenty-eighth President of the United States. 

All of these people went on to accomplish great things because they did not allow setbacks to sideline them. As Christians, we will face setbacks. There will be days that the devil seems to be gaining victory in our lives. But that doesn’t mean we have to give in! 

It has been said that the greatness of a man is not what keeps him going but what it takes to stop him. Even so, as Christians, we cannot give in to the devil and give up. Our effectiveness in the Christian life depends on our perseverance during failure—our faithfulness.

Have you failed in some area? Perhaps you recently gave into temptation. Don’t become discouraged and give up. God is ready and willing to forgive you and to restore you to fellowship with Him. As someone once said, “It’s not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up again.” Keep going in the face of failure so that at the end of your life you can say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”  – Copied

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx.

MORNING MANNA               3-4-23

”Behold the man”- John 14:5

JESUS is presented before thee crowned with thorns, scourged, with His face so marred more than any man’s. His blood is flowing, His heart is breaking, and He is a Man of sorrows. Behold Him, then, for in this man, under these circumstances, dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Him the love of God centered and shone forth. He is the only foundation of His church’s hopes, the only source of eternal salvation. He is Jehovah’s first born, His only-begotten Son, the express image of His person. He is thy Substitute, Surety, and Redeemer. He is the holy, harmless, and undefiled Lamb of God; taking away the sin of the world. Behold Him, for He here discloses the depth of His love; and teaches thee patience, meekness, and resignation under insult, suffering, and disgrace. Oh, behold Jesus, and be ashamed of complaining, of repining, or indulging any revengeful feelings. Behold, and imitate! Behold, and love! Behold, and adore!–James Smith, 1840

“Wounded head! back plough’d with furrows!
Visage marr’d!–Behold the Man!
Eyes, how dim! how full of sorrows!
Sunk with grief!–Behold the Man!
Lamb of God, led to the slaughter!
Melted, poured out like water:
Should not love my heart inflame,
Viewing Thee, Thou slaughter’d Lamb!”

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