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A SONG AND A PRAYER |
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MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 1-15, 2006
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MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 15, 2006 - SADNESS FOR GLADNESS Matthew 5:4 (King James Version) Boy, does this sound upside down.
You are fortunate, happy and well-off if you grieve? A little deeper look into what Jesus said has helped me to see
that it is indeed better for me if I grieve sometimes. The meaning of the word, "mourn"
is includes "grief" and "sorrow". It is a deep emotion. If we are poor in spirit as in Matthew 5:3, we know that we have and are nothing without Christ. According to one commentary, this is an intellectual
aspect. The sorrow then is the emotional response of knowing we are sinners with nothing really to offer the living
God but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). No matter why we are grieving, we have a Savior that will comfort us because He is touched with
the feeling of everything we might go through (Hebrews 4:15). Our God collects and records our tears! (Psalm 56:8) However, Jesus was also speaking the fulfillment of many Old Testament promises. Every
comfort experienced now will fade away as we continue to face new trials in life and as we continue to stumble
and find the need to repent once again (1 John 2:1). But one day, the comfort will be perfect and everlasting. God will wipe every tear from our
eyes (Revelation 21:4). There will be nothing to cause us to mourn ever again! The absence of
mourning comes from being in the presence of the Savior. The literal meaning of the word "comfort" is "to
call near" or "to invite." Our comfort involves us being invited by the Savior to come close to Him.
When we respond to that we experience true comfort. I really like the paraphrase of Matthew 5:4 in The Message. It says: "You're blessed when you feel you've lost
what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you." So, if you are
sorrowful today. If you are suffering some kind of loss. If you are bound by some sin that you can't seem
to shake, ask God to make His presence known to you. He will certainly send the Comforter, His Holy Spirit
(John 16:7) to enfold you. Once you accept His presence and His comfort, whatever you are grieving about
will dim in comparison. It is only when we are at our lowest and darkest point that we can truly know what it
feels like to totally lean on and depend on God for everything! He is calling you to come to Him. He is inviting
you this morning. Won't you go to Jesus right now and exchange your sadness
for gladness? (Isaiah 61:3)
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 14, 2006 - I'M SO POOR, I'M RICH! Matthew 5:3 (King James Version) What exactly
does it mean to be blessed? Well, it means that you are fortunate, well-off and happy, according to the meaning of the
Greek word used in this verse. What a wonderful and sought after state. It's too bad that most of the world
seeks those things in ways that seem to be right to them but offer no permanent satisfaction (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus knows that we desire to be blessed and, because of His great love for us, He gave us some principles
that would bring about true blessing. The first of these is being poor in spirit.
What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It sounds upside down. Why would I be blessed if I were poor in some way? Poor
can be associated with physical poverty or spiritual poverty. Any of us who have struggled financially can certainly
relate to what it means to be poor. That is an awful feeling. But, spiritual poverty is ever worse. Both
types of poverty can either turn you toward or away from God. Jesus was emphasizing that those who turn to
God in their poverty would inherit the kingdom of heaven. This is certainly true spiritually. We know that our
Father is a giving Father. He loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11) . He wants them to have abundant life in all ways (John 10:10) . But, He wants us to know that everything we have comes from Him and acknowledge that we are
totally dependent upon Him (Acts 17:28). It is the Father's good pleasure to give His children the kingdom (Luke 12:32). But He desires children who know that their source is their loving Father and realize that they are
nothing in their own strength (John 15:5). To children who are obedient and wise enough to know that their "Daddy"
is their Source, God promises the kingdom of heaven. When we come to God having emptied ourselves of everything, including
pride, self-sufficiency, greed, bitterness, etc., He has a vessel that He can fill. If we try to come to Him full of
ourselves (or anything else we're clinging to), there is no room for Him to deposit anything. Emptiness is the perfect
place to be if you want to be given the gift of the kingdom of heaven. After receiving it, you can then go out and spread
it around coming back at the end of the day only to be filled again for the next. Not only will you be happy, fortunate
and well-off, you will be filled with the kingdom of heaven. And who but the King resides in the kingdom? You've
got it. Emptiness brings in the fullness of Jesus. If you're poor in spirit, you've got to be one of the
richest people in the world!! You reside with the King! Note: Friends, I
use my spell-check and read and re-read everything before I send it out but I accidently missed something on October 12th
(which my husband kindly brought to my attention). The spell-check didn't pick it up because it is
a word (just not the one I meant to use) - I hope no one was offended. I fixed it on-line but not before it went
out in the e-mail. Please forgive me!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 13, 2006 - FORGIVE AND BE FORGIVEN Matthew 6:12 (New Living Translation) Forgiveness.
Sometimes it is very hard. But, it is very, very necessary. It's an integral part of the prayer that Jesus
taught us to pray to our Father. It's something Jesus went about doing. It's something He would end His
life here on earth doing. Remember when He hung on the cross and said, "Father, forgive them for they know not
what they do."? (Luke 23:34) Now, if we ever feel like we can't forgive an offense against us, all we have to do is look back
two thousand years ago to the One who has shown us how to forgive. I don't suppose any of us have lived a perfect
life and then suffered such extreme agony at the hands of those we love. When Jesus taught this prayer, He
was not asking us to do anything He wasn't willing to do Himself. It must be an extremely
important part of the prayer because in Matthew 6:14 (the verse following the end of the prayer, Jesus adds a bit more about forgiveness. He tells us
that if we forgive those who sin against us, our Father will forgive our sins. That's a wonderful promise. But, Matthew 6:15 goes on to say that if we refuse forgiveness to others....... Well, you get the picture!
Colossians 3:13 tells us we need to make allowance for each other's faults and forgive people who offend us.
We're to remember how much God has forgiven us so the Word says we must forgive others. At one point in
Jesus's ministry, someone asked Him how many times we had to forgive someone. Luke 17:4 records Jesus as saying seven times a day if that person turns again and asks forgiveness. Now,
that could try a person's patience (but that's a whole other subject for another devotional)! I wonder
how many times we have tried God's patience yet He stands waiting and willing to forgive every single sin if
we will repent. Forgiveness does not mean that we overlook wrongs. It is Biblical to
hold other believers accountable for wrong actions. Luke 17:3 tells us that if another believer sins, we are to rebuke him and, if he repents, we must forgive him.
That's exactly what God does for us. Unforgiveness not only keeps us from having our sins forgiven by God but it
is downright bad for your health. Lots of research has shown that unforgiveness is the cause of some major disease in
our bodies. When we hold on to it, it turns to bitterness and all of that begins to change the chemistry in our bodies
so that we become susceptible to any number of illnesses. Dis-ease within our soul brings disease in our body.
So, it is really benefiting us when we forgive. When we have an unforgiving heart, it does not hurt our offender.
They go about their business freely. We are the ones who are bound to the slavery of our own bitterness. So, even
though sometimes forgiveness is hard, God knew what He was doing when He instructed Jesus to teach us to pray this way
(imagine that)! Is there someone you need to forgive today?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 12, 2006 - JUST FOR TODAY Matthew 6:11 (New Living Translation) Have you ever heard that old song, "One Day At A Time"?
I wonder if the writer got his idea from this part of the prayer that Jesus taught the disciples (and us) to pray. We are
only to ask for what we need for each day. Also, note that it says, "give us" - not "give me."
We are a family and we need to remember that others have the same needs that we do. How far we have gotten from that
here in America! While much of the world starves and does not know if they will have food from one minute to the
next, we stock up our refrigerators, freezers and pantries weekly, if not more often! We are so blessed in this
way. We should be thanking God profusely for allowing us to live in such ease. We should find ways to somehow
share with others who do not have what we have (Isaiah 58:7). Jesus wanted us to pray only for what we needed each day. The King
James Version reads, "Give us this day our daily bread." When God sent manna from Heaven in order to
meet the need for food for the Israelites in the wilderness, they were only allowed to gather enough for each day. Then
they had to trust God for the next day. Of course, God proved Himself faithful but it was still a matter of trust. Some
people tried to gather more and save it for the next day proving that they were either very greedy or did not trust God
to provide for the next day. When they did this, the next morning it was filled with maggots and stunk. God
always means what He says! How much do we trust God for our day to day needs? How would
we do if our refrigerators, freezers and pantries were bare at the end of the day and we had to trust that tomorrow God would
supply what we needed for that day? God does not cause our food to spoil as the manna did if they tried to save
until the next day (although some of us have some pretty strange things growing in our refrigerators). However, maybe
we are spoiled! Perhaps we have lost the ability to trust for our day to day needs because we are so used to
being abundantly blessed. God is good and there is nothing wrong with being blessed so long as we use what we have
to bless others. But, let's remember that what we have can be taken away or turn rotten just as quickly as we acquired
it. Most likely everyone reading this has enough food for today and several days in advance.
But, there is another kind of food. It is the manna (spiritual food) of and for today - the Word of God. I hope
you have prayed and then searched your Bible this morning for your daily bread. God is certainly willing to give it.
We all need it to stay alive spiritually. Just as God gave the Israelites manna every morning in the wilderness, so
He will give us His Word every morning if we will look for it. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23) and He has a special word just for you. Have you gathered your daily bread this morning?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 11, 2006 - HEAVEN ON EARTH Matthew 6:10 (New Living Translation) Do you want God's rule established
on earth just as it is in Heaven? When the prayer becomes a lifestyle, the Kingdom will come! When the desires
and pleasures of the King are established through believers, Kingdom life will be experienced. When the King reigns
in our heart, the Kingdom is within us - right here on earth. It is His rule that must be established - the rule of
love, hope and faith. The more we operate in the realm of these things and walk in the Spirit the closer we are to ushering
in His Kingdom. The more we seek first His righteousness, the more we will see Kingdom life (Matthew 6:33) on earth. The more we get in the presence of God and pray according to His will, the sooner we will
see Him enter in and take the earth from the evil one. You see, even Jesus did everything according
to the will of God (John 5:30)! He wants willing subjects in His Kingdom. He wants loyal and cheerful doers of His will
and Word (James 1:22). God desires that His will be done on earth just as it is in Heaven. That
must be our desire too - and why not? The word, "Heaven" has within its meaning implications of happiness,
power and eternity. Isn't that what we here on earth are seeking (even though many times we look for them in the
wrong places and things)? Let's begin to pray in unity together this morning, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven." Let's ask for the grace to live out His will in our own section of the world.
Perhaps then we will create a little "heavenly" atmosphere right here and begin to help bring
His Kingdom to the whole earth. Will you be a loyal and willing subject of His Kingdom today?
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 10, 2006 - LET'S HONOR OUR FATHER Matthew 6:9 (New Living Translation) Sometimes our prayer is private and
in our "closet". Other times we pray together. Just as a parent of more than one child is the parent
of all of his or her children, God is our own Father as well as the Father of all of our brothers and sisters.
He is interested in us personally and He is interested in us as a family. Jesus taught us how to pray as a family to
our Father. Because of Jesus, His Father is now our Father as well. We have been adopted into His family.
So, this morning we can pray together, "Our Father in heaven." Let's begin
to pray together as a family. The very first part of the prayer Jesus taught is directed toward the Head of the family,
our Father. We lift up His name above every other name. We give Him the honor He alone deserves. The word,
"honor" actually means, holy, pure, consecrated and sanctified. We are not to misuse His name (Exodus 20:7). Many times in scripture the Lord cautions against profaning His name. There are numerous scriptures
in the Psalms and elsewhere that call on us to praise His Name. It is worthy to be praised and that is one way
to honor Him in prayer. We can let him know that we trust in his holy name (Psalm 33:21). His ways are holy and we can honor Him because of that (Psalm 77:13). Every one of His promises is backed by all the honor of His Name! (Psalm 138:2) Why did Jesus want us to pray, "may your name be honored?" God
is what His Name says He is. His name is, "I Am." He is the "I Am" of whatever it is that
we need. In Leviticus 22:32, He admonishes the Israelites, His chosen ones, "Do not treat my holy name as common and ordinary."
It is because He is the One who makes us holy. Without His name, we could not be made holy. His name
is powerful and He has cautioned against its misuse (Deuteronomy 5:11). His name is to be praised despite the circumstances (Job 1:21). Because of the honor of His name He forgives our sins (Psalm 25:11). We are to bless His name forever (Psalm 72:19). He shows mercy to all who love His name (Psalm 119:132). His name is the name we must call on to be saved (Acts 2:21). Shall we come to the Father this morning to bring honor to His name in
prayer? Hopefully, we have been living in a way that also brings honor to Him. But, this morning let's
just come and let Him know we appreciate Him for who He is, not just for what He gives us and does for us. Hallowed,
to be honored and holy is Name of the Lord God!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 9, 2006 - DON'T REPEAT YOURSELF - GOD KNOWS Matthew 6:7-8 (New Living Translation) A good and prayerful morning to you! Aren't
you glad that God is sovereign and all-knowing? Sometimes we have so many needs and questions, we hardly know where
to begin or how to express ourselves. But, all that does not mater to God. He just wants us to begin. He
is interested in our willingness to come to Him just as we are and express ourselves the best way we know how. Since
He already knows our needs better than we know them ourselves, we need not go on and an on, repeating ourselves or trying
to express the same thing in different words. There are some religions that do repeat chants,
mantras and rote prayers. That is exactly what these things are - religion. It is man's attempt to reach God.
We have a God and Father who is interested in relationship. He has already reached down to us through His Son.
He longs for and is just waiting for a response from us! That means we don't have to put on airs. We don't
have to go through meaningless repetitions. We don't have to concern ourselves about proper English and grammar.
We just need to make our needs known, believing all the time that He already knows them and will respond. Sometimes
no words are even necessary (Romans 8:26). I have two favorite prayers. They both consist of one word.
The first one is "help!" (Psalm 141:1) The second is probably the most powerful and I have literally seen life brought back into three
people at this one. It is simply the Name, "Jesus." There is a song out that puts it this way,
"Say the Name." That is a very short prayer and it may not sound intelligent or very expressive but there
is power in the Name. So, the next time you get hung up on what to say to God or just how to express yourself, just
say the Name. God knows what you need and everything you need is wrapped up in a person - not a long prayer. Everything
in Heaven and Earth must bow to His Name! That One is His Son, Jesus! Just say the Name!! As the old Gaither
tune says, "Kings and kingdoms will all pass away but there is something about that Name." God knows
what you need and He's already provided Him!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 8, 2006 - NOT IF, BUT WHEN - NOT FOR SHOW, BUT IN SECRET Matthew 6:6 (New Living Translation) Everybody loves a reward. Our Father says in His Word that
He will reward us but we have to do our part. His Word says, when you pray. Sometimes prayer is
something we do just when we're in trouble or when we might be called upon in a church meeting. But, the inference
in this verse is that it is a discipline. A special time set apart for communing with God. It is very intimate and private. It's something to be done behind closed doors. It is the closest
we can get to our Father here on this earth. He desires time alone with us. He wants us to love Him enough
to come apart with Him. To spend quality time there. To share our heart with Him and to listen to His. There
are some things He doesn't want us to discus with others before we talk to Him. In fact, in everything, we should
go to Him first. Not only first, but in secret. His Word says that He will then reward us openly. What is on your heart today? What is your deepest longing? Have you gone into your closet (as the King
James Version says), closed the door and poured out your heart to your Father? He already knows anyway but He wants
to hear it from you. He wants your undivided attention. Even better than that, He's willing to give you His
undivided attention. Imagine that!! The Creator of the universe and all that is in it is waiting for you
to come away and chat with Him!! He's interested in every part of your life and your being. After all, you
are His beloved creation. Won't you find a secret place where you can shut yourself away with your Beloved Father
this morning? Wherever that place is, I can assure you, He's waiting there already. His desire is for your
presence and He is hoping the feeling is mutual. So, don't let it be "if" you pray, let it be "when."
And, when you pray, make a special "secret" time of it just between you and our Father. Then, when you
least expect it, you will see the reward He has promised!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 7, 2006 - WHAT IS PURSUING YOU? Psalms 23:6 (New Living Translation) Sometimes it feels as if bad things follow us. Maybe we seem to be accident-prone. Maybe susceptible
to illness. It could be that we seem to be attracted to others who would tear us down rather than help us grow.
Could it be that we have lost sight of the Good Shepherd? Did we fail to rest in the green meadows or drink from the
peaceful streams? Have we strayed from His path of righteousness? Have we begun to fear again when He has promised
to go with us even through the valley of the shadow of death? Have we forgotten about His peace and comfort? Maybe
we haven't really noticed the feast He has set before us even while our enemies are at the doorstep. If only we would look back at all these wonderful things our Shepherd has done for us! Then, our eyes fixed
on Him, we would continue our travels and goodness and mercy would be our companions. They would follow us everywhere
we go. His goodness and mercy would keep us from evil and harm. How are you doing this morning? Hopefully
you have not lost sight of all the marvelous things that the Shepherd has provided. Hopefully He is all you want.
If not, just go back over the first five verses of Psalm 23 and settle yourself again in the fold of the Good Shepherd. He's always looking for and waiting
for His straying sheep to come home. His goodness and mercy will lead us all the way Home.
We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever! The King James Version of Psalm 23:6 says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." It leaves
out the word "his" before the word "goodness." It also uses the word, "follow" instead
of the word, "pursue." Someone once said that it could mean that when we are secure in and walking with
the Shepherd, we will spread goodness and mercy wherever we go. Goodness and mercy will indeed be what follows
us as we go along our way. What is following you today? What are you leaving behind that will continue
to follow you? May it be the goodness and mercy of our Good Shepherd!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 6, 2006 - A FEAST PREPARED BY THE SHEPEHRD Psalms 23:5 (New Living Translation) Where does our provision come from? A job? A retirement fund?
A spouse? All of these are channels but the source is our Shepherd. Without His favor, our channels would disappear
and we would be doomed. Because He is our Shepherd, He spreads out provision for us. There are times when our
enemies (these are not people but principalities and powers (Ephesians 6:12) and sometimes oppression and troubles) would taunt us saying, "You are going to fail, you are going
under." But the Shepherd spreads out a table in front of us right under the nose of the enemy and protects us while
we partake of His blessings! Just think of it, our Shepherd, our Jesus, welcomes us and serves us
by spreading out the table for us. What an example for us to follow if we would lead others! The Shepherd not only provides what we need even in the face of impending danger but He anoints our head with oil.
He sends His Spirit upon us and refreshes us. He satisfies us with Himself even before we see the victory with our physical
eyes. He shows us that He is able to give us the portion we need for this life. Our cup does run over.
He satisfies us so that we can be a blessing to others. His word says that He came to bring us abundant life
and that is just what He does if we are trusting Him (John 10:10 KJV). Begin to thank Him today for the many blessings He has given you.
Acknowlege Him only as your provider. He is a Good Shepherd and He longs to protect and provide for His sheep.
However, He will not do it unless the sheep are willing and acknowledge their need. What a wonderful Shepherd is
ours! Let's acknowledge our needs today and trust that He will meet them with abundant provision even when the enemy
is snarling. Be refreshed this morning with the anointing oil of His Spirit!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 5, 2006 - NEVER FEAR, THE SHEPHERD IS HERE Psalms 23:4 (New Living Translation) There is no doubt about it. We will at times walk through the dark valley
of death. It could be a friend, pet or family member. It could be the death of a relationship or job.
There are many instances in life that involve some kind of death. At one point, it will be our own physical death.
The word, "death" figuratively means calamity. Death is all around us all the time and it can be dreadful
and haunting. But, it doesn't have to be. The Good Shepherd has promised to walk through it with us.
We don't have to fear the evil of it. The Good Shepherd has also promised that no weapon formed against us will
ultimately prosper (Isaiah 54:17). The devil means to use it for evil in our lives but God has another plan. We know that He takes
what the devil tries to harm us with and uses it for good (Genesis 50:20). Jesus has the keys of death and Hell. He took them from the devil 2000 years ago. He will
lead us into new life. Abundant life. Eternal life. God knows what death feels like.
He watched His Lamb die so He could become our Good Shepherd. This Good Shepherd has everything it takes to lead us
through the dark valley that He walked through by Himself. He has experience and He has empathy. He has power
and He is merciful. His rod and staff will protect and comfort us. Death casts a shadow
for the believer but it does not destroy us. God's Word asks the rhetorical question, "Death,
where is your victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55) That's because death does not gain victory over us. It is swallowed up in victory
by God! (1 Corinthians 15:54) Are you going through the valley of the shadow today? Perhaps you have lost someone dear or maybe
your health is at risk. Perhaps you are even in that place where you are dying to yourself. You are being crucified
with Christ (Galatians 2:19). No matter what the situation, you can look to our Good Shepherd for companionship and comfort.
He will walk you through it and lead you out in victory!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 4, 2006 - RESTORATION, STRENGTH AND THE RIGHT PATH Psalms 23:3 (New Living Translation) Our Shepherd
wants to renew our strength today. The road gets rough in life and our strength seems to diminish. But the Good
Shepherd is always watching to be sure that we do not faint. The King James Version of the Bible says, "He
restoreth my soul." Many times our strength fails because we lose heart. Our soul gives up. Our emotions seem
to either go crazy or just die. Jesus is a Shepherd who has felt the "feeling" of our infirmities
(Hebrews 4:15). That is, He knows what it is like to have a sick soul. This Good Shepherd not only knows
what it is like but He took all this on Himself when He died for you and me on the cross. Is your strength failing today
because your soul is tired, weak or confused. Turn to the Shepherd who is waiting to restore your soul today and renew
your strength. When we are depressed in our soul, it affects our body and spirit. We lose our joy. The joy
of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Let Jesus bring the joy back. He is the only one who can restore your soul. Once again we see that the Shepherd leads us. He leads us along the right path. His Word is a light for
our feet to follow (Psalm 119:105). He wants His sheep to stay out of trouble and away from danger. He also wants them to reflect
His character. So, He leads us in paths of righteousness because of who He is and to bring honor to His name.
Are we bringing honor to the name of our precious Shepherd today by the way we live? By the paths we take? If
He is in the lead, that's exactly what we will do. If not, today would be a good day to get back on the right path.
The Shepherd is always on the lookout for lost and straying sheep. He is more than willing to lead them back onto the
right path. A shepherd of real sheep used to go after a lamb that strayed too much and break its legs. Then
the shepherd would bind up the legs so they would heal and carry the lamb in his arms until it could walk again.
This kept the lamb from death but it would have a limp the rest of its life which would remind it
to stay on the right path. Today, will you and will I allow the Good Shepherd to renew
our strength, restore our weary soul? Will we allow Him to lead us in the path of righteousness? Will we be found
bringing honor to His Name by the way we are living our lives? By the roads we travel? I pray it will be so. May
this morning find you walking on the road of righteousness in renewal, restoration and in strength! May the joy
of the Lord be your strength as you go!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 3, 2006 - A LITTLE REST, A LITTLE PEACE Psalms 23:2 (New Living Translation) In this hurry-up and wait
world, a little bit of rest is like finding treasure! Peace is even more valuable. Psalm 23:2 gives the assurance that we have a God who knows we have limits. He says that He remembers that
we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). Because we are weak, He plans a rest for us and will lead us along beside the peaceful streams
of His living water. I really like the King James Version translation because it says, "He
maketh me to lie down in green pastures." It's true that He will let us rest. But, if you are
like me, sometimes you won't take the gift of rest. It is then that He will allow circumstances in our lives
to make us stop to rest. This is not the most comfortable way to receive the precious gift of rest.
But, in His mercy, God will sometimes have to make us stop to rest. Why not just receive the gift and
stop once in a while to rest in the green pastures of His love? For instance, remembering the Sabbath day of rest
that He gave us. What do you do on that day? Catch up on work that you didn't do during the week? Shop?
Why not rest?? Those who did not stop on the Sabbath in the Old Testament times were stoned to death. Now
there's complete rest!! If they didn't rest, God decreed that they should rest forever! After resting in the green pastures, our Shepherd promises that He will guide us. It is not a bad trip either.
He will lead us beside peaceful streams. He knows that we get thirsty. He knows that this trip called life is
sometimes hard. So, He purposes to lead us beside peaceful streams. Sheep are very unsteady in rapidly flowing
water. In this rapidly flowing world, we people become unsteady too. When sheep get into a strong current and
are knocked down, they can't get up because their wool is too heavy when it is water-logged. It takes a watchful
shepherd to care for them and make sure they don't drown. God knows that His flock is just like real sheep.
We go astray and sometimes get into a flow that knocks us down. We would drown in the cares of this world except
for the loving hands of our Shepherd. He rescues us and leads us beside still waters where we can drink without
fear of being overcome. Will you be led today. Will you follow Him by the streams of peaceful living water? Rest in green pastures. Jesus is our rest. Walk by peaceful streams. Jesus is the Living Water. There
is a Good Shepherd who provides everything we need. Jesus is that Good Shepherd. Rest and peace to you today. Know
that you are in the care of this wonderful, merciful Shepherd! MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 2, 2006 - MY SHEPHERD Psalms 23:1 (King James Version) For the next six mornings, we will feast on one
of the most beloved passages of scripture in the Bible. The 23rd Psalm. While used widely at funerals, it is a
wonderful piece of scripture to hide in our hearts. It has so much to say about everyday life. First
of all, the Lord is my Shepherd! Wow, my Shepherd! It's personal. I lose my way so many times.
I surely need a Shepherd. He is not only the Shepherd of the flock but He is my Shepherd. He watches
to see where I am all the time. He will not lose sight of me though I may wander. He will take care of me and
nurture me even if I get sick or become lame. What a comforting thought. If wolves try to harm me, He will be
there to snatch me from my enemy. Praise the Lord. He is my Shepherd. He is your Shepherd! Because He is my Shepherd, I can choose not to want for anything. You can make that choice too. Recently
I heard the story of a little girl who was asked to recite the 23rd Psalm. When she got up to make her presentation
she said, "The Lord is my Shepherd, that's all I want." What a profound statement coming from the lips
of a child. If we only could grasp what it means that God, Himself, is our Shepherd! We would not want anything
else. We would know that He is enough. His promises tell us that. He tells us to seek Him and everything
else we need will be added (Matthew 6:32-33). He tells us that He is able to supply all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). Is the Lord your Shepherd today? He wants to be but He gives you the choice.
Like the little girl, may He become all we want. When that happens, we will have all we need!
MORNING MANNA - OCTOBER 1, 2006 - BLESSED BE THE LORD! Psalms 72:18 (The Living Bible) It is the Lord's day today.
It is the first day of a new month. Let's start it off by blessing the Lord! In Psalm 16:7, David says, "I will bless the Lord who guides me." Have you ever felt a still small voice
guiding you to do something, to go somewhere or to say something? Guess who? Not a hard guess there! If
God did not guide us, we would certainly be destroyed, so let's bless Him today! What does
"bless the Lord" mean? The word for bless actually means, "to kneel." It also means to
salute. It can be used in a negative sense as in, "to curse." Obviously we will bless the Lord
by kneeling to His will and way and by saluting His Majesty. Of course we will not go around kneeling or with our
hand to our head in a military salute. It is a state of the heart. We will always be conscious of the fact
that He is in control. Our hearts will bow to Him. Our praise will be lifted to Him as we realize that, although
He created Heaven and Earth, He loves us more than all of these and has given us salvation in His Son. We can do some pretty fantastic things but it is God alone who can do wonderful things. The words, "wonderful
things", indicate things such as miracles and wonders that are too high and too hard to understand. Has God kept
you through some very hard times? Maybe you didn't realize it when you were going through them but, if you look
back, you will know that you could not have made it on your own. We can all find things for which to bless the Lord.
We won't have to look far if we are honest. This Lord's day, this first day of the month is a good time to begin
a habit of every day kneeling to and saluting God. Even if He hadn't done a thing for you except give you life and
breath, that would be enough reason to bless Him. But, He has done so much more. He has given us life, breath,
and the gift of eternal life through His Son. Bless the Lord, oh my soul and all that is
within me bless His holy name! Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here Enter content here |
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