Daily Manna

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

Never do today what you're not willing to do for the rest of your life.  Take one day at a time.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. - I John 1:9

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If any one wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  Matthew 16:24

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance."  James 1:2-3 (NAS)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23  (NAS)

Let your moderation be known unto all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Philippians 4:5 (KJV)

"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."  James 1:12 (NAS)

(3) "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. (6) For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."  Philippians 1:3,6 (NAS)

A lot of times I would use verse 3 to let those I corresponded with how thankful I am for them and their lives - and what they mean to me.  Verse 6 reminds me God is not finished with me - he has only begun and I will be perfect when Jesus returns.  (My favorite book - is Philippians)

"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  I Samuel 16:7 (NAS)

I think this verse says it all. What a difference our world would be if people just looked beyond the outward appearance and truly looked at the inward of those whose paths are crossed.

"He must increase, but I must decrease."  John 3:30 (KJV)(NAS)

"He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:30 (NIV)

"That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines." John 3:29-30 (MSG)

What better way to overcome obstacles than through the joy of the Lord, which brings strength.

Just trust God more and you'll never deal with stress again! If only it were that easy.

Philippians 4:6-7(NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Life is much too complicated, and we are much too vulnerable in our human condition to ever escape the inevitable battles with stress. But for Christians, stress does have a positive side. It can be a reminder that our lives have drifted away from God. It might be an indicator that we have stopped depending upon him daily for strength. Perhaps we have forgotten the many promises in his Word?

Ways to deal with stress:  Prayer, Meditate on God's Word, Praise and Worship

Breath of Life:   As we breathe deeply, the life of God within us responds as refreshing energy. 

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. - Acts 17:24-25 (NIV)

The Message (MSG) - easy reading

 24-29"The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don't make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well: 'We're the God-created.' Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. (Psalm 19:1, NIV)

The man was hurriedly driving to early morning service, late as usual, but he couldn't help but stop the car for a moment and take it all in. Vivid shades of red, orange and yellow ignited a backdrop of blue as the sunrise illuminated the clouds from behind its mountainous hideaway.

God is indeed wonderfully declared in nature, yet His glory has even more personal significance for us. Psalm 37 teaches that while evildoers seem to benefit from their wicked deeds, "like grass they will soon wither." But those who commit their way to the Lord and trust Him will have their righteousness "shine." This Sunday morning, awake early. Catch the sunrise - then go forward, like the morning sun, to be seen by all as a reflection of God's glory within you.

Hi sizigirl

I just wanted to thank you for your post. The words moved me greatly and it made me feel more confident that I will be able to reach my goal not only in weight loss but in my overall life.

Thank you again

"You came near when I called you, and you said, 'Do not fear.'"   Lamentations 3:57 (NIV)

When Your Worst Fears are Realized

In Isaiah, God told Hezekiah of the impending exile of his descendants to Babylon, but assured him he would already be dead by the time this happened. In our humanness, we can identify with Hezekiah when he thought with relief, "At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime" (Isaiah 39:6-8, NLT). That was Hezekiah's fear talking--fear that something terrible like that would happen in his lifetime. And what a loud voice fear can have. Sometimes it can even overpower the voice of God as He lovingly reassures us of His nearness.

God does draw near to us in the midst of our worst fears. Even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death--the death of a loved one, the death of our dreams, the death of a marriage--He is with us, just as He promised. Not only is He near us, He is working things out, growing our faith and our character as we wrestle with our fears and learn to accept His will. While we can't understand why He allows our fears to materialize, we later realize that we have come to know Him in a whole new way through them. He is our reward for persevering.

In our trials we will learn to trust Him. And in our fears we will come to a new level of faith.

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you."  James 1:5a (NLT)

"Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding." (NLT)  Proverbs 2:2-3

We need to make good choices. Let's take our cue from the wisest man to ever live and ask God today for the knowledge we'll need to fulfill our purposes well.

Dear Lord, today I eagerly ask You for wisdom for my life. Please give me knowledge, understanding, discernment, and the heart-set needed to follow it. May I rightly fulfill Your purposes for me today, and each day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

"Your word I have treasured in my heart..." Psalm 119:11a (NAS)

King David was a man who searched God's Word for wisdom and treasured it in his heart like gold! He depended on God's promises and was personally guided by God's precepts. Although David had countless worldly riches, God's Word was his greatest treasure, so much that he would meditate on it and write it deeply into the fibers of his thoughts.

I don't know about you, but I want to have the passion David describes. I want to be so convinced that if I make plans and set aside time to read God's Word, I will be rewarded with promises and insights I can depend on. Instead of reading my Bible because I should, I want to search through it each day like someone looking in a field for a treasure. I want to desire anticipating all that God has for me.

Lord, You are my greatest treasure! Your words are more precious than gold. I come to You with a renewed desire to search the scriptures for nuggets of truth, and apply Your wisdom in my daily life. In Jesus Name, Amen.

from Christianity.com Encouragement for Today

" ... Will the clay say to the potter, What are you doing? ... Isaiah 45:9 (NAS)

Our bodies almost seem to betray us as we grow older, don't they?  Things that used to be firm are now soft, things that used to be "up" are now "down," and we don't seem to have any control over it.  Part of the joy of celebrating the Lord's goodness in our lives is realizing that He made each of us unique and special.  As we age, we will undergo changes, but if we embrace them and smile at each little discovery, chances are we'll develop a "God-image" of ourselves instead of a "self-image".

Psalm 37:34 says, "Put your hope in the Lord. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you by giving you the land." (NLT)

I may not be able to see what that land looks like, but I believe His Word. So, with His help, I put my hope in Him, traveling the paths He lays out for me, even though they are not the familiar roads I would normally take.

Psalm 25:4, "Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow." (NLT)

Today, as my life continues to zigzag through various "roads," I realize God is allowing me to experience things. He is at work rearranging the landscape of my life. 

Lord, You know how difficult life is right now. My interrupted life and the difficult roads You have me traveling feel like they'll break me. Give me the capacity to graciously travel the paths You lay out before me. Help me trust You, In Jesus' name ~ Amen.

"He is at work rearranging the landscape of my life". 

I like that.  It says it well  (the last year or so of my life).