FRESH MANNA

Exodus 4:13 TLB But Moses said, "Lord, please! Send someone else." How many times does the Lord give us an assignment or instructions, and we turn and say, “send someone else”? We often respond to instructions in our daily lives with, “please send someone else to do it because I don't think I can do it.” We might say, “Can you not send someone else?” or “Could you please send someone else because I don’t want to do it, I don’t know where to start, I haven’t got the time, I don’t know how, and I don’t even want to try.” We often think someone else can do it better, or we don’t want to be pressured, inconvenienced, or stressed. Moses was ready to forfeit his God-given position because he thought he was unqualified and inadequate for the role. How about you? Do you feel inadequate? Many people, like Moses, are willing to forfeit their position because they think they are inadequate to carry out God’s assignments. Many characters in the Bible probably felt the same way. Start...

Ephesians 3:20 (NASB) "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us." Able is an adjective used for having the power, skill, means, or opportunity to do something extraordinary with considerable skill, proficiency, or intelligence. The scripture is full of God’s power and ability to do more than we can ever ask or imagine. There’s a song that says, “God is able to do just what He says He would do, He's gonna fulfill every promise to you.” This describes God’s ability perfectly, because as Matthew 19:26 states, nothing is impossible for God. It would be great to say God is absolutely able to do all things, but that would be a lie because one thing God is unable and cannot do is lie. God cannot lie! That is why God means exactly what He says and does exactly what He promises. Whatever you are waiting for God to do, whatever you are expecting Him to do, whatever He’s promised to do, be assured t...

Romans 12:3 AMPC For by the grace (unmerited favor of God) given to me I warn everyone among you not to estimate and think of himself more highly than he ought [not to have an exaggerated opinion of his own importance], but to rate his ability with sober judgment, each according to the degree of faith apportioned by God to him. + Most people aren’t self-aware! Are you one of them? What’s self-awareness anyway? It’s the conscious knowledge of one's own character, emotions, desires, motivations and feelings, the ability to make an accurate assessment of your own personality, strengths and weaknesses.  Who are you? Do you know yourself very well? Self-awareness allows us to know, understand and accept ourselves for whom we are while acknowledging that we can’t be everything and everyone. As Philippians 2:12 to us all to work out our individual race with reverential fear and trembling, even as part of a group, our individuality is important. Self-awareness is important to our spiritual...

1 Samuel 30:6 AMPC David was greatly distressed, for the men spoke of stoning him because the souls of them all were bitterly grieved, each man for his sons and daughters. But David encouraged and strengthened himself in the Lord his God. How much do you love and value yourself? We all need encouragement at some point in life, but too often we tend to look outside to others for encouragement when we could start it ourselves. David was one man who knew how to look to himself before looking outwards. And David encouraged himself in the Lord! David strengthened himself in the Lord! This is one statement that looks so lacking yet so full and encouraging. David didn’t have many people around him in this time of distress to encourage him, but he didn’t let that deter him from carrying on. Instead, he looked up to God for what man couldn’t give him. We quote this scripture, but how much of it has sunk in? Everyone needs encouragement in life. All of us, at some point, will face a crisis that ...

Psalm 42:3 NET I cannot eat, I weep day and night; all day long they say to me, “Where is your God?” Stop crying! Wipe your tears! No need to cry! Crying does not solve anything! Well, the Bible is full of tears—even Jesus wept in John 11:35. There are crocodile tears, but then there are genuine tears; anything and everything can induce tears—happiness, joy, laughter, pain, disappointment, and more. The scripture covers all kinds of crying and why they occurred, but it’s encouraging that our tears are not wasted in God’s hands, as stated in Psalm 56:8. Have you experienced the type of despair that induces one to cry all night and all day long? Have you felt the kind of pain that will keep the tears flowing? Sometimes life happens in a way that makes us think God has forsaken us, and we are so terrified that all we can do is cry, like the children of Israel in Psalm 137 who wept in deep sorrow by the river in remembrance of their exile in Babylon, longing for God’s intervention and veng...

2 Timothy 3:15-17 Voice because since childhood you have known the holy Scriptures, which enable you to be wise and lead to salvation through faith in Jesus the Anointed.  [16] All of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right  [17] so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work. Consultation is a necessity in life. In certain situations, we can’t access services without consulting experts or those who know more than we do. Consultation involves formal discussions, dialogues, or conference meetings with experts, such as medical doctors, to seek advice. In these uncertain and chaotic times, the world seems turned upside down. The major weapon of the enemy now is fear, but glory be to God, we are not among those who fear because the Lord is our Refuge and Rock. Second Timothy 1:7 says we have the grace to overcome fear with...

Nehemiah 2:5 (MSG) I said, "If it pleases the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it." When things happen to shake our foundations, they may sometimes need to be rebuilt from scratch or fixed to strengthen and stop further cracks. We all went through COVID and were all affected in diverse ways. People lost businesses, homes, families, lives, marriages, and more. Maybe you fall into one or more of those categories, or maybe not from COVID but from other storms of life. Whatever it was, it may warrant you to want to rise and rebuild. Even when you try to rebuild, there will be those who oppose you for whatever reason, as we see Sanballat and Tobiah do to Nehemiah in Nehemiah 2:19-20. Natural disasters are not new; time and time again, life and society have collapsed around us from hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, famine, COVID, and even now wars and political unrest everywhere. Every physical st...

Daniel 7:9-10 NLT I watched as thrones were put in place and the Ancient One sat down to judge. His clothing was as white as snow, his hair like purest wool. He sat on a fiery throne with wheels of blazing fire, [10] and a river of fire was pouring out, flowing from his presence. Millions of angels ministered to him; many millions stood to attend him. Then the court began its session, and the books were opened. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the highest court of appeal in almost all cases in England and is also the highest court of appeal for devolution matters (the transfer of power or responsibility from a central government to a local government). The court of heaven is as real, even more real than any physical court, and highest in power, even over supreme courts of this world. The judicial system of God surpasses every other. It stands to reason that if God is the righteous and faithful judge, then there must be a court He presides over.  The Bible has a lot to say...

Psalm 62:1-2, 5 ESV For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.  There are all kinds of games. Those we play on our own, with another, or with more than two people. Some games require more intensity and waiting than others, but regardless of the principles of these games, we don’t just fold (especially when there’s a reward at the end). We wait our turn, play as needed, and hope to win. There are games we like playing and those we don’t bother with, and there are those we choose to play and like playing. There’s one game in life that everyone will play in whether they like it or want it—that’s the “waiting game.” Have you ever played in one? Perhaps you are right now, playing in one. No one particularly looks forward to playing the waiting game. It’s hard, stressful, frustrating, and long. That’s why it’s ca...

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 NASB What has been, it is what will be, And what has been done, it is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. [10] Is there anything of which one might say, “See this, it is new”? It has already existed for ages Which were before us. [11] There is no remembrance of the earlier things, And of the later things as well, which will occur, There will be no remembrance of them Among those who will come later still. There is nothing new under the sun! All the activity of a man during his lifetime gets lost in the grander scheme of things and will soon be forgotten according to vs 11.  Even the devil has no new party tricks just recycled old tricks.  Solomon wasn’t just expressing gloom here; he wants us to learn from his writings where possible, what he learned late in his life.  If we wait for something new to excite and fill our lives, it will be a futile wait.  Life is more boring than any modern man would ever care to admit. Everyth...

Luke 2:8-20 NLT That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. [9] Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them. They were terrified, [10] but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. [11] The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! [12] And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." [13] Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others-the armies of heaven-praising God and saying, [14] "Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased." [15] When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has t...

1 Timothy 4:1 (MSG)  The Spirit makes it clear that as time goes on, some are going to give up on the faith and chase after demonic illusions put forth by professional liars.  Not all lies are obvious! They say we shouldn’t believe everything we hear; they may be lies! Truth has a context, based on the Bible. Satan, the father of lies according to John 8:44, tried to deceive Jesus Christ by twisting scriptural truths out of context in Matthew 4:1-11. He hasn’t changed; he’s still at it today. Satan destroyed humanity with a lie, which continues today. A lie is a lie—there are no shades of it. People lie for all kinds of reasons, but a lie is still a lie and a sin regardless of the motive. Spiritual lies are counterfeits to faith, and we must not believe every teacher without checking them against the Holy Spirit. God permits strong delusion to occupy the minds of liars; these don’t believe anything they are told because they are liars who expect everyone to be lying. They beli...

2 Corinthians 5:16-20 GNT No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human standards. Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. [17] Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come. [18] All this is done by God, who through Christ changed us from enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also. [19] Our message is that God was making all human beings his friends through Christ. God did not keep an account of their sins, and he has given us the message which tells how he makes them his friends. [20] Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends! The renewed man acts on new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in a new company. The believer is created anew when he comes to Christ; his heart is not merely set right, but a new heart is given to hi...

1 Timothy 6:17   As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. Life is to be lived and enjoyed, and God has given us everything in life to enjoy. However, we can only enjoy it in the right way, with the right people, and with the right motive. Apostle Paul didn’t say some things, or only good things, but all things, whether good or bad. You are meant to enjoy all you experience in life. Everything God made was purposely for His and our enjoyment, His glory, and He promises not to withhold anything good from you, as stated in Psalm 84:11. There are many people worldwide who, for various reasons, do not enjoy the blessings of God in their lives. Some hoard rather than enjoy and give out of their blessings. But as Proverbs 11:24-25 puts it, the more we give, the more we get. So, enjoy the gift of giving and sharing with others what the Lord has b...

Psalm 34:19-22 BSB Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. [20] He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. [21] Evil will slay the wicked, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. [22] The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned. Mephalti—the Hebrew for “my deliverer”—is derived from the Hebrew verb “Yasha’,” which means “to deliver, save, or rescue.” The word “deliverer” means “to (cause to) escape; to carry away safely.” The phrase “my deliverer” appears in several Bible references, with 2 Samuel 22:2 being one of the first instances where the Lord is referred to as our deliverer. The Lord is always rescuing and delivering us from all kinds of perils. If He didn’t, many of us wouldn’t be here today. We wouldn’t know how to defend and help ourselves when days of trouble come. David found the Lord to be a reliable defender against his enemies in Psalm 18:1, and so must we, for no ...

2 Timothy 1:9 (CSBBible)  He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. There’s a godly purpose and a personal or human purpose! Everyone is created for a purpose. Are you fit for purpose? Is everyone created for a purpose—specific or general? According to the Lord, He called us to a holy calling for His purpose, even before the world began. What is your purpose on earth? Have you discovered why you’re here? Life gets so busy that sometimes we forget the purpose behind the busyness. We become so driven by the demands of life to do and achieve that we don’t realize we may not be fitting the greater purpose for life. God has a greater purpose for us. Romans 8:28 declares that everything we experience will miraculously work out for our greater good as God uses them for His glory. If you’re wondering, rest in the knowledge that God has a purpose for you,...

Amos 8:11-12 NLT “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread or water but of hearing the words of the LORD.  [12] People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. Famine is the general scarcity of food, water, or any substance. It is the lack or want for provisions, which may occur due to a lack of rain or the shortage of something. Israel rejected the word of the Lord from Amos and went into exile, where there was no word from the Lord at all. In the absence, they discovered that the revelation from God had been their most precious possession, now that it had become scarce. Like Israel then, this generation is experiencing and suffering the effects of a famine of the word of God. The word of God has become very scarce now. The Lord says He’s bringing a famine, but not a physical, material, or agricultural famine, but a spiritual...

John 2:5 (AMP)  His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.  The Christian Walk requires total obedience. As Deuteronomy 28 states, obedience brings blessings, and 1 John 5:3 tells us that God’s commandments are not burdensome. When we think of the blessings and benefits of obeying the Lord, we would do whatever He tells us. Weddings and mothers! We’ve all been to those at some point, either by ourselves or with “mother,” right? Only we didn’t think we’d be working to either provide or top-up the refreshments. It’s awesome that Jesus stepped into His earthly ministry at a wedding by providing wine! He did not discriminate on what was needed to carry out His Father’s business—making wine, raising the dead, healing the sick, you name it, all part of His Father’s business. Mary noticed the problem and wanted to do something about it, but what could she do? Even though she didn’t have the resources to solve the problem, she knew who had the resources: Jesus. W...

Psalm 147:3 AMPC He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows]. Everyone gets hurt, intentionally or otherwise. We cannot avoid getting hurt as long as we’re alive. Feelings, though not fully trustworthy, are still important to our well-being because they indicate that our hearts work. All kinds of relationships have ended because people couldn’t control or manage their feelings and hurt. Sadly, being hurt is also present within the church and among Christians. Man’s inhumanity to each other has reached an all-time low in the last decade and seems to have no end in sight. The church of God, which should be a sanctuary and safe place, is no better than outside in the cold. No human being has ever lived free from personal hurt and pain. Adversity, suffering, trouble, problems, sickness, tragedy, crisis, persecution, opposition, anger, bitterness, disappointment – all these and more attack us from every direction and hurt us, often deeply. Som...

Isaiah 40:31 GNT But those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak. What does it mean to soar? To soar means to fly or rise high in the air: to mount and maintain height without flapping wings or struggling, relying on a higher power. There is a grace for every prophecy and season. The grace that comes with every prophecy will make room for one to soar. Soaring is all about faith—the adventure of faith that seeks to experience explosive miracles, signs, and wonders that are uncommon on ground zero. Amazingly, the Lord likened us to eagles, not chickens, vultures, or pigeons. Why? Eagles are powerful and strong, enabling them to move at great speed and altitude. The eagle is the only bird powerful enough to own the skies. The same power we’ve been given to soar comes from the distribution of God’s anointing in Acts 1:8, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Eagles symb...

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 TLB Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, [5] never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. [6] It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. [7] If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. Love! What is love? Are there different kinds of love?  Jesus taught that the greatest commandments were to love God and to love our neighbours in Mark 12:30. When we truly love people the way Jesus expects, we wouldn’t do most of the things we do, especially the ones done under the emotional blackmail of “because I love”. Emptiness is produced when any form of genuine love is absent. Yet, we seem to have found a way to justify and explain our...

Proverbs 1:7 ESV The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. The fear of the Lord is the core truth of the Bible, the foundation of the gospel, and the totality of the Christian Walk. The running theme of the book of Proverbs is the fear of the Lord, and it’s all written as a statement of fact. The “fear of the Lord” is a concept found throughout the Bible, and it carries a deep and multifaceted meaning.  The fear of the Lord involves a profound respect and awe for God’s majesty, power, and holiness. It’s recognizing His greatness and our own smallness in comparison. The fear of the Lord means reverent obedience to God, the appropriate response to His authority and power. Our search for wisdom and knowledge begins and ends with the fear of the Lord. God takes delight in those who fear Him and have put their trust and hope in Him, according to Psalm 147:11. The reverential fear of God is a cognitive awareness of what God wants and does, ...