Surrender to God Archives - My Manna

Let Him be your Lord!

My Manna — Mon, 05 Apr 2021 22:00:00 +0000

“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14).

When God gave the Ten Commandments-
He began by saying that we should have no other gods before Him.

Idols can be a lot of things.
Essentially-
– an idol could be defined as anyone or anything that takes the place of God in our lives.

An idol is any object, idea, philosophy, habit, occupation, sport, or whatever has one’s primary concern and loyalty, or that to any degree, decreases one’s trust and loyalty to God.

Alan Redpath defined idolatry this way:
“Our god is the person we think is the most precious, for whom we would make the greatest sacrifice, who moves our hearts with the warmest love. He or it is the person who, if we lost him, would leave us desolate.”

This definition really opens up the possibilities doesn’t it?
A lot of things could qualify as idols in our lives.

It is a true but terrifying fact that a person can attend church every Sunday and still be an idolater.
Is there one thing in your life that, if God asked you for it, you would say, “Absolutely not”? Is there one thing, that if the Lord required it of you, you would say, “Anything but this”?

If so-
– then that thing, that pursuit, or that passion is an idol in your life.
Is there an idol in your heart today?
Is there someone or something more precious to you than God Himself?

Any person or pursuit that takes the place of God in your life will not satisfy.
Let Him be your Lord!
Let Him be your God.
He will satisfy you.

(PR)

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The Intrusion!

MyManna — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 22:00:22 +0000

“…whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
Despite man’s efforts to eliminate Christ out of Christmas…out of everyday life…out of government…out of schools….out of the marketplace…in spite of it all, He just won’t go away.
Peter Larson writes:
Despite our efforts to keep Him out, God intrudes.
The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities:
A virgin’s womb and an empty tomb.
Jesus entered our world through a door marked-
‘No Entrance!’
And left through a door marked-
‘No Exit.'”
That first Christmas, there was no room for Him in the inn.
The world never wants to make room for Christ at Christmas and in everyday life.
Man killed Him and sealed the tomb with a huge stone to shut Him out of our lives once and for all.
But God removed the stone to prove Jesus will not be shut up or shut out of His plans.
One day Jesus will intrude on history again.
The way to be ready is to invite Him into your life today.
Will you shut Him out or let Him in?
(PA)

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Patience

MyManna — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 22:00:17 +0000

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him” Psalm 37:7.
Have you prayed and prayed and waited and waited?
And still there is no manifestation?
Are you tired of seeing nothing move?
Are you just at the point of giving it all up?
Perhaps you have not waited in the right way!
“With patience wait!” Romans 8:25.

Patience takes away worry!
His promise is equal to His presence!
He knows your need better than you do!!
His purpose in waiting is to bring more glory out of it all.
Patience takes away your weeping!
Patience takes away self-works.
The work He desires is that you “believe”. John 6:29.
And when you believe, you may then know that all is well.
“weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5.
Patience takes away all want!
Your desire for the thing you wish is perhaps stronger than-
– your desire for the will of God to be fulfilled in its arrival.
Patience takes away all weakening!
Instead of having the delaying time, a time of letting go,
– know that God is getting a larger supply ready and must get you ready too.
Patience takes away all wobbling!
“Make me stand upon my standing” Daniel 8:18.
God’s foundations are steady.
When His patience is within-
– we are steady while we wait.

Patience gives worship!
A praiseful patience paves the way for a joyful worship.
“Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Col.1:11,12.
“Let patience have its perfect work-
– that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:4.
(PA)

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Stay vertical!

MyManna — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 22:00:20 +0000

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).
Have you ever been wrongfully accused?
Oh, the need to defend and justify becomes so great.
“What will people think if they believe these things are true?” we reason.
Imagine what Jesus thought as they hurled insults and threats upon Him.
The God of the universe had visited planet earth only to be slandered and accused of blasphemy.
Jesus could have done two things in response:
He could have used His power to put the people in their place.
He could have fixed the problem right then.
However-
He chose to respond in a different way.
He chose to “entrust Himself to Him who judges justly.”
It requires great faith to entrust ourselves to God in the midst of personal assault.
However-
If we can do this, we will discover a level of grace and wisdom that will be birthed from this experience that we never thought possible.
We will discover a freedom in God we never knew before.
Whenever we suffer for righteousness without seeking to protect our reputation and rights, we are placing our total faith in the one who can redeem us.
This activates God’s grace in our lives and enables us to experience God’s presence like never before.
Ask God to give you the grace to stay vertical with Him.
Avoid the temptation of responding horizontally each time some event comes into your life that you want to “fix.”
Allow the One who judges justly.
It may be a divine appointment for your growth to another level in grace.
(PA)

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Wrestling with God

MyManna — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 22:00:00 +0000

“And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalm 106:15).
I sometimes hear people say, “I have been wrestling with God in prayer!”
My first thought always is, “I hope you lost.”
If you have been trying to bend God your way-
– then that is a problem.
Prayer is not trying to move God your way.
It is moving yourself His way.
In fact, I’m glad that God hasn’t said yes to every prayer I have ever prayed.
When I look back on some things I’ve prayed for-
I realize that if the Lord would have allowed them, they could have destroyed me.
They were not the right things or the right situations.
So, God graciously and lovingly said no.
In John 15:7, Jesus gave an incredible promise regarding answered prayer.
He said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
From the original language, this verse could be translated-
“If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you, I command you to ask at once for yourself whatever your heart desires, and it will be yours.”
When I read a promise like that-
I gravitate immediately toward the part that says I can ask whatever my heart desires and it will be mine.
But before that, Jesus said:
“If you maintain a living communion with Me, and My word is at home with you…”
If this is happening in your life-
– then you are going to want what God wants.
If you are maintaining a living communion with God and His words are at home in your heart-
– then your outlook, desires—and in time, your prayers will change.
(PA)

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Delay?

MyManna — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 22:00:23 +0000

“That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” Acts 24:24-27.
Some people like to say that they are “born procrastinators.”
According to Scripture, that is impossible for believers.
Procrastination can be a form of bondage in a person’s life, and the Lord, who wants the best for His followers, didn’t design us to be enslaved. Procrastination has several common causes.
Discomfort
The first is an attempt to dodge discomfort.
Many people put off taking action because they feel uncomfortable or anxious about the ramifications.
In today’s passage, Felix sends Paul away-
– fearing the apostle’s talk about righteousness, self-control, and judgment.
This can show up in our spiritual life!
We sometimes delay Bible reading and meditating-
– because we are afraid God will bring to the surface a matter we need to confront.
Then, if such a subject comes up, we often choose to procrastinate about dealing with it. Issues like pride, self-control, or guilt may not be comfortable to face, but dodging them obstructs God’s purpose in our life.
Doubt
The second cause for putting things off is self-doubt.
Those who consider themselves inadequate to complete a task may choose not to begin it.
Related to this is another factor:
Dread
Fear of making a mistake or failing in an endeavour can make postponement seem preferable.
Procrastination is no laughing matter-
– particularly in the spiritual realm since delaying on an assignment from God is the same as disobeying Him.
Are you prone to delay?
Identify problem areas and the feelings that accompany them. Then confess your tendency, and rely on God’s strength to overcome it.
(PA)

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His Silence!

MyManna — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 22:00:39 +0000

As Lazarus was dying, his sisters urgently called for Jesus to come. John 11:1-6.
Imagine how their grief must have compounded-
– when He didn’t instantly respond to their request.
God’s silence is-
– difficult to accept!
We want Him to leap into action at our call-
– particularly if we are hurting or afraid.
But since He promises to meet our needs-
– we can be sure that a silence from heaven has purpose.
God’s silence-
– expects us to admit!

The disciples knew that Jesus could heal, so they must have wondered why He delayed instead of rushing to His friend’s bedside.
But the Lord wanted them to witness something even greater:
His power over death.
They had been confused by His statements about conquering death, and they needed to understand that He could fulfill His own resurrection prophecies. Mark 9:31-32.
The miracle at Lazarus’s tomb was part of their preparation.
God’s silence-
– teaches us to anticipate!
Mary and Martha sent word of Lazarus’s illness because they anticipated the Lord would heal him.
But if that expectation was not met, would their faith waver?
Martha answered the question by stating that she believed Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of God.” John 11:21-27.
The women’s trust was rewarded with a stunning miracle: their brother’s return to life.
At times, the only thing we can hear when we pray is our own breathing.
That can be frustrating and frightening.
But Scripture says God is always with us, and His silence won’t last forever. Psalms 38:15; Heb. 13:5.
Cling to those promises as you seek the purpose behind His silence!
(PA)

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Greatest Catalyst

MyManna — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 22:00:16 +0000

“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.” Hosea 14:2.

How do we deal with demandingness?

We must repent of it.

Our passage today tells us how.

First:

Return!

“Return to the LORD.”

The key to ridding ourselves of anything that is spiritually injurious is to return to God.

The pursuit of God involves a shift away from dependence on one’s own resources to dependence on God.

Doing good and correcting wrong behavior does not automatically make us good people.

Obedience is extremely important, but it must be accompanied by deep, heart repentance.

Second:

Repent!

The passage says: “Take words of repentance with you.”

This phrase means that we must put into words a clear description of what we are repenting of.

If we are not clear about what is going on inside us, how can we repent of it?

Next:

Receive!

“Forgive all our sin.”

Repentance puts us in touch with God’s forgiveness.

We can work to bring about change also-

– but the greatest catalyst for change is humbly positioning ourselves before God and asking for His forgiveness.

Then:

Rejoice!

“Accept what is good, so that we may repay You with praise from our lips.”

The thought here is:

“Receive us that we may worship You more effectively.”

The purpose of all restoration is to worship God.

We will be drawn into true worship when we give up insisting on our own way and learn to trust God for our own happiness.

When repentance moves us from a spirit of demandingness to absolute trust in God-

– then we are in the place where God is able to make our feet like “hinds’ feet,”

– and equip us with the ability to ascend into the heights with Him.

“Tender and skillful Invader of my heart, I yield my stricken being to You for healing. Drain every drop of demandingness from my being. For I want not only to be better but to be whole. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

(PA)

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Prized Possession

MyManna — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 22:00:12 +0000

Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone, everywhere.” Mark 16:15.

According to an article in Turning Point Daily Devotional, “Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away.
So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it.
Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument.
But to his great dismay, it had been sold to a collector.
“Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin.
The collector said it had become his prized possession, and he would not sell it.
Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea.
‘Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?’ he asked.
Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred.
‘I have no right to keep that to myself,’ he exclaimed. ‘It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.
God has given you and me the greatest news and most powerful “music” in the world—the message that Jesus died on the cross to save mankind from the dreadful consequences of sin, so that all who come to him can receive God’s forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.
This is the message Jesus commissioned us to take to the world so everyone, everywhere will hear it and have the opportunity to have their sins forgiven and receive God’s gift of eternal life.
“Dear God, please make and use me ‘as an instrument’ of your love and peace to communicate your great salvation in some way to every life I touch—through being “as Jesus” to all and as opportunity arises share your gospel message of salvation. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”
(PA)

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Ultimate Declaration

MyManna — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 23:00:30 +0000

“Thomas answered Him and said, ‘My Lord and my God!’” John 20:28

When Jesus appeared to the disciples the first time-

Thomas was not there.

They tried to tell him what they had seen-

– but Thomas was emphatic, “Unless I see His hands and nail prints and touch Him, I will not believe.”

Much has been made since that time of “Doubting Thomas,” and he has been used in many a sermon regarding the dangers of doubt.

But, maybe we shouldn’t be too hard on him.

If you really think about it-

Thomas was not so much doubting as he was grief stricken, angry and sad.

Given the circumstances of the past few days-

– how could anyone say that Jesus was alive?

“I’ll believe it when I see it” is more a statement of the reality he knew rather than one of doubt.

But, are we so different?

How often have we required some type of proof for our beliefs?

Some type of proof that we are loved?

You know what the wonderful thing is?

God is willing to give us proof of His love.

Christ took the extra step with Thomas and was willing to give him proof.

Now, here is something else that is interesting:

Thomas didn’t take the proof he wanted.

In the end, he believes the same way the other disciples believe—by sight.

But, Thomas goes on to make the ultimate declaration of faith.

He claims Jesus as his Lord and God.

Then, Jesus gives us a great blessing.

We are blessed because we believe, even though we have not seen.

Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe

We are blessed for believing in Jesus.

Think about the beliefs you have that are based on faith – those are blessed.

(PA)

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