MORNING MANNA               3-22-25

BETTER HIGHER UP

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:13

The famous preacher D.L. Moody told the story about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building. A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman—a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb upward. 

When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, “What a dark and filthy place!” Her friend replied, “It’s better higher up.” When they arrived at the third landing, the remark was made, “Things look even worse here.” Again the reply, “It’s better higher up.” The two women finally reached the attic level, where they found the bedridden saint of God. A smile on her face radiated the joy that filled her heart. Although the room was clean and flowers were on the window sill, the wealthy visitor could not get over the stark surroundings in which this woman lived. She blurted out, “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!” Without a moment’s hesitation the shut-in responded, “It’s better higher up.” 

While she could have focused on her suffering, the old woman realized that her pain was temporary and that one day she’d be in Heaven where things were better. 

Even so, if we are to endure our suffering and remain faithful to God, we must remember that our trials and pains are only temporary. First Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”

According to God’s Word, we can rejoice during times of adversity. Because Christ has suffered and endured adversity on the Cross, we can take part of that suffering and have our sins forgiven. Knowing we are saved and are taking part in Christ’s suffering, we can rejoice!

These trials can be times of joy! When we compare our trials with the trials and suffering our Lord went through, we have no need to be discouraged. God is in control! And because He has suffered the same adversity, we can look to Him for help during these times.

Rejoicing comes through putting your confidence in the Lord. Too often we can face the challenges of life and try to tackle them by ourselves. But God wants us to step aside and let Him work out the difficulties. When we realize that Christ is in control and will take care of the trial, we can rejoice!

Are you rejoicing in your time of adversity? Are you looking to Christ as your source of strength? The way to overcome adversity and to have joy in times of suffering is by looking to the Cross for strength. Spend time reflecting on Christ’s suffering today. Take time to read John 18–19. Then as you go about your day, remember that in light of all that the Lord went through, our sufferings are minimal! ( Copied))

David Stone

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬

Several years ago I heard one of our members say, “I know       is.     but I love him anyway”. That’s great, and that’s what unconditional love is all about. It is loving one another in spite of their faults. That should characterize every Christian. Without such love there is no evidence that we are true believers. Without it relationships are ruined, families are fractured, friendships fail, and churches are crippled.

When love is lacking sin is flourishing, needs are growing, divisions are multiplying, people are suffering and joy is absent. Love is the power that gets us together and the glue that holds us together. It makes a household a home, a church a family, and all of society a better place to live. With love nearly all things are possible. Without it nothing works as it should. Until you love unconditionally you will never, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.(Matt. 5:44). That command is a tall order and nothing short of genuine love can suffice. With it we cannot fail. Without it we cannot succeed.

But where does such love come from? It comes from us first loving God– the first and great commandment. In loving Him above all else we are enabled to love others just as we look out for ourselves. All this is made possible because God first loved us. Considering God’s great love for us, we never have a reason to not love Him or others. We might not like another person’s ways, but we ought to love them–faults and all. If we fail it is due to our relationship with God, not the shortcomings of others. Unconditional love depends on our character, not the other persons conduct.

But, as much as we need such love we cannot create it ourselves. Will power isn’t that powerful. To get love we have to go to the source, which is God. No amount of human effort is ever enough. If the benefits are big enough we might treat people as though we love them, but we don’t. We tolerate them and treat them kindly because it works to our advantage. The real test of love comes when there is an offense of some kind. Unconditional love doesn’t stop because someone fails. That doesn’t mean we pretend that nothing happened. It means we love them regardless of what happens.

It is unconditional love that impresses hearts, changes lives, builds relationships, keeps marriages together, and makes churches successful. Nothing else on earth is so powerful. Convincing others that we love them unconditionally can change them when nothing else can. Now if we could just see our need, rather than the other person’s faults, and love people as Jesus did we could make a major difference in the world. Let us pray earnestly for God to fill us with such love.- HDS

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

MORNING MANNA                  3-20-25
PERPETUAL PRAISE
“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is , the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”–Heb. 13:15
” …… Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave , and the LORD hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the LORD.–Job 1:21

It’s easy to praise the Lord when all is well with us, but when light turns to night, and blessings give way to burdens, and pain chases away pleasure it is another story. But is not God the same regardless? Should we praise Him in the sunshine and then ignore Him in the storm? Is He not good all the time? God never changes. Whether yesterday, today, or tomorrow He is the same. If we are to give Him the praise that is His due we must praise Him in our pain as well as in our pleasure. Whether we are prospering or in poverty God is to be praised. He is not worthy one moment and unworthy the next. Our praise is to be based on His character, not our circumstances. And since He is forever perfect our praise should be perpetual.

Because of this, you just have to wonder how pleased God is with our praise during the good times when we ignore Him during the bad times. Have you ever thought about how insulting it must be to God when we treat Him as though He is undeserving of our praise? Really! When we act like that we are indicating that it is all about self rather than God. The emotion such people feel when they receive some special blessing from God is the same as the elation they would have if they just won the lottery or inherited a fortune–it has nothing to do with God Himself. When they say “Praise the Lord” it is just religious jargon, not an acknowledgement of His goodness. The true test of how we feel about God is our attitude during afflictions. If we don’t praise Him then, are we really praising Him when we mention Him in connection with our blessings.

You cannot determine, nor measure, God’s love by considering your circumstances. He loves you whether you are grieving or glad. He loves you just as much when He takes away as He does when He gives. It is essential that we remember that. Living in the light of this fact will help you profit even during the most painful and perplexing periods of your life. God demands and deserves your praise regardless of what your situation might be. To withhold it is to misrepresent God, to indict Him of wrong-doing. So, every trial is a test and an opportunity regarding your attitude toward God. Have you lost something dear to your heart? Are you suffering from some affliction, seemingly without cause or cure? Are you misunderstood and mistreated by others for no reason? Regardless of what you are going through, you just make things worse when you fail to give God what He deserves. Let us then, “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually”—He is worthy!- HDS, 8-24-14
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

THE SHADOW WE CAST
“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” –Romans 14:7

We all shall die and our bodies will return to the dust, but our influence lives on. It lingers like an invisible hand touching and guiding those we’ve come into contact with. And it is powerful! Much more than we realize. Understanding this makes every step significant.

While every loving parent wants to set a good example, and most make a conscious effort to do so, we all fail to some extent— mostly without even being aware of it. We fail to watch our step, for one reason, because we forget that others are watching our steps. In other words, we are not aware that they are aware– always watching, even from afar, both our attitude and actions.

Another thing that causes us to mislead others is that we forget the big importance of “little” things. A little stretching of the truth, a little crude language, a little fit of anger, etc. makes a huge impression on others. That “minor” matter becomes a major factor in another person’s life. Our slip leads to their slide, our failure to their fall. Our shadow becomes their snare— often without them even being aware that were shaped by our shadow. The fact is they might despise what they see in you and vow never to be like you, only to discover years later they became what they once hated. It goes without saying that the danger is all the worse if, for some reason, they admire you. Dare we not be at our best? Saying, ” Do as I say, not as I do”, isn’t good enough. The power of your influence will lead them to do things contrary to their own reasoning and your well meant advice.

We must make a constant conscious effort that our shadow doesn’t lead them astray. Were you infected with an awful infectious disease it would be a crime for you to go from house to house spreading your illness to others. Is it then not a sin to contaminate others with your corruption? Your actions, attitude, affections, and ambitions cause others to be influenced by the shadow you cast. We should do our best to see that they are never a stumbling-block to others ( see Rom. 14:21; 1 Cor. 8:13).

The shadow you cast will no doubt, for good or bad, affect others. God help us to so live as to make a positive influence on those we come into contact with, those who come under our shadow. Make no mistake about it, what you are is due, at least in part, to the shadow of others and your shadow will determine what others become. Let us endeavor to leave a legacy that will lead to a lovely life for all those who have passed through the shadow we cast.- HDS, 7-6-14

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

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