MORNING MANNA            9-17-24  P

RAYER AND WORK

“For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us.” Neh.4:18-20

Several years ago I read this story about one of D. L. Moody’s trips across the Atlantic to preach. During the voyage, a great danger arose as a fire started below decks on the ship. There were not enough members of the crew to make a chain to pass buckets of water below, so they were joined by the passengers to fight the fire. One of those traveling with Moody suggested that they go away from the commotion and pray. Moody replied, “Not so, sir; we stand right here and pass buckets and pray hard all the time.” Moody often said, “Prayer and work are the two hands of one person, and they should never be separated.”

Prayer is vitally important, but it is no substitute for doing what we are able to do. When Nehemiah was leading the people in the work to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, they faced great opposition. The threats were so dire that they carried their weapons with them to the walls while they worked. They prayed often and prayed much, but that did not substitute for their time spent at work. God could have arranged things so that we wake up every morning with all of our work completed and all of our needs met. But He knows that we need the disciplines of work and prayer. So He offers us His help and power while expecting us to do our part.The challenges that we face are best addressed by a combination of both prayer and hard work. (Copied). 

God feeds the sparrow but He doesn’t throw the worm in its nest. So, do what you can and ask God to do what you can’t.-HDS

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church  

Humble,Tx

MORNING MANNA                  9-16-24

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

MORNING MANNA              9-15-24

FAITHFULNESS

“…. be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭

“Expect great things from God;
attempt great things for God.”

William Carey is most famous for this saying, but I like a lesser-known saying of his. He once wrote: “I can plod. I can persevere to any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything.”

William Carey was raised in an obscure, rural village in the middle of England in the 18th century. He apprenticed in a local cobbler’s shop until he became a Baptist pastor and eventually surrendered to a call to bring the gospel to India.

Carey’s early years on the mission field were miserable. The one other man who had come with him deserted the enterprise, illness racked the family, and loneliness and regret set it. At one point William Carey wrote in his diary, “I am in a strange land. No Christian friend, a large family, and nothing to supply their wants.” But then he added: “Well, I have God, and his word is sure.”

When Carey himself contracted malaria, and then his 5-year-old son died of dysentery, it became too much for his wife. Her mental health deteriorated. She suffered delusions, falsely accusing Carey of adultery. At one point in her paranoia, she threatened him with a knife. She eventually had to be physically restrained.

In his diary, Carey wrote, “This is indeed the valley of the shadow of death to me. But I rejoice that I am here notwithstanding; and God is here.”

He had always been proficient in languages. He taught himself Greek, Hebrew, and Latin even before entering the ministry. In India, he learned Bengali with the help of a local, and in a few weeks began creating a Bengali-language Bible. In December 1800, after seven years of missionary labor, Carey baptized his first convert. Two months later, he published his first Bengali New Testament.

But hardships continued along with the progress. One of the most devastating setbacks was a warehouse fire in 1812. By then he had created a massive dictionary, two grammar books, and whole versions of the Bible in various Indian languages. All of it was destroyed, and no backup copies existed. Carey accepted the tragedy as from the Lord and began again with even greater zeal.

Across 40 years, he translated the entire Bible into India’s six major languages, and parts of the Bible into 209 other languages and dialects.

None of his accomplishments would have been possible without his stubborn determination to just keep plodding.There’s a biblical word for that. Faithfulness. – Tom Goodman

David Stone  

Lakeway Baptist Church 

Humble, Tx

MORNING MANNA           9-14-2

4PERSISTENT PRAYER

“Pray without ceasing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:17

The longer I live, the older I get, the more I struggle, and observe others bearing their heavy burdens, the more I study God’s Word, the more I realize the importance of prayer. We can’t survive and thrive without it. Evidently James Smith was feeling the same way when he wrote the following to his church  in 1840:

“In prayer we must approach God as a Father, ask of Him what we really need, and expect to receive according to His wisdom and word. Our wants are constantly returning, therefore our prayers should be constantly ascending. The ear of God is always open. He is ever ready to listen to us. He invites, exhorts, and commands us to pray always, in everything. Every object that meets the eye, every circumstance that occurs, every employment in which we engage, would afford matter for prayer if properly viewed. The believer should acquire the habit of prayer. He should look up to his God for all he needs, through all he sees, whenever he has a moment to spare. The prayers of a Christian are pleasant to his God; He says, Let me hear thy voice, let me see thy countenance; for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely. The believer should pray as naturally and as constantly as he breathes; for prayer is the breath of the soul. Beloved, if prayer dwindle into a mere duty, is but occasionally offered, or become burdensome, it is clear that you are in a most unhealthy state.”

Through the skies when the thunder is hurl’d,
The child to its parent will flee;
Thus, amid the rebukes of the world,
I turn, O my Father, to Thee;
The spirit of prayer in Thy mercy impart,
And take up Thy constant abode in my heart.

HDS, 5-6-15
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

MORNING MANNA           9-13-24

THE POWER OF INFLUENCE 
““For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭7‬ ‭

David Stone

 Lakeway Baptist Church

Humble, Tx