The Meals

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Choose Your Words Carefully (Watch Your Mouth!)

The Manna Chef

You know what?  I don’t think we realize sometimes just how much we can influence those around us.  What we say is important and so are our actions.  Sister, you have the ability to change the environment around you, probably more than you think.  This thing is, that works both ways.  You can bring life and progress or you can bring death and chaos:  all from what comes from your mouth.  We know that “death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV)  But today, I want to share with you a moment when a woman’s very words changed the course of the exodus of the children of Israel.  (Her words affected everyone.)

In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron began to criticize Moses because he married a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman.  (Have you made a choice that others didn’t approve?)  They began to grumble, asking “Does God only speak to Moses?  Hasn’t He spoken through us, too?”  In other words, “He’s not the only one God speaks to.  God speaks to us, too.  Moses isn’t so special.”  First of all, be careful when you even begin to have thoughts about criticizing God’s people!  (As my mother would say, “Keep your mouth off of them!”)   And don’t compare your ability/anointing/gifts to anyone else.  God will use whomever He chooses to use in the capacity in which He chooses to use them.  Who are we to complain or criticize?  And instead of just criticizing others’ choices, we should spend a little more time praying for God’s people, His protection, His wisdom, and ultimately, His will.

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Dream Again

The Manna Chef

Sisters, I need to ask you a few questions today.  Some of you may ask these questions to yourselves a lot, and others, maybe not so much.  But it’s weighing heavily on me today, so I have to ask.  What is your life’s dream?  What are the things that your heart longs for when you spend time with the Father?  What burns in your soul when you think about your purpose?  What makes your heart sing with joy? 

I want you to make your way to that creative space right now, you hear me?  Get to that space as quickly as you can, and breathe in the Spirit of the Living God so that you can truly dream again.  It’s time, Sister.  We need what you have!

You know, life has a way of causing us to imagine less and become discouraged and jaded more. We spend less time dreaming and more time worrying.  Trials and tribulations weigh us down, and we begin to settle for less than who we really are.  But guess what?  You were created in God’s own image and likeness (Genesis 1:27), and He placed the ability to create on the inside of you.  So, again, Sister, I ask, “What is your life’s dream?”

You were designed with purpose, and your life matters to God.  We, the body of Christ, are awaiting your arrival.  We need what only you can give!  I know that circumstances sometimes wear you down.  The raging of the storms of life can be deafening, but please take a moment to bask in the Presence of your Father so that He can renew and refresh you today.  You are more than your biggest challenge.  And what you carry is so much greater than any failure you have experienced.  Sister, we need you!

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A Beautiful Scar

The Manna Chef

I recently watched (virtually) a dear Manna Sister share a word from the Lord.  It was a deliciously refreshing word, the kind that picks up your spirit and empowers you.  Within her message, she shared a verse that resonated on the inside of me:

Look at [the marks in] My hands and My feet, [and see] that it is I Myself. Touch Me and see; a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see that I have.”  After saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  (Luke 24:39-40 AMP)

Jesus was speaking to His disciples after His Resurrection.  Isn’t it interesting that Jesus didn’t present Himself to them without the scars?  I, mean, He’s God, so He certainly could have.  Instead, He used those scars to show them that He was real. 

I sat there reading the Scripture over and over.  It made me take a moment to reflect on my own life.  I recently shared with many of you via Zoom about the miraculous healing I experienced, as God saved my life.  What I didn’t spend a whole lot of time on was the huge scar that the surgery left.  

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God Cares

The Manna Chef

Sisters, I want you to know that God really does care about you.  Wherever you are in your walk with God, He sees you and cares so deeply about you.  Sometimes the enemy wreaks havoc in our minds, berating us about wrong decisions we’ve made and the circumstances in our lives that seem dire.  He wants us to focus on everything that seems wrong in our lives instead of focusing on all of those things that are right and blessed.  He doesn’t want us to think on any good thing, but God actually instructs us to focus on what is good.  Don’t believe me?  Check out Philippians 4:8 (NKJV):

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

It’s important for us to focus on what is good because if we’re not careful, we may lend an ear to the enemy and begin to believe what he’s saying when he whispers that God doesn’t really care; if He did, He wouldn’t allow things to happen to us that cause us great pain.   Has the enemy ever whispered that to you?  Just remember:  the enemy is the father of all lies.  Don’t believe him for even a second.  He wants your mind distracted from what God is doing in your life so that you won’t recognize how God really is moving in your life.

I need you to hear me today:  Sisters, God loves you!  He has left nothing to chance concerning you.  Yes, sometimes tests and trials are waiting at your doorstep.  And yes, there will be days when your heart is full of tears.  But God is actually counting and collecting your tears.  Psalm 56:8 (NLT) says, “You keep track of all my sorrows.  You have collected all my tears in your bottle.  You have recorded each one in your book.”  He sees you at this very moment and knows everything that is going on in your life right now.  He hasn’t forgotten you, and He really does have everything, and I do mean everything, under control. 

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Listening for His Voice

The Manna Chef

I began my morning by asking God for a word for His daughters.  (I often do as I am walking my pup.)  By the time I arrived at my office, I was still waiting, so I sat at my desk and wrote on a piece of paper:

Father, today I am listening for Your voice (and Your voice only).

You see, there are many voices that gain our attention.   You may have actual people calling your name or seeking your attention at any given moment throughout the day.  Our cell phones keep us busy, whether we are actually communicating socially or conducting business or are enthralled by the happenings on social media.  The doom and gloom in the news can be a loud distraction.  Doubt and fear make a lot of noise.  The enemy is always standing by, telling you lies and trying to distort your perspective.  Even your own emotions can be cacophonous, so it’s important to allow yourself the moment to be still so that you can hear what the Holy Spirit is whispering to you. 

Will you commit to doing that today, Sister?

Life is full of distractions that take our focus off the voice of our Heavenly Father, so we have to be diligent in our pursuit of seeking His face daily.  We have to actively listen for His voice.  That means we are concentrating fully, taking time to understand what God is saying to us, and then responding in obedience to whatever God has spoken. 

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