The Meals

Entrée

Expectations

The Manna Chef

Sisters, who is measuring your success?  Many times, we are so focused on achievement and our perceived status that we lose sight of the real prize:  Jesus Christ and His limitless grace, mercy, and favor!  Our focus should be on living a life that is pleasing to God, not on how many material things we can acquire so we can appear successful to other people. 

And let me clear here, I certainly am not saying that you should not live well; I want you to live full:  full from the life that God promised you as you do what He put you here to do.  Jesus promised to give us life and life more abundantly.  We just need to focus on abundance in the Spirit, and He will do the rest.  Remember Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) reminds us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”   

I recently spoke to someone who shared that she was disappointed because she wasn’t where she “was supposed to be at this point in her life.”  How many of you have ever felt like that?  I wondered, “Who’s measurement was she trying to live up to?”  She was looking at where her friends were in their lives and referring to a list that she made when she was younger.

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Entrée

Our Daily Bread

The Manna Chef

Sisters, you have the power to choose every day where you will focus your attention.  Will you focus all of your time and energy on social media?  The constant stories about government corruption?  Stories about nonstop tragedies?  The rising price of milk, eggs, and gas?  Is your television on the news channel twenty-four hours a day?  It’s hard to even focus when you are constantly being bombarded with bad news all day long.  Or maybe you are focused on that special someone, your family, or even your place of employment. 

We can often become distracted by the circumstances around us, especially when the news is distressing.  That’s why we need to be sustained daily.  In spite of everything going on, God promised to keep us in perfect peace when we keep our minds on Him.  (Isaiah 26:3) 

Take a moment to answer these few questions:

  • Who sustains you?
  • What do you seek from God every single day?
  • What have you been focusing on today?
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Entrée

One Sunday Morning

The Manna Chef

Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest. (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT)

Sisters, I want to share a moment I experienced recently to show just how easy it is to try to do the Lord’s will our own way.  Each day, I pray and ask God for the wisdom to make choices that please Him, because my desire really is to please God.  (I felt the need to share that before I describe what happened.)  So, here we go…

One Sunday morning, God spoke to me and told me to call a Manna Sister to share a word from Him.  I looked at the clock and figured, “Well, she’s probably getting ready for church, so I’ll call her when I return from service.”  I continued my morning reading. 

A few minutes later, God spoke to me again and told me to call her.  Once again, I looked at the time and decided that I would text her “thus saith the Lord.”  The Holy Spirit stopped me in my tracks and asked me, “Did I tell you to text her?”

Immediately, I realized that I had heard God’s instruction, but I had not done what He told me to do.  I was so disappointed in myself, especially since I shared at the beginning of this entrée that I pray daily for wisdom to make choices that please the Lord.  I called the Manna Sister at that moment and told her what God had shared with me.  She let out a deep sigh and said, “I needed to hear that.”  

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Entrée

“Who Did It?”

The Manna Chef

Anyone who knew my mother would respond, “God did it!”  That was her life mantra—a reminder that God will do the impossible for His children because He is in control of all things at all times.  She knew how to shift the environment and usher in praise and worship.  Our Father is beyond good to us, and He is always moving on our behalf.

As we approach the ending of another year, I want to encourage you to maintain an attitude of gratitude for all that the Lord has done for you.  He has provided everything you needed throughout the year, so why not take a moment to say, “Thank You, Lord!”?

Those of you who know me personally know that I no longer complete a list of New Year resolutions.  I used to have such an expansive to-do list, and it was ridiculous.  No one person could accomplish that list.  Interestingly, I did not consult the Lord before writing the list.  I just decided that I was going to accomplish everything on it.  Then, at the end of the following year, I would be discouraged because I could not complete the list that I created.  And then, God led me to Proverbs 19:21 (NLT):

You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

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Entrée

What Do You Really Want from God?

The Manna Chef

Sisters, what do you really want from God today?  Many times, we settle for less than what He promised because we think we have to settle.  But today, I want to remind you that you can actually go right to God and ask for what you need.  John 5:1-9 gives us a glimpse of what it is like to settle.  

Chapter 5 begins with a feast of the Jews taking place, and Jesus went to Jerusalem.  There was a pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda, which means “House of Mercy.”  This was a pool that physically manifested mercy.  Many sick people gathered at the pool: blind, lame, and paralyzed. They were waiting for the water to move.  An angel went down at certain times and stirred up the water, and whoever entered the water immediately after the water was stirred was made whole of whatever disease the person was suffering from. 

The Bible speaks of three conditions: blind, disabled, and paralyzed.  These are not only physical ailments that plague the people of God.  Today, many of us are spiritually blind.  We have ignored the Spirit of God so long that we operate with blinders on.  We only see with our natural eyes, and we have become desensitized to the Spirit of God.  Others have allowed sin to disable them, to handicap growth.  Sin brings death.  That’s all there is to it.  It will render your life disabled.  And still others are paralyzed.  They have reached the moment in their lives when they are stuck; they simply cannot move forward.  Life has beaten them up so much that they are spiritually being swallowed up, unable to move and do anything about it.  Lord, please help Your daughters!

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