Healing

                                                                                                       

    Aloha Dearest Family,

                Recently we started watching this British TV show called The Repair Shop where folks from all around the country bring their treasured items to have them repaired by experts. Whether it is a piece of antique furniture, a priceless painting, a broken stained-glass window or a miniature clock, the Repair Shop has the artisans to fix it. And the work that these repairers do is nothing short of astounding. These experts are so good at their craft that most times you cannot even tell that the piece was ever damaged in the first place.

                But what if someone has something that needs repairing in their body? Most people go to the “body expert”, the doctor. After all, they have studied the human body for many years and they should know how to fix it-right? In truth all the doctor can do is recognize the problem and “treat” the symptoms. But the doctor cannot heal. He (or she) can set the body in such a state where the body can heal itself. But there IS another alternative for true healing. Why not go to the ‘manufacturer’, the one that designed you, so that He can heal you?

                Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, do not think this is a possible solution because most believe that God used to do those things in years past, but He doesn’t anymore. Most believe that God is able to heal, but does not want to heal. Let’s look at one of my favorite verses.

     “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

                If God designed the body then He would also know how to fix it. God knows how the chemicals in the body work. He knows how the proper placement of bones and ligaments should be. He knows how every organ should properly work. There isn’t anything that God doesn’t know about your body and He knows how to fix it. After all, HE is the designer. Nothing is too hard for God to fix. God can heal stage 4 cancer as easily as He can a headache. He is able. But does God want to heal? III John has an incredible verse about God’s greatest desire.

     “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.” (III John 2)

 God wishes above all things that we prosper and be in health. This is God’s top priority. He wants us to be healthy and not sick. The teaching that God gives us sickness to “test our faith” is hogwash and is not Biblical. God wants us healthy - always.

            Great. God is able to heal, and He wants to heal. But would He want to heal ME? The ultimate answer is YES! The next question asked is always, “How can I receive God’s healing?”

 God’s Provision for healing.

                Most Christians know that Jesus died for our sins, but many do not know that he also suffered for our sickness.

              “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4 and 5)

                 Looking forward to what the Messiah would accomplish, Isaiah wrote that by the wounds that he would receive during his suffering, our healing would be paid for. He suffered so we would not have to. Looking back at his suffering, Peter wrote, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (I Peter 1:24)

 Jesus took the payment for our sins and sickness by what he suffered. Now we can claim this healing for ourselves. If he paid for our sicknesses, why do we want to carry our own sicknesses? I don’t. 

 How to Be Healed.

                Remember that God is not only able to heal you, He wants to heal you. The first step in healing is to ask God. Second step in healing is to thank Him that he has already done it. To God, the payment has already been made for your healing. So we are thanking Him for what He has already done.

 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:24)

 If we continually thank God that He has already given us our healing, we will absolutely receive what we are requesting. This is a great key in receiving healing from God.

 Here are some other great keys to receive healing from God.

          -After you ask God for healing, you cannot allow negative thoughts about your situation to enter in. You must control your thinking and only speak victory. Replace any negative thoughts you have with healing scriptures from God’s Word. Let these be your reality. Repeat these over and over to yourself.

          -Another key is to not give up. This is where most people fail. Jesus taught his disciples about persistence in prayer.

                 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7 and 8) The words ask, seek and knock, in the Greek, means to ask- and keep asking; seek- and keep seeking; knock- and keep knocking. Persistence in prayer for healing is vital to receive healing from God. How long will it take? It doesn’t matter. We don’t ever give up until we receive our healing. God promised it to us in His Word.

          -Get a clear mind picture of yourself healed. Claim that this picture of yourself is already yours. If you have an unclear picture, you will have an unclear answer to your prayer. The way you picture yourself, is what you will see in your life. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7)

            -Thank God often and praise Him continually. Whenever you think of your situation, thank Him that you are receiving your healing. Remember we are thanking Him for what Jesus Christ already paid for.

             -The last and probably most important key to receive healing is to not rely upon how we feel. Healing is not contingent upon how we feel but is contingent upon what God has already declared in His Word. If God has declared that “by his wounds we have been healed”, then that is our reality. I have heard of dozens and dozens of people who were in pain who declared their healing as their reality and not the pain they were experiencing and this brought about their healing. We need to believe what God has said and not how we are feeling. After all, without believing, none of this is possible. It is not our believing that brings the impossible to pass. But faith (believing) in God’s promises. 

                 “Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists.” (Hebrews 11:1 International Standard Version).

             God wants you healed – even more than you do. Why not go to Him, ask him and then believe that He has already given it to you. If He has done it for others, He can do it for you. Remember, your health is His top priority. 

                                   Love Always, Ray

       “For I will restore health to you and I will heal your wounds,’ says the LORD…” (Jeremiah 30:17a)

Playing for the Winning Team

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Aloha Dearest Family,

            When I was young my brothers and I and some other kids from the neighborhood, used to go to the park to play baseball in the park. We were all pretty much the same skill level so when we chose teams, each team was fairly evenly matched. That was until one of my friends brought his older brother to play ball with us. Suddenly everyone wanted to be on the same team as my friend’s brother. Everyone knew that if you weren’t one his team you were going lose. And we did- badly.

            Whether we are speaking of sports or in life, it feels good to be on the winning side. This is certainly true when you are speaking of spiritual matters. Being on the wrong side in this contest, could cost you your peace, your prosperity, your health, or it could even cost you the promise of “eternal life”. A big hint for you – always choose the side that GOD is on. This way you can’t lose. With God on your side anything and everything is possible. He is the ultimate coach and team-mate.

            Sadly many throughout the ages chose the losing side. Here are a few of their examples and why they were on the wrong side.

 

                -If you are in the Egyptian army and you are chasing the Children of Israel through the Red Sea, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you live in Jericho and you are watching the Children of Israel march around your city, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you are thinking about fighting against Samson, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you are one of the men who are accusing Daniel of wrong doing, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you are fighting on the same side as Goliath, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you are with the Midian army and you suddenly hear pitchers breaking and a great shout, you are on the wrong side. (See Judges 6-8)

                -If you are in a battalion of fifty and you are sent up the hill to capture Elijah, you are the wrong side. (See II Kings 1:9-12)

                -If you accept Elijah’s challenge to start a fire, you are on the wrong side.

                -If you are Haman, you are on the wrong side. (See the book of Esther)

 

                These were all on the losing side and ended up paying for it with their lives. But what if people do not KNOW they are on the wrong side? Well, we could yell to the unbelievers, ”Hey, you are on the wrong side!” Or we could show them the love of our team captain, Jesus Christ, and what he did so everyone could switch sides. We could tell them about all the perks associated with our team. Heck we even have team jerseys. (These jerseys may be invisible but they are embossed with the seal of Our God - His gift of holy spirit in each member of the team). This makes us all team-mates and each member is a vital member of the team.

So if you are tired of losing, why not join the winning team? You will find that God has a position for you to play. God’s team is unbeatable and stands undefeated!

                                      Love Always, Ray

 

                “Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me...” (Exodus 32:26a)  

Renewal

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Happy New Year!

Aloha Dearest Family,

        According to our calendar, we are welcoming in the New Year and saying goodbye to the old one. For many people, this brings a sigh of relief, for most are more than happy to move past such a turbulent year as 2020. But this is OUR view not God’s. God sees things much differently.

            “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8 and 9)

            Our view is very limited, while God sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10). There is nothing that escapes His sight. God also knows that times of trouble will come to both saint and sinner alike. This is because the devil is the ruler the world (I John 5:19). As God’s children, we need to keep in mind that our struggle is not with people.

            “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)

            As we celebrate the coming new year, let us also celebrate that it is God that truly brings changes that issue in better things otherwise called renewal. It took Him 4,000 years to bring His promise of a redeemer to pass. But He is ALWAYS true to His promises. Jesus was born in the midst of dark and turbulent times (I’m talking dark and turbulent), yet Satan and all his cohorts couldn’t keep the Savior from coming. God’s Will would be done! Years later after his birth, in a synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus announced the start of his earthly ministry. At the time of his declaration, he quoted Isaiah, “ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Isaiah 62:2a) This bold announcement would issue in the start of a new era, for Christ would fulfil the Old Covenant and issue in a New Covenant.

            On the day of Pentecost (as detailed in Acts 2) God poured out His spirit upon mankind, making him a new creation. In this new creation, man would forever be united with Christ because God made us like Christ and we are to have the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 2:5)

“So then, if anyone is in union with Christ, he is a new creation, the old things have passed away, Look! Things have become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17 Revised English Version)

        When we became born again, we became NEW CREATIONS! This is not just an improved version of our old selves. This new is a brand spanking new, shiny, out-of-the-box new. We can now live the life of victory we have always dreamed of living because we have the spirit of Christ dwelling on the inside. All the resources of heaven are ours for the taking. And when we change our minds to think God’s Word, we start walking in newness of life. This is the life that God has called us to. And you know what, this is ours no matter what is happening around us. Times of distress or worry cannot stop God from showering us with His blessings.

        We should also remember that one day soon Christ will return for us, his church, and take us home. This day will be unlike any other because at this time we will all be changed and receive new spiritual bodies. And all the forces of Satan can’t stop it from happening.

        Then at the end of all tribulation, God will make all things NEW.

            “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ nor mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1a, 4 and 5)

This will certainly be a “ good year” that will never end. (It could be this year).

                                                Love Always, Ray

For God So Loved the World

                                                                                                                 

 Aloha Dearest Family,

      “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

             This verse is familiar to us all and we have heard it quoted hundreds of times throughout our lives. The other day I was thinking about this verse and I came to the astounding realization (once again) that God loves people. How much? You could say “God is love” all day long, and it would be true every time. But John 3:16 states briefly the ultimate demonstration of God’s love. If anybody ever questioned God’s love, John 3:16 is the undeniable proof to the world.

“For God so loved the world…”

Why was man created in the first place? God longed for a family to have day to day fellowship with so He created man.  He then designed a place for man to live - the earth. In fact, the reason for the sun, moon and stars is to shine upon the earth. And the reason for the earth is for man to live. The earth was designed to be man’s “garden of delight”. A place filled with oceans, lakes, streams, mountains, waterfalls, as well as beautiful valleys and forests. On top of all this, God populated it with an endless variety of animals. Why did God do this? For man to enjoy. We were the jewel in His wonderful creation. Then God created spirit upon man so that He could enjoy continuous communication and fellowship with His creation. After all this, He saw all that He had created and he said “It was very good”. Now He finally had someone to commune with and lavish His blessings upon. How God must have dearly loved Adam and Eve.

            But this paradise was not to last. Man, God’s beloved jewel, disobeyed God’s ONLY commandment. Because of this, sin and death entered man’s world and the spirit that was upon him died. On this day man lost his connection with his Creator. The earth itself was marred and cursed. But God, the sweet Father that He is, then set in motion a secondary plan to bring man back to Himself. A second Adam would be born to correct the error of the first Adam. This man would be God’s own son and would give his life to set things back in order. This man’s name was Jesus.

             “...that He gave His only begotten son...”

            When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, his ultimate mission in life was to die. Not for his sins, but for the sins of the world.

             “Surly he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53: 4 and 5)

            “And he is the propitiation (payment in full) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:1)

             Whenever my wife and I read the gospels, we almost always skip the parts that speak of Jesus’ suffering and death. It’s too hard to read about; too hard to imagine. It is so hard to read about Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, when he is pleading with the Father that if there is any other way, please don’t let him have to suffer the death that was fast approaching. But in the end, there was no other way. As hard as it is for us to read about, just think how hard it must have been for his Father. The culmination of God’s plan of man’s redemption now rested upon the shoulders of Jesus Christ. No other act of giving would ever match this one act of heartrending sacrifice. God willingly gave up His son who He dearly loved and Jesus chose to give up his life because the Father asked him to. They did it for us. Did we deserve it? No. Did we desperately need it? YES!

         “...whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

God and Jesus Christ accomplished what man could not do on his own; repair the broken relationship that God first enjoyed with Adam. Man is now fully restored to a place of peace with God and given all the rights and privileges God bestows upon sons and daughters. We can now enjoy sweet, moment by moment fellowship with our Father because He has bestowed upon us His holy spirit. We now have continual access to God and we have the boldness to enter into His presence to ask for grace when we need it. We also have a future that we can look forward to, for our names are written in the lamb’s book of life and we will live with God and Jesus Christ forever.

 As we can see, John 3:16 is the culmination of all God hoped and dreamed for His beloved sons and daughters. Now whenever we read this verse, we can more clearly see in demonstration the true heart of the Father and how much God truly loves us. Let us be eternally thankful and give Him the praise and honor He deserves. And let us also thank Jesus Christ for giving his own life to bring us back to God. This is love.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

                                                Love Always, Ray

             “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

Redeemed

 

                                                                   

Aloha Dearest Family,

         When I first got born again, I learned that I was sanctified, I was justified, I was reconciled to God, I was righteous and I was redeemed. I didn’t grow up in church so a lot of these words were what I called “church words”. I had to look up each to see what these words meant, and throughout the years I have come to understand and love the true meaning of each. Today I would like to share about redemption. What does it mean to be redeemed and why did we need it?

    To answer these questions, we must go back to the beginning. In the beginning God had given Adam and Eve dominion to rule over the earth. 

“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28-30).

 When they disobeyed God’s commandment, this dominion that was originally given to man, was transferred to God’s arch enemy, Satan. The devil has been the ruler of the earth from that time forward.

            “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” (I John 5:19)

 Mankind then became “a slave” to the whims and desires of the devil because of sin. The sin of Adam which brought forth death, was transferred to every man (Romans 5:12) for the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Because of the fear of death, mankind has been in bondage.

            “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14 and 15).

As we can see, the devil has the power over death - not God. God wants us to have eternal life, not death. This is why God sent Jesus Christ. To make us free from the power of the devil. When Christ died, he broke the power that the devil had over us and offered us an endless life. He died for our sins, so the power of death was broken - forever.

In the Bible redemption is defined as - to purchase back; to ransom; to liberate or rescue from captivity exchange for a payment. In Biblical times a ransom was the price paid for the release of slaves. Jesus paid this ransom when he gave his own life on the cross and liberated us from the bondage of the devil’s power.

             “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

 Now we are FREE! Free to live the life God had planned for us. Free to be the men and women we always dreamed of becoming. The devil has no more hold on us because we belong to God and are legal citizens of heaven. We are sons and daughters of God and we will live FOREVER.

                                             Love Always, Ray

“In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:” (Colossians 1:14)

         

The Love of Jesus

 

                                                                     

                                   

Aloha Dearest Family,

                The other day my wife and I were studying I Corinthians; the wonderful chapter about the love of God.

            “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love (the love of God), I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:1-3 NASB)

            Even if I had all spiritual abilities and gave everything I had to poor people, if I didn’t have agapeo, the love of God in evidence, it would all be for nothing.

           “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (verses 4-8a)  

              To most, love doesn’t seem to be all that important when dealing with other people. But God considers it the most important quality that we could possess.

          “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (verse 13)

The people that demonstrate God’s love to others, also demonstrate these qualities in their lives. The qualities that are evidenced in an unconditional love – compassion, kindness, patience, acceptance.     

            I can think of no other person in history that demonstrated these qualities better than the Lord Jesus Christ. Of all the prophecies about the Messiah thousands of years before his birth, nothing could compare with meeting and getting to know Jesus in the flesh. Here was a man who loved God with everything he had and loved people with a love that no one had ever seen before. Let’s see him in action.

          This record from Luke is only covered in a few verses of scripture, but the true meaning behind it is astounding. 

“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”(Luke 5:12)

Here is a man “full of leprosy”. Leprosy in the ancient east was a horrible, contagious and incurable disease of the skin. The individuals that contracted it were called the “walking dead’ because to be diagnosed with it was a death sentence due to the flesh rotting off the bones. As horrible as living as a leper was, it was just as devastating for the family of the individual. Families in the ancient East were very close and most times they would never see their loved one again. This person would be excluded from society including all feasts and other religious gatherings. Lepers lived far from society in leper colonies and it was unlawful to come within the vicinity of others without first crying, “Unclean, unclean!”

           So, when we read that this man was “full of leprosy” we recognize that he was in the advanced stages of this disease. The sight and smell of this man would be quite horrifying and to arrive in town to see Jesus, he must have had to endure continuous derision from all who saw him.

When the man saw Jesus, he fell on his face. This was a sign of complete surrender and he asked Jesus if he was WILLING to heal him. He already knew that he was ABLE, but he was asking if he wanted to heal him. What was said next must have thrilled his soul.

                 “And he put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” (Luke 5:13)

 When it says he “touched him”, it doesn’t mean that he just touched him with a fingertip. The word touched used here means, “to attach oneself to” or “to embrace”. Can you imagine Jesus hugging this man that was “full of leprosy”? JESUS DID! Think of how much love he must have had for this man. Jesus looked past his appearance and his smell and saw his need. He wasn’t just a leper to Jesus. He was someone God truly loved. Once Jesus embraced him, Jesus told him “I am willing, be thou cleansed”, and the leprosy departed from him. Think of the stir this miracle would cause. Imagine word getting back to the other lepers; how there was now someone who could free them from this dreaded curse.

This is all possible because of the love of Jesus Christ. His continual, powerful, never wavering demonstration of God’s love set him apart from all others.

              Today we are called to walk like Christ. We are encouraged to put on the “mind of Christ” and demonstrate the love that he had for people.

  “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:15)

 Be compassionate. Do not judge. Be patient with those around you. Having the mind of Christ includes seeing others the way God sees them. To look past their infirmity and see the hurting soul inside, begging to be made free. Let us be willing to love like he loved. Be willing to love the unlovable and hug the leper. The greatest blessings do not come upon those we bless. The greatest blessings come from God to those who walk like Christ.

                     Love Always, Ray

 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (I John 4:7)

Our Daily Bread

                                                                                                                   

Aloha Dearest Family,

            Today we will begin by looking at what is known as The Lord’s Prayer.

            “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-15)

            This is probably the greatest prayer in the Bible. Not that we should repeat, word for word, like a chant, but it serves as a model of what prayer to God should look like. Within this prayer contains the verse that will be the focus of today’s sharing.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

This prayer is repeated in Luke 11 when one of his disciples asks Jesus to teach them how to pray. One of the lines of the prayer is in verse 3, “Give us day by day our daily bread.”  This verse refers back to the days of ancient Israel when the children spent over 40 years in the wilderness.

If you remember, God brought His people out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, through the wilderness to the promised land. The people were full of joy and confidence that God was able to bring them through the Red Sea. There was much joy and dancing. But three days into the wilderness, when they were thirsty, they started to complain and grumble against Moses. God miraculously gave them water to drink. A few days later, when they began to get hungry, they again started to grumble against Moses. God then does the impossible and invents a new type of food.

“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.” (Exodus 16:4 and 5)

No one had ever seen anything like it before. In fact, the word Manna in Hebrew, means “What is it?” To provide bread for His people, day by day, God caused it to appear with the morning dew. Each family would gather just enough for that day’s meals. If they gathered more than they needed and tried to store some up for the next day, this portion would breed worms and start to stink. Furthermore, since the 7^th day was the Sabbath when no work was to be done, they would be allowed to go out on the 6^th and collect a double portion to last through the next two days. This was surely the original “wonder-bread.” In this way God was able to sustain Israel for 40 years in the wilderness. Through this time God would take care of the needs of His people, such as what they would drink, what they would eat and what they would wear (in 40 years their shoes and clothes never wore out. See Deuteronomy 29:5) God would provide, day after day, what they needed, and in turn His people learned to trust that when they went out to gather their “daily bread’, that it would be there. God never failed to provide for them in the entire 40 years. When they entered the promised land, the manna stopped.

When Jesus prayed that God would give them their “daily bread’, in essence he was asking God to once again take care of the needs of His people, day after day. Later on, in the same sermon, Jesus taught them that their needs would be supplied because God already knew what they needed.

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. (Matthew 6:31 and 32 NIV)

The next verse provides the key to having God supply all of our needs.

“But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Verse 33NIV)

When we put God first and seek after His righteousness, God promises that He will take care of our needs. All we need to do is believe that He will be true to His promises. Just as Israel had to trust that God would provide their daily share of manna, we need to trust Him that He will supply our “day to day” needs. And He will.

                           Love Always, Ray

 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

(Philippians 4:19)