Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Being from Minnesota, we grew up knowing what snow was all about. We had enough to share with the rest of the country. As a kid, the best part about all that snow was being at the top of a long hill with a saucer, sled, or tube, and screaming with excitement all the way down. Unfortunately, that was always accompanied by a very long, slow hike up that same slippery hill so that we could experience the thrill again.

When I was just past my teens and entering into young adulthood, I wanted every day to be like standing on a top of a hill and sliding down with excitement. We all find out at different ages that life is far from that. People that try to make life one continuous fun escapade, are the ones most likely to get caught up in alcohol, drugs, illicit or immoral sexual behavior, overeating, and other reality-escaping habits—trying instead to constantly repeat that joy of sliding down the steep hill.

Sometimes days seem to go smoothly. They may be like a fun slide down the hill or like being out for a nice walk. A day with no fights, work gets done efficiently, and we enjoy the day and people in our lives. Other days—well let’s say they resemble that long walk up that steep hill with big boots and heavy snowpants on, navigating slippery snow while carrying your sled—all while you are half-slipping and almost falling on your way up the hill before making it to the top. Exhausting!

Maybe other analogies work better for you but I know you get the point. The reality is, some days flow better than others. But even when days aren’t perfect, having a great attitude and approach to them is a better approach than hating them and trying to escape them. You will feel best about the day when it’s a day that you give your best effort. Being diligent and giving your best effort helps you stand before God in your heart without regret. Ecclesiastes 9:10 NLT says, “Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.” What this verse is saying is, live life now giving it your best without regret because you won’t be able to recapture the moment and do it again.

Proverbs 31:27-29 NLT says to the wife and mother that has learned to give her best, “She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”

Proverbs 12:11 exhorts the person who is diligent to work hard saying, “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment.” Each and every day, we get up and do the things we are called to do. Sometimes those assignments—kids, work, chores, speaking, managing, serving, laboring, whatever we put our hand to flow reasonably okay. Other days our efforts feel like we are pushing a boulder up a hill. Having a good attitude and healthy perspective are keys to having a good day! And experiencing God’s grace—His supernatural help, is the cherry on top if we’ll seek His help and pay attentions and see it when it comes!

How does God’s grace work in these situations? When things are hard and not going well, pause and lift your heart toward Heaven and ask the Lord for the right attitude and for His help to turn things for the better. Then pay attention because He will work to help you. If you don’t see circumstances change, just the change in your attitude will be enough to make things better!

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT) says, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.”

Grace is supernatural! His help to you will be a combination of His attitude, His strength, His wisdom, and so much more working in you—whatever you need to do to get the job done right. Your attitude may stink but get His attitude and everything change instantly. The instruction of Philippians 2:3 (NLT) is one of those attitude changing verses that says, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”  

Seek God for His grace to help you. Not only does He promise grace, but says that when His grace is in operation, things will turn out better than when we try to get the job done in our own strength.

Renee and I have our days of walking up that steep slippery hill. But we also have faith that God’s grace will be there to help us on those uphill days. We count on God’s grace knowing it creates the potential to become the best days of all.

Psalms 27:8 (MSG) “When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!” 

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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