Friday, 27 March 2026

Excuses Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
Tim Logo   A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that Fresh Manna is a blessing to you and helps you launch your day in the Lord. If you are blessed by what you read, please share it with a friend. There is a link in this box and  at the bottom of each devotional that says:  "Forward this email to a friend." Click on it, and put in their email and it will go to them. Thanks in advance for sharing! God bless you and thanks again for reading! Forward this email to a friend

Excuses

March 27, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Full disclosure: I wrote this devotion because the Lord wanted me to do something hard, and at 72, I didn't want to work that hard again.  I thought it was important to be transparent!

Excuses

It often starts at the beginning—when the Word of God suddenly speaks louder than usual. A verse stands up and refuses to sit back down. You move on, but it follows you. Then a pastor preaches on it that same week. Circumstances begin lining up around it. Conversations echo it. Before long, you realize this isn’t a coincidence. God is speaking. You can’t avoid it, dismiss it, or explain it away. No matter where you turn, the same truth keeps meeting you there.

And when that happens, something else usually follows just as quickly. We begin to explain to God why this can’t be what He’s asking of us.

We don’t argue that He’s speaking. We just start offering reasons. Thoughtful ones. Reasonable ones. Very convincing ones.

“I’m too young.” “I’m too old.” “I don’t have the personality for that.” “I don’t like doing that kind of thing.” “I wouldn’t be good at it.” “I’m already stretched thin.” “I’m not ready.”

The excuses come easily, almost automatically. Sometimes they even sound spiritual. Responsible. Humble. But beneath them is a quiet resistance—not rebellion, just reluctance. Yet the strange thing is this: no matter how well we explain ourselves, the message doesn’t go away.

Every time we come before the Lord in prayer, it’s still there. Every time we open His Word, it resurfaces. The same nudge. The same conviction. The same gentle pressure on our heart. God isn’t angry. He isn’t rushing us. But He isn’t withdrawing the invitation either. That persistence is often how we know this is truly from Him.

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses didn’t deny that God was calling him. Instead, he began listing reasons why he was the wrong choice.

Exodus 4:10 (NLT) — “But Moses pleaded with the Lord, ‘O Lord, I’m not very good with words… I get tongue-tied.’”

Exodus 4:13 (NLT) — “Lord, please! Send anyone else.”

Jeremiah 1:6 (NLT)— “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for You! I’m too young!”

Jeremiah 1:7 (NLT) — “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you…”

Moses wasn’t faithless—he was afraid. And God answered every excuse, not by changing the assignment, but by promising His presence.

Age wasn’t the issue. Ability wasn’t the issue. God wasn’t asking for credentials—He was asking for obedience.

God often places something on our heart long before He gives us confidence about it. He invites us to trust Him before we feel ready. And He waits patiently while we wrestle with our excuses, knowing that surrender rarely comes all at once—it comes one honest step at a time.

Excuses keep us comfortable. Obedience stretches us. But obedience also becomes the place where we discover that God is far more faithful than we imagined.

If you’ve been trying to escape a nudge from God and can’t… If a calling keeps resurfacing no matter how many reasons you offer… If obedience has been delayed by explanations that sound reasonable but feel restless in your spirit… it may be time to stop explaining and start surrendering.

God already knows your fears. He already understands your limitations. And He has already accounted for them. What He’s waiting for isn’t perfection—it’s willingness.

When we finally say yes, we often discover something surprising: God had been preparing us all along. And He is using us to help complete His will and purposes!

Philippians 2:13 (NLT) — “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, You know the things You have spoken to my heart—the ones I’ve tried to reason away and delay. Forgive me for the excuses rooted in fear instead of trust. Give me a willing heart and the courage to obey You one step at a time. I surrender my excuses to You today and trust that if You are calling me, You will also carry me, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

‍
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Kingdom Sense vs. Common Sense Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
Tim Logo   A Note from Pastor Tim
Greetings and thank you for reading. I pray that Fresh Manna is a blessing to you and helps you launch your day in the Lord. If you are blessed by what you read, please share it with a friend. There is a link in this box and  at the bottom of each devotional that says:  "Forward this email to a friend." Click on it, and put in their email and it will go to them. Thanks in advance for sharing! God bless you and thanks again for reading! Forward this email to a friend

Kingdom Sense vs. Common Sense

March 25, 2026
by Timothy Burt

It was one of those moments where common sense feels unquestionable. You touch a hot stove once—you don’t touch it again. You learn what hurts, and you avoid it. You figure out how to protect yourself so you don’t repeat the same mistake twice. That’s how we’re wired. Common sense teaches us to be cautious, guarded, and self-protective. And in everyday life, that’s not wrong. Common sense keeps us safe. It helps us survive. It teaches us to learn from experience.

But somewhere along the way, we discover something unsettling: the ways of Jesus often don’t line up with what feels sensible. When Jesus speaks, He regularly invites us to move toward the very things common sense tells us to avoid. He tells us to forgive when we’ve been hurt, to love when we’ve been wronged, to give when resources feel tight, and to trust God when the outcome is uncertain. To common sense, that feels reckless. To Kingdom sense, it’s wisdom.

Kingdom sense doesn’t ignore reality—it simply begins with God instead of fear. It believes obedience to God carries more weight than self-preservation, and that’s where the tension begins for every sincere believer.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5–6 (ESV)

God never says our understanding is useless—He says it’s insufficient. Common sense only sees the moment we’re in. Kingdom sense sees the God who stands outside of time, who knows what we cannot know, and who is always working toward good.

Take forgiveness. Common sense says, Protect yourself. Don’t let them do that again. Kingdom sense says forgive—not because the wound wasn’t real, but because unforgiveness chains us to it. Forgiveness doesn’t excuse sin; it releases God’s healing power into our hearts. Or consider generosity. Common sense says, Hold on—what if you need this later? Kingdom sense says give—because God is your Provider, not what you’re holding in your hand.

“Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.” Luke 6:38 (ESV)

That doesn’t make sense on paper. It makes sense in the Kingdom.

Kingdom sense also governs obedience. God will sometimes lead us in ways that feel inefficient, uncomfortable, or risky. He may ask us to wait when we want to act, to speak when silence feels safer, or to step forward when we feel unqualified. Common sense asks, What if this fails? Kingdom sense asks, What if God is faithful—like He has always been?

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25 (ESV)

Faith has never been about having all the answers. It has always been about trusting the One who does. If we listen closely, our prayers often reveal which voice we’re leaning on. Fear-filled prayers usually flow from common sense. Trust-filled prayers grow out of Kingdom sense. Following Jesus is a daily decision to shift our weight—to stop leaning on ourselves and start leaning on God.

Kingdom sense doesn’t deny pain, risk, or reality. It simply refuses to let them have the final word. God does. And when we choose Kingdom sense over common sense, we discover that God’s ways don’t just work spiritually—they work redemptively. They heal hearts, restore relationships, quiet anxious minds, and lead us into a life that reflects heaven in a broken world.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me recognize when I am leaning on my own understanding instead of trusting You. Teach me to value Kingdom sense over common sense—especially when obedience feels costly or unclear. Strengthen my faith to follow Your ways with confidence, knowing that Your wisdom is higher and Your plans are always good. In Jesus’ name, Amen!‍

‍
In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Tuesday, 24 March 2026

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Excuses Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt    A Note from Pastor Tim Greetings and thank you for rea...