Friday, 2 October 2026

Check Your Life-Balance Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt 
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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! 

Check Your Life-Balance

October 2, 2026
by Timothy Burt
 

There are times in life when being alone feels like exactly what we need. Someone has hurt us. We’ve experienced rejection, disappointment, grief, or circumstances that have left us feeling lost. Something inside says, I just want to get away from everybody.

Sometimes getting away is exactly what we need! Jesus Himself regularly withdrew from people to spend time alone with His Father. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16 NIV. There is a big difference, however, between healthy solitude and unhealthy isolation. One can refresh and restore us. The other can slowly imprison us.

Research has shown that rejection and emotional hurt can cause people to withdraw as a form of self-protection. That makes sense. When people have hurt us, pulling away can feel safer. But research has also shown that loneliness can become a self-reinforcing cycle. The more isolated we become, the more sensitive we can become to rejection and negative interactions, causing us to withdraw even further.

I think of offense, hurt, rejection, disappointment, and pain as creating something like a slippery road going downhill toward isolation. We usually don’t wake up one morning and decide, I’m going to isolate myself from everyone. We begin sliding there gradually. We stop calling. We turn down invitations. We pull back from church or friends. We keep what we’re going through to ourselves. Before long, we can find ourselves much farther down that hill than we ever intended to go. And climbing back up can be difficult.

That’s why I believe we need to regularly check our balance. Jesus modeled a wonderfully balanced life for us, and I see three important areas worth examining.

First is time alone with God. Jesus regularly withdrew from people to spend time with His Father in prayer. We need those times too—not simply to get away from people, but to get our hearts and minds centered again. Time with God reminds us of who He is, what He has done for us through Jesus, who we have become in Christ, and why He has placed us here. We worship Him, thank Him for His grace and mercy, and remember that our lives have purpose. We are here, among other things, to reflect His love and grace to the people He brings across our path, to the best of our ability. When hurt or disappointment begins turning our attention inward, time with God helps turn our hearts upward and then outward again.

Second, we need a small group of trusted people. Jesus lived among His disciples, and even within the twelve He had Peter, James, and John with Him during particularly significant moments. We need people we can talk honestly with, pray with, laugh with, receive encouragement and correction from, and simply walk through life with. God never intended our Christian life to consist only of attending a church service surrounded by people we barely know. We need a smaller circle where we are known, loved, encouraged, strengthened, and sometimes lovingly challenged. Don’t wait until you’re isolated to build those relationships. Build them while you’re strong, because someday you may need those people to help you stay on your feet.

Third, we need to keep pouring into others. Jesus continually came away from His times of prayer and relationship and stepped back into the lives of people. He taught, healed, encouraged, listened, comforted, and served. His life was never continually turned inward. One danger of prolonged hurt is that our world can gradually become smaller until most of our attention is focused on ourselves and our pain. Sometimes one of the healthiest things we can do is look around and ask, Who can I encourage today? Who could use some kindness, prayer, or help?

We see the danger of losing this balance in Elijah. After an extraordinary victory, Elijah became frightened, exhausted, and discouraged and ran away. Eventually he told God, “I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 1 Kings 19:10 NIV: But Elijah wasn’t the only one left. God told him there were still seven thousand in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. Elijah’s feelings were real, but isolation had affected his perspective. God allowed him to rest, fed him, spoke to him, and then sent him back into life and relationship.

So occasionally check your balance. Am I spending meaningful time with God? Am I staying connected to my small group of trusted relationships? Am I still reaching outward and doing something meaningful for others? If hurt has caused one or more of those areas to disappear, recognize the slippery road and make an adjustment before you slide farther than you intended.

God designed us for times of refreshing with Him, meaningful relationships with others, and a life that gives His love away. That’s a healthy balance worth protecting.

“Two are better than one… If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 NIV

Prayer: Father, help me recognize when hurt, disappointment, or discouragement is causing me to withdraw. Teach me to find refreshing in You, to value the trusted relationships You have placed in my life, and to continually look outward for opportunities to share Your love and grace with others. Help me maintain the healthy balance You desire for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Wednesday, 30 September 2026

Complaining or Praying? 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!

Complaining or Praying?

September 30, 2026
by Timothy Burt
 

Philippians 2:14–15 NIV: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.” 

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The skies were blue with scattered clouds, there was a slight breeze, and it was about eighty degrees. You could hardly ask for a more beautiful morning. But two hours later, it was close to ninety, the breeze had disappeared, and I was melting. Before long, I found myself complaining about the heat. Then I found myself repenting to God for complaining.

If summer never climbed above eighty-two degrees, Renee and I would probably be perfectly happy. But over the years, I’ve learned that weather is far more complex than my personal comfort. Those warmer days often help produce the rain my gardens need, and because I love gardening, I find myself praying for rain just as much as I enjoy the sunshine.

As I reflected on my complaining, one simple thought came to mind: complaining accomplishes absolutely nothing. It doesn’t change the weather. It doesn’t solve the problem. It doesn’t bring peace to the heart. At best, it gives our flesh a brief moment of satisfaction. At worst, it feeds a negative attitude that quietly grows stronger every time we rehearse it.

God isn’t asking us to ignore our emotions or pretend that difficult things aren’t difficult. He is shaping our character and teaching us how to respond in a way that reflects faith and trust instead of grumbling and frustration.

Over many years of walking with the Lord, I’ve discovered a much better response. Whenever I’m tempted to complain, I try to recognize that moment as an invitation to pray. If the weather is dry, I can pray for rain. If someone I love is hurting, I can pray for God’s comfort, healing, and help. If our nation seems to be drifting farther from God, I can pray for spiritual awakening, wisdom for our leaders, and the advancement of God’s Kingdom. If there is something I can personally do about a situation, then I should do it. But when something is beyond my control, complaining won’t change it. Prayer invites God to work where I cannot.

Scripture gives us a practical pattern for this kind of response. Paul wrote, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:5–6 NIV. When we remember that the Lord is near, we don’t have to carry our frustrations alone. We can bring every concern to Him with honest prayer and a thankful heart.

I’ve learned something else through the years that has helped me greatly: Complaining talks about the problem. Prayer talks to God about the problem. There is a world of difference between the two. When I complain, I rehearse my frustrations until they begin to look even bigger. When I pray, I place those same concerns into the hands of the One who is infinitely wiser, infinitely stronger, and infinitely more loving than I am.

Prayer doesn’t always change my circumstances immediately, but it does change my perspective. It reminds me that God is still on His throne, still faithful, and still working even when I cannot yet see what He is doing.

Some prayers are answered quickly after a simple prayer of faith. Others require steadfast prayer over weeks, months, or even years. Prayer isn’t about persuading a reluctant God to finally help us. It is about walking with a faithful God and trusting His wisdom, His timing, and His love.

God is accomplishing purposes that reach far beyond our individual lives. He cares deeply about what concerns us, while at the same time working to draw people to Himself, transform hearts, build His Kingdom, and fulfill His purposes throughout the earth. And while He is working in the circumstances around us, He is often doing an equally important work within us—teaching us patience, perseverance, trust, and faith.

So the next time you catch yourself beginning to complain, try something different. Stop and turn that complaint into a prayer. Tell God what concerns you. Ask Him for His help. Thank Him for what He has already done. Then trust Him with what you cannot control.

In closing, complaining may give us a momentary outlet, but prayers in faith give our concerns to God which puts the forces of Heaven working in our behalf . The next time frustration rises within you, let it become a reminder to pray. God is listening, and He is faithful to meet you with His peace and His help, as you trust in Him.

Philippians 4:6 NLT “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I complain instead of bringing my concerns to You. Help me recognize each frustration as an invitation to pray. Teach me to trust Your wisdom, Your timing, and Your love, especially when circumstances are beyond my control. Thank You for hearing me, caring for me, and working in ways I cannot always see. Replace my grumbling with gratitude, my anxiety with peace, and my frustration with faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 
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Tuesday, 29 September 2026

Who is like god?

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Check Your Life-Balance Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

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