Wednesday, 13 May 2026

Sorting Out Worry, Care and Prayer 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

Sorting Out Worry, Care and Prayer

May 13, 2026
by Timothy Burt

This morning, while getting ready for my day, a friend of mine who is battling cancer came strongly to mind. A couple of weeks ago, I had reached out, hoping to visit him, but he wasn’t feeling up to it. We talked briefly on the phone, and before we hung up, I prayed for him. Today, when he came to mind again, I stopped and prayed once more. Years ago, I would have done something very different—I would have worried about him. For much of my younger life, worry was my natural response when the people I loved faced difficult situations. I would think about their problem repeatedly, imagine different outcomes, and carry the emotional weight of it with me throughout the day. But eventually I realized something important: worrying about someone does not help them, and it certainly doesn’t help me. Jesus makes this point very clearly. Luke 12:22–25 (NLT) “Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, ‘That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life… Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?’” Worry feels like concern, but it accomplishes nothing. It drains our strength, robs us of peace, steals sleep, and fills our minds with scenarios we cannot control.

My mother was one of the most compassionate people I have ever known, and I believe I inherited much of my caring heart from her. But she also believed that worrying for people was almost a spiritual expression of compassion. Many people think that way. Yet Scripture teaches something very different. God never instructs us to worry for others; He instructs us to pray. 1 Peter 5:7 (TLB) “Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” The Bible tells us to cast our cares on the Lord. That word is intentional. It doesn’t mean gently handing our worries over while secretly holding onto them. It means throwing them onto Him with confidence that He will carry them. But we must cast those cares in faith. Casting our cares in faith means we pray about the situation and truly turn it over to God, trusting that He cares far more about the person or the problem than we do and that He is able to work in ways we cannot see.

Many people struggle here because their worries return again and again. I know, because that used to happen to me. I would pray about something and then pick the worry right back up again. Worries have a way of crawling back into your lap like a persistent little puppy. But when God’s promises become real in your heart, something changes. You begin to understand Scripture in a deeper way. Philippians 4:6–7 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God invites us to bring everything to Him in prayer—not just the small concerns but every burden that weighs on our hearts. And when we do, He promises that His peace will guard both our hearts and our minds.

Why does God ask us to do this? Because He loves us and cares deeply about every situation that touches our lives. Matthew 6:8 (NKJV) “…for your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Even though God already knows our needs, He still calls us to bring them to Him in prayer and trust Him to act. Jesus even taught that faith believes before it sees the answer. Mark 11:24 (NKJV) “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” I grew up as a worrier, but I have learned something important over the years: worry makes us ineffective. It doesn’t help the people we care about, and it doesn’t solve their problems. God’s kind of compassion leads us somewhere much better. It moves us to pray—real prayers that invite His power into the situation. I am not God, and I cannot solve anyone’s problems. But when I place those burdens in His hands, I can pray, trust Him, and move forward with my day in peace. That kind of faith-filled compassion helps far more than worry ever could.

1 Peter 5:7 (TLB) “Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.”

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Monday, 11 May 2026

Chastened by Love, Not Condemned by Fear 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

Chastened by Love, Not Condemned by Fear

May 11, 2026
by Timothy Burt

Few biblical words create as much quiet fear in a believer as the word chastisement. For some, it brings images of anger, punishment, or God waiting to strike the moment we fail. Because of that fear, many believers pull back rather than draw near to Him—avoiding correction rather than welcoming it.

Hebrews 12:6–7 (NLT) says, "For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.”

Chastisement is not God venting frustration. It is a God-affirming relationship. The verse does not say God chastens those He is angry with—it says whom the Lord loves. Human guilt says, You are bad. God’s correction says, You belong to Me.

When guilt speaks, it pushes us away from God. When God speaks, He draws us closer. His chastisement is never designed to shame us—it is designed to restore alignment.  Hebrews 12:10–11 (NKJV) says, “For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Notice the goal: our profit. Notice the result: peaceable fruit. Notice the method: training, not punishment.

James 4:8 (NKJV) says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”  When we draw near, God speaks clearly— first through His Word and then to your heart.  How do we draw near to God?  We set our morning clock earlier to spend 20 minutes reading God's word and praying. Spending five minutes in the evening praying with your spouse or friend for God's grace, mercy, and help in your life. We make going to church a priority again! We write our devotional verse on a piece of paper each morning, then put it in our pocket to pull out and read again throughout the day. Let our minds reflect on what God wants to help us learn, do, or correct in our lives. Making God adjustments and priorities is drawing near to Him!

When we resist, Scripture tells us God may turn us over to ourselves. Romans 1:24 (NKJV) says, “Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts…” This is not punishment—it is release. He lets us learn the hard way until we realize how futile and empty that is. True chastisement is drawing near and giving God a place to lead your life again! And His speaking to us through His Word, our Pastor, and through others is proof that we belong to God. He speaks to us as His children.

This is why Proverbs 3:11–12 (NKJV) says, “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights.”

He won't scourge you with a whip! He allowed that to be done to Himself in your place. His discipline to us is to put ourselves in the place where His Word can reach our ears, our minds, and our hearts, and our spirits by His Holy Spirit. It hurts because you realize what a rebel you can be. But His love to help you walk as His child is how He teaches us to love our children and teach them. And you are His! You are not being disciplined because God is displeased with you. You are being corrected because He delights in you.

Prayer: Father, thank You that Your correction is pure, righteous, and filled with love. Help me to welcome Your Word, submit my heart, and trust Your discipline. Teach me to receive correction without fear and to give it with love. In Jesus’ name, Amen!‍
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Saturday, 9 May 2026

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Sorting Out Worry, Care and Prayer Fresh Manna by Pastor Tim Burt

Fresh Manna with Pastor Tim Burt  ...