Morning Manna by Rufus Parker: Morning Manna by Rufus Parker

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 February 4

Love Is the Standard

“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Today’s Morsel: When I first came into the church, many were arguing and fighting over what they called standards. Some even left the church because they said that they disagreed with the standards. I wanted to ask them if they were going to leave their jobs as they had standards to be met there, too. No matter how much you tried to show them in scripture that what they were calling standards, were just articles of faith to enhance their spiritual walk, they had allowed the enemy of their soul and others to poison their mind to see them as standards which they could not obtain to, and which they did not want to try to obtain. But you will never obtain or reach the end state of anything without consistency.

When I was in the military, we had standards that we were required to meet and maintain. There were certain standards you had to meet to pass your physical fitness test. There were certain standards for your unit to prove its combat readiness. So, is there a problem with a church having standards? I don’t think so. Jesus set the basic standard for His church and that standard is love. “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7-12) You will never reach peace and contentment in your life until you first meet His standard of love. And that is to be complete in Him. Are you striving to get there?

Sing: I’m pressing on the upward way; new heights I’m gaining every day. Still praying as I’m onward bound, “Lord plant my feet on higher ground.”

Lord, lift me up, and let me stand, by faith on heaven’s table land. A higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground.

Thought For Today: “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” (Proverbs 10:12)

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About Morning Manna

And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat (Exodus 16:10-15).

“Morning Manna” is a short daily devotion which began in 2002, with just a short note of encouragement to a friend who was facing difficulties at the time. Through their response, I was encouraged to begin a daily devotion via email and send it to people who asked to be put on the distribution list. It is now reaching around the globe. Its birth came about during Morning Prayer. The Lord revealed to me that I should forward my friend a word of encouragement, since it is through patience and comfort of the scripture that we find hope. Thus, I forwarded him the words the Lord had given to me for him, and he forwarded it on to someone else who was having difficulties in their life as well, and thus the original list began.

The goal of “Morning Manna” is to provide people with a quick, thought provoking Word from the Lord, as well as provide encouragement from His Word that can help them through the day and during unexpected trails and circumstances in their daily lives.

Several years ago, Jesus moved on my heart to start writing daily devotions; thus began “Morning Manna”. Today, many people are receiving these daily devotions and many of these people are forwarding it on to their family and friends. It is my hope to encourage even more through posting the devotions to this blog-page.

I pray that you, too, will enjoy reading the manna from this site.