Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 April 5

When God Runs Out of Pleading

“And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.” (1 Samuel 16:1)

Today’s Morsel: Saul was chosen by God to lead His people, Israel. God had given him everything that he needed to be successful as the king of Israel. Scripture tells us: “Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.” (1 Samuel 10:25-26) God had given him the men he needed to succeed, but Saul allowed fear to get into his heart; and he started to do things his way and not God’s way, which led to his demise. Samuel had pleaded with Saul time and time again to obey God, but he kept rejecting what God said to do. And so, God’s pleading for him ran out. Every story in the Bible are examples for us. We must not allow ourselves to keep doing things our own way when God keeps showing us in His word the way in which He wants us to do things. He’s not going to keep pleading with us to obey. Somewhere in our walk with Him we must kill disobedience in our lives. Paul said that we must be ready to avenge all disobedience, in our lives, when our obedience is fulfilled. Whether you know it or not, you didn’t just get saved to live, but also to kill the disobediences in your life. Disobedience will rob you of all peace and contentment. It will put such a state of fear within your heart that you won’t know if you are coming or going like Saul. Saul didn’t have any need to fear. God was with him. But when he kept disobeying, fear gripped his heart. And it will yours, too. John enlightens us that: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18) Fear will torment you and keep you doing the wrong things. You can only become complete in Christ when you learn to obey Him.

Sing: When the host of Israel led by God, around the walls of Jericho softly trod; trusting in the Lord, they knew what God had said, by faith they saw the victory ahead. 

Victory ahead, victory ahead, through the blood of Jesus there’s victory ahead; trusting in the Lord, I will not fear nor dread, by faith I see the victory ahead. 

Thought For Today: Obedience starts with killing disobedience. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 April 4

Where Can We Find Hope?

“And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” (Psalms 39:7)

Today’s Morsel: If you could find that for which you hope for, how much of it would you gather for later? One of the things that we find when we read our Bibles is that everything that we have need of is found in Jesus. But for some reason, folks don’t want Him. They want to touch and hold what they think is needed in their hands. They want to feel it and see it. But God’s ways aren’t ours. Hope is no more than trusting and believing. It really isn’t something that you can feel or touch, but you can see it when it comes. Hope is holding on with patience and endurance while waiting for that you seek. Paul states: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25) Solomon states that: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) So where can we find hope? The psalmist said that his hope is in the Lord. What about yours? The writer of Hebrews tells us: “Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” (Hebrews 6:17-20) Jesus Christ is our anchor of hope, and you can find Him this very hour.

Sing: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame; but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand. 

Thought For Today: “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” (Psalms 71:5)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 April 3

What Are You Wearing?

“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

Today’s Morsel: I’m afraid that too many Christians want to be adorned like the world, instead of being adorned like Christ. I often wonder if this is why so many Christians are struggling and losing the battle in this spiritual warfare. Your dress and appearance do cause you to feel good about who you are, whether you think so or not. No, we are not fighting against flesh and blood. Our warfare is with the prince and ruler of darkness. This is a spiritual battle we are fighting, and it is for your soul. This is why you must be clothed correctly.  One of the problems I see in the churches is we focus of the armor of God, but not on the character of God. Character is who you are. It is those things inside of you such as your personality and attitude that attracts others to you. What I learned in my 28 plus years of military service is you can have all the best and greatest equipment in the world for your protection, but if you do not have character of heart as to who you are and what you must be when you put it on, it doesn’t do you much good. What you wear ought to reveal that you are rooted and grounded in God and in His word. Paul said that as the elect holy and beloved, or those who have been chosen by God, must put on compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and love. These traits are who you are and must be within you, while the armor of God must be worn and seen without. Just what are you wearing? What do you have inside of you? Does your inward character support your outward armor?  Are you battle ready? 

Sing: Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, lift-up your voice to God. Pray in the spirit, and with understanding, oh magnify the Lord.

Thought For Today: Dress for success!

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 April 2

New Every Morning

“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:22-26)

Today’s Morsel: If you were to ponder your life, you would see that it’s new every morning. Yesterday was the old you. Today is the new you. You can ponder on yesterday and say that nothing has changed, but that isn’t true. Yesterday was good. Yet we have been given a new day by God to make a difference today. Not only in our lives, but also in the lives of others. We have been given a new day to live out our circumstances, trials, and problems. We have been given a new day to change who we were yesterday. He makes all things new. Jeremiah said that God’s compassions are new every morning. God’s care and concern, along with His empathy and kindness for you, are brought about every morning. God wants you to know that He cares. God wants you to live and not die. Therefore, His mercies are new every morning. He wants you to enjoy the abundant life that He brings forth for you. But it’s up to you if you enjoy it or not.  One of the things that we seem to find about David is that he sought the Lord early. He said, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” (Psalms 63:1-4) Notice, early will I seek Thee. When we seek God early, we will find that life just seems to be better throughout the course of our day. As Isaiah says: “With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” (Isaiah 26:9) Don’t let your morning time slip away without God being in it. 

Sing: By and by, when the morning comes, and all the saints of God are gathered home; we will tell the story how we’ve overcome; and we’ll understand it better by and by. 

Thought For Today: They say early bird gets the worm. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 April 1

Be Ready Always

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that I learned as a Boy Scout was the motto of, “Being prepared.” Preparation ought to be one of those traits that Christians obey and follow everyday of their lives. Jesus even tells us: “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44) We ought not to get caught by surprise when Jesus returns as He has already told us to be ready. What does it mean to be ready? The children of Israel were told when God was getting ready to bring them out of bondage to have their shoes on their feet and the staff in their hands. They must be ready to go. They must be prepared. Peter said that we must sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, and that we must be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us with meekness and fear, having a good conscience (emphasis mine). We must have a made-up mind, every second, every minute, every hour, every day, every week, throughout the entire year, ready to give an answer as to who we are and why we as Christians live and believe the way that we d0. If our minds aren’t made up, we will not be ready to act when asked. Not only will we be unprepared to share the gospel, but we will not be ready when Jesus comes again either. Stay prepared!

Sing: Well, I’m getting ready to leave this place, I’m getting ready for those gates of pearls; keeping my record right, watching both day and night; well, I’m getting ready to leave this place.

Thought For Today: Don’t let that day catch you unawares.