Morning Manna by Rufus Parker: Morning Manna by Rufus Parker

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 September 23

A Good Soldier

Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:1-4

Today’s Morsel: Fifty-Six years ago, while sitting at home trying to decide what I was going to do with my life, while watching the idiot box (TV), an army commercial came on. It said: “If you are good enough to get in, you’ll travel far and wide; if you are good enough to get in, you’ll serve your country well. Oh, the future can be yours in the new action army, if you think you are good enough to get on the team, then a brighter future can be yours.” And so the next day I went to my local recruiting station and enlisted in the US Army. The army turned me into a lean, mean, fighting machine. They kept their promise. I was good enough to get in, I travelled far and wide, I served my country well, and my future, since hanging up my boots after 28-plus years in uniform, has been nothing but bright and rewarding. I met my beautiful wife while serving in the military  I received salvation while serving in the military. I received my calling into ministry while serving in the military. And I have labored to see other men and women in the military receive salvation and their call into ministry in the military. I have seen soldiers from other nations around the globe receive salvation and the Holy Ghost, because we could relate to each other because of our military experience. The military is not for everyone. But it was for me, and I thank God that He made a way for me. Not only for me to serve my country, but also to take those same training experiences and use them for His Glory and His kingdom. The best soldiers are those who not only serve their country, but those who take those training experiences and apply them to God’s kingdom.

Sing: Well, I’m a soldier, in God’s army, I am marching, claiming victory. I will not give up, I will not turn around. I’m a soldier, marching heaven bound.

Thought For Today: “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:4

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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.