Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 21

The Anchor Holds

“But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 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 6:9-20)

Today’s Morsel: I was reading our devotion a few days ago, and it spoke of a man that went out to sea in his boat, only to find out that his motor would not start up, and he lost radio communications, and then he realized that he did not have an anchor for the boat either. Thus, his boat drifted further out to sea. His friend died of thirst and hunger, and he himself almost lost his life. Anchors are designed to help hold the boat or ship in place. To slow it down and keep the vessel from moving further away when the waves start driving you. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is our anchor of hope for our soul, and that He is both sure and steadfast.  Jesus will provide us with stability and security during life’s trails. He will hold us and keep us from drifting during the storms of life. Make sure you have Him securely in your life, you do not want to find out you do not have Him when the storm hits.  

Sing: The anchor holds, though the ship is battered, the Anchor holds, though the sails are torn. I have fallen, fallen down on my knees, as I faced the raging seas; The anchor holds, in spite of the storm.

Thought For Today: Jesus will keep you from drifting.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 20

On The Wrong Road

“And Elisha said unto them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. But he led them to Samaria.” (2 Kings 6:19)

Today’s Morsel: Have you ever had one of those moments where you are driving along and you start to feel as though you are on the wrong road? I have felt this many of times, and I immediately find a place to turn around. But some folks keep going and get further from their destination. The sign that you may be on the wrong road is that you keep feeling as though you are on the wrong road. The same is true with salvation. If you keep feeling as though you are in a rut and there is no excitement in your spirit, at church, and throughout your course of the day, you may be on the wrong road. Israel got on the wrong road by listening to complaining and murmuring by their brothers and sisters in the wilderness. All they had to do was follow Moses’ leading and they would have been okay. But when the complaining and murmuring started, others joined in and got on the wrong road which led to their destruction. Jesus said that we must follow Him so that we do not walk in darkness. Paul tells us to walk circumspect not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil. The Lord said to the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:16) If you are not going to walk in the way called straight, then you will surely walk in the way called wrong.

Sing: There’s just one, one, one, one way to God; There’s just one, one, one, one way to God; There’s just one, one, one, one way to God, baptized in Jesus Name!

Thought For Today: “In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” (Proverbs 12:28)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 19

Holy Living

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (Hebrews 12:14)

Today’s Morsel: Do you go out of your way to be at peace with others? What about yourself? Some folks struggle with being at peace with themselves. Their lives are like a ball of confusion. I hear folks asking for prayer for peace. Didn’t Jesus say: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) If He left peace here with us, then peace should always be there for us. Isaiah stated: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) Shouldn’t every born-again believer be filled with peace? Since Jesus is the Prince of peace and peace is a by-product of the Holy Ghost, shouldn’t we have peace? The writer of Hebrews tells us to follow peace and holiness. If Jesus is our peace, then we ought to be following Him. Jesus said: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (John 8:12) If we follow Jesus and His ways, we will have all the peace we need, and we will be at peace. We will have peace not only with others but ourselves also.

Sing: Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love.

Thought For Today: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.” (Hebrews 11:31)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 18

Learning From Other’s Mistakes

“Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” (Hebrews 3:7-19)

Today’s Morsel: History tells us that Israel could not enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. Unbelief can cause you to miss out of a lot of promises and blessings from God. Many people have failed to achieve their goals, graduation, or become successful, all because of their unbelief. The ten spies that brought back an evil report to Moses and the people saw themselves as unable to do what God was trying to do through them. They saw themselves as grasshoppers. They saw themselves as useless bugs hopping around afraid. The writer of Hebrews tells us why they could not enter into their rest. He said, “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” (Hebrews 4:2) Notice, they did not mix the Word of God with their faith. Faith without works is dead. Anytime you hear God’s Word, you must be ready to receive it and apply it to your heart so that it will come to fruition. The devil doesn’t want you to believe. He wants you to live in a state of doubt and unbelief. James enlightens us with these words: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:5-8) If you are one of those who have trouble with unbelief, you probably have already been inflicted with a grasshopper mentality.

Sing: I trust in God, wherever I maybe, upon the land or out on the raging seas. For come what may, from day to day, my heavenly Father, watches over, over, me.

I trust in God, I know He cares for me, upon the land, or out on the stormy seas. Though billows rolls, He keeps my soul, my heavenly Father watches over, over, me.

Thought For Today: “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:19-20)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 17

The Entrance Into The Kingdom 

“And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-11)

Today’s Morsel: When we become Christians, our destination and goal ought to be heaven. If that is not your goal, chances are you will struggle in your walk and relationship with Christ and others. Your end state must be heaven. This earth is not our destination. We are heading to a place where there will be no more pain and suffering. The Bible tells us that the patriarchs looked for a city whose builder and maker was God. It tells us that they saw themselves as strangers and pilgrims in this earth. But that did not stop them from trying to reach their destination. God has put into place some requirements for us to enter His Kingdom. As He told Nicodemus, you must be born again of the water and the Spirit.  Then Peter tells us, Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Notice, if we do these things we will find the entrance into the kingdom. When many of Jesus’ disciples went back because of their lack of understanding, He asked the twelve whom He had chosen if they would go away also. “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68-69) We must grow and mature in the things and ways of God to reach that city. You must daily keep pressing towards the mark of the prize. And you must be sure of yourself if you are going to make it into the kingdom.

Sing: I’m going to a city, there’ll be no more night; I’m going to a city where Jesus is the light. The trumpet’s gonna sound and I’ll be called away; I’m going to a city someday.

Thought For Today: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 16

Can A Man Still Be Profitable to God?

“Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?” (Job 22:1-2)

Today’s Morsel: As humans, we are quick to write people off. Especially when we see that they are charged with a crime that lands them into prison for many years. We assume that that person’s life will be useless once they serve the time they are given and get out. But many have done their time, come out, and still made something great out of their lives. Job’s friends were accusing him of having sin in his life. They saw what he was going through and facing and thought it could not be of God. They offered Job no comfort for his dilemma. They only ridiculed him with words of no comfort, trying to get him to repent for his sin. Eliphaz even challenged Job, suggesting that Job’s suffering was not God’s fault but his own. He asked, Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? By all accounts, Peter probably felt like a failure when he denied the Lord three times after he had told Him that he would die for Him. He probably felt like, What are these keys going to do for me now. But after Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, the angel told Mary, “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” (Mark 16:6-7). When God calls you, you are still profitable to Him, no matter your failures, you can still be profitable for His glory and purpose.

Sing: Jesus use me, O’ Lord don’t refuse me, for surely there’s a work that I can do. And even though it’s humble, Lord, help my will to crumble, though the cost be great I’ll work for You.

Thought For Today: All hope is never lost.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2026 March 14

Is Your Mind Made Up?

“A Song or Psalm of David. O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” (Psalms 108:1)

Today’s Morsel: David seemed to be a man who had his mind made up when it came to serving God. By all accounts, David didn’t start to praise God and decide to serve God when he was chosen to be king, his mind was already made up from his youth. He told Saul prior to fighting Goliath: “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37) David was confident that God was with him. What about you? Are you taking God at His word? Are you fully persuaded that what He said that He will do that He will do it? If not, make up your mind now, as hell is about to be let loose on the church.  We have to have a made-up mind to make it.  

Sing: I’ve got my mind made up to serve the Lord. I’ve got my mind made up to serve the Lord. I’ve got my mind made up to serve the Lord; I’ve got my mind made up to serve the Lord.

Thought For Today: Better is one day in His courts than thousands elsewhere!