Morning Manna by Rufus Parker: 2012 July 2

Monday, July 2, 2012

2012 July 2 - Morning Manna

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:1-7)

Today's Morsel: Paul and Timothy had a special relationship. Timothy came to know Jesus as a result of Paul's ministry. From all indications, Paul knew Timothy's mother and grandmother as well. Paul saw something in Timothy that others may not have seen. As they traveled and ministered together, they become as close as a father and son. As Timothy grew in the Lord, Paul was able to send him forth by himself to minister. Timothy was even chosen by Paul to be the leader of the church at Ephesus ( Acts 1:3). As a young minister, Timothy faced many challenges and problems. Paul wrote this letter to counsel and encourage him. Although the letter is personal in nature, Paul included in it a wealth of advice about how to deal with problems in the church. He told Timothy to stir up the gift that is within him. Paul also tells us what the church should be like. We should have sound spiritual teaching about Jesus Christ, faithful worship, strong leadership, dedication of God's Word, and caring ministries. This is what makes up a true church of God. When we understand Paul's writings to Timothy, then we understand how to stand in adversity.

Sing: I am determined, I've made up my mind, I'll serve the Lord. O' I am determined, I've made up my mind, I'll serve the Lord. I'll pastor wherever You lead me, I'll shepherd wherever You feed me; O' I am determined, I've made up my mind, I'll serve the Lord.

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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.