Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 June 22

“And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel” (Numbers 13:25-14:10).

Today's Morsel:  I am sure that you have heard the following poem entitled "Don't Quit":    “When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit- Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, as every one of us sometimes learns, and many a fellow turn about When he might have won had he stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow - You may succeed with another blow. Often the goal is nearer than It seems to a faint and faltering man; Often the struggler has given up When he might have captured the victor's cup; And he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out - The silver tint in the clouds of doubt, and you never can tell how close you are, it might be near when it seems afar; So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit - It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.”

 In today’s passage, the children of Israel quit right at the finish line. They were so close and yet so far away because of their unbelief. You must always walk by faith and not by sight.  Don't quit.

Sing:  The mountain is high but it's not too steep; the battle is rough, but I not too weak, and I won't turn back Oh No! I won't turn back.  O the road is hard, but it's not too long, and the enemy is near, but he's not that strong, and I won't turn back; Oh No! I won't turn back.

Thought For Today:  Walk by faith and not by sight.