Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 July 2

You Are Not A Superhero

“LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.” (Psalms 39:4)

Today’s Morsel: I often wonder if folks really know how frail they really are. Life is shorter than most of us may think. Some folks put more confidence in their flesh than they do in their faith in God who made their flesh. Some give no thought that the next month or even tomorrow is not promised. When I was young and in the army, I did a lot of crazy stuff because my trust and confidence was in my flesh and not in God. I could run for miles, do a lot of push-ups, jump across walls without any problem. My trust was not in God, but in myself and in my flesh. But one day at football practice, I was slowly showing the new quarterback and running backs how to run an option play. As I slowly walked and explained, as I began to pivot, I heard something pop in my knee. As I looked down, I saw that my knee was beginning to swell, and the pain immediately rushed to my brain. Luckly, the dispensary was right across the street from where we were practicing. I hobbled over to it, and the doctor informed me that I had torn a ligament in my knee. I was required to spend months on crutches until I got better. But because I still placed my faith in my flesh, I did not listen to his instructions. And now, after two knee surgeries, and continuous pain in the knee, I understand just how frail I truly am! Moses prayed: “For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalms 90:9-12) This flesh is not forever. Life has an end. It’s short and fleeting. And the quicker we figure that out and put our trust in God and not in this flesh, the better off we will be.

Sing: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Now, I know that the Lord will save His anointed, He will hear him from His holy heaven; with the saving strength of His right hand, they are brought down and fallen, but we are risen and stand upright. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

Thought For Today: “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2025 July 1

Spiritual Knowledge

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.” (Proverbs 1:7-9)

Today’s Morsel: Knowledge, they say, is power. Throughout scripture, we are admonished to learn and grow in the things and ways of God. So many seem to be suffering because they have not the knowledge of Christ. As a matter of fact, scripture tells us that God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6) Spiritual knowledge is designed to help us make right choices and right decisions. We can’t walk around and bury our heads as an ostrich in the sand. We must know if we are going to be able to navigate through this life. The world is a mind field with many snares and traps to destroy us. And we are going to need the knowledge of God to be able to identify them, step correctly, and get through it. Notice what Solomon says, the fear, or the respect for God and His ways, starts our knowledge. We must learn at the onset whose we are and who is over us. If we reject God, we are not only rejecting knowledge, but we are also rejecting wisdom, love, life, and salvation for our soul. God wants us to be knowledgeable of Him, so that we can live and not die and have an abundant life with peace, contentment, and satisfaction. We must daily spend some time looking into and studying the word of God. The mind is the controlling station of the body, and it is a terrible thing to waste.

Sing: Jesus at the center of it all, Jesus at the center of it all, from beginning to the end, it will always be, it’s always been You Jesus. 

Thought For Today: “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.” (Proverbs 19:2)