Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 8

Physicians With No Value

“What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.” (Job 13:2-4)

Today’s Morsel: I love reading the book of Job. Even though Job is suffering because of his attacks by Satan, he still seems to have a sense of humor and displays himself as a man of great wisdom and one who knows God personally. Job’s story shows us that when we are suffering, we just don’t need to be listening to anyone or everybody. Especially not to those who have no value and antidote for our situation. I find that even physicians are just practicing. That’s why they are called practitioners. They are practicing on us trying to see if stuff will work. And if it works on me, then they assume that if you have the same symptoms, then it ought to work on you, too. But they fail to realize that none of us are the same. We are all fearfully, and wonderfully made by God. Job says to his friends that he would love to speak with God about his issue, but he can’t find Him now, but as for them, they were all physicians of no value. In other words, they were powerless to heal, or even to understand his case. He felt that they had failed miserably and utterly to understand him. Do you feel the same about your friends and others as it relates to your case? Don’t give up. Wait patiently for Jesus and He will come through for you.

Sing: I lean on You Lord, I lean on You Lord, for the things that I need I lean on You. When I don’t know just what to do, I’ve got the faith You’re going to see me through. You supply my every need and I lean on You.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 7

The Miry Clay

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
(Psalms 40:1-2)

Today’s Morsel: Do you ever feel that you are sinking and can’t get your feet on solid ground so that you can walk upright again?  David found himself in a horrible pit. What kind of pit would be classified as a horrible pit. A horrible pit would be one that you cannot easily get out of. It can be filled with stench, rising muck and mire. It can be one where men are dying around you. It can be a prison cell. A neighborhood filled with trash and rodent infestation. Jeremiah found himself in a horrible pit, and if he had not been delivered, he would have died in there.  It was not uncommon in Bible days for men to be cast into such a place. Even Joseph’s brothers put him in a pit to die. But they chose to sell him into slavery instead. David found himself in just such a pit.  But he said, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” David had confidence that God would come through and deliver him, and God did. Maybe you feel as though you are in a horrible pit today and don’t see a way out. Just wait patiently for God, He will come through for you.

Sing: He brought me out of the miry clay, He set my feet on a rock to stay, He put a song in my soul today, a song of praise hallelujah. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 6

Clap and Shout

“O’ clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.” (Psalms 47:1)

Today’s Morsel: Here in La Crosse, Wisconsin where we live, one of the main streets is Losey Blvd. And there are signs along the street telling the truckers and trains to not break their engines or blow their train horns because of the echo and reverberation can cause damage to people’s homes along the roadway.  Reverend Lee Stoneking has done a study on loud noises from a spiritual standpoint, and he says that when we shout, clap our hands, and praise God, it sends a shockwave through the atmosphere, and it gives the devil a headache. So I conclude that if we want to keep the devil at bay, then we ought to start worshipping God with loud shouting and clapping our hands and give the devil a headache and he’ll leave us alone. The first battle that the children of Israel faced when they entered the promised land, was the city of Jericho. They were to walk around the city for six days saying nothing. But on the seventh day, they were to walk around seven times, and when they were given the command to shout, they were to shout, and the wall would come down. And when they shouted, the wall came down just as God had said that it would because of their obedience. Do you have a wall that needs to come down? Seek God for what He will have you do, and if He tells you to shout, then shout.

Sing: Walking around these walls, I thought by now they'd fall, but You have never failed me yet. Waiting for change to come, knowing the battle is won, for You have never failed me yet.

Your promise still stands, great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness, I'm still in Your hands this is my confidence, you’ve never failed me yet.

I've seen You move, You move the mountains, and I believe I'll see You do it again. You made a way, where there was no way, and I believe I'll see You do it again. I've seen You move, You move the mountains, and I believe I'll see You do it again. You made a way, where there was no way, 

and I believe I'll see You do it again. I've seen You move, You move the mountains, and I believe I'll see You do it again.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 5

Casting All Your Care On Jesus

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalms 55:22)

Today’s Morsel: What burden or burdens are you carrying that for some reason you just can’t seem to shake or get rid of in your life? You know, I’m talking about those things that just seem to keep weighing on you, draining you of your strength, breaking your heart every time, you think about them, or they keep causing you sleepless nights? Yes, you may have already prayed and asked God to take them away, but they just keep hanging around, don’t they? And then over a period of time you begin to feel that there isn’t a need to pray about them anymore because you’ve already been there, done that, and nothing is happening. So, what’s up with that since the scripture tells us to “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” There is our answer. God didn’t say that He would remove them, His word says that He will sustain us and never suffer us to be removed. Once you cast them on God, He’s got it. You aren’t going under, just follow Paul’s advice when God told Him that His grace was sufficient for him. Paul said: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Just keep praising Jesus and following His word and your strength will be made perfect in weakness.

Sing: The blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on Calvary, it’s the blood that gives me my strength from day to day, it will never lose its power. 

For it reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley, o yeah. It is His blood, that gives me my strength, from day to day, it will never lose its power.

It soothes my doubts, and it calms my fears; that old sweet blood, it dries away all my tears. It’s the blood that gives me strength from day to day, it’s will never lose its power. 

For it reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley, o yeah. It is His blood, that gives me my strength, from day to day, it will never lose its power.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 4

Labor Day

“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” (Exodus 20:8-11)

Today’s Morsel:  Across America today many will celebrate ‘Labor Day’. Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievement of the United States. But we see that the first Labor Day was instituted by God. God commanded that man must not work on the Sabbath Day. God states, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day.” Are you tired at the end of the day from your labor? If so, why not come back to Jesus and allow Him to give you rest. “And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28) Don’t allow the world to work you to death, get your rest.

Sing: When He calls me, I will answer. When He calls me, I will hear. When He calls me, I will answer, I’ll be somewhere working for my Lord. I’ll be somewhere working, I’ll be somewhere working, I’ll be somewhere working for my Lord. I’ll be somewhere working, I’ll be somewhere working, I’ll be somewhere working for my Lord. 

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 2

Blessing God While We Live

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.” (Psalms 63:1-4)

Today’s Morsel: Sometimes around the church, you will hear folks say that they are waiting for their blessing. Or they may say, God is blessing me. But if God is doing all the blessing, who’s blessing Him? Doesn’t scripture tell us, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” (Luke 6:38) So if God is giving, who’s giving back to Him? Are you blessing Him as He’s blessing you?  David said, “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalms 34:1-3) Notice, what he said. I will bless the Lord at all times.  That sounds like a man who understands that once you receive blessings from God, you should give back to God. We reap what we sow. If you want more blessings, then you ought to learn to bless God. How do we bless God, you may ask.  It is to offer back to Him the praise and thanks for all that He is and has done for us. Thus, I will bless Him daily while I live. What about you?

Sing: I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in Thee, Lord, the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.  O’ magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all of my fears.

Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2023 September 1

The Attributes of God

“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” (Psalms 62:7)

Today’s Morsel: One of the things that I like about scripture is that it allows you to make things personal when it comes to God. It allows you to put yourself right in the scripture. Some folks like to say that God is their personal Savior. Are they saying that they have ownership of God? I don’t think so. But it would be nice if we could. Jesus, who is God manifested in flesh, died for the whole world. However, we ought to have a strong and solid relationship with Him, so that when He speaks, we listen, because we as His sheep ought to know His voice. The more I read scripture, the more my love and understanding of God ought to be.  David said, God is my light and my salvation. We can take joy and delight in knowing that God will light our way. God is my strength. I can take comfort in knowing that because He is strength, He will give me strength. God is my refuge. I can take comfort in knowing that He will always protect me. God is my salvation. I can take hope knowing that He will save me. What would you like to take personal gratification in today about God? The psalmist again states, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”  That’s a lot to find grace, mercy, and hope in. 

Sing: He is my everything, He is my all. He is my everything, both great and small.  He gave His life for me, made everything new.  He is my everything.  Oh, how about you.