| A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionFriday, September 5, 2008  Brooksyne took this photo yesterday in our back yard. Can anyone help us identify the type?  Listen to us share this message on your audio player. "Enjoying Detours" "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). Yesterday I was talking with a man who told me he had once been asked to head up the sign ministry of his local church. His duties included changing the weekly message on the church sign near the highway. Having recently come out of the world he was still a bit rough around the edges and posted a message on the church sign that he thought would be a "clever" witness. He used a play on words that resulted in this message, "A Church That Razes Hell". (Notice the spelling of "razes" rather than "raises"!) He told me the pastor politely asked him to change it since it would likely be misunderstood by passersby! I have periodically mentioned that I especially enjoy reading expressions of faith on church signs, farm silos, and colorful signs that homeowners place along the road. Our area is replete with evidences of the Lord's people seeking to express their faith. Many have messages that pack a powerful punch such as the one I saw that simply states, "Contentment is enjoying the scenery while on a detour." This brings to mind the words of Paul in 1 Timothy 6:6, "Godliness with contentment is great gain." Life has detours and some of you are on one right now as you read this. I consider a friend who's been "in transition" the last several months. This morning I spoke to him on the phone. He has dealt with a situation of unjustly losing the job he had for many years, and is now transitioning to a new line of work. But he has kept a faith-filled, positive outlook throughout the experience! Of course many of you are in some type of employment transition as well. Some readers are on an educational detour. Still others are dealing with unanticipated health problems so your detour now takes you to people and places previously unknown to you. Just consider those who find themselves regularly visiting a cancer clinic. Life's detours bring about a change of perspective that would be unknown if we always traveled the familiar route. The daily text is one of the first Scriptures I memorized as a young Christian. I recall reading a book titled "Power in Praise" that developed a theme of praising God and expressing thankfulness in the midst of trials or "detours". Contentment during the trial does not mean that we don't pray and seek a resolution to our problem. Certainly if I'm on a detour while traveling I still have a goal to arrive at the proper destination in a timely fashion. While following the detour I can choose to be annoyed by the change of routine that requires extra time or I can enjoy the new landscape, adjust my schedule, and reach my final destination with a good attitude. The key to "enjoying the scenery" during life's trials is based on two foundational truths that should be the bedrock of our faith. We must be firmly persuaded that: 1) God is in absolute control. 2) He is ultimately fulfilling His purpose in our lives. Notice the progression of purpose in our daily text: 1) The trial is a testing of faith. 2) This testing of faith develops perseverance. 3) Perseverance must finish its work. 4) This work makes us mature and complete, not lacking anything. So today if you're on a winding, bumpy detour may you have the perspective of the apostle James and "consider it pure joy" and experience this outlook, "Contentment is enjoying the scenery while on a detour." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, it is not by mistake but by Your design that we experience the detours of life that give us perspective in a way that nothing else does. Though we see others who travail in difficulty, it is particularly when we ourselves experience tough terrain that we seek to understand Your purpose for the trial we are enduring. Help us to persevere in the midst of uncertainty and unfamiliar landscape. May we find joy in the simple pleasures we overlooked when life's journey was routine and uninterrupted by the surprise bends in the road or difficult detours that bring about delay or a change of plans. May the testing of our faith bring about maturity and give us a new perspective that makes us stronger in our faith and more effective in our witness to those around us. May they see a grateful spirit in us even as we undergo difficulty so that we glorify Your name rather magnify our problems. Amen. Yesterday in eastern Lancaster County we came upon this interesting harvest scene. These are old order Mennonites working together to get the harvest in (in this case tobacco!) It was an interesting sight as they appeared to work in sync. Personal note from Stephen: Actually I do tend to enjoy literal detours since whenever possible I like taking a new or different route if it's not too far out of the way. Even when I travel on long trips I try to get off the interstate periodically and travel the country roads such as we did through a portion of Iowa and Nebraska last month.  In Nebraska my brother Mike and I were on a lightly travelled two lane road well off the interstate when we came upon this sign as we entered South Bend. Apparently the town fathers had a big city complex as well as a sense of humor. They reckoned each tiny intersecting road as an exit and indeed there were four for this town with the population of only 92! Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Trust His Heart" "Thank You Lord For The Trials That Come My Way" "Blessed Be You Name" Info about multi-media files used on daily encouragement. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber - May 6, 2008 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 04/15/08  Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. Would you please consider a financial offering to support us in this encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details.(2008 YTD financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net through 9/4/2008: $14,274.00)  Join: To receive these free "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. You can also subscribe to the rss feed. Cancel: To remove your address from this mailing list merely use the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who do not check their email regularly. It is merely the Friday message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Please feel free to pass these messages on! "A Daily Prayer" - The daily prayer from each daily encouragement message. "A Little Foolishness" - A collection of humorous and satirical stories drawn mostly from our years of ministry, as well as my sometimes fertile imagination. "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the church.  Daily Encouragement Net is an affiliate of Christianbook.com. Any orders placed to Christian Book Distributers using this link or any specific product link to a recommended resource in a daily encouragement message will help our Daily Encouragement ministry through a small commission on the sale. Thank you for using these links when purchasing online through CBD!Personal Mission Statement "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and I make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and to prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."  How to become a child of God Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission; and the King James Version. © Copyright 2008 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us  "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
