 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionTuesday, May 5, 2009  This beautiful red maple at the end of our road. "O The Depth!" "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Romans 11:33). How rich are you today? When it comes to worldly wealth I suspect our readers differ considerably, since these messages are delivered all over the world to followers of Christ in a variety of circumstances. How we perceive our worldly wealth is quite relative. Most readers, including myself, are in the top 10% of the wealthiest people on earth. An interesting website (I'll share the link below) allows you to type in your annual income and see just how you rate in comparison to others around the globe. The site explains the tendency to gauge just how rich we are by looking upwards at those who have more of this world's goods which can make us feel poor. Rather we should look around and consider the many who have far, far less for a proper perspective on just how wealthy we really are. But today we want to share a message focusing on the greatest source of wealth we all may equally share in; regardless of where we live, the language we speak, our ethnic background or the degree of our earthly material wealth. Riches can describe wealth, money, possessions, or abundance. But Paul is obviously not speaking of worldly riches in our daily text but rather he is speaking of spiritual riches similar to the sentiment he expressed in Ephesians 1:7, "In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us." Worldly riches are visible to others while spiritual riches are embedded in the believing human heart and there is not necessarily any correlation at all. The first eleven chapters of Romans is steeped with deep theological teaching that Paul has recorded as a foundation for understanding our life in Christ. He then moves from the theological to the practical in the next section (Romans 12) as he gives guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a sin-filled world. But before he closes the theological section he seems to step back and examine God's work and in summary he makes the powerful acclamation in our daily verse, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Many commentators consider this verse and the next three to be a Doxology. In my personal study I try to read it aloud as Paul might well have expressed it, particularly in light of the material that precedes it. William MacDonald sums up Paul's concluding doxology as looking back over the entire Epistle and the divine wonders that have been unfolded. Paul has expounded the marvelous plan of salvation by which a just God can save ungodly sinners and still be just in doing so. He has shown how Christ’s work brought more glory to God and more blessing to men than Adam lost through his sin. He has explained how grace produces holy living in a way that law could never do. He has traced the unbreakable chain of God’s purpose from foreknowledge to eventual glorification. He has set forth the doctrine of sovereign election and the companion doctrine of human responsibility. And he has traced the justice and harmony of God’s dispensational dealings with Israel and the nations. Now nothing could be more appropriate than to burst forth in a hymn of praise and worship! We will close our message today with this prayer of praise to God for the wisdom and foreknowledge of His incomprehensible plan for our lives. He governs the universe and our lives in His perfect wisdom and vast knowledge. We cannot fully understand but we can fully trust His plan and provision for our lives each day. To do so is to experience true wealth that this world cannot give! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, I am in awe of the depth of Your riches, both of wisdom and knowledge! How unsearchable are Your judgments and unfathomable Your ways! For who has known Your mind, Lord, or who has been Your counselor? Or who has ever given to You, Father, that You should repay Him? For from You and through You and to You are all things. To You be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 slightly adapted for prayer) Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources Click on the link to open and play. In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song. "O The Depth" Today's text set to music. Audio from the Integrity Scripture memory series. "Favorite Song Of All" Audio Open page and click on "play". Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. This song sure makes me smile! A member of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir shares a powerful Scripture meditation that I have enjoyed for many years (2 minute audio) followed by this song. Global Rich List See how you compare! Note: Yesterday's message was on Cain and Abel and a thoughtful friend of mine shared this thought: "You spoke about Abel's gift and why it was not be accepted. I would like to share with you what I shared with our congregation this past Sunday concerning this question. A study of Hebrews 11:4 reveals that he offered a greater sacrifice... God testifying of his gifts (plural). The account in Genesis reads that "Abel also offered" the firstling of the flock. Is it possible that Abel offered the fruit of the ground and also in addition to that of the firstling of the flock. This would seem to follow some logic as the fruit of the ground would be an offering of thanksgiving or a thank offering which would have been offered by both of them. Abel's additional offering was the offering for sin or the sin offering. In viewing it this way, we don't want to forget that the condition of Cain's heart toward God was apparently not proper and that is what would have affected his choice of offering. Did he possibly not recognize his sinfulness before God and therefore not see a need for the sin offering? I certainly don't feel that this is the only correct interpretation but it seemed to settle my curiosity somewhat and just wanted to share it with you." |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 01/20/09  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 daily encouragement ministry? Donations are tax deductible and will be receipted directly by my chaplaincy endorsing ministry. Thanks! See here for details. (2009 YTD financial offerings through 5/4/09: $3,305.00)SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION  Were you forwarded this edition of Daily Encouragement Net? If you desire you can receive your own free! To receive these "Daily Encouragement" devotionals each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe. This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It was sent to you because you either signed up to receive it OR a friend forwarded it to you. You can also subscribe to the rss feed.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If these messages no longer meet your needs (providing encouragement) you can remove your address by merely use the link automatically inserted by the mailing list software at the very bottom of each email message. Weekly Version: The weekly version is designed for those who may 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" - A blog simply posting the daily prayer. We keep this up each day since it's merely the prayer from the Daily Encouragement Net message! "A Little Foolishness" - Humor/satire blog (a great outlet for non-serious writing but at times with a subtle message!) Last updated with the story of Mildred Swanson, who joyfully discovers her "spiritual gift" is sending forwarded emails! (Note: This material is satire!) "Clear Minded" - Longer, periodic articles on specific issues impacting the faithful believer and church. (Actually this is my intent but I haven't done much with it!) "Hymns of Hope" - Brooksyne along with two friends made a CD using classic hymns. Brooksyne tells the background story of the 11 hymns. We are distributing this CD without charge in our ministry. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. If any reader in this series would like a CD merely write us and request one.  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, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. © Copyright 2009 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net Stephen & Brooksyne Weber 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 Contact us |
Listen
Daily Encouragement is issued Monday-Friday. To make sure you continue to receive these e-mails in your Inbox (so they're not sent to a junk folder), please add scweber@dailyencouragement.net to your address book or safe sender list. You are receiving these recurring messages as a subscriber to Daily Encouragement Net because you signed up on our website or otherwise requested it unless someone forwarded the message to you. If you desire to unsubscribe use the link below. However, please do not use this link unless your address is the subscribed address below as you will otherwise unsubscribe the person who forwarded it to you!
| You are currently subscribed to dailyencouragement as: stephencweber.dailyencouragement@blogger.com To unsubscribe click here or send a blank email to leave-1421549-29778931.3ca482100b92072753461f79e13fb4f8@pr4.netatlantic.com |  |
