 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives ·  Archive/print editionTuesday, June 2, 2009  They lead right up off a busy road and are likely no longer used except to get the mail!  Listen to us share this message on your audio player."Divine Providence" "He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt" (Exodus 14:25).  Have you ever had a wheel come off while you're driving down the highway? You may have had a blowout but rarely does a wheel just come off its axle. I just read an article about a car where all four wheels came off as the driver was driving on the highway. Apparently all four tires had just been changed and they had installed the wrong nuts. Amazingly, no one was hurt. We may take wheels for granted but consider the significance of the invention of the wheel. It's a tool used in a variety of ways in our day to day lives. Today's text references the very first mention of a wheel in the Bible.  Exodus 14 chronicles the miraculous deliverance of the Israelites as they walked across the Red Sea on dry land as God parted the waters. As they departed the Egyptians chased after them. I wonder how the rank and file chariot drivers felt when commanded to follow their leaders through the parted sea! They witnessed a mighty miracle, nevertheless Scripture declares that their hearts were hardened (v.17). Notice the first part of the verse: "He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving." (No further explanation needed here!) This is an example of God's providence over the affairs of men. Now surely the finest mechanics in Egypt had serviced those chariots for Pharoah. These mechanics would have been highly skilled using the latest techniques and the finest materials available. But when the Almighty God of the universe ordains that wheels come off, no human invention or mechanical skill will stop them! "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." The Egyptians rightly recognized that the Lord was fighting for God's people against them. They'd already witnessed God's miraculous power in the ten plagues that preceded the Israelite's escape. Why did they think that He was going to turn His back on them at this point? The great doctrine of providence states that God is superintending over all of His creation in every way at all times. He's got each hair on our head counted (present tense) and not a single bird falls without His knowledge. The Westminster Catechism states, "God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures; ordering them, and all their actions, to His own glory." The providence of God can be a terrifying thought or one of tremendous comfort. It depends on your position in Christ. As believers we can rest in the calm assurance that God rules for our ultimate good. Today, may you find encouragement in this Biblical truth. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, You are the great God, the great King above all gods. In Your hand are the very depths of the earth and the tips of the mountain peaks. The sea is Yours, for You made it and Your hands formed the dry land. We bow down before You in worship as our Shepherd, for we are Your people, the flock under Your care. We desire to hear Your voice so that our hearts do not harden toward You, like the Egyptians and later the Israelites as they were tested and tried. Keep us faithful and trusting You, in the good times and in the trying times, in Jesus' name. Amen. Adapted from Psalm 95 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. "He Stilled The Storm" Open this page and click on "play" (from the Integrity Scripture Memory series.) "Be Still My Soul" Video Selah "Word Of God Speak" Video Sunday evening Ester went with a group of young people to hear "Mercy Me", a group that has written some beautiful songs, including this one. Here is one of the most helpful books I have ever read on the topic of God's Providence:  The Invisible Hand: Do All Things Really Work for Good? By R.C. Sproul / P & R Publishing - In a world steeped in anguish and evil, how can God be in control? Do all things really work for good? With head-on honesty and biblical insight, Sproul examines the difficult doctrine of divine providence. Discover how your Lord lovingly guides the events of your life without creating human wickedness or destroying human freedom. 224 pages, softcover from P & R.* Story of car with all four wheels falling off. Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update Revised 05/08/09  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 6/1/09: $4,830.00)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.Subscribe to Daily Encouragement Updates by Email 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. (To change addresses cancel your old address and then join again using your new address.) Weekly Version: The weekly version is intended 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. 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 |
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