 A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Messages · Archives ·  Archive/print editionWednesday, August 5, 2009  Our friend Nancy Martin took this photo of a massive cloud over their farm in Lancaster County, PA  Listen to us share this message on your audio player"God's Reliable Love" "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us" (1 John 4:16). We have two older vehicles: a '98 Toyota Camry and a '99 Chrysler Town & Country mini-van. We purchased both used; the Camry in 2001 and the Town and Country in 2004. They are both getting up there in age and miles which causes me to chuckle when I consider that many later model vehicles are now being reckoned as "clunkers"! But we have tried to keep them well maintained and they have blessed us with safe transportation and reliability. The dictionary defines reliability as "dependability or trustworthiness". The reliable object consistently functions as designed. The reliable person can be counted on because he is trustworthy. Both people and machines can be reliable or unreliable. I have a friend who's dealing with an unreliable contractor which is causing him and his wife a great deal of frustration. Years ago we had a car that had some type of engine problem. It would stall out when climbing a hill. Since we lived in the mountains in northern Pennsylvania at the time, our unreliable engine became a great source of aggravation to us. Being a reliable person includes dependability, consistency and faithfulness. When something or someone is reliable we generally take that quality for granted but when dealing with unreliability that faulty trait quickly rises to the surface. In our interface with both people and machines reliability is necessary and is a genuine blessing. Today's Scripture text is a wonderful verse to memorize and hide deep in our hearts: "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us." What a tremendous blessing that we can know and rely on God's love. God's love is absolutely reliable. Sometimes it is very evident to me and at other times it is an invisible expression. Sometimes I would like to see Him do things differently and there are times I even give Him ideas on how to do it. But there is a deep abiding assurance as we come to regularly rely upon His steadfast, unconditional love.  Perhaps you have seen the photo (or computer designed graphic) of a huge iceberg. Only the tip is showing above the water. That's a good illustration of the love of God. Those of us in Christ know God's love and realize it is so immense that it is beyond measure. As our faith grows we draw even closer to Him and we have an even greater sense of God's love. However I suspect we really still just see the tip of His love! Even though there is so much about God's love I see and may even think I understand; I really suspect that there is a whole, whole lot I fail to see or comprehend.Do you know God's love today? Are you relying (trusting, believing) on that love? A.W. Tozer wrote: "God's love is measureless. It is more: it is boundless. It has no bounds because it is not a thing but a facet of the essential nature of God. His love is something He is, and because He is infinite, that love can enfold the whole created world in itself and have room for ten thousand times ten thousand worlds beside." Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Father, we know Your love because You first loved us. You gave Your one and only Son to die for our sins so that we would not perish but spend eternity in heaven with You. As our roots grow down into Your love we gain strength, understanding, and maturity. Though we cannot grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, we can respond in love to You. Just as we rely on the love You have for us, may You find our love consistent and reliable. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Personal note: The next two weeks we will be on vacation. We still plan to prepare daily encouragement messages, but will not necessarily publish daily.  A group of young people from other area churches are providing a VBS to the country church in Mastersonville PA where I am now serving a part-time, interim role as pastor. What a joy to see their vibrancy and interest in the children. |
 "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 8/03/09: $7,015.00)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. or as an email subscription update through feedburner. Subscribe to Daily Encouragement Updates by EmailCancel: 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  Endorsed chaplain "Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation" www.dailyencouragement.net |
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