 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Thursday, December 30, 2010  A rural winter scene in Michigan. (Photo by Howard Blichfeldt)  Listen to this message on your audio player."Trust In The Lord" "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5,6). We’ve chosen a proverb for our focus today; one that is often quoted for those who are graduating or about to embark on a new path. It's also a verse that brings assurance to our hearts no matter where we are on life's journey. The book of Proverbs is full of wise sayings, easily memorized, that will keep us on the right track as we apply them to our lives. I still recall a Bible College definition of a Proverb being a "short pithy saying." It is listed in the Microsoft Office dictionary system with synonyms such as "terse, to the point, succinct." In an overall sense this Proverb always speaks to our situation. However there are those acute times when we desperately need the Lord’s specific direction and this verse becomes even more directive and meaningful in our lives. Most all of our readers today are dealing with the inconstancies of life such as a financial crisis, a difficulty at work, an unemployment situation, a troubling family matter or a major health concern that lies heavily on their hearts. In just the last couple days we’ve heard from:
This wonderful Proverb has three commands followed by a promise: 1) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart." Trust requires us to have faith and confident assurance that God is working through a matter. It is not the circumstance or our own heart that we place our trust in, but the object of our trust is "in the Lord." Are we to partially trust God and partially rely on our own abilities or wisdom? Not really! God want us to trust Him with all our heart. 2) “Lean not on your own understanding.” I consider the times when I thought I understood a matter, only to find out later I was wrong. When we lean on our own understanding we often get things wrong. We may start to worry, become afraid, or grow desperate and then we begin to make huge mistakes, make wrong choices, etc. Our understanding is always limited, often flawed, and cannot give us an accurate view of the future. 3) “In all your ways acknowledge Him.” In our thoughts, our speech, and our actions may others see that God is the central figure of our lives. Let there be no doubt as to Who or what motivates us to do what we do and say what we say. May Christ be preeminent in everything we do. For me it's not at all hard to comprehend the meaning of these three clauses, but consistent personal application is another matter!
After nearly 40 years of walking with the Lord I am still trying to fully apply this verse. Frankly, I expect to do so until I receive the upward call. But I can testify to the veracity of God’s promise. He directs my paths and I have an assurance that He always will as I trust Him wholeheartedly. Today I encourage each reader to accept this truth in regard to your own situation and rejoice with me in His steadfast love and care. Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, when I lean on my own understanding I fall prey to thinking in the natural and limit the work of the supernatural. But when I trust You with all my heart I leave no room for second guessing. Today I want to acknowledge Your presence in every area of my life…family, work, relationships, health, intellect and every other area of my life. You will bring to pass the plans You have for me as I wholeheartedly trust You for all that concerns me. Amen. Yesterday we went over to Messiah Village to visit Naomi, an elderly lady from our church. Brooksyne led a hymn sing with the residents in her nursing home.  Yesterday we also drove by Messiah College in Grantham, PA. For many years I have been blessed by this two word phrase on their sign, "Christ Preeminent" Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 10/21/10)  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. 2010 YTD financial offerings as of 12/29/10 $18,834.00.We thank all who support our online ministry. You may contribute online or through mail. Note: In order to receive 2010 giving credit gifts must be received by December 31 so I can account to my chaplaincy credentialling agency by that date. (They issue the official receipt.) 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 by us 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 through feedburner.Cancel: We respect and value your time and privacy. If you no longer desire to receive these messages you can remove your address from the list by merely using 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 or who may desire less frequent mailings. It is Friday's message with a link to previous messages. To receive the free weekly version, send a blank email to this address. Reader Survey: Please take a few minutes to assist us in improving our ministry effectiveness by filling out this online reader survey. To take the survey click here. 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 doneFather, unlike typical birth announcements that announce to others the birth of a child to its mother and father, the glorious pronouncement heralded by the angels was that the Christ Child was born to all people for all generations. “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given.” We have been given the gift of salvation through the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior. Thank You for the free will given to us that allows us to reject or receive this "Jesus, who is called Christ." When given the choice we like Peter respond, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." We go to the Rock of our salvation, our hope for all eternity. Amen. 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. All of these songs are also available for download on the site.  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 2010 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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