A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Wednesday, April 25, 2012  This large Sycamore tree dwarfs this old stone farmhouse. "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" (Jeremiah 17:7,8). "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Colossians 2:6,7). What is it about trees that you like? Perhaps it's the distant profile of the tree during a particular season, the color, beauty and symmetry of the leaves, the shade it provides or the fruit it bears. As children many of us enjoyed climbing trees. They served as a natural setting for a playroom with many levels. My friend Dave and I spent many hours climbing the huge Mulberry tree at the side of our house in Belton, Missouri.  If a tree has edible fruit we may really enjoy it for that reason. We appreciate the apples from our neighbor's tree and the tasty syrup our friends from New York brought us recently which are produced from the sugar maple trees. Of course we all benefit from the products made from the wood of the tree.But I doubt if many of us would say, "I really like the roots!" In some instances we see roots as a nuisance. Exposed tree roots can heave sidewalks and driveways, create tripping hazards for pedestrians and wreck the blades of your lawn mower. Roots of course are largely unseen. We may forget all about them till we have an occasion to dig them out and then they are really a pain!  But if we've ever studied trees we know that roots are vital to a tree's well-being and this is in turn used to describe the spiritual life. This is seen in our first daily text describing a man whose trust and confidence are in the Lord; "He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream." Many years ago we had a discipleship class in our church prepared by the Navigators called "2:7" based on our second daily Scripture reference, "rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."Pastor Ray Stedman shares an interesting story pertaining to today's theme. I think you'll find it to be helpful and we will conclude our message with this story. "I remember many years ago a youth conference in the Sierra Nevada. There a young man came to me and took me aside. We stood together underneath a great Douglas fir and he said, "Pastor, I don't know what is the matter with me. I want to be a good Christian, and I try hard, but somehow I just never seem to make it. I'm always doing the wrong thing. I just can't live like a Christian." I said to him, "Well, there may be several reasons for that, but let me ask you this, first of all: What about your private life with the Lord? How well do you know the Lord? How much do you delight in reading His word and then spending time talking to Him? Because, after all, it's not the time spent in reading the word that's important, but it's the time spent in enjoying the presence of God that strengthens you." He hung his head and said, "Well, I admit I don't do very much of that." Just then this very phrase from the Psalms flashed into my mind, "He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of water." I stepped back and said to him, "Look at this tree we're under. What does it remind you of? What are the qualities this tree suggests to you?" He looked at the tremendous Douglas fir, towering up into the heavens above, and said, "Well, the first thing is, it's strong." I said, "Yes. Anything else?" "Well," he said, "it's beautiful." I said, "Exactly! Beauty and strength. Those are the two things you admire about this tree. And those are exactly the two things you want in your own life, aren't they? Beauty and strength?" He said, "Right." "Well," I said, "Tell me this: What makes this tree beautiful and strong? Where does it get its beauty and its strength?" He stopped for a moment and looked at the tree, then he said, "Well, from the roots, I guess." I asked him, "Can you see the roots?" "No," he said, "You can't." Then he said, "I get it! That is the hidden part of life, but it is the secret of this tree's beauty and strength, isn't it?" How healthy is your root system today? Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, we want to be like the trees planted by streams of water that remain vibrant, healthy, and growing in spite of drought, storm and the extremes of the heat and cold. As we are rooted and built up in You we continue to grow, mature, and remain firm when the raging storms of life seek to topple our faith. No matter what we're dealt we continue to live in You, rooted and built up, strengthened in our faith, and overflowing with thankfulness for all that You are to us. Amen.Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "I Will Delight" Video Fernando Ortega "Everlasting God" Video New Life Worship This is the song from which we posted the lyrics at the bottom of today's message. It is written by Glenn Packiam. "Everlasting God" Video Chris Tomlin "From The East Unto The West" Video The Odes of Solomon "Eternity" Video Brian Doerksen "Creation Calls" Video Brian Doerksen Beautiful song set to outstanding photos and videos. |
 Weber family Christmas 2011 "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 12/11)  Are our daily encouragement messages a blessing to you? Each weekday morning Brooksyne and I prepare these messages and distribute them at no cost to you and many others all over the world. We ask you to consider making a donation to Daily Encouragement Net so that we can continue to prepare and provide this daily resource which is accessed by believers and seekers all over the world. Daily Encouragement Net relies solely on the generosity and financial support of its readers and podcast listeners. See here for more information on supporting this ministry. Gifts are tax deductible. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 4/24/12: $4,145.00 We express thanks to all who support our ministry!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. Daily Encouragement on Facebook and Twitter:  The daily message and prayer on Facebook. The daily message and prayer on Twitter.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! Our other blogs: "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!) (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. All of these songs are also available for download on the site. 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 2012 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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