A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 A daily, Bible-based message of hope, encouragement and exhortation. Click here to donate online.The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber. <Previous Message · Archive edition Tuesday, November 27, 2012  First Snowfall of the Season!  Listen to this message on your audio player."A Day of Good News" "Then they said to each other, 'We're not doing right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves'" (2 Kings 7:9). Weather forecasters predicted our area would get 1 to 3 inches of snow through the night so we expected to awaken early this morning to a white outdoors. But it was simply a chilly, wet ground when I turned on the porch light. A couple hours later the moist snow began to fall and is still doing so now, though there will be little accumulation from the looks of things since the temperature is above 32 degrees.  Ester went outside since she always gets excited about the first snowfall and excitedly brought back a vibrant fall leaf covered with snow that she found from the many leaves in the yard. She was chattering about the beautiful leaf (seen in photo) as she wiped the snow away, only to be very disappointed when Brooksyne alerted her that it wasn't a real leaf, rather a leftover cloth leaf from the fall decorations I took down over the weekend. She argued for a moment but when the snow was removed she disappointingly admitted Brooksyne was right. (You were probably fooled by the photo as well.)Ester gleaned a fake leaf from among the real ones lying all about our yard. The act of gleaning is collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest. A few years ago Brooksyne took advantage of our farmer friend's offer to glean his tomato field after the professional harvesters had loaded many trucks with tomatoes over a week's time. We had lots of tomatoes and salsa that winter! Many years ago A.W. Pink wrote a book titled "Gleanings in Genesis" in which he expounds on interesting passages that may tend to be overlooked in the main harvest of one's Bible reading. Golden gleanings usually come in times of unhurried meditation. Today's passage is found in the historical section of the Bible and may be easily overlooked but what a timeless message it teaches us! It's one of those lessons we can learn from an actual event in Israel's history in 2 Kings 7:1-14. Here's the background: The Aramean army had laid siege to the city causing a famine and the situation looked hopeless. But Elisha, the prophet of God, had encryptically foretold the deliverance, but was not believed (7:1-3). During the desperate siege four men with leprosy who sat at the city gate reasoned, "What do we have to lose?" and went outside the besieged city into the Aramean camp to surrender. But God had performed a remarkable deliverance and the armies had scattered in fear, leaving everything. The four lepers stumbled on the bounty and "ate and drank." Then the lepers were struck with remorse as we read in our daily verse. Ponder with me on one phrase, "This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves." These four men had been social outcasts and were not even allowed in the city. Life had been very rough and isolation could only exasperate the situation. Could this be their way to get even? No, their conviction to share the good news with the besieged city overwhelmed them. I find it interesting that after they shared, nothing more is heard from them. Yet they did the right thing and are forever memorialized in this Scripture for their action. Often it's that way when we do the right thing. Man may not acknowledge, but God sees and, "God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them" (Hebrews 6:10). Today let us consider our bountiful blessings; our salvation in Christ, God's written Word, a Christ-honoring church, good medical care, a loving family, a supportive friend; the list goes on and on. But are we keeping it to ourselves? Clearly like these lepers we are called to share. What can you do to share God's blessings? Remarkably, as we share, these blessings are not diminished but multiplied. This principle is taught throughout the Scriptures. Jesus said "give and it shall be given unto you…" Let us do so today! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber  Daily prayer: Father, we are a blessed people who have so much to be thankful for that we can't keep it to ourselves. We don't boast in ourselves for we are but human flesh, but we boast in who You are and all that You provide for us. Father, You are the eternal, sovereign God who sends down the rain and snow, who raises up the trees and flowers, who sets the sun and moon in place and yet You have such tender compassion toward the human race that You gave Your only Son to make atonement for our sin. You are great and greatly to be praised among Your people and throughout the universe You created. We honor You through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.We appreciate feedback from our readers and share two from yesterday's message: "Thank you for this awesome message! I loved the Thanksgiving prayer after the message also! Just had to let you know that once again the verse you chose for your message is the same one I wrote down to meditate on all day! God is so awesome! Your message on this verse really inspired me too. I had a long shopping list and after reading this cut many items out of it realizing I indeed had all I needed or could ever want!! After all Jesus has already lifted me out of the pit of drugs, guns, prostitution, despair, defeat and emptiness and blessed me with a new life full of restoration to family, a church home full of loving friends, a wonderful job where I can be of service to Him and others, and a quiet and peaceful, contented home with my baby cat!! Thank you once again for putting things in perspective for me! After all not only do I have a new life on earth but I have been given the greatest treasure of all! Faith in Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life!! Makes that new Kindle pale in comparison!!" - Lori "I am so thankful for and appreciative of the service and encouragement the two of you provide. This article brought to mind a sidebar (that's what I call it) to my daily scripture for today, Paul's letter to the Ephesians. "Why is it we spend so much time focusing on the concerns of the world we'll soon leave and so little time on the eternity we're headed for?" I can truly say like the words of the song, 'I'm Happy With Jesus Alone.' Thank You. I believe you are too." - Mary Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Jesus Saves" Video Travis Cottrell "Don't That Sound Like Heaven" Video Palmetto State Quartet Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
 Stephen and Brooksyne Weber (Click on photo to enlarge) "We want to encourage you daily in your walk with Christ!" Personal Ministry Update (Revised 10/12)  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 an offering 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. Click here to donate online. 2012 financial offerings to Daily Encouragement Net as of 11/26/12: $15,621.00. 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. These messages are 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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