Daily Encouragement Net - A daily, Bible-based message of hope and encouragement.
 The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. <Previous Message · Archives · Archive edition Monday, August 2, 2010  Farm on Elizabethtown Road, Lancaster County, PA  Listen to this message on your audio player."Waiting For The Lord" "I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God" (Psalm 38:15). "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:14). "My times are in Your hands" (Psalm 31:15a). This summer we've been experiencing the 3 H's in Lancaster County. That is; hot, humid, and hazy. We've come to rely on the comforts of our air conditioned van in this warm weather but over the past month the van overheated on numerous occasions due to the radiator fans not working. I was trying to avoid the expense of a mechanical repair so finally last week I decided to tackle the problem myself and see if I couldn't fix it. Based on research I had determined it was likely a small part known as the radiator fan relay so I removed it and then ordered the replacement online.  Our van was inoperable during the repair so I was anxious to know when the part would arrive. As I waited I could track the shipment progress online. I ordered the part Monday evening and later that same evening when I checked the order it had already been processed. It left the warehouse Tuesday morning and was in Philadelphia by that afternoon. On Wednesday when I checked it was already in Mount Joy and sure enough it arrived with that day's mail. I installed it and am pleased to report it corrected the problem!Wouldn't it be interesting if we could always check the progress of that which we are waiting on! I have a friend dealing with cancer who's trusting the Lord for healing. He recently had surgery but the "wait" period can be a very tense period for the entire family. I know so many of you can identify and undoubtedly many of you are in the midst of a very hard "wait" period as you read this message. In so many experiences of life we are waiting for God's promise to be fulfilled but we're uncertain of the timing in the process. Although the reality of the promise is assured the timing and often the means by which God will bring about the promise is unspecific. The daily Scriptures bring great assurance when appropriated. They represent many Scripture verses that deal with the subject of waiting. We want to especially encourage our readers today who are in the midst of a wait period. The first selected verse asserts the faith that God will answer. "I wait for You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God" (Psalm 38:15). Notice in the second verse that the Psalmist calls on us to "wait for the Lord" at the beginning of the verse and then repeats it at the end of the verse. His repetitive message reveals that waiting has always been hard. But in the midst of the wait we are called to be strong and take heart or be courageous. When we fail to trust God we then begin to live in the vacillating realm of "What if?" The "What if" mental game can take our minds on hopeless explorations God never intended. That's when we grow anxious, even fearful because we've shifted our focus to uncertainty instead of the certainty of trusting in God. In the third verse the Psalmist acknowledges, "My times are in Your hands." Let us make that our proclamation also so that we can experience the Lord's unsurpassing peace as we place our times in His hands. We all face unexpected delays that try our patience and bring on the anxiety jitters and sleepless nights. But remember this truth today; when it's beyond our control, it is always within God's control! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber Daily prayer: Jesus, You made us to be time-sensitive creatures. Our schedules are guided by hours, days, weeks, years, seasons and on and on it goes. While most of our activity is decided by our prearranged schedules we don't usually allot waiting time, but You do. You arranged it for the patriarchs of old and expect it of Your followers throughout the ages as we often find ourselves waiting and waiting and waiting. But it's not a waste of our precious time, for You tell us that we are strengthened in the wait, as we depend upon You to work out the details for our lives. You've promised that if we wait upon You our strength will be renewed and we will mount up with wings as eagles. As we do so we're refreshed in our spirit and find ourselves more patient, confident, and courageous as we wait upon You to accomplish Your intended plan for our lives. We look to You and are sustained by Your Almighty Hand during the wait! Amen. Seven truths for those in a wait period: 1. Waiting has been the consistent experience of God's people in the bible and throughput church history. 2. Waiting is a result of the conflict between our desires versus God's purposes. 3. At times the wait is for another purpose as well or for the benefit of someone else. 4. God gives grace during the wait period. 5. In some cases consider the letdown when the wait is over. After all there will always be something we are waiting for! 6. Living a fulfilling, abundant life is ultimately a result of our relationship with God, which is always current. We must learn to experience that in the wait periods. 7. Remember, when it's beyond our control, it is always within God's control!  This weekend David, Ken and I went to the Lancaster Barnstormers Baseball Game. It was David's first ballgame and it was a joy to take him and his dad. He was sure attentive at the sights, sounds, smells and tastes. The Lancaster Barnstormers are our minor league baseball team.  We stopped by this natural scene in southern Lebanon County and hiked back to see the Dinosaur Rock. I really get the Weeby Jeebies seeing Ester sitting under the rock but apparently its been there a long time and I've seen photos of people climbing and standing on it.  Saturday afternoon we passed this farm pond with a beautiful landscaped setting along Cold Spring Road. The pond sure looked inviting for a swim and brought memories to both of us of childhood swimming in ponds in Southern Missouri and Oklahoma. However many of them were also stock ponds and quite muddy! Years ago I shared a childhood lesson learned from my grandfather in a farm pond swimming incident. Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources (In some cases you may also need to click again to start the song.) "Wait On The Lord" Video The Martin family sings this beautiful song acapella and it will truly minister to those of you in the waiting period! It's a song that Brooksyne and Ester have sung together often when visiting people in hospitals, nursing homes, etc. who are in the waiting period. It's based on Psalm 27:14, KJV, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart...." "Every Promise" Video Stuart Townend This is a great sing along song we sing in our church with a repetition suitable for the congregation. "What Grace Is Mine" Video Keith and Kristyn Getty We enjoy the Getty's music. This Greensleaves song tune is used for many songs and including a song sung at my brother's wedding titled "He Looked Beyond My Faults" by Dottie Rambo. Video Lancaster Barnstormers Dinosaur Rock, Lebanon County, PA Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne. |
  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 8/1/10 $8,898.00 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 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 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.  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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