A classic hymn has these wonderful words tucked into one of the verses, "Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do."  I believe it's a daily discipline to ponder anew what the Almighty has done, is doing and will do.


We often mention our enjoyment of flowers in this series. Brooksyne takes great delight in her flowers and I thoroughly enjoy photographing them. One of the features I really enjoy about digital photography is the ability to get close-ups.  On my camera there is a special setting that makes this easy. 

We were looking at one of our flowering plants and were stunned by its beauty as we examined it up close; tiny, delicate pink buttercups that open into beautiful flowers. Since it was planted by the previous owner we didn't know what it was. Was it some type of exotic, rare plant we wondered?

It turns out that it's the Mountain Laurel, the Pennsylvania state flower! We have often seen these laurels at a distance in mid-June when the mountain sides are covered with them creating a lovely pink along the roads.  However we had never taken the time to get out and see what they looked like up close.  That beautiful distant panorama was actually a vast collage of these tiny, beautiful flowers.

It can be that way with God's Word.  We are often most familiar with the panoramic view.  We may assume that it's the amount of Scripture we read that is most important to God so we might read several chapters daily.  But in doing so we may fail to really examine and ponder each verse, phrase, or even consider the meaning of just one word.

After living in Pennsylvania for 20 years we were familiar with the panoramic view of the mountain laurel but had never seen the individual flowers up close, so it can be with Scripture.  We benefit from both the panoramic and close-up views of the Holy Word of God!


Be encouraged today,


Stephen C. Weber

Brooksyne's prayer: Jesus, I confess to You my need for sensitivity from Your Holy Spirit when I read Scripture.   Following the schedule of a yearly reading plan gives me an overall understanding of Your sovereign work in creation and in the lives of individuals as it also instructs me in holy living.   But the very personal message that You have for me generally comes from pondering a newly discovered truth or considering a Scripture portion and poring over it throughout my day.  It opens avenues of understanding and oneness with You that I miss when I ignore or hurry through my devotions.  Jesus, help me to be purposeful in my Scripture reading.  I invite the inspiration of Your Word to illuminate my path and to deepen my faith in You, the Changeless One.  Amen.

The classic hymn mentioned in the first paragraph is "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"   Audio    Video