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Tuesday,
May 22, 2018

Kraybill Church Road view 5/20/18
Finally, after days of rain, we are back to enjoying nice walks with our dogs on Kraybill Church Road.


"Ponder Anew,
What The Almighty Can Do
"

Message summary: As we study God's Word and meditate on His precepts let us be faithful to "Proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done and what He is going to do."

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"Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them" (Psalm 111:2). "Proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD and take refuge in Him; let all the upright in heart praise Him!" (Psalm 64:9b,10).

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee,
Who from the heavens the streams of His mercy doth send thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.


We often mention our enjoyment of flowers in this series. Yesterday late afternoon we worked outside on the lawn and garden. After all the rain we've had our plants are thriving (so are the weeds)! Brooksyne takes great delight in her flowers and Ester and I thoroughly enjoy photographing them. One of the features about digital photography we enjoy is the ability to get close-ups such as the photo Ester took of the Clematis we shared yesterday.

We have three bushes in our back yard that bloom one after the other; the Azalea, Rhododendron, and Mountain Laurel. The Rhododendron is the second to bloom and is now blooming.

Photo of Mountain Laurel flowers
One of these plants was initially a puzzle to us shortly after we moved here sixteen years ago. We observed the flowers and were stunned by its beauty as we examined it up close; the tiny, delicate pink buttercups that open into beautiful flowers. Since it was planted by the previous owner we didn't know what it was. We wondered if it was some type of exotic, rare plant.

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

The same principle is true with Scripture. We benefit from both the panoramic and close-up views of the Holy Word of God!

We're more familiar with the panoramic view when we read larger portions of Scripture in a Bible reading plan, with the intention of reading through the entire Bible in a year. In our church we are now going through a helpful survey series titled "The One Story" which seeks to give us a unified view of God's work from Genesis to Revelation.

But we also need the close-up view in which we really examine and ponder each verse, phrase, or even consider the meaning of just one word. This may include comparing translations, word studies from the original languages, consulting commentaries and so forth. Of special spiritual value is memorizing portions of God's Word.

"Praise To The Lord, The Almighty" is one of the classic hymns of the Church. It has these  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 enjoy God's creation (nature) and that sure gives us plenty to ponder.


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying manDaily 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 and nations 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. I want to be purposeful in my Scripture reading and invite the inspiration of Your Word to illumine my path and deepen my faith in You, the Changeless One.  Amen.



Lehigh River Gorge rhododendron, Poconos, PA
Here's a photo of the rhododendron bloom.

Chaplain David H. Hicks 5/20/18
Yesterday I went to a men's luncheon and heard Chaplain David H. Hicks share his testimony. He became a Christian as an enlisted man in the army in the mid-sixties due to the witness of his unit chaplain. He went on to become a chaplain himself and rose to the rank of Major General and the highest position of service in Army chaplaincy as the Chief of Chaplains, leading 3,000 Army chaplains. Here's his testimony,
"A Soldier's Journey Of Faith".  Yesterday he also shared how he has overcame a stoke he had two years ago.

Baby corn 5/20/18
Week after week we've had lots of rain. It was so refreshing to walk in our neighborhood and see that the corn our neighbor planted has survived the deluge of rain and is now starting to grow!



Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Praise To The Lord, The Almighty"  Video 
Altar of Praise Chorale

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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.

Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."

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