Daily Encouragement

Friday, May 1, 2026

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Great Cloud Of
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Message summary: Let's keep pressing on "running with perseverance the race marked out for us".

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"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).

This coming Sunday I will be teaching our "Crossroads" Adult Bible Fellowship class of about 60+ students who are in their 60's and older. I doubt that any of our class members run anymore in the physical sense as we did when we were young, but each one of us are running a race and that race will not finish till we, like Paul, can say "I have finished the race" (2 Timothy 4:7)

Our daily verse has long been very meaningful to me. In fact, as I recall, it was the text to the very first sermon I preached in the mid-seventies. Each section has rich content but for today's encouraging thought I will focus on the first: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses".

The word for "surrounded" literally means "encircled" and the writer here seems to have a sports coliseum in mind. He has just completed what we know as the "faith chapter" and it seems that he is conveying that we are surrounded by these great "endure-rs of the faith". They witness (Gr, "martus") of God's faithfulness and the reward of finishing the race with our faith and testimony in tact.

I've often wondered, as have many commentators, to what extent these witnesses view us now. Are they cheering us on? Are they shouting, "We made it, and so can you!"?

We may think of the witnesses in terms of those who finished faithfully in the Bible such as those in the Faith Chapter. But surely that "great cloud of witnesses" now includes those who faithfully served God all through the church age including those we have personally known.

I guess we won't know for sure until the other side but I have a feeling that they, along with our friends and loved ones who've gone before us, are in a place where they are cheering us on. Let's keep pressing on "running with perseverance the race marked out for us".

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we are indebted to those who have marked out the race before us by their unwavering example of following Jesus on their earthly journey here below; some who started their walk with Christ during childhood, many in their youth, some in their senior years and a few who chose to follow You shortly before their death. They are all examples of those Paul speaks of when He wrote, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." We confess it with our tongue and live it with our lives so that others will also come to know that You are Lord and Master of our life. We will run the race till we enter the finish line which is only the beginning of eternal entrance into glory where we see Jesus face to face. What a glorious day that will be. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me" Watch on YouTube CityAlight

To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat:
Yet not I, but through Christ in me!

It's May 1st and surely we've had the last frost of the season so it's time to plant flowers! Brooksyne is growing "tons" of seeds and has already planted some outside. The grow lights speed the growth of seeds and some outgrew their containers within a week and needed to be planted outside.

Brooksyne's experience yesterday in rural Lancaster County near Ephrata: I have now visited four one room Amish schoolhouses and always enjoy my visits. The school I visited yesterday had the most exceptional setting since it is a school designed for special needs children. If you enlarge the photo you'll see the typical Amish schoolhouse through the windows. This small class room is attached to that larger schoolhouse with a cement ramp for wheelchairs separating the two schools. There are four students enrolled and plans are underway to add another room to make space for wheelchairs, etc. Look carefully to see the desks have swivel chairs attached to the bottom of the desk. The desk tops open and there is a lot of space inside for storage of books and other projects. There is so much more you have to see in person to thoroughly appreciate this school with all its inspirational quotes, children's projects and other uplifting methods used for teaching those with special needs.

The children were delightful as I had opportunity to participate in their phonics drill, their reading from text books, spending one on one time with each of them, and then listening to the songs they sang for us at the end of the class period. Since we often write about our dear friends, the Lapps (who are like family members), I will tell you how this visit came about.

Moses, (the oldest child who is now 22), brought his girlfriend, Mary (Merli) over to meet us several months ago and we took an immediate liking to her. We learned that she was a special needs teacher and I expressed interest in meeting the children. Moses called me last week and arranged for me to visit Merli's classroom along with him and young Sara Beth, his 11 year old sister.

She and her assistant, Rose, were so inspiring as they worked alongside the children. Amidst all the learning that was being administered, the love and acceptance of these exceptional children, was foremost present. It was an experience that I will never forget and I greatly applaud the Amish culture in their practice of caring for their own in every stage of life: whether it's cognitive impairment, physical challenges, or health decline due to aging.

As the children were in recess I took several photos of the classroom, but thereafter one of the 7 year old students came inside to join me. He showed me the picture he colored on the wall and then showed me his bookbag hanging on the wall. There was a book inside so I pulled it out thinking I could read with him, but turns out it was a journal. The teachers write to the parents of each student every day about their school day and make communication possible for the parents to talk about what the child is learning on that day. How many times have you as parents said to your children when they come home from school, "So what did you do at school today?" and their response was usually "Nothing". I was so impressed as I thumbed through the journal and then came to the last entrance, April 30, which we share with you in this photo. To simplify my name you will see they refer to me as "Brooke". Since this was written before my arrival they must have expected that the boys would enjoy our visit which I will say they really did, and I absolutely enjoyed it!

Earlier this week we shared a message titled "Every Opportunity" about our problem with birds looking for every opportunity to build their nests around our property where we prefer they not build. Each year they are insistent on building a nest on top of the fan over our outside dining table. We eat out on this table a lot and entertain visitors so that just won't do. Who wants bird waste dropping on their food? I remove the nesting material almost daily, but had neglected to do so on Tuesday. Wednesday morning the nest was completed to the point the bird was ready to nest in it. How I hate to tear someone's house down, but I had to do it, as we had planned to have guests for breakfast yesterday morning and Brooksyne preferred the dishes to be clean before we partook of the food. (Turns out it was too cold and we brought the dishes in to eat inside, after all.)

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