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<Previous Message Next Message> Tuesday, January 7, 2014 Lone Sentinel Lake Huron shoreline, Michigan Photo by Howard J. Blichfeldt (used by permission) ![]() "Still Sustaining All Things"
"While the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, will never cease” (Genesis 8:22). "Sustaining all things by His powerful Word" (Hebrews 1:3). ![]() ![]() Listening to the howling winds and feeling the cool air in our otherwise warm home makes us long for sunny summer weather. But right now the U.S. and many of our friends overseas are in the midst of the winter extreme "fallout". We experience it each year, though this year has record breaking temperatures. God made a standing promise to Noah after the flood which is known as the Noahic Covenant: "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease" (Genesis 8:22). Each of the events and seasons described in the covenant are easily observable. Here in our rural area we regularly witness "seedtime and harvest." We all experience "cold and heat" in varying extremes depending on where we live. And of course no one would contest that we still have "summer and winter, day and night." As long as the earth endures, these "will never cease". The earth is still enduring and each of these easily observable characteristics have not ceased! God continues to faithfully keep these promises. Using a powerful phrase from the Book of Hebrews He is "sustaining all things by His powerful Word." Although it is forecast to be very cold all day we expect this blast of cold from the polar vortex to soon cease and temperatures to return to more normal tomorrow. But an aspect of God's sustaining care is seen when we consider how much colder or hotter it could get! "Absolute Zero" is a low budget sci-fi movie that postulates that a sudden 90 degree shift in the earth's magnetic pole plunges the equator into the deepest freeze possible - absolute zero. I have read that if the earth were just a small fraction closer or farther from the sun we would have extremes that would make life as we know it intolerable. The same is true for the earth's design in its rotation on its axis and its revolution around the sun. Yet God has designed and sustains the earth in an extremely predictable pattern. ![]() Hebrews 1:3 says that Christ is "sustaining all things by His powerful Word." Today I am confident that He will continue to uphold and keep the earth as long as He ordains its existence. He will also continue to sustain you and me. After all, "all things" covers it all! Be encouraged today, Stephen & Brooksyne Weber ![]() ![]() Here's a photo of our coal stove. During the winter it goes a long way to heating our entire home although we also have a heat pump which supplements it. ![]() The interior of our coal stove with the door open Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources "Faithful God" Video Shannon Wexelburg "Faithful God" Video Laura Story "What A Faithful God" Video Robert Critchley "Indescribable" Video Chris Tomlin, Laura Story "Upholding All Things" Video A 1 minute+ devotional thought "God’s Powerful Sustaining Word" A short written devotional from Ligonier Ministries Today's photo of the solitary tree and winter scene was taken in Michigan by our friend Howard Blichfeldt, a professional photographer from the Pittsburgh area and committed Christian. More samples of his photographs are on his website. To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.) ![]() Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. I do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact. Text only version for printing: To make a text only version for printing (without photos or any of the supplemental materials) 1) Open the basic text editor that comes with all computers (known as wordpad, textpad, etc.) You can also use a program like Word and select paste text only. 2) Select and copy the text from the portion of the message you want to print. 3) Paste into the text pad. (The photos won't show up but you will have a brief text description of the photo which you can delete or just ignore.) 4) Format if you desire (change font, increase or decrease size, etc.) 5) Print! 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 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." © Copyright 2014 Stephen C. Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |