A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Friday, June 21,
2019
We passed this rural scene in Lebanon County yesterday.
Click
to enlarge
"Little Is Much"
Message
summary:
All over the world
most of what will
happen today to
honor God and help
others will be
rather "small
things".
Listen to our message on your audio player.
Listen to our message on your audio player.
"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9).
Early
this Sunday morning
Brooksyne will be
going up to Spruce
Lake in the Poconos
to serve on a short
term mission trip at
a Joni and Friends
Camp. These special
camps are a
highlight for many
disabled children,
adults and their
families and
caregivers.
Brooksyne' will
learn her assignment
once she arrives
late Sunday morning.
Most
of our readers have
heard of Joni. On
July 30, 1967, she
dove into the
Chesapeake Bay, at
17 years of age,
after misjudging the
shallowness of the
water. I first
heard of her due to
a Billy Graham film
simply called "Joni"
which came out
shortly after
Brooksyne and I
married. Ten years
after her accident
she founded "Joni
and Friends", an
organization to
"accelerate
Christian ministry
in the disability
community".
Joni has had a
faithful, long-term
ministry and will
turn 70 on October
15th, the day after
my birthday.My Mom
loved Joni and about
eighteen years ago I
took her to hear her
speak when she was
in this area shortly
after September 11,
2001. She shared
about the tremendous
ministry
opportunities she
had at the Pentagon
and at Ground Zero
in New York. While
recovering from her
accident Joni spoke
of her deep despair
and even her desire
to commit suicide.
But Joni devoted her
life to Christ and a
wonderful
transformation took
place.
She had every excuse to wallow through life and in fact early on dealt with depression. However she found one of life's greatest blessings; her purpose for living. She focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn't. She learned that little is much when God is in it.
She has
had a
world-impacting
ministry with a
special emphasis
upon the spiritual
needs of the
disability
community.
All over
the world most of
what will happen
today to honor God
and help others will
be rather "small
things". They may
even seem
insignificant at the
time. You can be
virtually certain
they will not make
the news. These are
the scores of
encounters when food
will be given to the
hungry, water to the
thirsty, hospitality
to the stranger,
visits to the sick
and those in prison
(see Matthew
25:34-40).
Today's Scripture portion is taken from the account of the feeding of the five thousand. Our human inclination in dealing with the dilemma described in this story would be to hire a huge catering service or expect a government agency to come in and deal with the problem. But it didn't work that way. And so often it still doesn't today!
I want to consider the boy in today's story. Seeing the need, he approached one of the disciples with his lunch and the disciple in turn went to Jesus: "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
Notice
the disciples'
perspective when
seeing the "five
small barley
loaves and two
small fish", "but
how far will they
go among so many?
Today's Scripture portion is taken from the account of the feeding of the five thousand. Our human inclination in dealing with the dilemma described in this story would be to hire a huge catering service or expect a government agency to come in and deal with the problem. But it didn't work that way. And so often it still doesn't today!
I want to consider the boy in today's story. Seeing the need, he approached one of the disciples with his lunch and the disciple in turn went to Jesus: "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
Notice
the disciples'
perspective when
seeing the "five
small barley
loaves and two
small fish", "but
how far will they
go among so many?We wonder
if the boy was
mature enough to
feel sort of foolish
to think that his
small offering could
really make any
difference. We
wonder if any of his
friends might have
taunted him for his
apparent irrational
thinking. But Jesus
used that little
lunch, miraculously
multiplying its
impact and meeting
the needs of all who
were present.
Many of us have been challenged with the phrase, "Do something big for God" which is a great aspiration. But something big for God is often a series of small, seemingly insignificant attempts to be the salt of the earth Jesus called us to be. Most of us just aren't in a place today that we can do something really big for God, but we can find ways to broadcast the salt and let our light shine to a dark world in the small things that touch other's lives. Let us take the proper steps to step out in faith, believing God will use us for His glory!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Many of us have been challenged with the phrase, "Do something big for God" which is a great aspiration. But something big for God is often a series of small, seemingly insignificant attempts to be the salt of the earth Jesus called us to be. Most of us just aren't in a place today that we can do something really big for God, but we can find ways to broadcast the salt and let our light shine to a dark world in the small things that touch other's lives. Let us take the proper steps to step out in faith, believing God will use us for His glory!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, my
little becomes
great as You
inspire me to
do good works
in Jesus'
name. Help me
not to reach a
standstill
based upon my
limited
abilities,
wisdom, or
resources. I
don't give to
others
according to
my limitations
but I give to
others from
the abundance
You pour into
me, for when I
am weak then
You are
strong. Grant
me creative
means and
willful
determination
to extend
myself to
someone who
needs a lift
today. Direct
my footsteps
according to
Your Word as
You give
opportunity
for divine
encounters
this day. In
Jesus' name I
pray. Amen.
We
joined the
Audrey's team
for a picnic
yesterday at
lunch.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
These
cows are
standing in a
meadow near
swollen
Swatara Creek
where they
remained all
morning, but
by the time we
left after
lunch they had
been rescued.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Yesterday
we made our
first stop of
the season to
the Seyfert's
Orchards
farm stand in
Lebanon
County.
Brooksyne is
in search for
sour cherries
for
jam-making.
Click
to enlarge
Much
of ministry
opportunities
for all of us
is incidental.
I visited for
a few minutes
with David, a
young plumber
who was
servicing the
expansion tank
at Audrey's
yesterday. I
reminded him
that without
plumbers we
would be in
deep trouble
and they serve
a vital
function in
public health.
He identified
as a fellow
believer and
he shared with
me about his
church's
ministry to
the inner
city.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Little Is Much
When God Is In It"
Video
Larry Ford What a
thought-provoking song!
For local
readers: The
Collingsworth Family is at
Music In The Park in
Lebanon this Sunday evening.
We have enjoyed this
outstanding group for many
years. "At Calvary"
Video
Finally today:
Yesterday we
passed this truck along Rt
743 south of Hershey, PA.
Ester captions
this "Hershey Mater" (see
here)
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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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