A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Tuesday,
September 3, 2019
Galen
standing left in the background behind his 1949
Minneapolis-Moline tractor following his surprise.
Message
summary: The
Bible lists many
qualities of a
good person but
today let us
consider the
blessing of the
small steadiness
of every day.
Listen
to this
message
on your audio
player."I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many" (Nehemiah 7:2). "A faithful man shall abound with blessings" (Proverbs 28:20a). "And he (church elder) must have a good reputation" (1 Timothy 3:7).
He
was the kind
of man that
good men talk
about
The way he showed his faith was how he lived it out
His hands were rough and calloused
and his shoes were old and torn
And the lines that framed his smile
were lines so well and deep and worn
So what will be remembered of what he left behind?
What will stand the test of time?
The way he showed his faith was how he lived it out
His hands were rough and calloused
and his shoes were old and torn
And the lines that framed his smile
were lines so well and deep and worn
So what will be remembered of what he left behind?
What will stand the test of time?
Sunday afternoon we attended a surprise 70th birthday party for our friend Galen. He was indeed surprised, telling his wife when he observed evidence of an after church meal that he just couldn't understand why the church would have a potluck dinner on Labor Day weekend with so many out! The surprise included Darrel, Galen's youngest son, driving Galen's recently restored 1949 Minneapolis-Moline tractor to the church entrance.
The
70 year old
farm vehicle
is Galen's
reminder of
his boyhood
years on the
farm when his
dad
and grandpa
farmed the
land using
this very
tractor. He
just
restored it
this past year
to the bright
orange/gold
and red colors
that make it
stand out and
prompts
onlookers to
say, "Wow,
wouldn't it be
fun to ride on
a tractor like
that!" In
addition to
attendees
admiring the
tractor we
also enjoyed
an excellent
meal of bbq
brisket, which
included my
all-time
Kansas City
favorite, "burnt
ends"! 
It
was such a
blessing to
hear the
variety of
tributes
offered from
friends,
church people,
extended
family
members, a
longtime farm
hand and
neighbors.
Galen is
respected as a
good man in
his dealings
with others
and a godly
man in his
relationship
to the Lord.His
four children
shared the
last tributes,
expressing
thankfulness
and honor to
their father.
Galen's
daughter,
Roanna, shared
that she had
seen his
consistent
demonstration
of hard work,
generosity and
faithfulness.
I was
especially
struck by a
phrase Roanna
used
concerning her
dad's
faithfulness
as the
blessing of "the
small
steadiness of
every day".
The
small
steadiness of
every day is
the basic
foundation of
faithfulness
quietly
demonstrated
day after day,
month after
month, year
after year in
the long
course of
life. We've
met many
people like
Galen who
demonstrate
the small
steadiness of
every day and
continue to
meet them. In
fact when
greeting
people in the
course of
chaplain work
I often
comment on an
employee's
unheralded
steadiness.
If
you stop and
think about
it, you can
also think of
many who are
faithful in
the small
steadiness of
every day yet
few of them
are famous as
the world
deems fame. I
have referred
to this as
quiet
faithfulness.
In our first daily text Nehemiah refers to an obscure man named Hananiah. His sole Biblical distinctive is that he was "a faithful man and feared God more than many". In considering this text I observe that being a faithful man and having a fear of God are so inter-related. We believe the massive breakdown in faithfulness we see in our own age is related to the loss of having a healthy, holy fear of God.
In our first daily text Nehemiah refers to an obscure man named Hananiah. His sole Biblical distinctive is that he was "a faithful man and feared God more than many". In considering this text I observe that being a faithful man and having a fear of God are so inter-related. We believe the massive breakdown in faithfulness we see in our own age is related to the loss of having a healthy, holy fear of God.
In
previous
generations
families
commonly
imprinted
portions of
Scripture as
an epitaph on
tombstones and
it's still
practiced by
some today. On
my parent's
tombstone we
have, "For Me
To Live Is
Christ, To Die
Is Gain". A
phrase from
today's verse
has been used
on many
tombstones,
"He was a
faithful man
and feared God
more than
many". The
above pictured
epitaph is on
the tombstone
of Deacon
Samuel Peck in
Greenwich,
Connecticut
who died in
1793. Such an
epitaph makes
us want to
hear his
story.
The road to being faithful is a long steady slog, the accumulation of many small decisions made throughout life, "the small steadiness of every day". You decide each day that you will live faithfully but the characteristic of being faithful takes time. Good intentions and reality too often do not present the same outcome.
The
truth of the
second daily
Scripture is
often most
evident in
one's latter
years: "A
faithful man
shall abound
with
blessings".
Faithfulness
has great
reward, both
in this life
and the one to
come. If you
know Jesus as
your personal
Savior you are
actually
abounding in
blessings
right now, but
you can become
discouraged
with present
or recurring
trials. God's
Word is ever
true. Perhaps
you need to
consider
someone who
has served God
faithfully for
many years and
observe how
they abound
with
blessings,
even in the
midst of their
ongoing
trials. But
just remember
the greatest
blessings are
yet to come!
Character qualities like faithfulness, steadiness and consistency might sound boring to many today, but they still matter to God. "A faithful man shall abound with blessings", and he does; both in this life and the life to come. Let us all aspire to hear these wonderful words from the supremely Faithful One, "Well done, good and faithful servant" as we practice "the small steadiness of every day".
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father,
may my life be
marked by
faithfulness
and integrity.
I know that
these
character
traits are not
developed over
a short period
of time but
over the
duration of my
life, most
especially
during the
challenging
times.
Obedience does
bring blessing
and it also
brings eternal
reward. Help
me not to
become weary
in doing good,
for at the
proper time
that You have
ordained, I
will reap a
harvest if I
do not give
up. Help me to
practice the
small
steadiness of
every day.
Amen.
The road to being faithful is a long steady slog, the accumulation of many small decisions made throughout life, "the small steadiness of every day". You decide each day that you will live faithfully but the characteristic of being faithful takes time. Good intentions and reality too often do not present the same outcome.
The
truth of the
second daily
Scripture is
often most
evident in
one's latter
years: "A
faithful man
shall abound
with
blessings".
Faithfulness
has great
reward, both
in this life
and the one to
come. If you
know Jesus as
your personal
Savior you are
actually
abounding in
blessings
right now, but
you can become
discouraged
with present
or recurring
trials. God's
Word is ever
true. Perhaps
you need to
consider
someone who
has served God
faithfully for
many years and
observe how
they abound
with
blessings,
even in the
midst of their
ongoing
trials. But
just remember
the greatest
blessings are
yet to come!Character qualities like faithfulness, steadiness and consistency might sound boring to many today, but they still matter to God. "A faithful man shall abound with blessings", and he does; both in this life and the life to come. Let us all aspire to hear these wonderful words from the supremely Faithful One, "Well done, good and faithful servant" as we practice "the small steadiness of every day".
So
what will be
remembered of
what he left
behind?
What will stand the test of time?
How to love your neighbor, how to love your wife
Wrap your arms around your children and pray with them each night
Thank God for all the good things 'cause the good things are enough
The ties that bind and leave behind a legacy of love
What will stand the test of time?
How to love your neighbor, how to love your wife
Wrap your arms around your children and pray with them each night
Thank God for all the good things 'cause the good things are enough
The ties that bind and leave behind a legacy of love
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
Father,
may my life be
marked by
faithfulness
and integrity.
I know that
these
character
traits are not
developed over
a short period
of time but
over the
duration of my
life, most
especially
during the
challenging
times.
Obedience does
bring blessing
and it also
brings eternal
reward. Help
me not to
become weary
in doing good,
for at the
proper time
that You have
ordained, I
will reap a
harvest if I
do not give
up. Help me to
practice the
small
steadiness of
every day.
Amen.Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Legacy
Of Love" Video
David Phelps (This is the
song quoted in today's
message)
"Find
Us Faithful" Video
Steve Green
"Find
Me Faithful" Video
The Perrys
"Faithful Man" Video
Johnny Minick A
tribute song to Howard
Goodman of "The Happy
Goodmans"
"What You Leave
Behind" Video
The Talleys
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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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