A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
Monday,
September 16, 2019
The
Chiques Rock lookout point over the Susquehanna River
is a popular place to take friends on a Sunday
afternoon. It was especially beautiful yesterday.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
"The
Foolishness of Trusting A Spider's Web"
Regular duties in my
lawn include picking up pet waste, one the lesser joys
of pet ownership but someone's gotta do it! This
morning I walked into a spider's web since our yard
right now is a gauntlet of spider webs. As you walk
your eyes tend to be focused on something distant and
you don't see the spider web till you walk through it,
and even then you may not see it. Then it's a rather
spastic attempt to get the yucky stuff off hoping the
spider was not in the web!
However, unlike it's intended design, I'm really not worried about getting tangled in the web or being eaten by the spider for breakfast. But spiders and their webs are creepy and I don't want a spider bite, poisonous or not!
Most of us consider spiders and their webs icky, but today let us draw a spiritual lesson from one of the only two obscure references to the spider mentioned in the Bible.
Job is a remarkable book. Probably when most of us consider Job we recall the tremendous trial he endured, but there are so many gems of wisdom throughout the book. Today's portion is from a discourse by Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's friends. These three friends and their attempts to comfort Job were ultimately deficient but still contain some gems of wisdom.
The Scripture preceding our daily text has a timeless observation from nature: "Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass" (Job 8:11,12).
This is immediately followed by the statement in the daily text, "So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the godless will perish."
A truth is then developed based on the observation of a spider's web: "whose confidence is fragile, and whose trust is a spider’s web".
God's intended purpose for the web is very efficient for its inhabitant. Spend some time observing nature and you will see the tiny creatures resting comfortably for hours on end in their customized webs waiting for prey.
But it would be absolutely foolish for me, as a human, to count on a spider web to provide hope for my eternal destiny! Such absurd thinking is described by Bildad in V. 15: "He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; he holds fast to it, but it does not endure."
A similar but far more familiar illustration is the teaching of Jesus about the man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Bildad illustrates what the majority of people do rather than put their hope, trust and reliance in the Lord. Today let us hide this important truth deep within our hearts: "Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:23,24).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
God, You are the only source of
eternal life to whom we can cling though we're tempted
to build our lives on that which does not last, much
like one who "trusts in his house, but it does not
stand; he holds fast to it, but it does not endure."
We're reminded in Scripture that "The hope of the godless will perish, whose
confidence is fragile, and whose trust is a spider’s
web." Help us to
remember that which has only earth's values can be
compared to the fragility and time span of a spider's
web in light of eternity. With eternity's values in
view we will build our lives upon Christ who is our
firm foundation now and forevermore. Amen.
Message summary: Today let us hide this important truth deep
within our hearts: "Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud He
pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you
who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:23,24).
"So
are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of
the godless will perish, whose confidence is
fragile, and whose trust is a spider’s web. He
trusts in his house, but it does not stand; he holds
fast to it, but it does not endure" (Job 8:13-15).
Regular duties in my
lawn include picking up pet waste, one the lesser joys
of pet ownership but someone's gotta do it! This
morning I walked into a spider's web since our yard
right now is a gauntlet of spider webs. As you walk
your eyes tend to be focused on something distant and
you don't see the spider web till you walk through it,
and even then you may not see it. Then it's a rather
spastic attempt to get the yucky stuff off hoping the
spider was not in the web!However, unlike it's intended design, I'm really not worried about getting tangled in the web or being eaten by the spider for breakfast. But spiders and their webs are creepy and I don't want a spider bite, poisonous or not!
Most of us consider spiders and their webs icky, but today let us draw a spiritual lesson from one of the only two obscure references to the spider mentioned in the Bible.
Job is a remarkable book. Probably when most of us consider Job we recall the tremendous trial he endured, but there are so many gems of wisdom throughout the book. Today's portion is from a discourse by Bildad the Shuhite, one of Job's friends. These three friends and their attempts to comfort Job were ultimately deficient but still contain some gems of wisdom.
The Scripture preceding our daily text has a timeless observation from nature: "Can papyrus grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more quickly than grass" (Job 8:11,12).
This is immediately followed by the statement in the daily text, "So are the paths of all who forget God; and the hope of the godless will perish."
A truth is then developed based on the observation of a spider's web: "whose confidence is fragile, and whose trust is a spider’s web".
God's intended purpose for the web is very efficient for its inhabitant. Spend some time observing nature and you will see the tiny creatures resting comfortably for hours on end in their customized webs waiting for prey.
But it would be absolutely foolish for me, as a human, to count on a spider web to provide hope for my eternal destiny! Such absurd thinking is described by Bildad in V. 15: "He trusts in his house, but it does not stand; he holds fast to it, but it does not endure."
A similar but far more familiar illustration is the teaching of Jesus about the man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Bildad illustrates what the majority of people do rather than put their hope, trust and reliance in the Lord. Today let us hide this important truth deep within our hearts: "Love the LORD, all His saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord" (Psalm 31:23,24).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer:
God, You are the only source of
eternal life to whom we can cling though we're tempted
to build our lives on that which does not last, much
like one who "trusts in his house, but it does not
stand; he holds fast to it, but it does not endure."
We're reminded in Scripture that "The hope of the godless will perish, whose
confidence is fragile, and whose trust is a spider’s
web." Help us to
remember that which has only earth's values can be
compared to the fragility and time span of a spider's
web in light of eternity. With eternity's values in
view we will build our lives upon Christ who is our
firm foundation now and forevermore. Amen.
On
Saturday Ester and
I, Brooksyne,
participated in
the fun walk at
the Star Barn for
Brittany's
Hope, a
fundraiser for
those adopting
children with
special needs.
Dogs could also
attend so Ester
dressed Sadie up
in a sundress
(made for
doggies). Sadie
sure wowed those
attending and
especially caught
the attention of
the children who
took turns petting
her. Before we got
drenched by a
downpour Sadie was
wearing a little
pink bow on her
left ear. A three
year old girl
knelt down to pet
her and then
turned to me and
asked, "Did she
put the bow on all
by herself?" I'm
still smiling as I
think about her
sweet, innocent
question.
(Click to enlarge)
(Click to enlarge)
Calvary
Church Choir led
in worship
yesterday. Several
songs, including
"Build My Life"
that really goes
with today's
message, really
spoke to my heart.
Brooksyne will be
singing again in
the choir tonight
during the Monday
evening service.
And I
will build my life
upon your love it
is a firm
foundation
And I will put my trust in you alone and I will not be shaken.
And I will put my trust in you alone and I will not be shaken.
This car
has a New York
license plate and
I considered that
he or she may be
thinking, "This
sure doesn't look
like the traffic
I'm used to back
home"!
What a
busy and fun
Sunday afternoon
we enjoyed with
our dear friends,
the Lapps, who are
like family to us.
Following church
Brooksyne and I
drove our vehicles
to Strasburg to
bring the family
of 9 to our house
to spend the day.
We ate a lot,
talked a lot,
played a lot with
the children and
walked the
familiar trail.
Back in 2003 Jesse
and Anna began
their married life
as our neighbors
and we often
visited by walking
on the trail to
their house or
vice versa. They
moved back to
Strasburg twelve
years ago (25
miles from our
house) but we have
remained very
close over the
years and with the
addition of each
child whom we
fondly call our
"grandchildren".
We talked over old
times as we walked
the familiar trail
yesterday. When
Ester's dog, Sadie
Willow, was born
in January
Sarah Beth
(seen in above
photo) brought her
into their house
and nurtured her
until Ester was
able to bring her
home in early
March of this
year, so it was
like old times for
Sadie and Sarah as
well.
Stephen
will be 2 on
Friday but is
already
demonstrating his
athleticism by
throwing the rings
to Mollie. Moses,
the oldest, is 16
years old today so
we had two
birthday
celebrations.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental Resources
"Build My Life"
Video
Housefires
I will build my
life upon your love it is
a firm foundation
And I will put my trust in you alone
And I will not be shaken.
And I will put my trust in you alone
And I will not be shaken.
"Psalm 34"
Video
The
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir
Finally Today:
Last week we
shared a series of messages
about tools in the Bible
concluding with the files
using this text:"Yet they had a
file for the mattocks, and
for the coulters, and for
the forks, and for the
axes, and to sharpen the
goads" (1 Samuel 13:21).
Mike, who is the
tool man for one of our
companies explained what
each of the other tools
mentioned in this passage
are:
- mattocks - A mattock /ˈmætək/ is a hand tool used for digging, prying, and chopping. Similar to the pickaxe, it has a long handle and a stout head which combines either a vertical axe blade with a horizontal adze (cutter mattock) or a pick and an adze (pick mattock).
- coulters
- A coulter or colter is
a vertically mounted
component of many plows
that cuts an edge about
7 inches (18 cm) deep
ahead of a plowshare.
- forks -
as in pitch fork
- axes -
still used today
- goads - The goad is a traditional farming implement, used to spur or guide livestock, usually oxen, which are pulling a plough or a cart; used also to round up cattle. It is a type of long stick with a pointed end, also known as the cattle prod.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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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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C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
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