Daily Encouragement (Archive Edition)

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

Home Archives About Us

Listen to these messages

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Dusk along Donegal Creek

"My Times are in Your Hand"

Message summary: Today, let us once more turn over all that concerns us to our Lord who remains faithful in every change. "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: He is a shield to all that trust in Him" (Psalm 18:30).

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Terror is on every side. But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, my times are in Your hand'" (portions from Psalm 31:13,14,15).

Today let us spiritually feed on a small portion of sacred Scripture from an ancient Psalm, a perspective from David written some 3,000 years ago. One Bible version (NASV) titles this "A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise". Indeed it has both complaint and praise, true for many of us if we are brutally honest!

"Terror is on every side." We need to be reminded that terror in some form has always been a condition humans have dealt with. The specific form of terror David refers to is not revealed in this psalm. He refers to adversaries as, "being an object of dread to my acquaintances"; "they hated me without a cause"; "those who schemed to take away my life". For eight years David ran from King Saul as he and his army sought to find and kill him.

Today the terror du jour is the coronas virus but there are many forms of terror, sometimes more acute then others. Consider the attacks on 9/11. On a personal level we have all dealt with terrifying situations.

"But as for me." This speaks of the personal resolve David made and we also need to make. The first reference to this phrase is Joshua's great and often memorized declaration, "but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). But in Job we read, "But as for me, I would seek God, and I would place my cause before God" (5:8). The reference is most common in the Psalms but the last reference is in Micah, "But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me" (7:7). That's a good one for today!

"I trust in You, O Lord, I say, 'You are my God'." Here is a great and necessary confession of faith and purposeful placing of trust. Today regarding the current virus crisis many place their trust in the government or the health care system. While these are important agents God uses and we should be upholding these institutions in prayer, we must fundamentally place our trust in God! As the hymn states "The arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own".

"My times are in Your hand." This is so important to deeply recognize. Yesterday I mentioned a sermon in which the speaker, Lee Strobel, refers to worry as "spiritual amnesia". We need to remember and keep always before us that "My times are in Your (God's) hand." We more commonly use the phrase my life is in God's hand. When we forget this we inevitably fret or worry.

Today, let us once more turn over all that concerns us to our Lord who remains faithful in every change. "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: He is a shield to all that trust in Him" (Psalm 18:30).

Be encouraged today,

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, many look for quick answers or temporal solutions to life's difficulties, but as for me I seek after You, and place my cause before You as I wait expectantly for the God of my salvation to hear and answer me. Just as David sought safety from King Saul by hiding in mountains and caves, I seek safety by hiding in You, the Rock that is higher than I. I have nothing to dread, nothing to fear, when I am leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus. What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, no matter the chaos of the day when I lean safe and secure on the arms of Jesus. And there I will abide, for apart from You I can do nothing that calms my fears or prepares me for my eternal resting place. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"My Life is in Your Hands" Video Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

You don't have to worry

And don't you be afraid

Joy comes in the morning

Troubles they don't last

For there's a friend in Jesus

Who will wipe your tears away

And if your heart is broken

Just lift your hands and say

Oh I know that I can make it

I know that I can stand

No matter what may come my way

My life is in Your hands

"Still Is In Control" Video Mack Brock

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

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)

Ministry Update

We want to thank all who financially support our ministry. We realize there are many fine ministries and causes requesting support but if the Lord would lead you we surely need and appreciate the financial support from our readers and listeners. Our ministry labor is comprised of approximately half our time to Daily Encouragement and the other half to our chaplaincy ministry to companies for which we receive compensation. Each of these ministries essentially is the same as a part-time job (20+ hours weekly) for each of us. Our goal for many years is that each would provide half of our ministry expenses and income.

If you would consider making a donation to our ministry see here for more information.

To donate directly online here. This will open to a page that designates the offering to: WEBER,STEPHEN CHAP, Specialized Chaplaincy Ministry ID: 700001-237376

Please Note: We also provide this easy option due to the convenience, for international supporters, and for those who may not be concerned regarding receiving an official tax deductible receipt. Click here to send an offering using PayPal. This will open to a page that states "Brooksyne Weber".

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. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.

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."

dailyencouragement.net

"Living securely today anchored in God's solid foundation"