A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
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Friday,
August
14,
2020
A collage of morning glories blooming
on the corn stalks in the farm field across
from our home. "Blooming where they are not
planted" (at least intentionally).
"When
You Feel The Shadows Deepen"
Message
summary: Some of you especially feel
the shadows deepening today. Thank God for
His Word! It’s steady, sure and
dependable! We need to remind ourselves of
this and the glorious truth that He is
indeed worthy!
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
“And we have the Word of the prophets
made more certain, and you will do well
to pay attention to it, as to a light
shining in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). “The grass
withers, the flower fades, but the Word
of our God stands forever” (Isaiah
40:8).
For several years we
have enjoyed a song titled "Is He
Worthy?" by Andrew Peterson.
Brooksyne was introduced to it in her
choir before I ever heard it and during
rehearsal told me how blessed I would be
in hearing it. She was right. We'll
provide links to several versions below.
The song begins with several contemplative
questions.Do
you feel the world is broken?
(We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
(We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through?
(We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
(We do)
(We do)
Do you feel the shadows deepen?
(We do)
But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through?
(We do)
Do you wish that you could see it all made new?
(We do)
A
question that really strikes a chord in
our hearts and increasingly so as the days
seem to darken and chaos ensues is this: "Do
you feel the shadows deepen?". We
do. This may certainly be true during a
time of personal trial in our lives such
as a worsening medical diagnosis or seeing
a loved one suffer.
But
today I especially have in mind the sense
of the shadows deepening in the state of
our country and world. Many opine on these
matters daily and some look to politicians
as saviors. But, bluntly speaking, how
incredibly despairing such an outlook is
when considering it our source of hope!
The
Covid isolation has affected so many. The
other day I saw a prayer request from Paul
Caruthers, a healthcare chaplain in
Arizona, who wrote regarding conditions in
the nursing facility where he works:
"A spirit of depression has
settled over the residents. We do what we
can during Sunday services to encourage
and build up their faith and spirits. One
of the activities staff shared, ‘There is
so much sadness here. Only two people came
to play Bingo. They made popcorn, but no
one wanted any. All they do is sleep.’
Nine residents have left to go home due to
being bored, depressed, sad and not being
able to interact with their family
members. From what we hear from other
facilities, this is the same situation
there: sadness and depression."
If the deepening shadows become our focus
we will despair and in times like this we
must rest our hope in God. When it comes
to insight into spiritual matters we do
well to delve deeply into the Word of God.
We need to ask questions, search for
answers, learn and apply all that we can
during our earthly sojourn. One of the
foundational teachings of the genuine
Christian faith is the sufficiency of
Christ and His Word.
Our
first daily verse is most interesting,
“And we have the Word of the prophets
made more certain, and you will do well
to pay attention to it, as to a light
shining in a dark place, until the day
dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts."
Peter, of course, was one of the eyewitnesses to Christ’s ministry. In the previous verse he refers to what surely had to be among his most memorable events of life; his presence at the Mount of Transfiguration. Can you imagine Peter, years later, hoisting his grandchildren to his lap and telling them about his seeing the prophets of old, Moses and Elijah, along with Jesus Christ, in person! There’s little doubt that it was a story repeated so often that Peter’s grandchildren could recite it word for word. He had an amazing, miraculous experience that no other follower of Christ had with the exception of his fellow disciples, John and James.
Yet he writes, "We have the word of the prophets made more certain". The written word of the prophets was deemed a more certain word by Peter than even his own eye witness account on the Mount of Transfiguration! He goes on to advise his readers including each of us living in a very perilous 2020 concerning the word of these prophets, "You will do well to pay attention to it".
That’s right, fellow
believers, we indeed do well to "pay
attention" ("take heed" KJV)
to the Word of God today in our present
generation. The claimed “most certain”
findings of science will change. How many
times have they already done so in our own
lifetime? The philosophies of "experts"
will continue to vacillate and evolve. Pet
theories and faddish experiences will come
and go. Fanciful psychological
explanations and treatments will soon be
discredited, only to be followed by
others, and then there’s almost always a
recycling of old philosophies.
Peter, of course, was one of the eyewitnesses to Christ’s ministry. In the previous verse he refers to what surely had to be among his most memorable events of life; his presence at the Mount of Transfiguration. Can you imagine Peter, years later, hoisting his grandchildren to his lap and telling them about his seeing the prophets of old, Moses and Elijah, along with Jesus Christ, in person! There’s little doubt that it was a story repeated so often that Peter’s grandchildren could recite it word for word. He had an amazing, miraculous experience that no other follower of Christ had with the exception of his fellow disciples, John and James.
Yet he writes, "We have the word of the prophets made more certain". The written word of the prophets was deemed a more certain word by Peter than even his own eye witness account on the Mount of Transfiguration! He goes on to advise his readers including each of us living in a very perilous 2020 concerning the word of these prophets, "You will do well to pay attention to it".
That’s right, fellow
believers, we indeed do well to "pay
attention" ("take heed" KJV)
to the Word of God today in our present
generation. The claimed “most certain”
findings of science will change. How many
times have they already done so in our own
lifetime? The philosophies of "experts"
will continue to vacillate and evolve. Pet
theories and faddish experiences will come
and go. Fanciful psychological
explanations and treatments will soon be
discredited, only to be followed by
others, and then there’s almost always a
recycling of old philosophies.But the Holy Word continues to be "a light shining in a dark place". We need the light of His glorious Word to expose just how dark it really is in the world. The song has this thoughtful line, "But do you know that all the dark won't stop the light from getting through?" It won't, it can't! The Psalmist wrote, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).
"Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." Today may each reader, no matter how daunting the darkness may seem, truly experience the glorious light of Christ dawning and shining brightly in your heart! The second verse of the song also asks contemplative questions but they point to the deepest spiritual realities bringing hope and assurance:
Is
all creation groaning?
(It is)
Is a new creation coming?
(It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
(It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?
(It is)
(It is)
Is a new creation coming?
(It is)
Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst?
(It is)
Is it good that we remind ourselves of this?
(It is)
Thank God for His Word! It’s steady, sure and dependable! We need to remind ourselves of this and today we remind you of the glorious truth that He is indeed worthy!
Is
He worthy? Is He worthy?
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
He is!
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
He is!
He is!
Of all blessing and honor and glory
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
Is He worthy of this?
He is!
Is He worthy? Is He worthy?
He is!
He is!
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
needed for life and godliness is contained
in the Holy Scriptures. Help us to be
careful, attentive students of the Word,
ever learning, and always applying that
which the prophets of old and disciples of
Christ have revealed to us through the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That which
may seem to shine so brightly on the
horizon of our lives today may someday
fade and vanish away, but the Word of our
God stands forever and is demonstrated in
our lives for all eternity. You are indeed
worthy, eternally and absolutely. Amen!
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
all wisdom, knowledge, and understanding
needed for life and godliness is contained
in the Holy Scriptures. Help us to be
careful, attentive students of the Word,
ever learning, and always applying that
which the prophets of old and disciples of
Christ have revealed to us through the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That which
may seem to shine so brightly on the
horizon of our lives today may someday
fade and vanish away, but the Word of our
God stands forever and is demonstrated in
our lives for all eternity. You are indeed
worthy, eternally and absolutely. Amen!Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Is
He Worthy?" Video
Andrew Peterson (original writer)
"Is He
Worthy?" Video
Shane and Shane
"Is He Worthy?/Hallelujah, What A Savior" Video Calvary Church Choir (This was the first time Brooksyne and the choir sang it in church.)
"Is He Worthy?" Video West Coast Baptist College Brooksyne recently came across this group of young people singing the song in a very dynamic arrangement.
"Is
He Worthy?" Video Mount Paran Church
Atlanta Given the increase in
racial strife these last several years
what a blessing to see the colorful
composition of this choir in a church in
Atlanta.
This
prompts a consideration of a very
thoughtful article I read several weeks
ago titled "The Bible on Race"
which begins with this line, "The Bible
pays no attention to race". If you
disagree or that statement intrigues you
read the article for a very interesting
perspective!
Personal
notes:
1)
I seem to be recovering OK from the neck
injury we shared about on Wednesday in a
close call. My throat still hurts but
not quite as bad. My voice is still
raspier than usual.
2)
I had an email problem beginning
yesterday morning and stopped getting
new email to my
scweber@dailyencouragement.net account
after about 8:00AM. Using my limited
skills I determined that many, many
years of accumulated emails and rarely
deleting had caused my account to go
over quota. I did some massive deletions
and this morning the email started
working again. However:
- I think all the emails
finally came that were sent during the
time it was down but I can't be sure.
If you sent something and think I'm
ignoring you please send again!
- In deleting so
aggressively I may very well have
deleted an email I later will look for
and regret deleting!
Finally
today:
Yesterday
we saw this bench in the back of a
transport truck at Kleen-Rite!
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."
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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Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA