Daily Encouragement (Archive Edition)

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

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

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Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Looking west at dusk last night

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"We Fully Set Our Hope On Grace!"

Message summary: Today we will seek to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Please join us!

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"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being self-disciplined, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).

There are various elements of a church service that we may find edifying (that is, building us up in our faith). Usually these elements would be singing a song that especially touched our hearts, a challenging message from God's Word or perhaps a moving choir or dramatic presentation.

But Sunday we were both moved by our pastor's prayer, in which he merely prayed a selection of Scripture verses so fitting for our time. Brooksyne counted about 19 Scripture quotations or partial passages when we listened again to the prayer online.

One phrase especially gripped my heart as a word fitly spoken that I sure needed to hear; "that we would set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ".

Since he shared the selections without the references I wasn't sure where that verse came from so I had to look it up when I got home. Early in my ministry I would have had to take my huge Strong's Concordance and look for the verse using a single key word. But now Bible students enjoy a massive improvement in the ability to search using a particular word or phrase (although since so many versions are now available this can also be challenge)!

The phrase is from the latter part of our daily text and an important reminder of where we all need to fully set our hope.

Brent Kercheville writes:

"Consider the word 'completely' [fully]. Our hope is to be completely on God’s grace. Our hope is not to cut into smaller pie pieces. We are not to be happy with our hope 50% on God, 10% on job, 20% on family, and 20% on possessions. If our hope is divided, then we are shaken when some of our hope is shattered. When things go wrong with our work, we become depressed. When family members become ill, we lose our hope. We do not have the material possessions that we want or if we are losing our possessions then we lose sight of God. Our hope is not to even be 1% in anything else but in God’s grace. Our hope is in the eternal inheritance. Our hope is in the spiritual blessings of God. Our hope is on the reserved sign in heaven that the promises and inheritance is there for us."

We set our hope on Jesus Christ, as the great hymns states, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name".

Today we seek to set our hope fully on the grace that will be brought to us at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Please join us!

Be encouraged today!

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, as we sojourn here below we set our hope fully on Your grace through Christ Jesus our Lord, for it is of His fullness that we have received grace upon grace; a grace that is so great a gift, so rich, so invaluable that it is abundant and overflowing grace on top of grace. Though we are undeserving You lavish Your grace upon us, for which we are eternally grateful. Amen.

Additional study notes on today's verse from the Precept Austin online commentary:

Don't be partially hoping and partially doubting. Hope fully. Give way entirely to the experience of hope. Be fully carried away with hope. We won't be disappointed -- the Bible assures us!

Spurgeon commenting on fix your hope completely (“Hope to the end” KJV) writes that:

Certain of us have to confess that the outlook appears to us very dark and dismal. Our surroundings seem full of fear; and we are apt to grow despondent, if not almost despairing: wisely, then, doth bold Peter say to us, “Hope to the end.” You who love the truth, do not despair of its success; you who hold to the good old ways, do not dream that everybody will desert them; do not give way to distrust as to the issues of the conflict. Be so hopeful as to be “calm mid the bewildering cry, confident of victory.” (Spurgeon, C.H.: A Seasonable Exhortation)

Wayne Grudem writes concerning this passage:

"Such hope in great blessings when Christ returns not only encourages downcast Christians; it also prompts a reordering of priorities to God’s agenda (Mt 6:19, 20, 21, 22, 24-see notes Mt 6:19; 20;21; 6:24) and inevitably leads to ethical changes in one’s life (cf. 1 John 3:3-note). Since Peter is about to launch into an extended section of moral commands (beginning at v.14 and continuing with only a few interruptions through the rest of the letter), this exhortation to hope appropriately forms the transition point to the rest of the letter. If Peter’s readers will first know the great truths about their salvation (1 Peter 1:1-12) and then begin a habit of visualizing themselves personally on a path of life leading without fail to unimaginable heavenly reward (v.13), they will be mentally and emotionally ready to strive for a life of holiness before God (1 Peter 1:14, 15, 16, etc.)." (Grudem, W: The First Epistle of Peter, 76-77)

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

The pastoral prayer from last Sunday's service Video cued to prayer

"My Hope Is In The Lord" Video Calvary Church congregational song from this last Sunday. This is a powerful hymn we don't recall ever singing till we moved to Lancaster County

"Living Hope" Video Calvary Church Choir, Orchestra and congregation. From the last Easter service we celebrated in the church building (2019). We sure both miss the choir and orchestra. Brooksyne in a participant sense, me as a congregant. Randy, the man with large beard, has been a friend through CBMC since shortly after I moved to Lancaster County.

"My Hope Is In The Lord" Video Sanctus Real

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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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