A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
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Monday, January 25, 2021
"Strongly
Supported"
Message
summary: Let us begin this week by reaffirming
our commitment to live for Jesus and stand for His
righteous cause. We want our hearts to be fully
surrendered to His plan. Wherever you are, whatever
you're doing, and whatever you're going through, we
ask you to join us in making this commitment.
Listen
to this message on your audio player."For
the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout
the earth that He may strongly support those whose
heart is completely His" (2 Chronicles 16:9).
Worldwide many are interested in the Super Bowl; as the NFL championship football game is known. Last night our daughter, Ester, face-timed Marvin, who was watching the AFC football game with his family in Guatemala. Over 30 years ago we hosted Marvin when he was 6 years old both times he came to the states for life saving medical care. What a joy that he is serving the Lord and living his life responsibly now in his thirties. It's also interesting that he is a Kansas City fan, unbeknownst to him at the time that I was from that area, but now he has a more personal connection.
The
eyes of God are upon me,
He sees everything I do.
The arms of God are around me,
They keep me safe and secure.
He sees everything I do.
The arms of God are around me,
They keep me safe and secure.
Worldwide many are interested in the Super Bowl; as the NFL championship football game is known. Last night our daughter, Ester, face-timed Marvin, who was watching the AFC football game with his family in Guatemala. Over 30 years ago we hosted Marvin when he was 6 years old both times he came to the states for life saving medical care. What a joy that he is serving the Lord and living his life responsibly now in his thirties. It's also interesting that he is a Kansas City fan, unbeknownst to him at the time that I was from that area, but now he has a more personal connection.
This
year it will be Super Bowl LV (55) between the
Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I grew
up in the Kansas City area and have been a lifetime
Chiefs fan, although I do also take an interest in
the teams near where I have lived. I've watched most
super bowls all the way back to the very first one
when the Kansas City Chiefs played the Green Bay
Packers in 1967 when I was 12 years old. That was
before it was even called the Super Bowl!In the two weeks leading up to the game, scheduled for February 7 this year, there will be plenty of hype and promotion. Non-sports fans may even have to endure a few illustrations here on Daily Encouragement!
Advertisers see it as a great time to sell items like large screen TV'S, team apparel and lots of food and decoration for super bowl parties. Ester's already planning a decorating scheme for our family room. The challenge of producing original advertising that captures your interest, enough to sell products, increases each year. The TV commercials during the game have become a major source of entertainment in themselves although, some that should have a more private setting, can cause embarrassment especially when gathered with friends and children. Ads for certain products would have been unimaginable during my childhood and young adult years.
One
of my all-time favorite promotions was one I saw in
a supermarket. It was a full-sized cardboard cutout
of Joe Montana, a former Super Bowl quarterback now
retired. His cut-out was "hired" to motivate
consumers to make a purchase of chips if I recall
correctly.Somehow he appears to be looking right at you with a sheepish grin, as though he's preparing to throw the football he's holding. It's as though his eyes are following you and he's getting ready to call out, "Catch!"
It takes an art skill to create this effect that you are always being followed by the subject's eyes, but it also brings to mind the reality of One whose eyes do move back and forth, as written in our daily Bible verse, from the Old Testament.
The daily Scripture text gives great assurance to God's children of all generations: "For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."
We're so caught up in living here and now on planet earth that we can easily forget or sadly ignore the biblical fact that God is watching over us right now no matter where we reside! But we become more mindful of His omnipresence when we need reassurance that He sees us in our hour of need, in settings where we feel as though we're all alone in this world. The fact is, we are not! Allow those two words "strongly support" to fortify your spirit today.
His
eyes "move to and fro throughout the earth".
Psalm 34:15 has a similar thought which the apostle
Peter quotes, "For the eyes of the Lord are on
the righteous and His ears are attentive to their
prayer" (1 Peter 3:12). There is purposefulness in God's watching over us. He does so "that He may strongly support" those who look to Him for guidance, protection, wisdom, comfort, healing, and on and on the list goes. I sure do need that strong support today, don't you? I am thankful that God's strong support and strength are absolutely adequate for any need that I present to Him.
There is a responsibility we have however. He is looking for "those whose heart is completely His". Another version states "those whose hearts are fully committed to Him".
Once again we want to reaffirm our commitment to live for Jesus and stand for His righteous cause. We want our hearts to be fully surrendered to His plan. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, and whatever you're going through, we ask you to join us in making this commitment. He continues to "strongly support those whose heart is completely His".
And
He knows where I am
Every hour of every day
He knows each thought I think
He knows each word that I might say.
And although there were times
I've been out of His will
I've never been out of His care.
Every hour of every day
He knows each thought I think
He knows each word that I might say.
And although there were times
I've been out of His will
I've never been out of His care.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Heavenly Father,
though we cannot see You in the heavenly kingdom,
You do see us as we walk the pilgrim pathway. You
guide us through this earthly maze of sudden turns,
strange territory, and even the disappointing dead
ends. Though we may be jostled from time to time in
the midst of finding our way we are assured that You
watch over us just as the Bible says. You know our
heart's cry and You strengthen us as we choose to
walk the lightened path of righteousness especially
when we're surrounded by sin's darkness. Thank you
for watching our coming in and our going out. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Yet Not I, But Through Christ In
Me" Video Selah
Finally today:
Above is a screen shot Ester took
of Marvin and his young daughter while we
were chatting on facetime last night. He was
showing us his TV screen there in Guatemala
airing the same game KC vs. Buffalo. Marvin
also has an older son and wife (not pictured
in this screen shot). We speak English and
they speak Spanish so we struggle with
understanding each other's vocabulary, but
love can be conveyed in any language and
both of our families fluently spoke to one
another in our love language such as our
smiles, our gestures, and the attempts to
communicate. Hopefully Marvin's two children
can study English in school and become our
interpreters. Here's a message we wrote about
Marvin in 2011.
Finally
today (#2):
Speaking
of love fluently spoken, just as we were
preparing to send off our message today
Stephen got the mail and we opened an
envelope from some long time readers from
Singapore, Sally and Peter. Along with a
card and other kind gestures of their love
and support toward our ministry they sent us
a mask for COVID protection, a visible
reminder that this deadly virus is
widespread internationally.
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
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Weber".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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