A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Thursday,
April 29,
2021
We passed this beautiful scene nestled up
against Blue Mountain in northern Lebanon County on Tuesday morning. The bright yellow is a
field of very dense rapeseed.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
"Embedded Rock"
Message summary: Most of us have some "embedded rock" in our lives, some people way more than others. Sometimes we can remove the rock, other times God gives us the grace to deal with it.
Listen to this message on your audio player.
"Therefore,
in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given
a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment
me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That
is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians
12:7-10). "In all these things we are more than
conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
We've mentioned over the past couple months how the farm field across the road was purchased by a local farmer who is making some improvements to the land with the goal of increasing crop yield. Trees were removed to both increase available tillable soil and to diminish the impact of the roots vying for nutrients.
We've mentioned over the past couple months how the farm field across the road was purchased by a local farmer who is making some improvements to the land with the goal of increasing crop yield. Trees were removed to both increase available tillable soil and to diminish the impact of the roots vying for nutrients.
When
we bought our home in 2002 a feature we highly valued is
living across from this "preserved farmland". This means
the property has a deed restriction so that it will remain
agricultural. Through the years the field has been planted
with a variety of crops; mostly corn, soy beans and rye (a
winter cover crop). The owners harvested the rye this week
and soon they will plant corn.
Yesterday
they made some more improvements that Mike, our farmer
neighbor, had told me was coming. A large backhoe type
machine went through the field with an attachment that
looked and sounded like a jack hammer that broke up large
rocks in the field. I learned that these rocks can easily
damage the chopper used for the harvest and then it's a
$4,000 repair. Later in the day they started the biggest
project which was a large pile of rocks about 20 feet wide
by 100 feet long. For years they just planted around this
rock pile but after the pile is removed it can be planted
over using no-till.
Yesterday
they made some more improvements that Mike, our farmer
neighbor, had told me was coming. A large backhoe type
machine went through the field with an attachment that
looked and sounded like a jack hammer that broke up large
rocks in the field. I learned that these rocks can easily
damage the chopper used for the harvest and then it's a
$4,000 repair. Later in the day they started the biggest
project which was a large pile of rocks about 20 feet wide
by 100 feet long. For years they just planted around this
rock pile but after the pile is removed it can be planted
over using no-till.Dealing
with rocks in a farm field has a spiritual application.
The farmer has to be adaptive. Sometimes he can remove the
rocks, other times he is forced to work around them.
It's that way in life as well. Most of us have some "embedded rock" in our lives, some people way more than others.
It's that way in life as well. Most of us have some "embedded rock" in our lives, some people way more than others.
In
this illustration embedded rock are those hardships in
life we can:
1) Remove at great effort and expense.
2) Or by God's grace adapt, endure and overcome.
For
some the embedded rocks is a physical disability. For
others it's a family situation such as being born to
drug-abusing, abusive parents or an unwed teenage mother
and never knowing one's father. For some, although they
are quite unlikely to be reading this material, it's being
born and living in a desperately impoverished land and/or
living under horrific persecution. We consider those in
places like North Korea, Sudan and northeastern Nigeria
and sadly many other places.
Now let me make it clear, God is certainly able to remove any form of embedded rock in our lives and amazingly He often does. But other times we are called to work around it and even put it to use so that God may be glorified (Romans 8:28). There are matters that in God's power He could remove, but in His providence He does not. Yet He does provide needed strength and grace to work around it or through it. Millions can testify to that grace.
Are you dealing with some embedded rock today? Are you in the midst of a rocky trial that just goes on and on? Is there a major rock outcropping in your life or an embedded rock weighing you down? God's grace is absolutely sufficient to either remove that rock or sustain and instruct you as you deal with it. Paul kept the faith and so can you. In fact you can be stronger as a result of the trial and God will be glorified through your faithful response to His testing. The daily text is surely one of the greatest assurance verses in the entire Bible. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Now let me make it clear, God is certainly able to remove any form of embedded rock in our lives and amazingly He often does. But other times we are called to work around it and even put it to use so that God may be glorified (Romans 8:28). There are matters that in God's power He could remove, but in His providence He does not. Yet He does provide needed strength and grace to work around it or through it. Millions can testify to that grace.
Are you dealing with some embedded rock today? Are you in the midst of a rocky trial that just goes on and on? Is there a major rock outcropping in your life or an embedded rock weighing you down? God's grace is absolutely sufficient to either remove that rock or sustain and instruct you as you deal with it. Paul kept the faith and so can you. In fact you can be stronger as a result of the trial and God will be glorified through your faithful response to His testing. The daily text is surely one of the greatest assurance verses in the entire Bible. "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, I want to keep my life embedded
in the Rock of Ages. Whether our trials are emotional,
physical, spiritual, financial or relational we are
absolutely dependent on You for everything that we
have need of. You work in the supernatural realm while
we are confined to the natural unless Your power is
manifested in our lives. Help us not to resent or be
embarrassed by our weaknesses, but invite Your Holy
Spirit power to work through them, so that we can
learn endurance, find strength and seek to glorify
You. Give us confidence in the Bible truth, "In all
these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us." Amen.More photos from our explorations in
northern Lebanon County on Tuesday.
This
mirror like pond and red colored windmill caught
our attention.
This
area (google map) with many
rapeseed fields, which is one of the most colorful
crops at spring harvest time. Rapeseed (yes that's
the real name, see here) is used in this case
for bird feed according to my local farmer friend.
Here's
a beautiful aerial view from a field of
rapeseed in the Lehigh Valley northeast of us.
This
tractor needs some work but sure does trigger some
memories from way in the past!
Click on photo to enlarge
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)
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.
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
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".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."
© Copyright 2021 Stephen C. & Brooksyne
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