A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Monday,
June 7,
2021
The Lehigh Canal near Bethlehem, PA
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"The
Fork In The Road"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"For
the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the
road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an
omen" (Ezekiel 21:21). “I have chosen the way of
truth; I have set my heart on Your laws” (Psalm
119:30). “Whether you turn to the right or to the
left, your ears will hear a voice behind you,
saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah
30:21). “This is what the LORD says – your Redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who
teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in
the way you should go’” (Isaiah 48:17).
Yesterday
afternoon, as we were traveling toward home, we
stopped in Berks County and rode on the Union Canal
Towpath. In nearby Centerport,
a tiny village north of Reading, there is a literal
super-sized fork in the road marking a point which is
“a fork in the road” to describe
the point at which a road branches into two
directions.
But we also use the phrase “a fork in the road” as a figure of speech referring to an important decision before us. At such a point we can go in one of two or more directions. Interestingly, the Bible actually uses this figure of speech in Ezekiel 21:21 (in several translations).
Today I want to consider a fork in the road that most of us have experienced. All over our country and around the world young people are graduating. Graduation (high school and college) is an important milestone preparing us for adulthood and independence. In so many ways it is a vital fork in the road of life. Often, due to lack of proper direction in the early formative years, so many choose the wrong road at this point.
Yesterday
afternoon, as we were traveling toward home, we
stopped in Berks County and rode on the Union Canal
Towpath. In nearby Centerport,
a tiny village north of Reading, there is a literal
super-sized fork in the road marking a point which is
“a fork in the road” to describe
the point at which a road branches into two
directions.But we also use the phrase “a fork in the road” as a figure of speech referring to an important decision before us. At such a point we can go in one of two or more directions. Interestingly, the Bible actually uses this figure of speech in Ezekiel 21:21 (in several translations).
Today I want to consider a fork in the road that most of us have experienced. All over our country and around the world young people are graduating. Graduation (high school and college) is an important milestone preparing us for adulthood and independence. In so many ways it is a vital fork in the road of life. Often, due to lack of proper direction in the early formative years, so many choose the wrong road at this point.
Sadly,
in so many cases, higher education has become fertile
ground for destruction of the teaching young people
received in their early years. The almost always funny
and insightful Babylon Bee has a satire story
titled, "Local Christian Parents Pay University
$100,000 To Totally Destroy 18 Years Of Their Hard
Work". (link below)
I want to encourage graduates and all reading this to hear a very clear message from God’s Word. This specific phrase “the way” has great meaning in the Scriptures. God chose Abraham to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD” (Genesis 18:19). Moses urged the people to “walk in all the ways that the Lord your God has commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:33). The Psalmist declares, “I have chosen the way of truth" (Psalm 119:30). The sense of the Hebrew word for “way” in the above passages is “a course of life or mode of action".
I want to encourage graduates and all reading this to hear a very clear message from God’s Word. This specific phrase “the way” has great meaning in the Scriptures. God chose Abraham to “command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD” (Genesis 18:19). Moses urged the people to “walk in all the ways that the Lord your God has commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:33). The Psalmist declares, “I have chosen the way of truth" (Psalm 119:30). The sense of the Hebrew word for “way” in the above passages is “a course of life or mode of action".
In the
New Testament Jesus said, “I am the Way” (John
14:6) and a descriptive designation for the early
church in the book of Acts was “The Way” (Acts 9:2).
One of the last uses of the phrase in the Bible is so
pertinent to our time. It describes when, “Many
will follow their shameful ways and will bring the
way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter
2:2).
The two daily verses from Isaiah express a truth that we all do well to hide deep in our hearts. “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you.” Truly, our heavenly Father knows best. We all need to keep this truth before us, but our young people are especially at a vulnerable point in life where there is a battle raging over this issue in their souls. They hear so many voices asserting “this way is best for you". Many of these ways are absolutely contrary to God’s way!
But God directs us in the way we should go.
Our prayer for graduates and all our readers is well stated by the prophet Isaiah: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).
The two daily verses from Isaiah express a truth that we all do well to hide deep in our hearts. “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you.” Truly, our heavenly Father knows best. We all need to keep this truth before us, but our young people are especially at a vulnerable point in life where there is a battle raging over this issue in their souls. They hear so many voices asserting “this way is best for you". Many of these ways are absolutely contrary to God’s way!
But God directs us in the way we should go.
Our prayer for graduates and all our readers is well stated by the prophet Isaiah: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).
Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father,
I pray for families whose children graduate
from high school or college this year. What a
tremendous and long-range accomplishment this
is in the lives of our young people. I ask
that You would empower our graduates with
great foresight, godly wisdom, daily
discipline, and a sense of purpose as they
enter a new season in their lives. May their
hearts be fully consecrated to You as they use
their natural and learned skills in the
marketplace. Though much about their future is
not yet revealed, You have given absolute
direction about their personal spiritual walk.
No matter what field of study or where they
locate geographically may Your voice be
clearly heard, “This is the way; walk in
it.” No matter what season of life we’re
in, help us to never forsake the unchanging,
fundamental truths we learn from steadfastly
walking in Your way. We joyfully acknowledge
it is the best way!
Daily
prayer: Father,
I pray for families whose children graduate
from high school or college this year. What a
tremendous and long-range accomplishment this
is in the lives of our young people. I ask
that You would empower our graduates with
great foresight, godly wisdom, daily
discipline, and a sense of purpose as they
enter a new season in their lives. May their
hearts be fully consecrated to You as they use
their natural and learned skills in the
marketplace. Though much about their future is
not yet revealed, You have given absolute
direction about their personal spiritual walk.
No matter what field of study or where they
locate geographically may Your voice be
clearly heard, “This is the way; walk in
it.” No matter what season of life we’re
in, help us to never forsake the unchanging,
fundamental truths we learn from steadfastly
walking in Your way. We joyfully acknowledge
it is the best way!Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Waymaker" Video The McClures
"Waymaker" Video The McClures
"The
Way" Video Pat Barrett
"Local Christian Parents
Pay University $100,000 To Totally Destroy
18 Years Of Their Hard Work".
Satire but way closer to truth than many
would like to admit!
What did Jesus mean when
He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the
life” (John 14:6)? Video from
gotquestions.org
This
last weekend we rode our bikes over 40 miles
of Canal Towpaths in four counties.
On
Friday evening we rode about 12 miles on a
remote stretch of the tow path between
Bethlehem and Allentown. (The tow path was
the path the mules used as the towed the
canal barges.)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Near
Allentown we passed a rail yard on the other
side of the canal and this car caught our
attention "Kansas City Southern Lines" since
Stephen is from the Kansas City area.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
The
old train depot in Bethlehem has been
repurposed into a restaurant. It was sure
nice to see people gathering outside and
enjoying themselves.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
This
huge I-beam has been repurposed into a park
bench.
This
should be able to hold about anybody!
Walking
around Bethlehem one night we walked over to
the former Bethlehem Steel Mill which has
been repurposed into a tourist and
entertainment district called Steel Stacks.
This photo is of the blast furnaces. This
steel mill in Bethlehem had a peak
employment during WW2 of over 31,000 people.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Finally
today:
We
had dinner at Anna's Italian restaurant in
Bethlehem and met Sal, the owner, who sat
with us awhile as we ate outside the
restaurant on a beautiful evening. Through
his photos we saw his wife, Anna, and his
two daughters that he is very proud of. We
had a delicious pizza baked in the brick
oven and enjoyed an Italian pastry as
well. Sal loves the Lord and is so
grateful for his extended life, due to
medical intervention and God's
providential care in his life. We hope to
revisit Bethlehem in the future and stop
by his restaurant to enjoy the excellent
Italian food, to take in the aromatic
smells of fresh chopped garlic amidst the
fresh dough baking into a crispy crust in
the oven, but mostly to see Sal again. As
he sat with us outside guests leaving the
restaurant called him out by name thanking
him for the excellent meal they enjoyed,
including one young man who just started
his dental practice in Philly. Now 27
years old he said he had been coming to
Sal's since he was ten years old, and eats
everything offered on the menu. You can't
pay enough for those unsolicited
compliments! If your ever in Bethlehem we
recommend as well!
Anna's Brick Oven Pizza
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