A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Monday,
September 13,
2021
"Like
Grasshoppers"
Note:
Some of our readers appreciate our lessons from personal
reminiscing, others perhaps not so much. The exposition in
today's message starts at the Isaiah 40:22 photo of the
earth (third photo below).
Listen to this message on your audio player.
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has
it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not
understood since the earth was founded? He sits
enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its
people are like grasshoppers” (Isaiah
40:21-22). "What is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that You care for him?" (Psalm
8:4).
I remember
the fun times I had visiting my grandparents during the
summer months. They lived in Southern Missouri about 80
miles from our house in the suburban Kansas City area.
Of course I enjoyed playing outside during the hot days
of July and August before it was time to go back to
school. One specific recollection I have is watching the
scores of grasshoppers in the farm fields hopping from
one plant to another. It was a pleasurable boyhood
adventure to catch as many as possible, but I sure
didn’t like the tobacco-like juice they’d spit out on my
hands!Brooksyne’s childhood was a bit more country than mine since she didn’t just visit the farm, but lived on one. As the old saying goes, “You can take a girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl!” Now we are blessed that we live out in the country and walk among the trails bordered by corn fields that have thousands of grasshoppers descending upon the stalks of corn!
Brooksyne also has grasshopper memories and
informs me that catching grasshoppers isn’t just a boy’s
thing! Here's her story:
Having grown up on a small farm
west of Tulsa, Oklahoma the summer temperatures often
soared over the 100 degree mark and our large yard
simply turned into brown stubble which felt much like
walking on pine needles.
As children we went barefoot most of the
summer so we frequently stepped on grasshoppers whose
colors blended into the brown grass. To break the
doldrums of hot summer days we’d compete to see who
could catch the most grasshoppers. We’d each take a
quart canning jar from the well house so we could easily
count our big catch and award the winner.
It’s
now over fifty years since our childhood grasshopper
catching days. Although we no longer run around chasing
grasshoppers we still see them in our yard and the corn
fields.We project the corn will be harvested any day
now since it's being harvested in our neighborhood but
until it is it's like walking through a green canyon.
The afternoons have still been hot and at this season
the grasshoppers are still busy, hopping to and fro.
They “sing” as they scrape their rear legs against their
wings. They are getting in their last mating efforts
before the cooler days bring the silence of autumn.
Isaiah
40 is a grand chapter that contains one of the greatest
expressions of the glory and majesty of God in the
entire Bible. Today’s verse gives us God’s perspective
stating that “He sits enthroned above the circle of
the earth". Indeed God is seated on His throne,
for He reigns supreme over heaven and earth. It's
interesting to look at the phrase "the circle of the
earth" which reveals divine revelation regarding
the round earth even though the dominant view up
to several hundred years ago was that the earth was
flat.
In great contrast to God being enthroned above the circle of the earth the Bible says "its people are like grasshoppers". What candid bluntness regarding the relative temporary and frail condition of humanity! The grasshopper is just a tiny insect compared to me and has a lifespan of only 4-12 months. The ones that we saw as children are long, long gone and are nothing more than a brief memory. And with a longer, let alone, eternal perspective that’s the same for us on our earthly journey!
Nature and history verifies this again and again. Are we any different today? I suspect each living generation believes there is a special significance to its own existence. But the Bible declares, “generations come and generations go” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). And so will ours.
Today's second Scripture text asks in amazement, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4). But praise be to God, the Almighty God is mindful of us. He loves and cares for each one, although, in comparison to Deity, we are like grasshoppers. He provided His Son, who came down to dwell among us. He gave His life for the fallen human race and then He rose from the dead and ever lives to make intercession for us. One glorious day He is coming again!
We urge you to keep that perspective before you today and all through your brief life. Perhaps you’ll recall this message the next time you see a grasshopper!
Isaiah
40 is a grand chapter that contains one of the greatest
expressions of the glory and majesty of God in the
entire Bible. Today’s verse gives us God’s perspective
stating that “He sits enthroned above the circle of
the earth". Indeed God is seated on His throne,
for He reigns supreme over heaven and earth. It's
interesting to look at the phrase "the circle of the
earth" which reveals divine revelation regarding
the round earth even though the dominant view up
to several hundred years ago was that the earth was
flat.In great contrast to God being enthroned above the circle of the earth the Bible says "its people are like grasshoppers". What candid bluntness regarding the relative temporary and frail condition of humanity! The grasshopper is just a tiny insect compared to me and has a lifespan of only 4-12 months. The ones that we saw as children are long, long gone and are nothing more than a brief memory. And with a longer, let alone, eternal perspective that’s the same for us on our earthly journey!
Nature and history verifies this again and again. Are we any different today? I suspect each living generation believes there is a special significance to its own existence. But the Bible declares, “generations come and generations go” (Ecclesiastes 1:4). And so will ours.
Today's second Scripture text asks in amazement, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:4). But praise be to God, the Almighty God is mindful of us. He loves and cares for each one, although, in comparison to Deity, we are like grasshoppers. He provided His Son, who came down to dwell among us. He gave His life for the fallen human race and then He rose from the dead and ever lives to make intercession for us. One glorious day He is coming again!
We urge you to keep that perspective before you today and all through your brief life. Perhaps you’ll recall this message the next time you see a grasshopper!
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father God, Your almighty power is
balanced with Your tender compassion toward all of
creation. It is because of Your abundant mercies
that we are not consumed or utterly forsaken, that
we are valued far above the common insect or even
the most cuddly pet. You show Your compassionate
sovereignty to us by creating the sun, moon and
stars that give us light. You created plants as a
food source and provide a climate suitable for
sustaining life. Your love is most evident when You
sent Your Son as our Redeemer. Thank
You for clothing us with dignity, providing us with
salvation and for abiding with us day in and day
out. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"Be Enthroned" Video Calvary Church Choir This is from early 2018. We are excited that our choir resumes singing for the first time this coming Lord's Day! Shortly after this video was recorded the church really stepped up in production quality and here's a version of the song with the worship team. Video
"How
Great Thou Art/How Great Is Our God"
Video The concluding
song from our worship service yesterday at
Calvary Church (includes the pastor's concluding
prayer).
"Psalm
8 (How Majestic Is Your Name)" Video Shane
& Shane
When
I look at Your heavens
The moon and stars You set in motion, oh God
I sing all glory and honor
What is man that You are mindful
The son of man that You would care for him
We sing all glory and honor
The moon and stars You set in motion, oh God
I sing all glory and honor
What is man that You are mindful
The son of man that You would care for him
We sing all glory and honor
"Be Enthroned" Video Calvary Church Choir This is from early 2018. We are excited that our choir resumes singing for the first time this coming Lord's Day! Shortly after this video was recorded the church really stepped up in production quality and here's a version of the song with the worship team. Video
Two
weeks ago Brooksyne bought a rose tree at Lowes
that was on its way to being thrown out (perfect timing since the worker was
carrying it out the gate when Brooksyne spotted
her). Upon inquiry the worker offered it to sell
it to her for $1.00. The healthy rose trees just
like it were selling for $50.00. (See photo when
we bought it here.) She trimmed it back
and gave it some TLC such as water and sunshine. Lo and behold
it is already on its way to looking healthy!
We
now have three buds this morning (this one was
hiding behind foliage in photo above) and since
this is a perennial we (Brooksyne) hope to
maintain it for many years.
We
are introducing Gracie to our two dogs. Mollie
must seem huge to her and certainly poses a
threat in Gracie's mind!
Sadie
and Gracie have been studying each other since
Gracie's arrival on Aug. 31st, but in spite of
our best efforts, they remain wary of playing
together. They seem more content just studying
one another from a safe distance.
Finally
today:
This
goose gourd is waiting to be "adopted" as she
is all dolled up sitting on a wagon filled
with many undressed gourds at the entrance to
the Strasburg Railroad. I (Brooksyne) was
tempted to pinch her nose but resisted!
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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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