A
daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and
exhortation.
Wednesday,
November 3,
2021
(Click on photo to enlarge)
"Salvaging Lives"
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"And when Jesus had stepped out of the
boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man
with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And
no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,
for he had often been bound with shackles and chains,
but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the
shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue
him. Night and day among the tombs and on the
mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself
with stones" (Mark 5:2-5).
Years ago I was talking to my longtime
friend Mike Matangelo, and I told him
it would be neat to have a program that shows what it
looks like from the air as you fly over an area. He told
me you could essentially do about the same thing by
using Google maps and it works! I enjoy looking at
where I'm going or where I've been on google maps which
is easier on the neck and eyeballs than looking out the
plane window!
Near a company we visited yesterday in rural Lebanon
County is a salvage yard named "Greble U-Pull-It". What
especially caught my attention when I "flew" over the
area was how orderly it looked from the air on satellite
view on Google maps. Moving in for a closer view I
noticed the vehicles are neatly arranged diagonally and
placed up on blocks. If I ever needed a salvaged car
part this orderly place might interest me!
But actually I don't have much interest in
salvage yards and don't recall ever going to very many
even when I was younger. But I recall my dad would check
them out when he needed a part and certainly Brooksyne's
dad frequented salvage yards, probably knew their phone
number by heart, as he was a master tinkerer.
To salvage means "the act of saving something that
is in danger of being completely destroyed". In the case
of a vehicle it's the last step of usefulness till it is
crushed for scrap. For those unfamiliar with auto
salvage yards useful parts are stripped from a car that
has been wrecked or no longer runs.
Today we are going to consider salvaged
lives.*
One of my most memorable pleas for help came
from a broken-hearted father concerning his wayward
daughter. When I stopped by to visit him at his desk he
looked up at me and pleaded, "Please help me
salvage this life". What a heartfelt plea of
desperation I heard from this loving father and I am
sure some of our readers can identify with it. But
salvaging lives is at the very heart of the gospel!
Today let us consider one of the great salvage stories
in the Bible, the Gadarene demoniac. Our daily text
describes his desperate plight. Surely he seemed like a
hopeless cause.
A song written by Bill Gaither some 1950 years
later could well describe him.
'Twas a life filled with aimless desperation
Without hope walked the shell of a man;
Without hope walked the shell of a man;
Just consider the description of this man:
"And when Jesus had stepped out of the
boat, immediately there met Him:
- "A man
with an unclean spirit." That is, he had a demon
possessed, evil spirit.
- "He lived among the tombs." A cemetery is not the kind of place I'd want to call "home".
- "And no
one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain,
for he had often been bound with shackles and
chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he
broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the
strength to subdue him." He was socially
isolated and any attempt at restraint failed.
- "Night
and day among the tombs and on the mountains."
His condition was continuous and ongoing (for how long
the Scripture doesn't say).
- "He was
always crying out." What tremendous
mental anguish this man was in!
- "And cutting himself with stones." Was he trying to commit suicide in his hopelessness?
But praise God, something happened! He met
Jesus and nothing is impossible with God. He got
delivered and saved. The Scripture describes the change
after his deliverance as "clothed and in his right
mind". The final description in the Bible is that
"he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis
how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone
marveled".
Today we encourage you that no life is beyond
salvaging. If you read this and believe you are beyond
hope that's a lie, for there is always hope in Christ.
If you have a burden for a loved one whose life needs
salvaged keep on trusting, praying and shining your
light for Jesus.
Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, I choose to believe Your Word
and apply its wondrous truths to my life and those
of others. I reject Satan’s cunning lies that seek
to convince me that I or anyone I know is an
exception to Your redemptive power or that our
troubles can never be repaired by Your almighty
hand. Your power is unbiased, all-reaching, and ever
merciful to those who humble themselves and call
upon You in time of need. I’m so grateful that Your
sufficiency exceeds our needs. Thank you for
salvaging my life by taking my feet from the
sinking, miry clay and setting them upon the solid
rock to stay. Amen. *
Salvaged life. So many illustrations are at least
somewhat deficient. Ten years ago we were rear ended
in our Chrysler Town and Country van. Due to the age
of the vehicle and extent of damage it was totaled
by the insurance company. But it still ran OK and we
opted to take a settlement from the insurance
company and keep the vehicle. We had it repaired at
a local trade school where a friend of ours was the
instructor and used it for another 5 years. But it
had to have a "salvaged" designation on the title.
Actually in Christ we are made new! We don't
post "SALVAGED" on our foreheads to indicate the
change in our life, but our actions, attitudes and
words should certainly reflect the new person we are
in Christ.
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
See here for the satellite
view on Google of the salvage yard mentioned
in today's message.
"The
Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference"
Video
Gaither Vocal Band
(This is the song quoted in the message)
"I
Got Saved" Video
Selah Is there a chance the former
demoniac in our lesson today, "salvaged" by the
all-powerful hand of God, is singing this song
in heaven?
Since then I walk
in forgiveness
All of my guilt was erased
The chains of the past
Are broken at last
I got saved
Oh, I got saved
All of my guilt was erased
The chains of the past
Are broken at last
I got saved
Oh, I got saved
"Chain
Breaker (Live from Harding Prison)"
Video
Zach Williams Another song describing his
life.
The
Greble U-Pull-It salvage yard is near Blue Mountain where today's
lead photo was taken from an overlook point on the
Appalachian Trail. We had actually planned to hike
to this lookout point yesterday morning following
our chaplain visit but we had a rainy day again
and it's starting to get a bit too cold for
Brooksyne to enjoy hiking! (Her warm Oklahoma bred
blood starts to freeze when the temps start
dropping.)
So
today we will share several of our previously
posted photos of Blue Mountain.
Lebanon County farm at the foot of Blue
Mountain last year about this time.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
View a lookout point on Hawk Mountain on the north
side of the Blue Mountain ridge in early October
before the leaves turned.
(Click to enlarge)
This bountiful farm has a beautiful panoramic view of Blue Mountain in the background.
Note the Combine at the lower left in the photo (wheat harvest).
Finally today:
This morning we awakened to our first
seasonal frost, a bit later than usual. In our
twenty year memory of living in Lancaster County the
first frost has always arrived in mid to late
October, rather than November.
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