Daily Encouragement

Thursday, March 10, 2022

We had a light snow yesterday (the final one for the season we hope) and passed this empty country cabin with pigs and Canada geese inhabiting the yard and pasture south of Palmyra, PA. Brooksyne showed the photo to four year old Stephen on Tuesday since Ester had passed the same scene on Monday on the way to her eye doctor. Little Stephen carefully observed the photo, then innocently asked "Where's the wolf?" As you can imagine we could hardly hold back our laughter.

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"The Strength We Need"

Message summary: Please receive the daily promise that God's strength is absolutely adequate to meet your every need!

Listen to this message on your audio player.

"Be strong and courageous" (Joshua 1:6). "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power" (Ephesians 6:10). "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

In his book "When God Breaks Your Heart" Pastor Ed Underwood wrote openly of his battle with malevolent lymphoma, a form of cancer oncologists claim leads to more suicides than any other form. It can produce intense pain and unbearable itching that can push the senses and the psyche to the limit.

"My unique pain centers on the flaming, all-consuming irritation of my skin. The agony was excruciating. First the heat, then the insane itching, finally the weakness as my body began shaking from the effect of exfoliating skin."

He describes it as his blood boring upward to the surface of the skin and heating it until it exfoliated, causing searing itching and intense pain.

Ed wrote, "Falling back on some of my favorite verses from Scripture, or the most comforting truths about the personal relationship with the Lord Jesus I entered into as a young man, I repeat the verse or truth over and over again. I always begin with Philippians 4:13, 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' Then I discipline my mind to say this over and over again with the emphasis on a different word each time."

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And so forth for the entire verse.

Brooksyne and I practiced this spiritual exercise as we quoted Philippians 4:13 back and forth until we had placed emphasis on each word and found it very meaningful and spiritually beneficial.

The first daily Scripture provides a word of assurance from the Lord to Joshua as he assumed leadership from Moses; "Be strong and courageous." This phrase is repeated three times in verses 6-9 for emphasis. Both strength and courage were greatly needed by Joshua for the task at hand. Can you just imagine following a spiritual giant like Moses who led his people from captivity through the Red Sea and was instrumental in God performing so many other mighty miracles! In the flesh Joshua surely felt overwhelmed and inadequate, as would each of us. And even now we can identify with this need today as we face many challenges. We all need God's strength!

The second daily Scripture is a word from the Apostle Paul written initially to the Ephesian believers: "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." All God's children can receive this call. So many issues can weaken us. It may be personal issues such as illness, family problems or a work situation. It may be the wearing down we experience as we see the times becoming ever more perilous as predicted in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:1). That's the emotion I felt as I read the news last night. However for other believers (who are unlikely to be reading this message) it may be an actual present persecution for their faith.

But the part of the verse so operative is the phrase "in the Lord". He is the source of our strength! Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul reminds us that the strength we rely on is insufficient from within ourselves but is all-sufficient from the Lord "and His mighty power." So many of you have written to Brooksyne and me and shared of the tremendous challenges you are facing in life. Please receive the daily promise that God's strength is absolutely adequate to meet your every need!

Be strong and take courage,
Do not fear or be dismayed,
For the Lord will go before you,
And His light will show the way,
So be strong and take courage,
Do not fear or be dismayed,
For the One who lives within you,
Will be strong in you today.

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, You are my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? You are the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Strength and courage are given to me because I anchor my hope in You, therefore, I am not afraid for You are with me. I am not discouraged since You will strengthen and help me. You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen.

Prayer based on Scriptures: Psalm 27:1, Psalm 31:24, 2 Timothy 1:7, Isaiah 41:10

Brooksyne's Note: I helped Ester memorize Philippians 4:13 from a very young age. She had so many jabs from injections and blood tests in addition to all kinds of medical testings during her infancy and early childhood, due to her many heart surgeries. It often took 4 phlebotomists to hold her down in addition to me, her own mother, when they needed to draw blood. More than once she screamed repeatedly, J-E-S-U-S, which got everyone's attention in the lab.

I would have had no idea that she would eventually quote Philippians 4:13 to me to calm my spirit when I was going to be jabbed with two huge syringes with needles at least 3" long (ask Stephen)! I had broken my ankle in 2008 and my body was nearly in shock due to the intense pain and prolonged time I had spent in the ER (at least six hours) waiting to be treated. When the doctor brought out those monster size syringes I became very fearful of the pain he was preparing to inject and Ester could easily spot my fear. She began to quote over and over, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." God miraculously (I'm not exaggerating) calmed my nerves and spoke supernatural strength to my soul. I'll never forget it nor will she!

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Be Strong And Take Courage" Video Don Moen

"Stronger" Video Shane and Shane

You are stronger, You are stronger
Sin is broken, You have saved me
It is written, Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" Video

"Strong Enough" Video Matthew West

We attended a Lenten luncheon service yesterday at a local church here in Mount Joy. It was especially nice to sit with our longtime friends, Oren and Naomi Hofstetter.

We drove through Hershey yesterday afternoon since Ester had an appointment for her soon-coming pacemaker replacement. Following her visit we had her birthday dinner at her place of choice, Fuddruckers in Hershey! (She works at Manheim Fuddruckers and has become pretty good friends with the manager of Fuddruckers in Hershey.)

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An early morning view from our front porch.

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