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(Click refresh or reload for current message) Friday, August
5, 2022
Our front
walkway.
Click on photo to enlarge "Manifold
Witness"
Message
summary: Today we encourage you to observe
and join with all nature in manifold witness to God's
great faithfulness, mercy and love.
“O Lord, You are my
God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with
perfect faithfulness” (Isaiah 25:1). “It is the living who
give thanks to You, as I do today; A father tells his sons
about Your faithfulness” (Isaiah 38:19).
![]() For most men, my age at
least, the word "manifold" is a word associated with a
motor. I don't recall using it in any other context in
normal conversation. There are two manifolds in a car: an
intake manifold that distributes the fuel-air mixture to the
cylinders and an exhaust manifold that delivers exhaust out
the rear of the car.
But we do use the word
"manifold" in the second verse of a hymn, "Great Is Thy
Faithfulness", many of us have been blessed by, yet I wonder
how many of us have stopped to consider what it means?
Summer and winter, and
springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. In this case manifold means
"many and various, having many different forms, features, or
elements". The "sun, moon, and stars", are joining the whole
of nature as a witness (like in a courtroom) of God's great
faithfulness, mercy, and love. Because it is the "whole of
nature", this witness is bound to be composed of "many
different elements".
As we thoughtfully observe
the sun, moon and stars in their courses above, I consider
those over the centuries who have observed and benefited
from this same astronomical witness since the beginning of
creation.
We especially enjoy watching
the sunset from our rural home. In God’s order of the
universe all generations have seen the same as we now
observe. Perhaps several hundred years ago, during a
summer evening, some native Americans saw the same sun
that we view continuing its same course from this very
location. Perhaps in the last several hundred years, since
Europeans settled the area in which we presently live, a
farmer was working the fields and watched or worked through
the sunset. (Our property was farmland until our home was
built in the mid 1980’s).
God’s faithfulness is an
attribute (characteristic of God) that has brought assurance
to His children through the ages. The first reference to
God’s faithfulness in Scripture was a statement made by
Jacob to God just prior to meeting with his estranged
brother Esau: “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness
and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your
servant” (Genesis 32:10). Jacob was a rascal but over
time he matured after several notable experiences with God
such as their wrestling match. Aren’t you thankful for God’s
forgiving grace in regard to our past and the way He can use
our past to mature us in our present attitudes and actions!
In the last part of Moses’ final words to the Israelites prior to his death he extols the Lord, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:4). That’s a pretty amazing statement from Moses, since God did not allow him to enter the Promised Land in which he led His people for forty years. All through the Scriptures we find references to God’s faithfulness, perhaps the most referenced being the grand declaration in Lamentations 3:23, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”. But as I search the Scriptures two references from Isaiah stand out: “O Lord, You are my
God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name;
For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect
faithfulness” (Isaiah 25:1). God acts in
“perfect faithfulness”. Although many times we may not
understand His ways, especially if they involve a season of
trouble, this steadfast truth remains: His faithfulness is
perfect.
“It is the living who
give thanks to You, as I do today; a father tells his sons
about Your faithfulness” (Isaiah 38:19). A pattern is
given here for the transmission of truth from one generation
to another as “the father makes known to the children
Your faithfulness”. Let us join the Psalmist, “I
will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my
mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all
generations” (Psalm 89:1).
Today
we encourage you to observe and join with all nature in
manifold witness to God's great faithfulness, mercy and
love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided— Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
![]() Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Great
Is Thy Faithfulness" Video
Austin Stone Worship Traditional
hymn with additional verses by written
by John Piper.
We
visited with Nick Nichols yesterday
afternoon who continues to overcome some
critical health matters and does it with
an exuberant attitude. A man of great
knowledge in the insurance business who
helped us navigate some important
decisions regarding Ester's current
health plan. He recently remodeled part
of the basement for his office area and
we sure enjoyed the inspirational
photographs and writings that hung on
each wall including the one posted
below.
You'll
have to enlarge this
picture to appreciate its inspirational
message. Written in the form of a
fingerprint [God's] it includes a verse
taken from every book of the Bible
starting with Revelation at the top and
ending with Genesis at the bottom. This
was a gift to Nick from his daughter in
dedication to his new office area.
Click on photo to enlarge
Brooksyne
continues to be amazed by the tall Canna
lilies in her garden and on our deck.
She had me stand behind this one for
height perspective. Since we have two
more months of summer weather we'll have
to test it again to see if there is more
growth from the canna. (This is kind of
like the growth chart our moms put on
the wall to see if we were healthily
growing as children. I did just fine
culminating at 6'2" but now perhaps we
should post a shrinking chart at this
season of our lives to chart our
shrinkage due to aging factors.
Click on photo to enlarge
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![]() ![]() Stephen & Brooksyne 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 2022 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |