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&
Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, June
1, 2023
Tuesday
morning we
passed this
Gazebo on a
farm along Rt.
241 in Lebanon
County.
Apart
from the
landscaping
what caught
our attention
was the
re-purposed
grain bin top!
As you might
see from the
grass in the
foreground we
are very much
in need of
rain.
"Lonely
Hearts"
Message
summary:
Today we
consider
loneliness.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted" (Psalm 25:16). "Thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted" (Psalm 25:16). "Thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).
Tuesday
morning I was
loading some
groceries into
our van
outside a
grocery store
in Myserstown,
PA when an
elderly man
walked by as
he was going
into the
store. I was
finished
loading so I
suggested he
take my cart.
I noticed as I
arranged my
groceries at
the side of
our van that
he was
lingering and
trying to tell
me something
so I walked
back to talk
to him.What
he was trying
to tell me
was,
"It's my
birthday
today". He
is 92 and told
me he had been
a widower
since 1969 but
soon corrected
himself; he
meant 1999
which is still
a long time.
He had a
pleasant
disposition
and it seems
he was a
lonely man who
just wanted
someone to
talk to which
we did for a
few minutes
and of course
we wished him
a "Happy
Birthday".
Several
weeks ago our
pastor asked
us to consider
the question
whether it's
better to have
a broken heart
or a lonely
heart. It
seems most
would say a
broken heart.
A broken heart
conveys having
had a
relationship
and lost it
whereas a
lonely heart
conveys never
having had a
relationship
in the first
place. However
they are, of
course,
somewhat
interchangeable.
The widowed
man in our
story was
certainly
lonely.
In
our younger
years we'd
often hear of
"The Lonely
Hearts Club".
It doesn't
have the
prestige of
being a member
of a "Golf
Club" but
rather a
stigma that
would not make
a member proud
to boast about
having such a
membership!
From an old sixties secular song comes these self-questioning words, "All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?" Another song says it well, "One is the loneliest number".
We
have on our
hearts this
morning our
readers who
may be in a
lonely place
or state of
mind today.
The word
"lonely"
conveys being
isolated from
others and
brings about
sadness. Most
lonely people
are not
necessarily at
a distance
from other
people. In
fact they may
very well be
surrounded by
other people
in a city, a
warehouse or
office
environment. Even
as the planet
gets more and
more populated
it seems
loneliness
grows. And for
a variety of
reasons.
Fundamentally
many people
experience
loneliness
because
mankind has
tried
replacing the
divinely
appointed
order of our
relationship
with God,
family, and
Christian
fellowship
with a host of
tawdry
replacements.
Even the word
“friend” has
changed. For
more than a
decade people
have collected
“friends” on
social
websites;
"friends" they
don’t
personally
know, let
alone have a
deeper,
meaningful
relationship
with.
In
the beginning
God and man
had close
fellowship and
still
God said, "It
is not good
for the man to
be alone"
and made a
helper
suitable for
him and thus
ordained
marriage as he
"set the
lonely in
families"
(Psalm 68:6).
Today we urge you to treasure and nurture those close family relationships. Some of our readers have been with us for decades and we've seen them lose one family member after the other, and that would include us as well. Today we urge you to seek and recognize the presence of God so that you can have the deep abiding assurance of David who wrote, "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me". Hide deeply in your heart these words of our Lord, "Surely I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20) and "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).
However, as we conclude our message we're still mindful of the souls reading this who are lonely today. Perhaps you're separated by death, abandoned by an unfaithful spouse, or you're dealing with estranged children. Specific readers who've contacted us or that we personally know come to mind for each situation. We don't minimize your pain even though it is not presently our experience so we leave you with:
Four
considerations:
1)
Lean heavily
upon the
steadfast love
of the Lord
and in His
time He will
fulfill the
needs of your
lonely heart.
You will find
Him to be a
friend that
sticks closer
than a
brother.
2) Are you actively involved in a local Bible-believing church with a caring pastor and congregation? It's interesting that the Bible uses the analogy of a family to describe the church (Galatians 6:10). Having lived over 1000 miles from our home turf all our ministry life we've often viewed our congregation as our family.
2) Are you actively involved in a local Bible-believing church with a caring pastor and congregation? It's interesting that the Bible uses the analogy of a family to describe the church (Galatians 6:10). Having lived over 1000 miles from our home turf all our ministry life we've often viewed our congregation as our family.
3) Often the
quickest way
to end
loneliness is
to reach out
to another who
might need a
caring friend.
When we put
others' needs
first, God has
a way of
meeting our
own inner
need.
4) If you’re lonely due to past hurts and you remain guarded, seek God for healing and start giving of yourself again to cultivate meaningful relationships.
4) If you’re lonely due to past hurts and you remain guarded, seek God for healing and start giving of yourself again to cultivate meaningful relationships.
Be
encouraged
today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Daily
prayer: Father,
there are many
in the world,
in our own
neighborhood,
workplace,
church or even
within our own
family whose
hearts are
filled with
loneliness.
They feel
alone, even
afflicted with
that very
thought. It's
easy for them
to observe
others in
relationships
that they long
for which only
leads to
attitudes they
must be on
guard against.
May those in
such
circumstances
find their
comfort in
drawing near
to You, since
You sent Jesus
to earth to
carry our
burdens, heal
our
brokenness,
and set us
free from
life's
bondages and
He continues
to intercede
on our behalf.
Hear our
prayer, O
Lord, we pray.
Amen.Brooksyne's
Note:
Lonely people
do surround
us, but we
tend to look
the other way
when we don't
want to take
the time.
Sometimes we
don't reach
out for fear
of rejection,
we struggle
for the right
words, or we
simply lack
the courage to
do so.
I can still see the empty and hopeless expression on the face of a carnival worker I saw at a fair in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania over 30 years ago. I was waiting in line at the merry-go-round when she caught my complete attention. She collected tickets from the riders and operated the ride. Her dark hair was a big tangled mess; her eyes were glazed and her expression seemed so distant and hopeless. God spoke to my heart as audibly as I've ever heard Him… "Tell her 'Jesus loves you.'"
I felt my heart was going to burst as I contemplated her reaction to hearing these words from a complete stranger. Finally the line moved forward and I put Ester, who was about three years old at the time, on the horse. I stood watching her ride on the Merry-Go-Round, all the while, putting off this conviction from God to be a messenger for Him. I began saying to myself that I would give this message to the worker after the ride was over. But I let fear override the conviction from the Holy Spirit and sadly walked away from God's leading.
This experience is so vivid in my memory because it has played over and over in my mind. I have wondered many times if this was a desperate, lonely woman who simply needed to hear from God. I pray that each of us will have godly courage and take the time to seek out the lost and lonely people in our surroundings who may simply need to hear, "Jesus loves you."
I can still see the empty and hopeless expression on the face of a carnival worker I saw at a fair in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania over 30 years ago. I was waiting in line at the merry-go-round when she caught my complete attention. She collected tickets from the riders and operated the ride. Her dark hair was a big tangled mess; her eyes were glazed and her expression seemed so distant and hopeless. God spoke to my heart as audibly as I've ever heard Him… "Tell her 'Jesus loves you.'"
I felt my heart was going to burst as I contemplated her reaction to hearing these words from a complete stranger. Finally the line moved forward and I put Ester, who was about three years old at the time, on the horse. I stood watching her ride on the Merry-Go-Round, all the while, putting off this conviction from God to be a messenger for Him. I began saying to myself that I would give this message to the worker after the ride was over. But I let fear override the conviction from the Holy Spirit and sadly walked away from God's leading.
This experience is so vivid in my memory because it has played over and over in my mind. I have wondered many times if this was a desperate, lonely woman who simply needed to hear from God. I pray that each of us will have godly courage and take the time to seek out the lost and lonely people in our surroundings who may simply need to hear, "Jesus loves you."
Through this toilsome world, alas!
Once and only once I pass;
If a kindness I may show,
If a good deed I may do
To a suffering fellow man,
Let me do it while I can,
No delay, for it is plain
I shall not pass this way again.
-Anonymous
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Be
Thou Near to
Me"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Selah
"There
Was Jesus"
Click
to listen on
YouTube
Zach Williams
Last night Stephen and Ester went to a Hershey Bears hockey game in a sold out Giant Center Arena. The Hershey Bears went into the game with a 3-1 lead in the best of seven Eastern Division championship series. However they lost last night so the series goes on. This shot was taken after their only goal.
May
ended the
driest month
on record and
we are praying
for rain in
our area!
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In considering support we are so pleased when we hear from you, our readers, that our messages are a source of teaching and encouragement to you. We also urge you to consider the mission aspect of these daily teachings that are freely available and read by many all over the world.
To
donate
directly
online
click here.
(This will
open to a page
that
designates the
offering
to: STEPHEN
&
BROOKSYNE
WEBER -
700001-237376 SERVING
IN SPECIALIZED
CHAPLAINCY)
If
you desire you
can also
donate
directly
through PayPal
using this link.
This will open
to a page that
states
"Brooksyne
Weber". We
keep this
option
available due
to the
familiarity,
convenience,
for
international
supporters,
and for those
who may not
need an
official
receipt. You
can also set
up for
recurring
donations.
Thank
you,
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
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radioPermissions: 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.
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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