Daily Encouragement

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Sunrise on Lakewood Lake, Lees Summit, MO (Janet Beebe)

Sunrise over Lakewood Lake, Lees Summit, MO
(Photo taken by Stephen's cousin, Janet Beebe)

"Break Every Chain"

Message summary: A time of testing often follows obedience and blessing. It's part of the chain-breaking process.

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“After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah” (2 Chronicles 32:1). “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer (Romans 12:12). “He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

Yesterday I visited with Jake, a young man who injured his hand last week in a saw accident at work. Just prior to the accident he had been promoted. He was struggling with this setback. Numerous times he has shared with me his goal to keep his life on the right track.

Jake is an ex-con who has been free from drugs for five years after a nine year addiction that began when he was only twelve. His parents were both addicts.

He recently had his first child and seems receptive to my appeals to be a good father and husband, breaking the chains of the pattern he was raised with. Of course I emphasize to him his greatest need is to be converted to Christ. I invited him to church this Sunday.

One of Jake's tattoos states, “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19). He needs the Chain-breaker and has consented to having his story told requesting prayer from those reading his story.

A common role in ministry is bringing comfort in the midst of such deep sorrow and monumental loss. Randy Alcorn, in his book “If God Is Good”, deals with the evil and suffering that both believers and non-believers face. He intersperses his teaching with true stories of people like you and me who’ve dealt with intense suffering, chronic pain or massive loss.

When we look to the Scriptures we find many examples of those faithfully living for God who face “many dangers, toils, and snares” as they go about their daily work.

One such example is Hezekiah who became king when the nation was in great apostasy, having fallen away from God’s teachings. His evil father, Ahaz, “had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the LORD” (2 Chronicles 28:19)*. Consider how many of our leaders this verse applies to today; those who promote wickedness and are unfaithful to the Lord!

Yet in spite of his father’s evil influence Hezekiah chose to follow in the ways of the Lord. What a blessing to see the chain of a generational pattern broken in this way. It's similar to our prayer for Jake.

2 Chronicles 29-31 records the major reforms made during Hezekiah’s time of leadership, ending with this statement: “This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD His God. In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:20,21).

The statement in our daily verse immediately follows this although, in the next chapter, it illustrates a powerful spiritual principle: “After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah". The remainder of chapter 32 records Hezekiah’s response to this invasion.

The principle is this: A time of testing often follows obedience and blessing. Immediately following His baptism Jesus faced intense testing during his 40 days of fasting in the wilderness. Many of us can testify to this in our own lives. Certainly that is what Jake is facing. It's part of the chain-breaking process.

We prefer to live our lives with a clear, sensible cause and effect relationship regarding the challenges we face. But it doesn’t always work that way, does it! Hezekiah was faithfully serving God at the time of the enemy’s attack.

Today many of you are dealing with difficult situations in your life. You’ve sought to honor God and faithfully serve Him and you too may wonder, “Why this, when I’ve been faithful to Your leading?”

Many of these questions will not be fully or satisfactorily answered till we get to the other side but here’s a Scripture easily memorized that can bring peace to one’s soul, ”He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

Our great Comforter and Physician is with us in the midst of our struggle and provides soothing medicine for our wounded hearts through His Holy Scriptures. Rejoice in God’s faithfulness and steadfast love in the midst of a painful situation as He continues to break every chain!

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13 )

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we thank you for being the Chain-breaker. You guide us through the many dangers, toils, and snares that we encounter while journeying here below. In these major challenges we desire to give You glory in what we say, what we do and in the way we process our emotions as we prayerfully respond to the challenges set before us. We want to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer as we overcome life’s struggles. We find healing for our soul when we rely on You, our tender and loving Father, who heals our broken heart and binds up our wounds. You are ever faithful in interceding for us, your children. And we thank You for it in the name of Jesus. Amen.

* More On Ahaz’ wickedness: “Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and sacrificed his children in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree” (2 Chronicles 28:1-4).

This entire chapter describes Ahaz. A very interesting verse states, “In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful to the Lord” (2 Chronicles 28:22).

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Break Every Chain" Watch video on Youtube Jesus Culture

"Chain-breaker" Watch video on Youtube Zach Williams This Zach also has a story of deliverance!

One of the pleasures we both enjoy is meandering through the country more or less on the way to various workplace chaplaincy assignments. Yesterday after our first visit in Lebanon County we drove over to Richland, PA and thought this was a neat view through the railroad underpass.

We ate breakfast at the Railroad Diner, one of our favorite eating spots, partly because it reminds us of a diner in small towns where we grew up. This diner sits right along a busy rail line. The food is very good and so is seeing so many small town folk. Yesterday we sat near a group of older men who discussed the Bible as they ate their breakfast.

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