The online
Bible teaching
ministry of
Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
Mobile users:
Visit Daily Encouragement on your mobile browser, hit "Add to
home screen" or "Add page shortcut." This creates an instant
Daily Encouragement App!
Search Daily Encouragement
A new message
is updated
most weekdays,
usually by
Noon Eastern
Time (USA).
(Click refresh or reload for current message)
(Click refresh or reload for current message)
Wednesday,
May 1, 2024
Yesterday
I had an
appointment in
the Harrisburg
area and
Brooksyne
snapped this
photo of the
Philadelphia
& Reading
Railroad
Bridge as we
crossed the
Susquehanna
River.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
"He
Was A Faithful
Man"
Message
summary: The
Bible lists
many
characteristics
of a faithful
man but today
let us
consider the
blessing of
the small
steadiness of
every day.
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the fortress, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many" (Nehemiah 7:2). "A faithful man shall abound with blessings" (Proverbs 28:20a).
Today
I will be
speaking at a
community
luncheon and
plan to allude
to the
faithfulness
of Marty
Witman, who
was a regular
attendee at
these
luncheons.
Marty passed
away two weeks
ago at 93
years of age.
Brooksyne and
I met him
several years
ago in a
prayer meeting
held in his
home where he
expressed
vibrant faith.
He attended
church on
Sunday and
went to be
with the Lord
on Monday.Brooksyne
and I went to
his viewing
where there
were many
photos on
display
capturing
scenes though
his life. As I
looked at them
I considered
them a
chronicle of
his
faithfulness
to God. Seeing
him as a boy,
his graduation
photo, his
wife and young
children, his
life as a
farmer, the
heavy duty
gloves he wore
to prepare
large batches
of corn for
the many
gatherings he
hosted over
the years.
Though you may
never have met
Marty in
person his
friendly and
outgoing
personality
was fully
displayed in
his warm smile
and love for
others. He was
a tremendous
prayer
warrior.
Several
years ago we
were at a 70th
birthday party
for our friend
Galen and his
daughter used
a thoughtful
phrase
concerning her
dad's
faithfulness
as "the
small
steadiness of
every day".
The
small
steadiness of
every day is
the basic
foundation of
faithfulness
quietly
demonstrated
day after day,
month after
month, year
after year in
the long
course of
life. We've
met many
people like
Marty and
Galen who
demonstrate
the small
steadiness of
every day and
continue to
meet them. In
fact when
greeting
people in the
course of
chaplain work
I often
comment on an
employee's
unheralded
steadiness and
reliability
when I come
across those
kind of
workers.
If
you stop and
think about
it, you can
also think of
many who are
faithful in
the small
steadiness of
every day yet
few of them
are famous as
the world
deems fame. I
have referred
to this in a
past message
as quiet
faithfulness.
In our first daily text Nehemiah refers to an obscure man named Hananiah.* His sole Biblical distinctive is that he was "a faithful man and feared God more than many". In considering this text I observe that being a faithful man and having a fear of God are so inter-related. The massive breakdown in faithfulness we see in our own age is directly related to the loss of having a healthy, holy fear of God. Marty was a God-fearing man which guided him in making the right choices in life that honored God.
If
you stop and
think about
it, you can
also think of
many who are
faithful in
the small
steadiness of
every day yet
few of them
are famous as
the world
deems fame. I
have referred
to this in a
past message
as quiet
faithfulness.In our first daily text Nehemiah refers to an obscure man named Hananiah.* His sole Biblical distinctive is that he was "a faithful man and feared God more than many". In considering this text I observe that being a faithful man and having a fear of God are so inter-related. The massive breakdown in faithfulness we see in our own age is directly related to the loss of having a healthy, holy fear of God. Marty was a God-fearing man which guided him in making the right choices in life that honored God.
In
previous
generations
families
commonly
imprinted
portions of
Scripture as
an epitaph on
tombstones and
it's still
practiced by
some today. On
my parent's
tombstone our
family
inscribed,
"For Me To
Live Is
Christ, To Die
Is Gain".
A
phrase from
today's verse
has been used
on many
tombstones, "He
was a faithful
man and feared
God more than
many". The
above pictured
epitaph is on
the tombstone
of Deacon
Samuel Peck in
Greenwich,
Connecticut
who died in
1793. Such an
epitaph makes
us want to
hear his
story.
The road to being faithful is a long steady slog, the accumulation of many small decisions made throughout life, "the small steadiness of every day". You decide each day that you will live faithfully but the characteristic of being faithful takes time. Good intentions and reality too often do not present the same outcome.
The truth of the second daily Scripture is often most evident in one's latter years: "A faithful man shall abound with blessings". Faithfulness has great reward, both in this life and the one to come. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior you are actually abounding in blessings right now, but you can become discouraged with present or recurring trials. God's Word is ever true. Perhaps you need to consider someone who has served God faithfully for many years and observe how they abound with blessings, even in the midst of their ongoing trials. But just remember the greatest blessings are yet to come!
Character qualities like faithfulness, steadiness and consistency might sound boring to many today, but they still matter to God. "A faithful man shall abound with blessings", and he does; both in this life and the life to come. Let us all aspire to hear these wonderful words from the supremely Faithful One, "Well done, good and faithful servant" as we practice "the small steadiness of every day".
The road to being faithful is a long steady slog, the accumulation of many small decisions made throughout life, "the small steadiness of every day". You decide each day that you will live faithfully but the characteristic of being faithful takes time. Good intentions and reality too often do not present the same outcome.
The truth of the second daily Scripture is often most evident in one's latter years: "A faithful man shall abound with blessings". Faithfulness has great reward, both in this life and the one to come. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior you are actually abounding in blessings right now, but you can become discouraged with present or recurring trials. God's Word is ever true. Perhaps you need to consider someone who has served God faithfully for many years and observe how they abound with blessings, even in the midst of their ongoing trials. But just remember the greatest blessings are yet to come!
Character qualities like faithfulness, steadiness and consistency might sound boring to many today, but they still matter to God. "A faithful man shall abound with blessings", and he does; both in this life and the life to come. Let us all aspire to hear these wonderful words from the supremely Faithful One, "Well done, good and faithful servant" as we practice "the small steadiness of every day".
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father,
may my life be
marked by
faithfulness
and integrity.
I know that
these
character
traits are not
developed over
a short period
of time but
over the
duration of my
life, most
especially
during the
challenging
times.
Obedience does
bring blessing
and it also
brings eternal
reward. Help
me not to
become weary
in doing good,
for at the
proper time
that You have
ordained, I
will reap a
harvest if I
do not give
up. Help me to
practice the
small
steadiness of
every day.
Amen.*
Note:
There are
several other
men named
Hananiah in
the Bible
including a
false prophet
during the
time of
Jeremiah
(Jeremiah
28:1) and one
of the three
Hebrews in
Daniel.
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Faithful
Man"
Watch
on YouTube
Johnny Minick
"1000
Israeli
musicians sing
with one
voice, BRING
THEM HOME!"
Watch
on YouTube
Homeland
concert
This
inspirational
music video
was produced
in the
Caesarea
Amphitheatre
by over 1000
Israelis, some
who are family
members of the
hostages held
by Hamas
Terrorists.
Watch for the
huge double
guitar!
It
seems like to
us this is the
year of the
dogwoods. They
have been
outstanding in
their beauty
this spring
including our
own dogwoods
but the
blossoms will
soon be gone
so we captured
the lasting
beauty by
taking this
photo
yesterday.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
This
morning we
received a
message from
Mugwe who
lives in Kenya
who wrote, "I
stumbled on
your material
and I love the
photos. There
are places I
would like to
see with my
own eyes,
including the
view from your
bedroom
window" (We
shared the
bedroom window
photo
yesterday.)
I'm sure our
readers have a
great variety
of views
outside their
bedroom
windows!
Jesse
shared this
photo of a
newborn foal
(filly) just
minutes after
her birth on
the Old
Windmill Farm
April 21st. He
also took a
short video.
They named her
Butterfly,
because of the
shape of a
butterfly on
her nose.
Just five days
later
Butterfly was
standing tall
and straight.
Click
on photo to
enlarge
To
receive the
"Daily
Encouragement"
each
Monday-Friday
use our
sign-up form
or this
page to
subscribe to
our free email
list. You can
also subscribe
to the Wordpress
rss feed
or through a Wordpress
email
subscription.
(See the email
subscription
on the top
right side
after opening
this page.)
We
want to thank
all who
financially
support our
ministry.
We realize
there are many
fine
ministries and
causes
requesting
support but if
you would like
information
about making a
donation to
our ministry
see here.
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 and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
serving in
specialized
chaplaincy
(Daily
Encouragement
is our
endorsed
special
chaplaincy
ministry).
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.
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.
You
can send a
check payable
to "Daily
Encouragement
Net" to:
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
495
Kraybill
Church Road
Mount
Joy, PA 17552
To
donate
directly
online click
here.
(This will
open to a page
that
designates the
offering to:
Stephen and
Brooksyne
Weber -
700001-237376
serving in
specialized
chaplaincy
(Daily
Encouragement
is our
endorsed
special
chaplaincy
ministry).Thank
you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
offerings YTD:
$8,790.00
Daily Encouragement on:
Wordpress
iHeart
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 and a variety of other versions.
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 2024 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA