Daily Encouragement

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
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Wednesday, May 22, 2024

On Monday evening we walked down along Donegal Creek with friends visiting from New York and saw this mallard duck, which in our view sports one of the prettiest greens in nature.

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A Difference"}}

Message summary: How are you making a difference to a broken world?

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"God sets the lonely in families" (Psalm 68:6). "Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine" (Romans 16:13). Note: We used this verse last week but it is again appropriate for today's message.

Regardless of what size church we've served or attended we notice that people tend to sit in the same place every week. In a large church you especially become friends with your pew neighbors (as we have termed it), often visiting with them for a few minutes before and after the service.

For several years we sat in front of John*¹ and Ethyl, a couple about 15 years older than us. Prior to this we had actually met Ethyl several times due to our friendship with her brother Don Musser. Several years ago John passed away and Ethyl, with strong overcoming faith now sits alone, although surrounded by other supportive pew neighbors.

But for some time now she has been sitting with Marcos whom she reached out to in the gym where she is a member and invited him to church, He even attends her ABF (Sunday School) class. I don't know his whole story of course but after talking to him I realize he has been on a rough road. But he now considers her like a mother and she considers him like a son. I took the photo to the right last Sunday after the service as we visited.

God chooses to relate to us in terms we should*² all understand—terms of the family. The family is God's design for the foundation of society. God presents Himself as our heavenly Father. When we put our faith in Jesus, we become children of God (John 1:12–13) and He is our Father. Jesus Himself taught us to call on God as Father in the Lord's Prayer.

In the human family God's ideal design is a mother and father raising children, bringing them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). But for many reasons, both due to human rebellion and God's mysterious ways, the ideal design is not always the case.

Human rebellion is when a father and/or mother fails to heed God's clear call to obedience in marriage and parenting. An example of God's mysterious ways is a matter we are now pastorally dealing with in regard to the death last weekend of a good young father leaving four heartbroken children and a grieving wife.

The only mention of Paul's mother is the tender expression at the end of his greeting to Rufus in Romans 16:13, "Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine". We briefly dealt with this verse last week but again wonder if this is a reference to his actual mother or a mother-like figure in his life which seems to be the main consensus among commentators.

If that is the case it would represent scores of mother-like figures who have enriched the broken world, filling in the gaps where God's ideal has been broken. Of course this concept also applies to father-like figures which in a sense is even a greater need since generally speaking more mothers seem to take their role seriously.

Back to Ethyl and Markos. Ethyl has grown children, grandchildren and possibly great grandchildren. But in her latter years she's not just coasting home. She saw a need in Markos' life and chose to help meet that need, her age notwithstanding.

Let me end with an illustration: It's an older one so some of you have already probably heard it but it always touches me.

A little boy was seen walking along the seashore tossing beached starfish back into the sea. A man approached him and said, "Son, there are thousands of starfish on this beach. You won't begin to make any difference". He picked up another one and as he tossed it back in he told the man, "It will make a difference for this one".

How are you making a difference in God's Kingdom?

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, You have called us to make a difference in other's lives starting at home with our own family members, but we are also called to reach out to the lonely, hurting, unlovely, to those who are outcasts. Admittedly, we are inclined to befriend those most like ourselves, but You want us to extend ourselves to those unnoticed or ignored by the world around them. Help us to be faithful in sharing the love of Jesus with those in our path as well as those we must seek out to demonstrate the love of Jesus for it is in His name that we pray. Amen.

*¹ John had a produce stand at Central Market in Lancaster for something like 60 years as I recall.

*² "should all understand" Sadly with the breakdown of the family there are an increasing number of people who do not know family love.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Thank you Mama" Watch on YouTube Amos & Margaret Raber I assist our friend Jesse in preparing a blog every two to three weeks for the Old Windmill Farm. The next message will be on "Mothers on the Farm" and Jesse suggested this song. If you would like to read his blog see here: Old Windmill Farm Blog. You can also sign up to receive it by email here.

When folks visit us we enjoy taking them for walk on our farm lane trail that leads down to Donegal Creek where today's lead mallard duck photo was taken. For many years since we moved here in 2002 the section above was a tree-lined path. Several years ago the farm was sold and the new owner removed most of the trees but thankfully we still have the walking path. Just beware of ankle-twisting holes!!! These are our friends from the Finger Lakes region in New York who visited us Monday afternoon.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

On the other hand the river trail, where we rode our bikes Sunday afternoon, is paved providing a stunningly pleasant walking or bike-riding path.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

On one side of the trail is an active rail line.

It's always a BONUS to be on the trail when a train goes by!

(Click on photo to enlarge)

On other side of the trail is the Susquehanna River where the grass has been freshly mown.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

On our ride we saw this foot long snapping turtle on the trail. We sure didn't care to get too close to that snapping mouth!
(Click on photo to enlarge)

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