Daily Encouragement

The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.

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Monday, November 24, 2025

Buggies lined up at an Amish wedding.

The Amish have many weddings in November on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was at Costco and saw a young Amish couple shopping. They excitedly told me they were getting married in two weeks and were shopping to set up their house. That brought back old memories from almost 50 years ago when Brooksyne and I went grocery shopping for the first time as a newly married couple in Springfield, MO. We recall getting store brand Mac & Cheese and Van Camps Pork & Beans, since Brooksyne has always thought that Van Camps is the best brand. We still enjoy shopping together although I am ready to get done a lot faster and Brooksyne rarely buys Mac & Cheese and Pork & Beans these days!
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Message summary: "He has cared for us from the beginning of our lives, continues to act on our behalf, and will sustain us even to the end."

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"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" (Isaiah 46:4).

Yesterday Dennis, our Sunday School teacher, was illustrating the power/ability of marketing to create discontent and make promises that won't necessarily be fulfilled. He alluded to two products now advertised mostly for older people, Relaxium (a sleep aid) and Super Beta Prostate and helpfully informed our class of mostly 60+ students that he had tried them but they hadn't worked for him!

I talked to him after class and we considered all the anti-aging products around and alluded to one called Relief Factor which is just what we all need. Similar products like these have been around all through my lifetime, just different incarnations.

When we were children a popular product marketed to older people was "Geritol" which supposedly helped with a lack of energy due to "iron poor blood". At that point in life I had lots of energy and just couldn't imagine what in the world they were talking about. Well, now I know!

Brooksyne recalls the jingle for the sleeping aid, Sominex. "Take sominex tonight and sleep; safe and restful, sleep, sleep, sleep (the word "sleep" got softer and each time to indicate the one who took the drug would fall fast asleep, even by the end of the jingle).

Fighting aging is not new. In pursuit of a rumored fountain of youth located on an island known as Bimini, Ponce de León led an expedition to the coast of Florida in 1513. Thinking it was the island he sought, he sailed back to colonize the region in 1521, but was fatally wounded in a Native American attack soon after his arrival. (from history.com)

Of course we look for products and procedures that will help us through the aging process but we believe it is wise to accept that aging is just a part of the blessing of staying alive.

In the daily Scripture portion the Lord is speaking through Isaiah. What a wonderful assurance this statement brings to the believer, especially as we age. How powerful to read a proclamation by God made over 2,700 years ago!

It looks back to the self-revealing One that Moses encountered at the burning bush some 700 years earlier, who said, "I AM THAT I AM". It looks ahead to the One who said some 700 years later "I am". And today He still says, "I am He".

"Even to your old age and gray hairs I am He". This is a promise of God's abiding presence in our life for all ages, from the young to the old.

I want to encourage each reader to draw strength from God's promises in this statement:

    I am He who will sustain you.
        I have made you.
            I will carry you.
                I will sustain you.
                    I will rescue you.

The promise that God will sustain is repeated twice in the text so as to give us double the assurance. Notice the Lord says, "I have made you and I will carry you", surely a contrast to the false gods made by man that must be carried. He will rescue us from the inevitable problems of life.

"He has cared for us from the beginning of our lives, He continues to act on our behalf, and He will sustain us even to the end." (Note from the "Full Life Study Bible.)

What troubles you today? What big problem are you dealing with that can't be solved by a bottle of pills? Whether you are young, middle aged or old God is a lot bigger than any problem. That indeed is a promise for all of us!

Be encouraged today! Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: "Heavenly Father, I am full of gratitude today as I consider Your abiding presence in my life. You planned my existence in my mother's womb before I even drew my first breath. When so many people have come into my life and exited it over the years You continue to reside forever in my heart. When the path before me is unclear You go before me sustaining me in my wilderness journey. Though all forsake me You remain faithful, and remarkable as it seems, even if I am faithless, You will remain faithful, for You cannot deny Yourself. Thank You for being my Supreme Savior and the Sustainer of my soul. I'm so grateful for Jesus, in whose name I pray. Amen."

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"The Steadfast Love of Christ" Watch on YouTube Sovereign Grace Music

Ads from our childhood

Geritol ad video

Sominex ad video

Since moving to Lancaster County almost 25 years ago we have made many friends in the course of our chaplain ministry. Although we now only serve 3 companies in four locations we still stay in touch with many through our daily encouragement messages and otherwise.

We met Joe about 17 years ago when we started serving Vallorbs, a company that makes equipment for farming. He's from New York City and studied design in Manhattan. He works as marketing manager. Joe is a friendly, outgoing man we looked forward to visiting weekly. We haven't served his company now for several years but it was nice to visit with him Friday at a funeral we attended.

Friday evening we had dinner with Daryl and Janet. We met Daryl just weeks after moving here when he was the Human Resource Director at Four Seasons, a produce distribution company. He went on to serve with North Group, a business consulting company. We've stayed in contact all through the years and he has provided very valuable input for our ministry as a wise counselor. We're getting to know Janet better these last few years as well and find them to be a delightful couple.

Last week I took a turn driving Amish teachers to and from their schools. One school is newly established this year so they opened the school year in the upper floor of a barn where they normally hold church services. Due to delays in permits they were unable to have the school built as they had planned, but I noticed Friday afternoon they have started. The concrete block building on the right will be the outdoor bathrooms. The main schoolhouse is in the middle and it looked like they had the finished the pad. I expect that one day a whole group will get together and have the school up in one day sort of like a barn-raising. Next time I drive the week of December 8-12 and expect the project will be completed and the children in the new school!

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