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Stephen &
Brooksyne
Weber
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Friday,
April 19, 2024
"The
Road Marked
With
Suffering"
Message
summary:
Today some of
you are
traveling on
the road
marked by
suffering. We
encourage you
to worship God
in the midst
of your trial
even though
there is pain
in the
offering.
May our hearts
choose to say,
"Lord, blessed
be Your Name!"
Listen
to our message
on your audio
player.
"The LORD gives and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).
"The LORD gives and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).
Yesterday
morning I met
with a group
of college
business
students at
Hershey
Medical Center*ą
to explain our
chaplaincy
ministry. I
urged them,
when they
entered the
business world
after college,
to consider
how they can
make an impact
for Christ. In
our view the
use of
chaplaincy
service is one
way of doing
so and the
instructor had
requested that
I share our
ministry with
them.
From
there I went
to a nearby
company to
visit the
employees.
When I walked
in the
production
manager asked
me to speak to
an employee
whose
girlfriend
died this last
weekend of an
overdose. We
had ministered
to the
employee
previously so
I had an open
and very
receptive
door. We
we went aside
to a private
place and I
joined him as
he ate his
lunch. He
is in the
rehab phase of
overcoming
drug addiction
so I prayed
with him and
urged him to
turn his life
fully to the
Lord. He is on
"the road
marked with
suffering".
"Blessed
Be Your Name"
is a song that
has blessed
many of
us. It's
a great
exclamation of
praise with a
lively,
contagious
tune. But as a
Bible student
I especially
appreciate the
thoughtful,
Scripturally-based
words.
In fact the
song is
prompted by
the daily
verse. There's
a verse in the
song I would
like to
consider in
today's
message:
There are certainly those periods in life when we all travel "on the road marked with suffering". Sometimes these are events that make international news due to the immensity and sheer evil of the impact, such as 9/11/01 or more recently October 7, 2023 in Israel.
"On
the road
marked with
suffering.
Though there's pain in the offering.
Blessed be Your name."
Though there's pain in the offering.
Blessed be Your name."
There are certainly those periods in life when we all travel "on the road marked with suffering". Sometimes these are events that make international news due to the immensity and sheer evil of the impact, such as 9/11/01 or more recently October 7, 2023 in Israel.
Usually
they are felt
more on the
local level
but with no
less intensity
for those
dealing with
the ongoing
pain of such
loss as the
man I spoke to
yesterday. Not
one of us
escapes the
road marked
with suffering,
although the
severity
varies with
each
individual and
through each
phase of life.
"The
LORD gives and
the LORD takes
away".
This is a
remarkable
faith
statement.
Job is an
example of one
who suffered
intensely, yet
he recognized,
"The
LORD gives and
the LORD takes
away".
We have no
problem
theologically
with a God who
gives but we
may cringe at
the notion
that the Lord
also takes
away! This is
a great
mystery of
sovereignty
and
providence,
but God's
overall
control must
be asserted.
"Blessed be the Name of the Lord". What a powerful declaration of praise in the midst of suffering. A line in the song that especially intrigues me states, "Though there's pain in the offering". Have you experienced this? I can't say for sure what the songwriter meant when he wrote these words, but I have a pretty good idea.
"Blessed be the Name of the Lord". What a powerful declaration of praise in the midst of suffering. A line in the song that especially intrigues me states, "Though there's pain in the offering". Have you experienced this? I can't say for sure what the songwriter meant when he wrote these words, but I have a pretty good idea.
I
believe he's
reflecting on
just how hard
it is to offer
sincere praise
to God and
declare, "Blessed
be Your Name"
while walking
the road
marked by
suffering.
But this worship is just what Job demonstrates so powerfully. In the previous verse, following a severe wave of affliction, "He fell to the ground in worship".
But this worship is just what Job demonstrates so powerfully. In the previous verse, following a severe wave of affliction, "He fell to the ground in worship".
A
commentary in
a Study Bible
states that
"Job reacted
to the
disaster that
happened to
him with
intense grief,
but also with
a humble
spirit that
submitted to
God and
continued to
worship Him in
the midst of
extreme
adversity. Job
teaches by
example and
words how we
as faithful
believers
should face
life's
calamities.
Though we may
experience
severe
sufferings and
unexplainable
affliction, we
should pray
for grace to
accept what
God allows to
come upon us."
*˛
Today
some of you
are traveling
on the road
marked by
suffering. We
encourage you
to worship God
in the midst
of your trial
even when
there is pain
in your
offering.
May our hearts
choose to say,
"Lord, blessed
be Your Name!"
Be
encouraged
today,
Hebrews
3:13
Stephen
&
Brooksyne
Weber
Daily prayer:
Father, when
we're walking
down the road
of suffering
You renew our
hope and
brighten our
spirit as we
remember that
Your steadfast
love never
ceases even in
the midst of
affliction. We
do not walk
alone, but
You, Man of
Sorrows, walk
along with us
and greatly
identify with
our suffering.
Your mercies
are new every
day because
You are a
loving,
faithful God.
You give
strength to
the weary,
increase the
power of the
weak, and
comfort the
sorrowful. You
help us to
soar on wings
like eagles
and rise above
the troubling
circumstances
that surround
our lives as
we await Your
soon return.
With
thanksgiving
and praise we
say, "Blessed
be Your Name!"*ą
We met at the
hospital since
the students
were already
there for
another
meeting.
*˛
Note on Job
1:20-22 in the
Full Life
Study Bible
Today's
Suggested
Music and
Supplemental
Resources
"Blessed
Be Your Name"
was written by
Matt and Beth
Redman and has
an uncanny
ability to be
appropriate in
a variety of
settings.
Many of us
have sung it
as a joyful
praise in our
churches. It's
also a
powerful
funeral song.
The most
interesting
time I ever
heard it was
at a wedding I
participated
in. It was
sung as the
ceremony
concluded and
the bride and
groom departed
down the
aisle! It
really is a
fitting song
in this
context for as
a couple
embarks upon
the journey of
marriage they
most certainly
will have good
times and hard
times! Yet
what power
when a mutual
determination
is made
regardless of
the
circumstances
of life that a
couple will
embrace praise
and declare
together, "Blessed
be the Name of
the Lord".
BTW: This
wedding was
nearly 20
years ago and
the Paradis
couple, Sean
and Jeanette,
along with
their two
children are
doing very
well and
staying
faithful to
God.
Jeanette's
parents are
Tom and
Marsha, very
good friends
from our St.
Marys, PA
congregation
we served from
1977-1993.
"Is He Worthy?" Watch on YouTube Michael Sanchez and the Shadow Mountain Choir and Orchestra This is a great song to give us perspective and hope as we consider world events and personal times of being on "The Road Marked With Suffering". "Do you know that all the dark won’t stop the light from getting through? We do".
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Stephen
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Weber
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Church Road
Mount
Joy, PA 17552
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Weber -
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Encouragement
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Thank
you,
Stephen & Brooksyne
Stephen & Brooksyne
2024
offerings YTD:
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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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