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Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Pansy, newborn calf
Yesterday morning a new calf was born on the Old Windmill Farm, a mini Scottish Highland the family named Panzy.

"God's Leading"

Message summary: God, in His providence, sometimes works in the miraculous, though  more often He uses the natural order within His creation.

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"And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea" (Acts 8:39,40).

We had an experience Monday when we went out to eat with our friends Ken and Audrey. Their new SUV has hands free driving and Ken demonstrated it on the Pennsylvania Turnpike while driving a long stretch hands free.

Ken hands free drivingIt was our first time riding in an essentially hands free car and it took some getting used to. I sat in the passenger seat glancing over at Ken, grinning like a Cheshire cat, with his arms resting on his lap or to really demonstrate he would lift them in the air as if to say, "Look Mom, no hands!". Actually I never did get really used to it and was relieved when we got off at the toll interchange and he put his hands back on the wheel!

But it was certainly a new and adventurous experience for Brooksyne and me, though she sat behind him and really couldn't get the same feel as I did observing no hands driving from the passenger seat.

But in several years I suppose many or perhaps most of us will have self driving cars and think nothing of it.  However I expect to be a late adopter of this newer invention since I like my hands on the wheel and don't even like using cruise control. I'll probably keep using the steering wheel till you can't even buy a car with one (imagine that) although that may not be in my lifetime.

A song titled "Jesus Take The Wheel" expresses the need for Jesus to take control of our life. But the closest I can come to a hands-free driving message in the Bible is an unusual experience that Philip the evangelist had. 

The context begins, "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is a desert place" (Acts 8:26). He was directed to the Ethiopian eunuch on a chariot reading from the book of Isaiah. Again the angel directed Philip to "Go over and join this chariot”. A miraculous leading.

Philip heard the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah and used it as a segue to preach the Gospel to him. Immediately after leading him to faith and baptizing him he had another interesting experience. "And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea" (Acts 8:39:40).

Now this is one interesting, somewhat cryptic text. It seems that Philip was miraculously transported ("the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away") to Azotus which is the Greek name for Ashdod, a city along the Mediterranean Sea still existing in southern Israel. In fact Ashdod is only about 18 miles from the Gazan border and is frequently a target of rocket attacks from the barbarian Hamas Muslim terrorists.

After the miraculous transport to Azotus he preached the gospel to the towns on his way to Caesarea (about 60 miles north of Azotus/Ashdod) presumably using normal means of transport!

Philip is not mentioned again until Acts 21:8 for the last time where he is still in Caesarea and hosted Paul. "On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him". Interestingly the text also provides this additional detail; "he had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied" (v.9). But that's a lesson for another day!

In musing on this portion of Scripture I consider how God, in His providence, sometimes works in the miraculous; in this case an angel directing Philip and then a supernatural relocation.

But most of the time, including the years when the Bible was written, God has worked through natural means. Jesus wasn't miraculously transported from place to place during his earthly ministry; He walked. Paul wasn't miraculously transferred from place to place on his missionary journeys.

Likewise in our own time, God is certainly able to work on our behalf in a miraculous way, whether in transporting us from place to place, or divinely healing us, or in any number of other ways. But He is no less a supernatural God if it is His will to work in the natural.

As hard as it is to understand this is also true when things work out in ways that seem so so wrong. Consider Davy and Natalie Lloyd, the young missionary couple from Missouri, who were viciously beaten and slain last week in Haiti. Her dad is a Missouri state rep and thankfully chose to focus on this most essential consequence of their death; "they went to Heaven together".

"My heart is broken in a thousand pieces. I’ve never felt this kind of pain. Most of you know my daughter and son-in-law Davy and Natalie Lloyd are full time missionaries in Haiti. They were attacked by gangs this evening and were both killed. They went to Heaven together. Please pray for my family we desperately need strength. And please pray for the Lloyd family as well. I have no other words for now."

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Praying man Daily prayer: Father, You work in mysterious ways, Your wonders to perform, whether it is through miraculous intervention or through Your natural order of providential care. We find You to be all sufficient for every need we encounter, be it spiritual, physical, emotional, financial, or otherwise. You supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory and in accordance to Your will for our lives. May we be very intentional in keeping our eyes on You as You see us through every danger, toil and snare that comes our way. And for that we are eternally grateful. Amen.


Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Jesus Take The Wheel"  Watch on YouTube  Caleb and Kelsey

"God Leads us Along"  Watch on YouTube   Travis Cottrell

Hymn Background:  The author of this hymn, George Young, was a carpenter and a pastor.  He would often say, "He does the leading and we do the following."  Mrs. Young would say years later, "Oh, sometimes we didn't have too much of this world's goods…but we always had so much of Jesus."  He didn't make much money in either profession.  Most of his life was spent in small farming communities. Finally, however, he and his wife were able to build their own home, the fulfillment of a life's dream. They moved in and shortly afterwards left town to hold a revival elsewhere. Upon returning to their dream home they found a heap of ashes. All their worldly goods and cherished possessions were gone. A thug, upset with George's preaching, had set fire to their house, and it was reduced to ashes.

As George gazed at the ruins, he recounted the precious possessions fire could never destroy - his family, his relationship with Christ, his ministry, his eternal home. Then and there, the words to "God Leads Us Along" began forming in his mind. Within a few days, he had written all three stanzas, The year was 1903. The refrain reminds us that we all experience trials that vary in origin and in intensity but His blood provides for our greatest need which gives us all a song even in the night season:

"Some through the waters, some through the flood, some through the fire, but all through the blood. Some through great sorrow but God gives a song, in the night season and all the day long."

Around 1942, Haldor Lillenas decided to track down George Young’s widow and find out more. He got an address in a small town and, driving there, he stopped at a gas station to ask for directions. When the attendant saw the address, he said, "Why sir, that’s the County Poor House, up the road about three miles. And Mister, when I say poor house, I really mean poor house!

Not knowing what to expect, Lillenas made his way there. He found Mrs. Young, a tiny, elderly woman, in surroundings that were far from congenial. However, she radiated the joy of the Lord, and spoke of how He’d guided her and her husband over many years. Then, she exclaimed, "Dr. Lillenas, God led me here! I’m so glad He did, for you know, about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days…So many of them don’t know my Jesus. I’m having the time of my life introducing them to Jesus! Dr. Lillenas, isn’t it wonderful how God leads!" 

(Story background pulled from several sources including Robert B. Morgan, "Then Sings My Soul").

He Leadeth Me"  Watch on YouTube  Selah

Empty nest
Yesterday the three baby robins in the nest over our outside dining table flew the coop finally, leaving their rather dirty home behind. We saw them in the lawn making short flights as they were developing their survival skills. We also cleaned up after them seeking to get all the plastered nest parts off our fan so that we could enjoy our dinner outside without wondering what would drop down on our plates!

Garden Center sign
We saw this sign at our local garden center at JB Hostetter & Sons.

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