✝ Daily Encouragement (8/28/23) "I Woke Up To See The Light!"

Published: Mon, 08/28/23

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Monday, August 28, 2023

After a wonderful day of fellowship with our family-like friends, the Lapp family and the Waldvogels, we headed back to Strasburg to the Old Windmill Farm. There are so many settings that draw our attention including this farm. In the background is the Sight and Sound Theater.
(Click on photo for larger view)

"I Woke Up To See The Light!"

Message summary: Our daily Scripture portion is a clarion call to all who will live faithfully for Christ in an evil age. In yesterday's lesson we considered that at the heart of modern day "wokeness" is a rejection of God's Word.

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“But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:13-16).

Yesterday in our church service we began with words from a song that resonated in my spirit, especially since it touched on the theme of the lesson I had prepared for our Crossroads class that follows the main service. It seems when we study and muse on a certain topic we see a lot that relates to it. Our opening song had these words:

No longer I who live
Now Jesus lives in me
For I was dead in sin
But I woke up to see the light

O the blessedness of waking up to see the light! For the redeemed, it happened at the time they first believed and accepted Christ. But there's also an ongoing characteristic needed for staying awake. After all, in our text, Paul is writing to the believers in Ephesus.

Our daily Scripture portion is a clarion call to all who will live faithfully for Christ in an evil age. In yesterday's lesson we considered that at the heart of modern day "wokeness" is a rejection of God's Word.

I stepped out on our deck this morning and saw that Brooksyne had prepared a piece of buttered toast with blackberry/rhubarb jam along with a good strong cup of "wake up" coffee helps illustrate today's message! Our summer will soon come to an end so we eat our meals outside as much as possible.

The phrase, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’ is thought by many commentators to be a quotation from an early Christian hymn. If so, it illustrates the power of music to reinforce theology.

Others feel Paul may be alluding to Scripture, although this is not a direct quote of any known Scripture. One verse that Paul may have been alluding to could be Isaiah 60:1, "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you".

William McDonald comments on this passage, “The life of the believer should always be preaching a sermon, should always be exposing the surrounding darkness, should always be extending this invitation to unbelievers...awake...arise from the dead.”

May God help us to faithfully live for Him in this dark and evil age being “self-controlled and alert” (1 Peter 5:8a).

We began today's message with a newer song on this topic but we end with a classic hymn of praise calling for our soul to awake.

Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13 )

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, our lives were once filled with darkness before You awakened us enabling us to walk as children of light. May our "armor of light" make an inroad in the domain of darkness as You set us apart to honor and glorify You in all that we do. We want to be attentive to Your life-transforming truths as You impart them to our hearts not just for a season but for all our lives as You help us to be self-controlled and alert in this present age. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Arise My Soul" Watch video on YouTube From our service yesterday at
Calvary Church

"Crown Him With Many Crowns" Watch video on YouTube Shane and Shane This hymn is where the verse from our second song today comes from.

On Friday we stopped by the Corn Crib to get corn, peppers and tomatoes which were needed for the Sunday meal Brooksyne was preparing for our guests.

As you can see the tomatoes were needed for this tomato/bacon pie Brooksyne enjoys making in the summer months while tomatoes are tasty and available!

On neighbor, Leon, stopped in to ask if we knew anyone who had sheep as he had found a stray on our road yesterday and is temporarily holding it in his pasture. During our conversation I asked him if he'd be willing to take the Lapp children for a ride on his golf cart, which he gladly agreed to do. The two mile round trip trail begins across from our house where the youngsters enjoyed seeing their scenic ride.

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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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