“…. the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.” Numbers 21:4

 J. R. Miller said, “There are a great many discouraged people in the world. They have lost heart, and when one has lost heart, life is very hard; the wheels roll heavily.

 No doubt there are things in everyone’s path, that are discouraging. There are hardships to endure. There are disappointments to suffer. We come up to the very edge of brilliant expectations, when suddenly our path is turned away! There are hostile enemies, too, besetting all the way. No wonder we are discouraged sometimes—if we look no higher than the road at our feet.

 Some of the reasons why a Christian should not be discouraged by any hardness in the way are, because it is God’s way, and He leads… and we should be willing to endure any hardships to reach such blessedness as there waits for us!”

If you are discouraged because of the way you can’t always depend on others to deliver you from your depression. There are those who could help but won’t, and those who would help but can’t. However, there is a way that we can help ourselves. We must do as David did when he “encouraged himself in the LORD his God” ( 1 Sam. 30:6). For the child of God that is always possible, and it is our responsibility to do so!– HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“….having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”-John 13:1
Sometimes I come across statements that I quickly add to my all times favorites list. Here is one, I think from Spurgeon, that thrills my heart–“God cannot love you more and He will not love you less!”. I don’t have the words to describe how delightful that is. To think that God would love me, even at my best, can only be described as amazing grace. The fact that He loves me the same at my worst is beyond amazing. There might be moments, days, or months when I am out of His will, but there is never a minute when I am out of His love. Realizing that is the greatest WOW! moment ever.

He loves me when I have sinned. Although He is displeased with my failure He still loves me as my Father. He does so because His love is based on His character rather than my conduct. It is an unconditional love.

He loves me when I am suffering. Although He causes or allows us to suffer it is never without a reason. It is not an indication that He has stopped loving us. Although we do not always understand the reason for our trials we know there is a reason–it’s spelled “love”. He chastens us out of His great concern for us. He refuse to allow us to sin successfully because He wants us to succeed in life.

We all live with uncertainties. Your life could change drastically in a moment of time and it will change drastically over time, but God’s love never changes–“..his mercy endureth for ever” (Psa. 136:1). His love changes not, it is “an everlasting love” ( Jer. 31:3). So again I say, ” “God cannot love you more and He will not love you less!”. I know so because He never lies!–HDS 
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“….and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.”-Deut. 33:25
Here is a precious promise for difficult days, and it belongs to every believer. Thankfully it covers all the days of our life, every step of the way, and in the measure that is needed. God never short-changes His people. Here those who are disappointed, depressed, and discouraged can find delight. Whether you are looking back with regret, around with fear, or ahead with doubt this promise can put peace in your soul, joy in your heart, and hope in your future. It is assurance from the One who cannot lie that He will not fail to supply us with the strength needed for whatever the need is.

As a child of God you can look at the past and see what great things God has done, the present with joy for what He is doing in and through you, and the future with hope because He will never leave nor forsake you. The nature of the day matters not, for with God all things are possible. The degree of your difficulty poses no challenge to the greatness of your God. Trials may threaten, anxiety may arise, enemies may engage you, friends may forsake you, and worries may weaken you, but “as thy days, so shall thy strength be”. The Almighty is our source of strength, working in us “both to will and to do of his good pleasure” ( Phil. 2:13). If you are a child of God in the will of God this precious promise ought to put you at peace regardless of the path you are on today. You are never alone, nor without aid!– HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

DUTY AND DEATH

“For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption.”- Acts 13:36
Everything in creation has a purpose. Whether it is the birds of the air or the flowers of the field, they are there by the wise design of our Creator and each serve a purpose. And it is no less true of man. David understood that he was here on a mission and he “served his own generation by the will of God”. We would be wise to do the same.

Preaching before a group at the YMCA many years ago, John MacDuff said, “Are we to fritter away our brief hour on life’s stage; to be ushered in with a few rejoicings at our birth, followed by a few tears at our departure? And when our sun has gone down, when the grass of the grave covers our resting place–shall we be as if we never were?” What a shame that would be, yet that is the sad story of many.

Think about that. You are not here by accident. The same God who set the stars in their place and assigns to each the course to take has put you here for a reason. You do not exist just to take up space and breathe air. God made you for a mission. Whether you sit on a throne as a king or in a rocking chair at a nursing home you are here for a reason. You might be young and healthy or old and feeble. You might have the ability to run a major corporation, or be bedfast and only able to pray, but you have a purpose to live for. You might be wealthy and able to donate large sums of money or living in poverty, but each can make a contribution of some sort and size– and God alone is able to judge who gives the most. 

May God help us do what we can, with what we have, while we can. The night comes when no man can work. One day the curtain will fall, life will be over, and opportunities shall cease. Hopefully we will have done our best to serve our generation by the will of God as David did. In doing so we shall hear the Master say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant“. Waste not another day–you never know when it might be your last. –HDS
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent  sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was  righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet  speaketh.”–Heb. 11:4

Many people have planned their own funeral, but perhaps the most notable was Winston Churchill, who gave clear instructions for what he wanted. There were stately hymns in St. Paul’s Cathedral and an impressive liturgy. When they said the benediction, he had arranged for a bugler high in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral on one side to play Taps, the universal signal that the day is over. But when that was finished, there was a long pause and then a bugler on the other side played Reveille, the signal of a new day beginning. It was Churchill’s way of communicating that while we say “good night” here, it’s “good morning” up there. That’s impressive, but there is something even more so.

While most of us don’t actually plan our funeral, there is a sense in which we all preach our own funeral sermon. Although our lifeless body lies beneath the sod we speak loud and clear from the grave. What we are speaks much more powerfully than what anyone could say about us after we are gone. The manner of our life is our message to the world. We need to think about what it says. Will it convey Christ, testify to your trust in Him, picture peace, hold hope?

They will bury your body, but your influence will live on. Like an invisible hand, the touch of your life will continue to guide those left behind. Although your voice has been silenced by the cold hand of death you will speak from the grave. No doubt some preacher will speak about you, friends and family might eulogize you, but it is what you say that matters the most. And remember, it shall be an indelible message, written in stone as it were. There will be no second chances, revisions, or do-overs. What’s done will be done. All the flowery phrases, exaggerated stories, and glowing compliments that put you in the best possible light will never erase the record of a life ill-spent. It is the story of your life, for good or bad, that matters most. It is the truth about you. What will it be?

Looking back over the years, I still receive instruction and inspiration from dear souls who have gone before. The mere mention of their names tell their story over again. It is more than a precious memory, it is a lesson on living. A life well-lived is a gift that keeps on giving long after the life has ceased. It is a way of out living yourself. So. what shall your story be? Think about it! –HDS

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346