by Pastor Cecil | Mar 11, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.”
What does it mean to take delight in some thing or someone? It means to immerse yourself in the joy of knowing that you are the Lord’s and that He loves you now and for all of eternity IF you have received Him as your personal Savior.
I have said it over and over across the years that many believers look like they have been baptized in vinegar. That sour demeanor is offensive to God and a terrible testimony to unsaved souls around them.
When we make the Lord our happiness we are set free to allow His love and grace to shine through us and out to a dark and lost world. We are to be the light that shines bright no matter how dark the sin of the world may be.
Sometimes Christians seek after the desires of their heart rather than making their aim to delight in the Lord. It is only as we find our pure joy in being in communion with the Lord that we discover that the desires of our heart make a complete reversal and we now want the things that will last for eternity. Have you discovered that 180 degree turn in your life? DELIGHT IN THE LORD!
Draw near to God today, delight yourself in Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 10, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 37:3
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.”
The word trust as used here in Psalm 37:3 is the Hebrew word batach which means to trust in, to be confident of, to be bold, and or to be secure in. When we place our trust in somebody or some thing, we need to have the confident assurance that our action is well placed.
The determining factor is in what, or in whom we place our trust. Many of us have experienced the heartbreak of having people we trust fail us, and in so doing cause us heartache. That is never the case with the Lord. He is always close to us, even when we are not close to Him. He has not moved — we have!
Not only does the psalmist tell us to trust in the Lord, but we are to evidence that by doing good. Doing good requires us to constantly be looking for opportunities to show forth the spirit of Christ by serving others.
Trusting in the Lord also means that we are to feed on His faithfulness. We do that by spending time with Him by reading and studying the Word of God and in communing with Him in prayer. Are you able to honestly say you are fully trusting in the Lord?
Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 9, 2020 | Psalm
Psalm 37:1-2
“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”
Some born-again believers live their lives in defeat and disappointment. The first two verses of Psalm 37 remind us of what we are NOT to do. In the following days this week we will see how God calls us to respond to life’s trying situations.
STOP FRETTING! We may also describe this as worrying about things that others are doing around us. I recall hearing Dr. Donald Barnhouse tell of his wife perplexing him with all the things she worried about. He suggested she write down the things that worried her and they would discuss them once a week. Each week they began to realize that the things she actually worried about never transpired, and the bad things occurred without warning so she could not worry about them in advance. Sound familiar?
The Psalmist says we are to quit fretting about those who do evil and also to never envy those who seem have it better. We need to view the world around us from God’s perspective and remind ourselves that there is an eternity waiting for all of mankind. Our great reward is beyond the bonds of this sin-sick life.
There is a call for each of us to work while we have the time to snatch the unsaved from an eternity in the lake of fire. Stop fretting and start spreading the gospel!
Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 6, 2020 | James
James 4:8
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
As I write the words of this Daily-E-Votional, my mind reflects back to the memory of my precious Dad. I cherished every moment I spent with my Dad. He was an encourager and was always there to insure that I was striving to be the man God wanted me to be. He stressed that after he was gone I would hold fast to the gospel and point people in the direction of the cross. I yearn for the day when I will see my Dad once again, but even more so I yearn for the day I will meet my Savior face to face.
In the early years of the 20th Century there was an outbreak of diphtheria in the U.S. that claimed many lives. In 1903, Cleland McAfee was chaplain and choir director at Park College in Parkville, Missouri. As the epidemic swept the area, two of his nieces died from the dread disease and the others in the house were quarantined. In Cleland’s hour of grief he wrote the hymn NEAR TO THE HEART OF GOD and had the college choir sing outside the house.
If you are passing through the valley of the shadow of death right now (I know that each of us do at some time in our life), let these words bring that quiet assurance we need.
Near to the Heart of God
There is a place of quiet rest,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where sin cannot molest,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
There is a place of comfort sweet,
Near to the heart of God.
A place where we our Savior meet,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release,
Near to the heart of God
A place where all is joy and peace,
Near to the heart of God.
Refrain: O Jesus, blest Redeemer,
Sent from the heart of God.
Hold us who wait before Thee,
Near to the heart of God.
Enjoy this week’s hymn from GloryScapes.com. To access a Video of Near To The Heart of God, please go to: https://gloryscapes.com/neartotheheartofgod
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 5, 2020 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Since 1991 the verse quoted above has hung over my desk, created in counted cross stitch by our oldest daughter, Brenda. She was growing weaker and weaker and wanted to complete it for my birthday—but having missed my birthday she wanted to complete it before she went to be with the Lord. (You no doubt know how much it means to me!)
It took effort and determination, but she knew she could do it! There is a slang term that is often heard in response to some challenge: “NO SWEAT!” It implies that the challenge has been accepted and it will be done so easily that no sweat will appear on the brow.
I think Isaiah wants to inspire us to rely on the strength of the Lord to such a degree that we use his strength rather than our own. It is trusting and waiting on Him that our strength is renewed and totally energized.
The result of our renewing our strength is that we will soar through the skies like eagles. Someone has humorously remarked that we believers have the choice of soaring like the eagles or waddling like the turkeys. I want to soar!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
