by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2022 | Ecclesiastes
THE SANDS OF ETERNITY!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 – Devotional
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Years ago I heard a minister tell of an incident in a hospital elevator where he had just come from visiting a very ill patient. A young man overheard him speak about eternity and, perhaps wanting to mock his view, asked the minister where eternity was. The minister told the boy to place his hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. “Young man, eternity is one heartbeat away!” That may answer where eternity is or at least how close we are to it, but just how long is eternity?
Our daughter was in the hospital near death. One afternoon as the two of us spoke quietly, she said she felt she was cheated out of half of her life. She went on to say that Grandpa was 74 when he died and here she was just 35.
That evening as I drove into the garage I noticed that the car had been bringing in sand. I took out a sheet of typing paper and swept up some of the sand. I then sat at the kitchen table and counted out 74 grains. Some were larger than others, but all of them were quite small. I placed the 74 grains of sand in a tiny sample perfume bottle.
The next day as I entered her room I placed the bottle on her bed. When she asked what it was I told her it was Grandpa. I asked her to imagine the earth being nothing but fine sand. Each grain represented one year of eternity. The 74 grains in the bottle represented Grandpa’s life. Compared to the entire globe of sand it was nothing. Whether a person’s life lasted long or short, compared to eternity it was nothing.
It is what we do with the years we are given that matters. We can choose to confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior or we can continue our own willful way and suffer the dreadful consequences prepared for the lost.
I pray that the video that accompanies today’s Daily-E-Votional will assist you in making the right choice. Please feel free to share it with others while there is still time.
To view the video The Sands of Eternity, go to PastorCecil.com.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
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One Year Bible Reading for July 15th:
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- 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30
- Romans 2:24-3:8
- Psalm 11:1-7
- Proverbs 19:10-12
Today Pastor Cecil is reading from the New King James Version (NKJV) if you’d like to follow along in your Bible.
New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs Scripture Reading for July 8th:
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- Acts 26:1-32
- Psalm 6:1-10
- Proverbs 18:20-21
Today Pastor Cecil is reading from the New King James Version (NKJV) if you’d like to follow along in your Bible.
If you have watched The Sands of Eternity video above and prayed the prayer at the end, please go to https://PastorCecil.com/ and use the form on the webpage to let us know so we can send you follow up resources and/or send an email to pastorcecil@dailyevotional.com and let him know.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 23, 2021 | Ecclesiastes
THE SANDS OF ETERNITY!
Ecclesiastes 3:11 – Devotional
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Years ago I heard a minister tell of an incident in a hospital elevator where he had just come from visiting a very ill patient. A young man overheard him speak about eternity and, perhaps wanting to mock his view, asked the minister where eternity was. The minister told the boy to place his hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. Young man, eternity is one heartbeat away! That may answer where eternity is or at least how close we are to it, but just how long is eternity?
Our daughter was in the hospital near death. One afternoon as the two of us spoke quietly, she said she felt she was cheated out of half of her life. She went on to say that grandpa was 74 when he died and here she was just 35.
That evening as I drove into the garage I noticed that the car had been bringing in sand. I took out a sheet of typing paper and swept up some of the sand. I then sat at the kitchen table and counted out 74 grains. Some were larger than others, but all of them were quite small. I placed the 74 grains of sand in a tiny sample perfume bottle.
The next day as I entered her room I placed the bottle on her bed. When she asked what it was I told her it was grandpa. I asked her to imagine the earth being nothing but a ball of fine sand. Each grain represented one year of eternity. The 74 grains in the bottle represented grandpa’s life. Compared to the entire globe of sand it was nothing. Whether a person’s life lasted long or short – – compared to eternity it was nothing.
It is what we do with the years we are given that matters. We can choose to confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior or we can continue our own willful way and suffer the dreadful consequences prepared for the lost.
I pray that the video that accompanies today’s Daily-E-Votional will assist you in making the right choice. Please feel free to share it with others while there is still time.
To view the video The Sands of Eternity, go to: https://pastorcecil.com/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
One Year Bible Reading for July 23rd:
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- 2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19
- Romans 8:9-25
- Psalm 18:16-36
- Proverbs 19:26
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 14, 2021 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 4:6
“Better a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.”
Almost every day we hear of major storms, earthquakes, or floods, occurring somewhere in the world. Basically, the people living in these devastated areas have their world turned upside down.
What are you encountering in your life at this time? Do you feel as if you are being churned up in the middle of a storm? What will it take to bring peace and tranquility to your heart?
Every time I am tempted to feel that I am enduring too much turmoil in my life, I stop and consider the apostle Paul. He endured being lashed, beaten with rods, stoned, and shipwrecked, but was always on the move for Christ.
The storms of life may take the form of actual weather, but more often they will be loss of health, wealth, or personal relationships. Only you will know which storm you are experiencing.
Today’s Scripture speaks of quietness in a manner that suggests contentment. Rather than seeking more and more of the “things” of life, we must seek more and more of the Lord. The answer to tranquility is always the same—Jesus!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Dec 24, 2020 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 3:11
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”
Years ago I heard a minister tell of an incident in a hospital elevator where he had just come from visiting a very ill patient. A young man overheard him speak about eternity and, perhaps wanting to mock his view, asked the minister where eternity was. The minister told the boy to place his hand on his chest to feel the beat of his heart. Young man, eternity is one heartbeat away! That may answer where eternity is or at least how close we are to it, but just how long is eternity?
Our daughter was in the hospital near death. One afternoon as the two of us spoke quietly, she said she felt she was cheated out of half of her life. She went on to say that grandpa was 74 when he died and here she was just 35.
That evening as I drove into the garage I noticed that the car had been bringing in sand. I took out a sheet of typing paper and swept up some of the sand. I then sat at the kitchen table and counted out 74 grains. Some were larger than others, but all of them were quite small. I placed the 74 grains of sand in a tiny sample perfume bottle.
The next day as I entered her room I placed the bottle on her bed. When she asked what it was I told her it was grandpa. I asked her to imagine the earth being nothing but a ball of fine sand. Each grain represented one year of eternity. The 74 grains in the bottle represented grandpa’s life. Compared to the entire globe of sand it was nothing. Whether a person’s life lasted long or short – – compared to eternity it was nothing.
It is what we do with the years we are given that matters. We can choose to confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior or we can continue our own willful way and suffer the dreadful consequences prepared for the lost.
I pray that the video that accompanies today’s Daily-E-Votional will assist you in making the right choice. Please feel free to share it with others while there is still time.
To view the video The Sands of Eternity, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM4xZmygeBI
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 27, 2020 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 8:5
“He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;
And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment.”
There is a constant complaint that certain employment positions require prior experience … but without the job it is impossible to gain experience. It seems to be a no-win problem.
Following after the Lord allows everyone, from a small child to a brilliant scholar, to experience the Lord’s blessings. Jesus even called people to come to Him as a little child: “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4.
In a world that places such unreasonable constraints on people to be conformed to pre-conceived expectations, it is refreshing to be accepted in Christ just as we are without needing prior experience.
Part of gaining experience with the Lord is tasting His goodness. It is important to take time each day and open the Word to allow the Holy Spirit to bring things to your heart that will allow you to experience His love and concern.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 16, 2020 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 9:12
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
I vividly recall sitting at the bedside of our daughter as she was dying. Joyce had gone home and it was just Brenda and I in that quiet room. In the past weeks I had remembered her as a little girl in a frilly pink dress. Now she was a mother of three beautiful children, just moments from ascending to be with the Lord.
This was no time for me to focus on the loss, but on the joys that awaited her in glory. As I focused upon the glory which awaited her, I almost felt a pang of homesickness for heaven. One of the Scriptures I quoted for Brenda was Psalm 23. Verse 4 was especially precious: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” It was this promise that made her funeral a few days later a celebration of praise.
Some people experience sickness and incapacitation of one sort or another. In those times it is well to consider the way God’s people have suffered across the centuries of time. Some of the greatest songs or poems of praise were penned at times of suffering.
Fredrick Lehman penned the words of the old hymn, “The Love of God”. Actually, he wrote only the first two verses. The third verse was written nearly one thousand years ago by a Jewish songwriter. They were found penciled on the wall of a patient’s room in an insane asylum.
The general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity. Listen to the words: “Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill, and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry. Nor would the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky.”
Each of us is given a choice in dealing with the pain and agony of this life. We can sigh and moan about how hard our situation is, or we can soar above the circumstances and praise the Lord from whom all blessings come! I, for one, choose to soar! Come and soar with me!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
