FAITH IS THE REAL MIRACLE​!

Psalm 139:1-4 – Devotional

Psalm 139:1-4

O LORD, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD.

Life is a constantly changing scene with countless variables. Over the years I have been become more aware that God works in many unexpected ways.

A local funeral director called on me to conduct a service for someone I did not k now. I thanked the Lord for this cherished ministry as it would once again allow me to minister to a family I had never met and bring the message of hope to the grieving.

I recall once hearing Bill Gothard share at an Institute in Basic Life Principles that one way you can discern your spiritual gift is if you can perform the task without growing weary. I was thinking about that as I drove to meet the deceased’s family. I felt the strength of the Lord flow through me.

The other aspect that I had been thing about was the confirmation of the Holy Spirit. What do I mean by that? It is the unexpected circumstances which almost explode with irony.

It was a delight to the grieving family to learn that my family had originated in the Texas/Oklahoma panhandle region.

Before long, the five of us were laughing and recalling many things about that area. It also made the funeral service much more personal. I felt as if I could picture this man I had never met, but for whom I would be conducting a funeral service.

As we discussed the illness which had caused his death, I shared about the passing of our own dear daughter in 1991.

I shared how Brenda had been healed many times, but that healing is always temporary; and then I made statement that shocked even me.  I said that healing is not the real miracle—faith is the real miracle. It was as if I had slapped the man’s daughter in the face.

She exclaimed, “That is the most fantastic thing!” Her enthusiastic reaction surprised me. She went on to explain that she had heard the same phrase used in the past few days and was moved by it. Now I had spoken the same words without planning what I was going to say.

I sincerely believe that there are no coincidences where the believer in Jesus Christ is concerned. The Lord knows our life intimately. He knows how we can be used to touch others. How do we do that? It is not us, but it is the Holy Spirit working through us to say the right thing at the right time.

I have experienced many of these divinely directed encounters. As I think back, they have all occurred when I was actively involved in deep study of God’s Word. I love to study the Word, but I also like investigate the circumstances surrounding the passage I am studying. Having done that, I try to apply it to my own life or to the lives of others.

The other thing that strikes me is that we must avoid contrivance. It is not necessary or advisable to plot and plan and try to make it appear inspired. We have been overexposed to phony spirituality. People need to see the authentic and dynamic Word lived out in the lives of His people.

Here is my suggestion for us all: Covenant with God (covenants are to the death) to spend quality time in study, meditation, and prayer. Be natural, talk freely, and give yourself without reservation to the one you are talking with. You may not receive the feedback as I mentioned, but you will bless others!

Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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GROWING A CROP OF JOY!

Psalm 126:5 – Devotional

Psalm 126:5

Sowing in tears will produce a harvest of joy.

What we sow will determine what will be produced. Bitterness grows from seeds of selfish ambition and hopelessness is the fruit of sensual living. It is vital for us to examine what seeds we are sowing and what crop awaits us!

Across over sixty years of ministry I have sadly listened to the cries of those who planted seeds of sensuality and now are reaping the crop of doom and despair.

The bright light at the end of the tunnel for those who have sinned and fallen short of God’s will for them is that God is always ready to welcome home His prodigal children who have found themselves in the mire of sin and despair.

I am so glad that Jesus came to rescue fallen sinners, not sanctimonious and self righteous saints. Only repentant sinners are welcome home by a waiting Father. If you have been planting seeds of sin and shame stop it! Reach into your seed bag of seeds and plant a crop of sorrow for your sins and you will reap a crop of joy!

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

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.

REST IN THE LORD​!

Psalm 4:8 – Devotional

Psalm 4:8

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep: For only You O Lord, cause me to dwell in safety.

Rest that restores does not come necessarily from the time spent under the covers of our bed. I am sure that most of us have spent sleepless nights tossing and turning as we struggled with thoughts of what we would face at dawn. It is also not enough to finally fall asleep and not wake until dawn lights the eastern sky.

Divine rest comes by yielding our will to His Divine will and leaving the results in His Mighty Hands! “I can’t, He can! That’s all I need to know. Let’s Go!”

I am certain that the Lord is never pleased by lazy and lethargic believers, but He is equally not pleased with doing things their own way and then asking Him to place His blessing upon it. Beep! That is not the way it works!

God calls us to be faithful in seeking His plan and purpose for what lies in our path. His Divine wisdom uses the circumstances of our life to shape and mold us to be used by Him and at the same time rest in the knowledge that we have done His will for living in obedience for Him.

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

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.

PRECIOUS PROMISES​!

Psalm 19:14 – Devotional

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Years ago I heard a minister relate a heartbreaking story. It seems that a father had promised to take his son on a fishing trip. The boy was eagerly anticipating the time when just he and his father would be alone on a lake just teeming with fish. (Such lakes are more in the area of dreams than reality)

The day of the trip had arrived and the son was eagerly packing all of his gear into the car. It was just then that the phone rang. The father went back into the house to take the call. After a few minutes the son followed his dad just in time to hear him tell the caller that he had nothing important planned for the day and would be right there.

The long awaited trip was off. Not only was there to be no fishing trip with his dad, but the dad had thought so little of it that he told the caller that he had nothing important planned for the day. The relationship between father and son was torn asunder that day and sadly was never restored.

How many promises have we broken that seemed small to us, but significant to another person? But much more important, how have we grieved the heart of God by failing to keep our promises that we made to Him?

Blessings dear hearts! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

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.

LOSS OF POWER!

Psalm 62:11 – Devotional

Psalm 62:11

God has spoken once, two times I heard that truly, power belongs to the Lord.

Yesterday morning I experienced one of those dreaded occurrences when the power went out. Sitting in the dark and not knowing when the power would return made me realize how much we rely on our source of power.

It is certainly true that loss of electricity causes all sorts of problems, the loss of spiritual contact with the Lord is even more devastating. It is sad to realize that the longer a person stays away from the Word of God, the weaker spiritually they become.

Stumbling around it the dark without electricity is nothing compared with the lack of spiritual illumination that is so prevalent in many lives. Without the energizing power of God’s Word we have little light to lead others to the Lord.

How is your source of spiritual power? Is your spiritual walk illuminating the way for others to find their way to Christ? Now is the time to spend quality time in the Bible and talking freely with the Lord. Our blessed Savior came into the world to give us the light of life. Please do not to continue stumbling in spiritual darkness. Let His light shine through you!

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

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.

THE JOY OF THE LORD!

Psalm 16:11 – Devotional

Psalm 16:11

In Your presence I find the fullness of joy and at Your right hand are eternal pleasures.

I think it is safe to say that all of us need more joy in our life. The problem that we frequently encounter is that far too many of us seek joy in the wrong places. The stuff of life promises joy, but most often delivers bitterness and pain.

Some of the happiest people I have ever known are the ones who have little of this world’s trinkets. The people who have discovered the joy of serving Jesus know that they have a home being prepared for them in glory!

Our heavenly home will never need repairs or renovation. It will be a home that will be new and beyond all expectation every moment forever and forever.

This world is not our eternal home. Compared to the heavenly home that is waiting for us in glory, the most luxurious mansion here on earth is a broken down shack. It is not the quality of the mansion that makes it magnificent, but the fact that we will live forever in the presence of the Lord! THAT IS THE JOY OF THE LORD!

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

Share a blessing by inviting your friends and family to subscribe to Pastor Cecil’s DailyEvotional emails by clicking on the Subscribe button above.

Share the Lord with someone by directing them to https://PastorCecil.com.

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.