by Pastor Cecil | May 2, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Proverbs 14:10-12
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
Not long ago I was watching a program that interviewed people in the center of a large city. They were asked their view on God and specifically about Jesus Christ being the Savior. It was distressing to view their erudite responses and the cynical attitude they expressed toward God.
Since that time I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about the issue of faith. One of my richest preparations for ministry was working in fields that were far removed from religious activity. Military, police, corrections, sales, and management, just to mention some of the areas I have experienced.
In the course of living a diverse life I have encountered people who expressed the opinion that there was no God and we were simply a product of evolution. I will not go off into my feelings toward such a ridiculous theory, but will just state that I have encountered unbelievers.
Now here is the observation that I do want to share. These doubting and cynical people have, for the most part, been the most miserable people I have ever met. Rather than enjoying the life they say is the only thing that exists, they grumble and growl with discontent. I have had the blessing of seeing some of these people come to accept Jesus as their Savior. They became content and full of joy.
What If there was no God? What if the faith that true believers possess is a myth? The answer is that those of us who have been born again will have experienced a peace that the world cannot even imagine.
There is another side of that coin. What if God is real? (He is) What if He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to offer salvation to anyone who will receive Him? What if there is a terrible hell awaiting those who refuse to receive salvation through Jesus? (There is!)
I just happen to believe that all of the denials about God being real are bogus. Deep within the heart of each person there is an awareness of God and a desire to know Him personally. In Romans 1:18-20, we read these words:
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Did you read that? There is no excuse! I have read of men who had never heard a gospel message or even read a single word of Scripture who came to faith by being drawn to the Lord in some unique way.
Years ago I read a book by a Chinese Christian, Watchman Nee. He told of returning to the city where he had attended university. He went to speak with his favorite professor, who was disappointed that he had become a believer. He felt that Watchman Nee was foolish.
Watchman Nee left a Bible with him and urged him to read it with an honest mind. A few days later he came to one of Watchman’s meetings and made a public profession of his faith. He said it was as if the words in the Bible became real and he knew he must obey God and be saved.
“Lord, I pray for each person who is reading this message right now. May Your blessed Holy Spirit open their mind to hear Your truth that they have been resisting. I pray that the shed blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, may be applied and cleanse them from all unrighteousness. I pray this in and through the name Jesus. Amen.”
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 1, 2008 | Daily-E-Votionals
Psalm 31:1-3
“In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. Turn Your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since You are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.”
When I was working on my master’s degree, I enjoyed spending time with my major professor. During one of these meetings he laughed as he told me about his major professor. The man was known for being absent minded. One day he met my professor in the middle of the campus. They talked for several minutes about an assignment. When they finished the conversation his professor said: “Pardon me young man. Which way was I heading before we met?”
Sometimes people are like that spiritually. They lack a sense of direction for their lives. I was doing a word search using my Blue Letter Bible (contact me if you want to know about it), and simply typed in the words: lead and guide. I really did not expect to have a verse that included both words, but it is in today’s Scripture.
There is so much in these three verses that I feel it is God speaking to me personally. Please look over my shoulder as I explore this truth today. This is a Psalm of David and it takes the form of a prayer. It acknowledges that David has taken his refuge in the Lord.
It was a time in David’s life when he was betrayed and abandoned. Those that could have been, and should have been, supporting him had abandoned him. But there was One who was always there, and David placed his trust in Him. He took his refuge in the Rock that cannot be shaken.
The storms of life can be frightening at times. It even seems that there are no avenues of escape. I am sure that David had those feelings at times. When he had those thoughts, he placed his trust in the solid rock of his salvation. With the Lord as his mighty fortress it was impossible for any enemy to penetrate and cause him harm.
Let’s slow down and digest some of this. The title implies that some of us do not really have a sense of where we are or in what direction we should be going. I remember driving across the barren stretches of Wyoming desert and seeing a sign along the highway. “I MAY BE LOST, BUT I SURE AM MAKING GOOD TIME!” There is so much truth to that statement. We need to slow down and consider where we are and what route we need to take to reach our destination.
David gives us great advice on discovering where we are and where we need to go. When we take our refuge in the Lord we find the directions for our life. When the Lord is our refuge and fortress, we can call out to Him, for His own name’s sake, to lead and guide us. We are His, so His reputation is at stake. He has never failed to provide for one of His own, and He will not fail to provide for us now.
Have you ever had a visitor, who did not know the area, follow you? If they are observant and follow closely, there is no problem. It has been my experience that sometimes they sometimes lag so far behind that a traffic light changes and I have to stop and wait for them. Then when the light turned green, the traffic makes it difficult to pull back in front to lead them. If they get ahead of me, they have no idea where they are going. Only when they slow down and allow me to get back in the lead, will they know the way. Does that sound a little familiar with your spiritual walk?
Here is the bottom line! If we want to get to our goal of pleasing the Lord, we must place our trust in Him and allow Him to be our guide. There is no other alternative. We may feel like we are making good time, but it generally will be in the wrong direction. The faster we go in the wrong direction, the more off course we become. Christ came into the world to be our leader and guide. If we keep our eyes on Him, and never stray from His side, we will reach our goal. We can always know where we are when we stay close to the Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Trust Him completely and be a blessing.
— Pastor Cecil
