by Pastor Cecil | Sep 16, 2008 | Genesis
Genesis 43:32
“They served him by himself, the brothers by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians”
The pronoun “him” appears twice in this verse. I have taken the liberty of underlining it to allow it to stand out better. In the past year or so, I have been committed to identify who the pronouns in Scripture apply to. In this case, it is Joseph. In our time together today I would like for us to focus our attention on “Standing Alone!”
The concept of solitary confinement is especially harsh and punitive. The threat of being alone for extended periods of time has been one of the tools used by prisons to assure good behavior. Prisoners of war have reported that they were held in solitary confinement for years. They recall this as being one of the harshest forms of punishment, even worse than the beatings they sometimes received.
Now, think about Joseph. As I contemplate the life of Joseph, I see a man that stood alone for most of his life, certainly for the years from childhood to middle age at least. As a boy he was the favored son of his father, Jacob, and was held at a distance by his brothers. Their jealousy was so great that they considered killing him, but decided instead to sell him into slavery so they would not have his blood on their hands.
In Egypt, I am certain that Joseph spent many years alone as he matured and learned the Egyptian language. He had been purchased by Potiphar, who was the Captain of the Guard in the service of Pharaoh. There were other slaves and servants, but since he was known to be a Hebrew, he would have been treated with contempt. Look again at the last phrase of today’s Scripture; “- – – Egyptians could not eat with Hebrews, for that is detestable to Egyptians.”
It would have been easy for Joseph to become bitter. Instead he became better. The object of his attention was not the circumstances that surrounded him, but the God he served. His devotion to God was his aim and goal. Achieving status in Potiphar’s house was not his goal – pleasing the Lord was his goal!
Let me ask you a very personal question. When was the last time you stood alone because of your faith in Jesus Christ? Is the cross of Christ so dear to you that you will stand alone when the Holy Spirit places convictions upon your heart? Are you willing to spend years, if necessary, to be the only believer in a sea of unbelief?
It must have crushed Joseph’s heart that his brothers could even think he would cause them harm. His heart was pure before God. I think that this was to a large degree because of his time “standing alone.”
His words to his brothers are to be found in Genesis 50:19: “But Joseph said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'” I pray that we will be willing to stand alone and allow the Lord to use us as He sees fit.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 15, 2008 | Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 4:6
“Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.”
Within the past 24 hours a major hurricane (“Ike”) has struck the coastline near Galveston, Texas. Millions are without power and even more have had their world turned upside down.
What are you encountering in your life at this time? Do you feel as if you are being churned 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. What did he endure for the sake of the gospel? 2 Corinthians 11:24-26, “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.”
These are only a few of the things Paul endured, yet he endured them with a joy that can only come from the Lord. Tranquility is not that the storms will always be calm, but that we will find peace in the middle of the storms.
Paul prayed for the Lord to remove the thorns from his life, but here is what Paul says about it; 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Wow! That is powerful and provides the answer for us to find tranquility in the most violent of storms. It is not what we have done or must do—it is what Christ has already done for us.
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 what storm you are experiencing.
Today’s Scripture speaks of tranquility 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 | Sep 12, 2008 | Psalm
Psalm 19:1-2
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.”
In yesterday’s Daily-E-Votional, I talked about the old time chuck wagon and the “cookie” who had the responsibility of cooking, cleaning, mending and a host of tasks that made him the most valued member of the cattle drive.
There was one task that I failed to mention—he gave direction. How in the world could he do that? The answer is something that is available for us all. Locate the North Star (Pole Star). I am not going to go into the details of how to find it, but once you do, it is always in the same place night after night.
Before I retire each night I go to the front door and gaze into the skies. Even here in the State of Washington, I can usually locate the North Star. The other stars change position during the night and throughout the year, but the good ole Pole Star is always in the same position.
What does this have to do with the “cookie” and his chuck wagon? A great deal! At night, “cookie” would always turn the tongue of the chuck wagon so it would face north. The trail boss could look at the tongue and know what direction to head out the next morning.
It would be ridiculous for me to suggest that people will know the right direction by looking to see where our tongue is pointed, but you may make a connection. They at least should see where we are going by our walk.
Let me close this week by sharing what the apostle Paul shared with the church at Philippi. Philippians 4:8-9; “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
The tongue of his wagon was pointed in the right direction and he wanted others to know that they could follow him with confidence. Can others have that same confidence in you?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 11, 2008 | Isaiah
Isaiah 58:14
“‘- – – then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’ The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
I love to cook and I especially enjoy cooking in cast iron utensils. Just about every time I use a skillet or Dutch oven, I think about the old chuck wagons that became the hub of every cattle drive that traveled across the plains states in the early days. There is a spiritual application here, so please bear with me.
At first glance you might think that the cook who operated the chuck wagon was on the lowest rung of the ladder. Actually, he was the highest paid man on the cattle drives and had total authority of his domain.
Cookie would arise about 3:00 a.m. each morning to get his sourdough biscuits rising, the coffee brewing and bacon frying. His rattling pans were the alarm clock for the rest of the hands to get ready for the day.
The cook was responsible for the welfare of the men who drove the cattle. He did not do the herding of the cattle, but he insured that the men who rode the horses and drove the herd were taken care of.
It was essential that he not only provide nourishing meals but that he gather fuel for the fire, water to fill the water barrel and select an appropriate place to set up camp for the next night.
Cook was often called to settle disputes among the cowboys, do mending, cut hair and even see to minor medical emergencies of the hands. He operated on less sleep than the rest of the men, so his job was not an enviable position. (Do you see where this is heading yet?)
God has called some to be “cookies” to the “cowboys” around us. This is a high calling from the Lord and it requires dedication. Many times it means that we must go without sleep and work harder than others that we lead.
Many times the hard work will not be appreciated. The “cookie” on a cattle drive did not look to the cowboys for reward. His reward came from the owner of the cattle who had hired him to do the job.
That is true for us as well. Our reward will not come until the “drive” is completed, and we hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful Cookie!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 10, 2008 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 26:16
“But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”
You may have noticed that many characters in the Bible started out as God’s heroes, but ended up as zeroes because of their pride. I think of Israel’s first king, Saul; her second king, David; Samson, as well as others. Unfortunately, Uzziah was also a part of that group.
Two wonderful examples of men whose heart stayed true to the Lord all the days of their lives are Joseph and Daniel. There are others, but these two are most notable for their total dependence on the Lord from beginning to end.
Our modern-day scene is littered by the wreckage of ministers who started out with humility and total commitment to the Lord, but came to destruction when they grew popular and failed to rely totally on the Lord.
As long as Uzziah sought the Lord, he was able to subdue his enemies and be God’s man in leading Judah to subdue her enemies. Somewhere along the line he began to think that it was his own ability that brought victory. That is always the beginning of the end for anyone.
Read today’s Scripture very carefully. He did not become full of pride until he had become powerful. His success caused him to take his eyes off of the Lord and on himself. Sadly, we will never know what Uzziah could have accomplished if he had remained dependent upon the Lord. He blew it!
So what was Uzziah’s sin? He presumed on God’s holiness. What does that mean? It means that he felt that he was above what God’s Word had said and that he was exempt from what is demanded.
I have no idea what was in Uzziah’s mind when he entered the temple to offer incense to the Lord. Perhaps he felt God would be pleased with what he had done. That is not the way it works.
Even though I do not know what Uzziah’s intention was—I do know the consequences of his action—leprosy! 2 Chronicles 26: 21; “King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and excluded from the temple of the LORD.”
Doing things his way, not God’s way, doomed him to a life of humiliation and separation. You have to feel sorry for this man who started with such great promise, but ended with such shame—FROM PRIDE TO PITY!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
