by Pastor Cecil | Sep 9, 2008 | 2 Chronicles
2 Chronicles 26:15
“In Jerusalem he made machines designed by skillful men for use on the towers and on the corner defenses to shoot arrows and hurl large stones. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful.”
I have a simple assignment for you. Think back to the time you were sixteen. For some of us that is a real strain of the memory cells! How about looking around you and observing sixteen year olds.
In yesterday’s Daily-E-Votional, we saw that Uzziah was only 16 when he became king of Judah. How many sixteen year olds would have the ability to serve his nation as their king? The only way Uzziah was able to do it was with the help of his God.
He called upon the Lord, sought Him and the Lord blessed his reign to such an extent that he became inventive. The Lord gave him wisdom and ability to create defenses to defend the city. The result was not simply the ability to defend Jerusalem, but his fame was spread far and wide.
When we allow the Lord to occupy the throne of our life, He gives us wisdom, understanding and blessing beyond our natural abilities. The determining factor is getting ourselves out of the way and inquiring of Him.
A study of the catastrophic defeats for the nation Israel will show that the leader or leaders failed to inquire of the Lord before they acted. It is the same with us. If we seek the will of the Lord before we act, it will save us a world of grief.
He is our source of victory!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 8, 2008 | Isaiah
Isaiah 26:3-4
“He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the LORD, God gave him success.”
Since he had become a Christian, Al had always tried to do what was right. He read his Bible and prayed frequently. As he grew spiritually he was able to see the hand of God at work in his life. Then something happened!
Al owned a classic automobile that he had restored from the ground up. When it was finished he decided he was going to sell it for a huge profit. He had been given counsel to honor God with a portion of the profits. He agreed, but he had a better plan. He would keep all of the profits, buy an even more expensive auto that would bring even more profit—then he would be able to give more.
He rejected the counsel and kept all of the profits with which he bought his new classic car to restore. From the very beginning things began to go wrong. There were huge unforeseen costs that drained his money and embittered his heart.
In today’s Scripture we are introduced to a young man who became King of Judah when he was only sixteen. His name was Uzziah. The significant thing that stands out in this passage is that, “He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.”
Wouldn’t that be a wonderful description of you—or me? Not how smart we are, or what wonderful position we fill or how much money we make, but that we do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
There are many who try to do what is right in the eyes of other people. I want to tell you right now—that is like walking on shaky ground. People are fickle! The very ones who place a laurel on your head one minute, may be the very ones who cry for your head the next minute. I have been there! It’s not pleasant!
Uzziah followed in the steps of his father, who also followed after the Lord. This chapter also mentions his mother, Jecoliah. This is the only mention of her in the Bible, but she must have had an influence in Uzziah’s life or she would never had merited mention.
This godly mother must have taught her son to do right in the sight of the Lord. In the midst of an ungodly world she had prepared her son to be a mighty man of God by doing what is right in God’s eyes.
In our modern world we are surrounded by those who turn their back on God and mock Him. For many, the only time they call out to God is to curse in His name.
Have you ever thought about what a paradox we see in those who deny that there is a God? They claim that there is no God in heaven, yet profane His name. You never hear them curse in the name of false gods. Hmmmm?
I think we will spend the next few days considering the life and rule of this man Uzziah. He was the tenth and one of the ten righteous kings of Judah. I encourage you to read chapter 26 of II Chronicles to learn more about him.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 5, 2008 | Isaiah
Isaiah 6:8
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
Over the years I have been given (officially or unofficially) many titles; son, husband, dad, papa, uncle, officer, teacher, lieutenant, captain, pastor—on and on it goes.
There is one title that few know about. As a matter of fact, only my wife Joyce has ever used it—“Ole Dog Shep.” My wife is the one who gave me that title one time when I was waiting for her to get off work.
Since that day we have laughed every time I do something that indicates that I am on time and reliable.
It is amazing how many times I have encountered people who promise the stars but are not reliable enough to be depended upon. As a matter of fact, it seems that there are more unreliable people than those you can count on.
Jesus told a parable that relates to this subject. Matthew 21:28-31; “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?’ The first,’ they answered.”
Jesus agreed that their answer was correct. In essence it indicates that actions are more important than what a person says. To say something that will make people think well of us is empty if we fail in our actions.
Over the years I have been called upon to officiate hundreds of weddings, funerals or other meaningful events. Early on I learned that people are on pins and needles until I arrive. As a result, I have made a point to arrive at least 30 minutes early.
All around us there are people who depend on us and our integrity. Part of integrity is to be reliable. That means being where you are supposed to be, and being there on time or early.
How can you establish a new pattern of dependability? First is to use a date book or calendar. Write down each and every commitment you make. Check each evening the schedule you are committed to the next day.
Second, on the day of the appointment, start a mental time clock of the hours you have before the appointment. Get as much detail out of the way as early as possible and always be aware of the time remaining. Make allowance for traffic delays that may arise.
When you say to someone, “I will go!” make sure you are committed to stand by your commitment.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 4, 2008 | Galatians
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
A visiting minister had just preached a dynamic message on being totally committed to God and empty of self. Following the message, as people came by to speak with him, a woman approached him and said, “Reverend _____, please pray that God will make me nothing.”
Being a courageous and faithful servant, he looked her straight in the eye and replied, “Madam, take it by faith, you are nothing!” Her reaction revealed that she did not take well to his suggestion!
I can understand what he was saying. It was not to put her down, but rather to show that without Christ we are indeed nothing.
Does that end the matter? Absolutely not! As a matter of fact it is just the start. When our pride and self-sufficiency get out of the way, Christ is able to do His work in and through us.
I once heard Major Ian Thomas relate his own experience in this area. He was a young man who had received Jesus as his personal Savior. He wanted to please the Lord, so he worked and worked, doing everything he could for the Lord.
One Sunday evening he had finished assisting in a week-long series of meetings. Following the last service he had packed up books, Bibles and other materials until late into the night.
When he returned to his hotel room he was exhausted. He threw himself across the bed and almost wept. He cried out, “Lord, I am through! I can’t keep this up any longer. I am tired to my very core. I will still love and honor you, but from now on someone else will have to carry the load.”
He expected the Lord to be disappointed in him for quitting. Just the opposite happened. It was as though the Lord had breathed into his ear, “Finally! You have been doing things for Me that I never asked you to do. Now I can work through you to do My work.”
Major Thomas went on to be a worthy servant of the Lord Jesus Christ around the world. He never again felt that heavy load he had turned over to the Lord when he was a young man. He simply listened to the Lord and obeyed. He has gone to be with the Lord now and I can imagine the welcome he received, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Are you wearing yourself out trying to please the Lord? I implore you to give up trying to earn your salvation. Listen to Him—then do what He asks you to do. God’s work—done God’s way—will have God’s power!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 3, 2008 | Proverbs
Proverbs 2:1-5
“My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
Years ago I heard a humorous story of a city dweller who failed to follow directions and ultimately found himself on a country road, hopelessly lost. Having no idea where he was, he saw a farm hand working in a field.
He got out of his car and walked up to the fence. He motioned to the farm hand to come over to the fence. He asked directions to his destination but the farmer didn’t know. He then asked how to get back to the main road. Again the farmer was not able to tell him.
The traveler was enraged and frustrated that the farmer was so dense. He flailed his arms in the air and said, “You are the most infuriating and stupid man I have ever met!” The farmer merely shrugged and replied, “That may be true, but I ain’t the one who is lost.”
Sometimes it is easy to put on a façade of spirituality that is not based on fact. The bottom line is that we often lack the wisdom God has promised. In today’s Scripture, Solomon gives the key to true wisdom.
There are two words that I would like us to focus on: “accept” and “store.” It may be well to use the computer as an example. You may be reading this Daily-E-Votional on the screen. We might relate that to “accepting” the message. You read it, delete it and it is gone.
However there may be a Daily-E-Votional that really hits home and you do not want to lose it, so you “save” it. That relates to the word “store” that is in today’s Scripture.
What is the difference? We may “accept” and enjoy reading a passage of Scripture. If you are like me, your forgetting is better than your recalling. (I can’t remember all of the things I have forgotten!) Moan! That was bad, even for me!
How do we “store” the precious Word of God? Memorize! How do we memorize? Repetition! Isaiah 28:10; “For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there.”
One of the best ways to memorize is to use 3X5 cards. Write the passage of Scripture you want to memorize on the card(s). Take the cards with you, and at every opportunity, read and re-read—try to recite from memory until you get the passage firmly in your mind.
I have had people look forward to traffic delays or red lights since it gave them time to go over the memory work. That is the way we “store” God’s Word in our heart, available to use as the Holy Spirit directs.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
