by Pastor Cecil | Jul 15, 2011 | Matthew
Matthew 6:27
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
True Christian character is certainly seen in our biblical heroes, but it may often be seen in those of more recent times. Hope is a character quality that looks beyond our immediate circumstances and shows what we as believers have waiting for us.
One of the most enduring songs written after the Civil War was by Sanford Bennett entitled, “In the Sweet By and By.” Bennett was the owner of a drugstore in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, who had just returned from the war. A friend, Joseph Webster, a gifted musician trained formally in composition, came to Bennett’s store each day to talk and play chess. Often Webster would come in depressed and down.
When asked what was wrong, Webster would often reply, “It’s no matter. It will be alright by and by.” That idea hit Bennett like a flash of sunlight! It was at that moment that he demonstrated hope to a friend who needed it at that moment.
As Bennett later described the incident, he took out a pen and it was all over in thirty minutes. A new hymn was born. In short order he was singing the words along with Webster and two other friends.
Bennett continued to manage his drugstore while Webster went on pursuing a composer’s career, writing over a thousand musical compositions and compiling the very popular Sunday school hymnal “The Signet Ring.” However he would not have the same success as with “The Sweet By and By.” That hymn was perfect for the post-Civil War era because it conveyed pathos with a mixture of comforting warmth. It came to typify the virtues of spiritual hope.
“Sweet By and By“
There’s a land that is fairer than day,
And by faith we can see it afar;
For the Father waits over the way,
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
We shall sing on that beautiful shore,
The melodious songs of the blest;
And our spirits shall sorrow no more,
Not a sigh for the blessing of rest.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To our bountiful Father above,
We will offer our tribute of praise,
For the glorious gift of His love,
And the blessings that hallow our days.
Chorus: In the sweet by and by,
We shall meet on that beautiful shore;
In the sweet by and by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
To access Sweet By and By, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/sweetbyandby in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
P.S. – Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends. They’ll appreciate the encouragement.
P.P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 14, 2011 | Luke
Luke 19:8
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.’ ”
His name was Zacchaeus and he was a wealthy tax collector from Jericho. The tax collectors of Jesus’ day were not the most popular people. As a matter of fact they were possibly on the lowest rung of the ladder of popularity.
This man Zacchaeus was not only wealthy, but in this chapter we are told that he was short. How short was he? He wanted to see Jesus, but he couldn’t see over the crowd. (That is how short he was!)
A man with his position and reputation might be expected to show restraint and aplomb, but not our man Zack. He wanted to see Jesus so much that he ran around the crowd to a place where he knew Jesus would pass. In order to see him better, he even climbed up into a tree. (So much for showing restraint and aplomb)!
The unbelievable happened. Jesus stopped and called him by name. How did Jesus know? He is the One who created all things and He knows every hair on our head. He knows each tiny sparrow by name. It was natural that Jesus knew the heart of this man and told him that He, Jesus was going to have a meal with him at his house.
During that meal we see a righteous man revealed. In today’s passage Zack suddenly declares that he is giving half of all he owns to the poor. Wow! How many of us are that committed? He goes on to reveal just how righteous he has been. He agrees to pay back four times the amount if he has been guilty of cheating anybody. Do the math–he has just given away half of his wealth so if he was guilty he would not have enough to repay four times over what he was guilty of cheating someone.
Answer these questions: Are we so anxious to see Jesus that we forget what others will think? Can we honestly say that we are guilt free in our dealings with others? Think about it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com. Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 13, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 19:14
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ ”
The words you read in today’s Scripture are the first words of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray and which has come to be known to us as “The Lord’s Prayer.” Notice that the last sentence reads, “Your will be done.” All too often we are prone to pray as if God should cause “our will to be done.”
Can I let you in on a little secret? God knows what He is doing! He does not need us to whisper in His ear something that we think He needs to know. After Saul had been blinded on the road to Damascus where he was heading to persecute the believers, the Lord called a man by the name of Ananias to go and lay hands on him to restore his sight. Ananias tried to inform God about how evil this man was. God did not need information, He needed obedience.
It is easy to fall into the dangerous business of wanting our own way instead of seeking to discover God’s way. Let’s face it, we can hardly remember what happened yesterday much less what is going to happen later today or in the days to come. It is so much better to lay things out before our all loving and all powerful God and ask that His will be done in our life.
It is not easy doing this when our life or the life of a loved one is in the balance. It is not easy yielding to His will when finances are near zero. It is not easy bowing and saying yes when every fiber of our being is screaming no! But we will never know true peace until we utter those words, “Your will be done!”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com. Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 12, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 19:14
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
What do you say when someone makes a favorable comment about something you have said or done? I have come to realize that the positive compliments can be a real minefield of pride. It is possible if not inevitable for us to be so pleased at what people say about us that we will do almost anything to receive more praise.
A few Sundays ago a 9th grader came up to me following the service and made the comment that he really liked what I had said. My mind raced to recall what I might have said that impressed this young man so that he would make a point of telling me that it meant a lot to him.
It was then that the Holy Spirit spoke to me and reminded me that it was not necessary for me to know which of the many things that I had said that impressed this boy. It was between him and the Lord. I was just the one who had shared what the Lord had laid on my heart.
Over and over I battle the common battle of trying to say things that I feel people would like to hear. Instead I desire to only speak or write those things that the Spirit brings to my mind. With this in mind I try to live with today’s Scripture as my prayer, “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 11, 2011 | Ephesians
Ephesians 5:1-2
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
As I look at the date on today’s Daily-E-Votional, memories flood my mind. There are actually two dates that are almost blended together as one. Yesterday, July 10th, marked the 59th wedding anniversary for Joyce and I. Where have the years gone?
Today’s date, July 11th is the twentieth anniversary of the death of our oldest daughter, Brenda Joy. In all actuality it was not the date of her death, but the date of her perfect and complete healing and the day she ascended to be with the Lord, waiting for us to join her in the land where we will never grow old.
It would be easy to say that one memory is sweet and the other bitter, but that is not the case. Both of these memories have a beauty that can never fade away. Joyce and I were talking just the other day about how much more we love each other more today than ever before. My task is to love Joyce in the same way that Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. Her task is to honor and respect me as her husband.
The beauty of our relationship has spread to our children. They are well aware of just how deep is our commitment to have a marriage that is a reflection of God’s plan and pattern. That does not mean that we are perfect, but it means that we strive to attain the goal Christ has set for us.
One of these days our memories will be replaced with the reality of the greatest reunion we can imagine. We will know and love everyone who has ever lived as much as our closest ones here on earth. What a great day that will be! See you there!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil (360) 570-0074
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.com. Please feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
