by Pastor Cecil | Sep 23, 2011 | Isaiah
Isaiah 55:1
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
I know it may be hard to believe, but I used to be a Boy Scout. I learned how to start a fire without matches, how to tie knots, how to render first-aid and many other practical skills. We were taught that if you are thirsty you can quench your thirst by placing a clean round stone in your mouth.
We were camping in the mountains of Idaho and our Scoutmaster was taking us on a long hike up a mountain. As boys might do, we drank freely from our water canteens early in the hike and they were soon empty with many miles to go. It was then that our Scoutmaster suggested the stone in the mouth trick. Believe me?it sounds better in the Boy Scout Manuel than in practice. We soon spit out the stones. By the way?I just had to get up and go into the kitchen for a drink of water!
There is also a spiritual thirst that the sincere believer experiences. We come to those places in our life that demand a renewal to quench our parched souls. Back in 1884, Lucy J. Meyer felt that spiritual thirst. It led her to write this week’s hymn.
Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty
Ho! Everyone that is thirsty in spirit,
Ho! Everyone that is weary and sad;
Come to the fountain, there’s fullness in Jesus,
All that you’re longing for; come and be glad!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage?
Weary of earth’s joys, so false, so untrue?
Thirsting for God and His fullness of blessing?
List’ to the promise, a message for you!
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
Child of the kingdom, be filled with the Spirit!
Nothing but “fullness” thy longing can meet;
‘Tis the enduement for life and for service;
Thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet.
Refrain: I will pour water on him that is thirsty,
I will pour floods upon the dry ground;
Open your hearts for the gifts I am bringing;
While you are seeking Me, I will be found.
To access Ho! Everyone Who Is Thirsty, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/hoeveryonewhoisthirsty/ 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. – 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 | Sep 22, 2011 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 18:18
The LORD detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.
A pastor friend of mine was one of the most open and transparent men I have ever known. He once shared with some of us about an incident that had happened years before. He been invited to be the main speaker at a meeting held on conference grounds. He had traveled for several hours and it was the middle of the afternoon when he arrived.
He walked across the grounds from his quarters to the dining room to get a cup of coffee. As he walked in the dining room he was met by a somewhat hostile kitchen staff member who told him very rudely that the cafeteria was not open and to please leave. He told her that he only wanted a cup of coffee but she rushed him out the door.
When someone told her that she had just been rude to the speaker of the meetings she was appalled at her conduct. She rushed across the campgrounds and knocked on his door. She asked for his forgiveness and assured him that he was welcomed to return for his coffee. He thanked her but said that he really didn’t care for any.
After she left the Lord began to deal with him. He had really wanted the coffee and to tell her that he didn’t was a lie. He rushed back to the kitchen and asked the woman for forgiveness and that he would really enjoy that cup. His willingness to confess his sin bonded the two of them together.
All too often we find ourselves guilty of this type of lie, yet fail to confess it as a sin. May God reveal our sinful self and may we be free to confess.
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.comPlease feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 21, 2011 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 18:18
I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.
A week ago Joyce and I were watching a wonderful service from the Campus Church at Pensacola Christian College. The music was wonderful and we were feeling blessed. I noticed a small goldfinch sitting on the edge of our bird feeder and it seemed he was listening to the music.
I mentioned it to Joyce and we laughed about the way he was acting. A few minutes later our little feathered friend had flown to a perch just outside the window and it was very clear that he was captivated by the music. He suddenly hopped onto the window screen and peered inside at us. If there had not been a screen on the window he might have joined us in our worship.
I can make a spiritual observation from this incident. There are people around us who would love to hear the gospel message. We might not be aware that they are watching or listening, but it is just possible that they are. Someone may have witnessed to them in the past and they rejected the offer. Now however there may be circumstances that have transpired and now they are open to the message that once they rejected. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN AND BE PREPARED!
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.comPlease feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 20, 2011 | Acts
Acts 2:40-41
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
Have you ever felt that you have failed the Lord in sharing the wonderful gospel message with the lost? I know I have gone through that valley of despair when I have missed golden opportunities.
I once met with a former classmate of mine. He was a successful businessman but this day he was very despondent. He told me that one of his closest friends had been the head football coach at their high school. He had been meeting with the coach once a week for a few years to talk football and drink coffee. He had intended to share the gospel with him, but kept putting it off.
A week or so before I met with my friend, he had received a call from the coach’s wife telling him that her husband had been rushed to the hospital with a heart attack. By the time my former classmate arrived at the hospital, he had died. My friend was crushed and ashamed of himself.
The apostle Peter had been as close to the Lord Jesus as anyone on this earth. He had every intention of defending his Lord, even if it meant losing his own life. In spite of his resolve he denied the Lord three times. But that was not the end of the story. In today’s Scripture we hear how Peter proclaimed the gospel message in such power of the Spirit that three thousand souls were saved in a single day. I thank God we serve a God who gives us a second chance, and a third chance and . . . . Praise the Lord!
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.comPlease feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends.
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 19, 2011 | Psalm
Psalm 63:1
You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
From time to time I have mentioned an enchanting place called Dry Lake. It is or I should say, was just south of our home in Nampa, Idaho. It is my understanding that progress has moved into the area and replaced it with modern housing.
When we were teens we used to spend many wonderful hours on the flat stretch of land known as Dry Lake. In the summer it was a crusty and cracked surface that was great in learning how to drive. In the winter when precipitation formed a few inches of ice, it became a wonderful time to skate and also to learn how to drive on ice covered roads.
For those who saw Dry Lake for the first time, it might have appeared to be a worthless piece of ground. It was only as you became better acquainted with it from season to season that you began to see that even a flat, dry and parched piece of ground has real value.
As we move through our life we sometimes feel that we are nothing more than a dry lake bed. The circumstances of life pile in on us and we become dry and parched in our spirit. It is at these times that we need to open the eyes of our heart and ask the Lord what He wants us to learn from these flat and dry times. What is God trying to teach you at this very moment? It might just be a good time to skate or learn how to control yourself on a slippery surface.
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.
