by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
Luke 18:17
Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
Yesterday was a very busy day for me. I conducted a memorial service out of the area for a little five year old boy. It was an upbeat service and I was impressed by the way the Lord had blessed the parents with a spirit of grace and beauty even in the face of the loss of this precious son of theirs.
When I returned home our grandson and granddaughter dropped by the house with our 8 week old great granddaughter, Ruby Grace. I make no apologies about the fact that I am crazy about babies. Every child or grandchild has fallen asleep on my chest. (Sometimes I join them in a little snooze).
Ruby was just a little fussy and I was not sure if she would quiet down as I held her, but she seemed to know that this soft chest was a place of rest. She was soon fast asleep and breathing deeply.
As Children of God we are welcomed to lay our head on the soft chest of our heavenly Father and let the cares of this life pass by. It is so sad that we think that it is our responsibility to solve the problems of the world all by ourselves. Instead we need to cast all of our cares on Him because He cares so much for us and He is the One who can make things right.
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 28, 2011 | Ephesians
Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
There are times in our life when we are tempted to give up. It seems that it is just too hard to continue as we labor through stressful situations. I find this true as I do my daily exercises. Before I leave the house I can think of all kinds of reasons why I don’t need to go. Then as I start my exercise program, it seems that my 77-year-old body does not want to continue.
Spiritually I have had the sad experience of witnessing folks who started a walk with the Lord, but then were drawn away. The lure of the things from the world became a siren song that caused them to slip back into their old sinful life.
There is no way I want to give the impression that walking with the Lord is easy. It requires commitment and determination. It starts out with a step of faith on the part of the believer, but growth is not a one-time thing. It requires time spent in God’s precious Word and in prayer. It is not always glint and glitter and, in fact, may require trials and suffering.
If you are feeling depressed with your spiritual walk, I want to encourage you to hang in there. Never give up. The things we endure during our days on earth will seem as nothing when we look back from eternity. That is why I say, DON’T GIVE UP!
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
My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 27, 2011 | Daily-E-Votionals
1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
What is the greatest gift you have ever received? It may not be the most expensive gift, but one that was given as a demonstration of love. I frequently look at the wall above my desk and see a counted cross stitch picture of an eagle and the words of Isaiah 40:31: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I love the words of that verse, but the gift that was behind it has a deep and lasting meaning for me. When our oldest daughter, Brenda, was nearing the end of her life, she told me she was working on my birthday gift. She wanted to live long enough to complete it. I know it was difficult for her to work on it because of her weakened condition, but she did it for love. You might say that she lavished her love by giving me that precious gift.
Gift giving is not (or at least should not be) associated with the amount of money that is spent on the gift. The gift of ourselves is the most precious thing we can give to a loved one. That brings me to the big question of the day: How are you lavishing your love on those around you?
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
Special News! My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 26, 2011 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 15:16-17
When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty. I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; sat alone because Your hand was on me and You had filled me with indignation.
Being alone is not fun. As a matter of fact it is a dreadful experience. There have been a few times in my life when I was all alone. Usually it was because I chose to walk with God rather than go the way of the world.
The first experience that I will mention (there have been several) was when I was a teenager. For some reason the teen group was involved in questionable activities that I chose to not participate in. I slipped into the balcony of our church on a Wednesday evening for the prayer and praise service. I was the only person there in the area that was usually occupied with teens.
Part of the service was devoted to testimonies. After several people on the main floor had testified about what the Lord was doing in their lives, I stood to give my testimony. I cannot recall what I said but I do remember our pastor, Dr. John Riley, calling on me. By saying, “Yes Cecil, up there in the balcony all by yourself.”
The second time was when I was stationed in northern Newfoundland with the United States Air Force. I felt that I was the only one who was willing to stand up for my convictions. It was not long before others joined me in walking as Christ would have us walk. Standing alone was not pleasant, but it produced spiritual fruit.
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
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 25, 2011 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Do you ever wish you could live portions of your life over again? I feel this way about the spiritual instruction of my three kids. They turned out alright, but I feel I could have done a much better job of making their instruction a priority in my life.
When our son was about eight, he was involved in an auto accident that almost took his arm off. In the operating room his doctor was my spiritual father, Dr. John Hall. Our family was involved in a memory program and Dr. Hall listened each week to the verses we had committed to memory. Dan had not recited his verses that week, so Dr. Hall had him recite them as he lay on the operating table. He told us later that there was not a dry eye in that operating room as the doctors and nurses listened to this boy recite verse after verse. I just wish I had been more thorough in opening up God’s Word day after day.
When our oldest daughter was about to slip beyond the bonds of this life at age 35, I was sitting at her bedside. She asked me to read Psalm after Psalm. As I read she seemed to relax more and more. As I recall, her last words were, “Please read another Psalm Dad.” I just wish I had read more during her early years.
Regret doesn’t mean anything if we neglect the present. I have made a commitment to use what time I have left in this world to share God’s Word with my natural children and my spiritual children. I encourage you to do the same.
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
Special News! My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
