by Pastor Cecil | Nov 16, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 6:26
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?
Where is God when I have great need and my heart is breaking? Does He really care about my personal struggles? Does He care that I feel as if I am at the end of my rope? Does He care when the one who is dearest to me dies?
Frank Graeff was a minister who had the reputation for always being happy, optimistic and had a sunny disposition. In the spite of his normally up-beat nature, he was called upon to endure severe trials in his life.
It was while he was going through one of these ordeals that he wrote the words of today’s hymn. The promise he found in 1 Peter 5:7 was especially meaningful to him: Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Think of his struggles and finding hope as you enjoy this week’s hymn. The music was composed by J. Lincoln Hall.
Does Jesus Care?
Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when my way is dark
With a nameless dread and fear?
As the daylight fades into deep night shades,
Does He care enough to be near?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed
To resist some temptation strong;
When for my deep grief there is no relief,
Though my tears flow all the night long?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”
To the dearest on earth to me,
And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks,
Is it aught to Him? Does He see?
Refrain: Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.
To view the GloryScapes inspirational video Does Jesus Care? please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/doesjesuscare/ 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
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 15, 2012 | Daily-E-Votionals
Matthew 13:8
But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop; some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty.
One of my greatest delights is to stand in the middle of a large tomato patch with luscious ripe tomatoes all around me just begging to be eaten. I never let them down! This year I only had one plant, but it was a beauty! I have never seen such huge tomatoes and the flavor was fantastic. I did not have to spend much time growing my crop, but the harvest made me feel like a real gardener.
I must confess I usually feel guilty participating in the harvest without doing any of the work to bring it about. Over the years I have had the blessing of leading individuals to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Frequently they are more than ready to pray the sinners prayer and give their hearts to the Lord. I often have heard about how others have witnessed to them and prayed for them across the years. Others did the sowing and I just had the joy of harvesting.
Some Christians delight in counting how many people they have led to the Lord. To me that is tragic! The Lord has called all of us to work in His fields. We may plow, sow, water or reap—but it is what the Lord calls us to do—not what we choose to do ourselves that counts.
It is my prayer that when I get to heaven, some joyous soul will greet me with a great smile and say, “You never knew it, but something you said (or did) made me realize I needed the Lord in my life. Years later I accepted Jesus. Thank you!” God needs workers in His fields. Will you accept His call and make yourself available to Him?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 14, 2012 | Romans
Romans 7:14-15
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.
I am not sure if you will agree with me or not, but it just seems to me that with our modern electronic devices there are a lot more glitches than I ever knew existed. It seems that just about the time I get one thing functioning correctly, another device starts acting up or quits entirely.
My computer decided to die on me over the week-end. One minute it was functional and the next minute there was nothing but blank screen staring back at me. When I returned it to the store where I purchased it, the technician discovered that indeed I was right. The screen was blank and there was nothing that could be done at the store. It had to be returned to the repair depot and I am looking at up to two weeks for the repairs. I was happy that I had kept my old computer—the one I am using right now—in order to continue my ministry. It does not function as conveniently as the other computer, but I am able to get by.
The glitches of my life are nothing in comparison with the struggles that have confronted God’s people across the ages. It is one thing to know what God has called us to do, but sometimes we make a wrong decision and a glitch suddenly appears.
I have come to realize that these glitches can be a blessing. It is when things go wrong that we spend more time with the Lord, seeking His direction for our life. It is not spiritually critical that we live a life of ease. It is, however, very critical that we listen to the Lord as He directs our steps to the path He has chosen for us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 13, 2012 | Daily-E-Votionals
Matthew 10:34
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
A friend of mine used an expression that still echoes in my mind. His words were brief, but they explode with spiritual impact: When you cease to bleed, you cease to bless. Wow! It gives new meaning to the ordeals we encounter in life.
When we encounter troubles and trials, it is too easy to expend all of our efforts to get out from under the pressure instead of asking God to use our situation to bring about His purposes. This is also true when we see or family and friends going through adversity. We should always spend time in prayer to discern if the Lord is using the thorns of life to bring about His divine will.
In our Scripture for today, Paul shares that he was given a thorn in the flesh. By his not naming the thorn, we are better able to relate to the thorn that we may have in our own life. I guess you might say: The type of thorn does not matter—any old thorn will do!
It is essential that we spend much time in prayer asking God how we should pray. We must not be guilty of telling God what to do. We need to listen for His voice. Once Paul learned the secret of the thorn’s purpose, he could see that the Lord’s strength and power was made perfect in his weakness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 12, 2012 | Matthew
Matthew 10:34
Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
November 11th is celebrated as Armistice Day or Veteran’s Day in several countries. It was established to commemorate the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at the cessation of hostilities of World War I. The armistice took effect at eleven o’clock in the morning the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918.
There was a great celebration around the world to revel in the peace that had finally arrived. It was hoped that this would be a war to end all wars. That was not to be, barely twenty years later in 1939, war again erupted. World War II was to engulf the entire world.
Peace, peace, but there is no peace. Statesmen and rulers have aimed to assure peace in their time, but until the Lord returns to establish His kingdom here on earth, there will always be wars and rumors of wars.
So does that mean we cannot have peace? Absolutely not! The Lord has promised His peace that passes all understanding. In the midst of pain, suffering, strife, and conflict, we can experience peace. I like to call it peace in the midst of the storm. I hope you have found that peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
