by Pastor Cecil | Aug 16, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 46:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Our family has a Bible reading program that takes us through the Bible twice a year. This particular program takes us through the book of Psalms twice. It is absolutely astounding that David mentions the storms of life so many times. He was attacked on all sides by his enemies who desired to take his life. Do you feel that way sometimes?
His predecessor, King Saul, was a demented king who imagined that David was attempting to take the kingdom from him. (Actually it was the Lord who had rejected Saul because of his wickedness and failing to keep the Lord in control of his life.)
In many of his Psalms, David cried out to the Lord for help and immediately praised the Him for giving him a safe place of refuge. That is the same with us today. We may be tossed and torn by the storms of life, but the Lord always gives us a haven of rest. That is the hymn for this week.
The Haven of Rest
My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,
“Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the “Haven of Rest”!
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest;
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
The “Haven of Rest” is my Lord.
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest;
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the “Haven of Rest.”
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest;
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the beloved so blest,
On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the “Haven of Rest.”
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest;
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the “Haven of Rest,”
And say, “My Beloved is mine.”
Refrain: I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest;
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.
To access The Haven of Rest, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/thehavenofrest/ 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
Be sure to check out PastorCecil.com
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 15, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-7
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a situation that seemed to have no solution? I am tempted to describe one or two, but if I do it may prevent you from relating to your own particular no-win situation. How do we cope?
In this Scripture in Proverbs, we see there are two things we are cautioned to avoid: (1) Relying on our own understanding. (2) Being wise in our own eyes. These are hard for us to accomplish since we want to be in control of things around us.
When we encounter evil or injustice, we rise up with righteous indignation and want to correct the situation. James 1:19-20 makes it clear that our fervent anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
If we are to avoid using our own abilities, is there anything we can do when faced with the problems that confront us? The answer is very clear. It begins with trusting in the Lord with all of our heart. That means letting go and letting God have control.
Secondly we must acknowledge God in all of our ways. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is the word yada. It means in part to learn more and more about God and His ways. We do that as we rest in Him, study His Word, and discover more of His wonderful attributes.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 14, 2013 | Nehemiah
Nehemiah 4:8-9
They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
The longer I live the more I realize that this world is hostile to believers. In the book of Second Corinthians 4:4, Paul reminds his readers: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Not only are unbelievers blinded to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they are urged by Satan to oppose those of us who have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior and the Lord of our life.
It is not that we have a persecution complex, but we face the attacks from every side, and especially when we are in a weakened position. Satan loves to pour on the pressure when we are in a weakened position.
You may be in a battle right now. If you are I want to share the comfort which we have from the Word of God. Just as Nehemiah encouraged the people of his day, we can find the same encouragement. He reminded them and us to pray to the Lord, but also to post a guard. We do that by spending time in the study of the Bible and opening our hearts to the Lord in prayer. God has promised to stand with us as we fight our battles!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 13, 2013 | Romans
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When I was in high school I worked part-time for my brother-in-law. He operated a small gas station. Back then there was no such thing as self-service. It was always full service, which meant filling with gas, washing the windows, checking under the hood, and checking the tire pressure. All of that followed the request to fill–er up!
What a sad change of attitude in our current culture. The only request that is made today is whether we wish to pay by cash or credit card. There is most often a lack of service. You might say that the (service) stations are more interested in what you can do to make their lives easier than the other way around.
I want to get off that pet peeve and focus on the spiritual implications we find in this verse. The Apostle Paul is uttering a prayer for his readers. His prayer is that we might be filled up with joy and peace. I like that! He does include a condition for the Lord to FILL –ER UP! We are to trust in Him.
As I recall those long ago days at the service station, it was with an air of expectancy that customers drove up to the pumps. In like manner we need to draw near to the heart of God and expect to be filled with His high octane dose of joy and peace. I like that! Fill me up, Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 12, 2013 | 2 Timothy
2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
I fear that many times pastors and evangelists feel that they are called upon to be performers. The show must go on and they are the main attraction to enthrall their congregation. Often they read other sermons and attempt to deliver them in their own words, hoping that it will sound acceptable.
I once was reading a sermon outline in a periodical designed for ministers. It gave several sermons complete with illustrations and humorous stories. A few weeks later I was visiting a church and was stunned to hear the Pastor use one of those sermons and try to make it sound like one of his own. I could only imagine how empty he must have felt following his message.
To be absolutely honest, I frequently feel that my mind is blank when I start to write one of these daily offerings. I know that they are being read all over the world and question what I am going to say that day. It is then that I pray and ask the Lord to give me the words to touch just one person who is in need of such a word at that time.
It has been my experience that it is the very Word of God that speaks for me. When I search the Scriptures and then apply the practical things of life, the Holy Spirit uses my feeble words to minister. It is not what I have done, but what the Lord has done when I open myself to allow Him to fill my heart.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
