by Pastor Cecil | Jun 30, 2017 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 29:11-13
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”
I would dare to say that almost all of us experienced some sort of trial in our life. It could be the loss of health, a financial meltdown, death of a mate or child or any number of catastrophic events. It is not whether or not we will encounter these trials, but rather what we will do when they arise.
The phrase, “Praise to the Lord” occurs in at least 155 verses in the Bible. That indicates to me that we need to spend far more time praising the Lord than we do. It would be well to replace our complaints with words of praise to the Lord.
Over 300 years ago, Joachim Neander was a hymn writer for the German Reform church. He was going through a time of trial and testing in his life. He would take long walks and pour his heart out to the Lord. It was on one of these walks that he came to the realization that it was not his strength that would give him victory and peace, but rather the powerful God he served. It was in that state of mind that he composed this week’s featured hymn.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee!
Decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee;
How oft in grief hath not He bought thee relief,
Spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
Enjoy this week’s free inspirational video from Gloryscapes.com. You may also access it by going to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/praisetothelordthealmighty/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 29, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
Military recruits in basic training are taught (and not too gently) to stand and sit erect. There is no leaning allowed! A few dozen push-ups and two laps around a quarter mile track will solidify the command of not to lean.
Leaning on our own understanding is the opposite of trusting in the Lord and is a giant step into the pride of human knowledge. Unfortunately, it seems that too many people elevate academic achievement. In speaking with them, it doesn’t take long to discover that their thinking is wrong.
I want to mention here that we are to rely on the strength and power of the Lord. In a way that may be described as leaning. It is the same as depending on and relying upon the Lord to have control of our life.
As we honestly look at ourselves in the mirror of God’s Word, are we leaning on our own understanding? Do we presume to know more about our future than God knows? We need to decrease leaning on ourselves and increase our trusting in Him.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2017 | Numbers
Numbers 6:26
“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
In my mind, Numbers 6:26 is one of the most beautiful blessings to be found in the Holy Bible. Too often it is easier to give people a blasting rather than a blessing. We can act so spiritual until it comes to truly caring about those around us.
As I read today’s passage once again I notice that the blessing implores the Lord to be the One to do the work. Many times we do the work ourselves and then implore the Lord to bless it. It is like praying for Him to bless our mess!
The word “lift” implies something being raised up. That means we can never be content to let things lie around, but elevated. There are so many times in our life when the burdens of living seem to flatten us out. It is during these times that we need the power of the Lord to lift us above the circumstances.
If you find yourself suffering under the stress of life, I have a project for you. I think there are over 200 references for the word LIFT in the Bible. Get a good concordance and begin discovering the revelation that God really does lift us up!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 27, 2017 | John
John 14:1
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”
Yesterday I wrote about overcoming fear and depression God’s way. I want to continue that line of thinking for dealing with a “broken heart” — a condition we encounter when we lose something very precious to us.
I have had the mind-numbing experience of officiating at the funeral services of my daughter, my mother, my brother, and numerous friends. I have also felt the terrible loss of my precious wife who was part of my very existence.
Dealing with broken-heartedness is far more than having a positive mental attitude. It is receiving the help that only the Lord can provide. It entails re-directing the focus of our attention. No amount of wishful thinking will ever return our loved ones to us on this earth, but a proper acceptance of what God has welcomed them into can do that.
John assures us one result of our belief in God is that our thinking is different from those who have no hope. When we truly believe in the loving Savior who rose from the dead, we can realize that our precious loved ones who die in the Lord are in such heavenly bliss that it should make us homesick for heaven. Until that day we can have the beautiful assurance that we have loved ones waiting to welcome us to our eternal home!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 26, 2017 | Isaiah
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
When I was a small boy (many years ago), Isaiah 41:10 was one of the first verses that I ever memorized. Now over seventy-five years later, I find it remarkable that I can still recall the words. They have been brought to my mind many times through the years — words that have been a true guide for my life.
There are two instructions the Lord gives us to operate our lives by: DO NOT FEAR and BE NOT DISMAYED. That immediately warns me that there is danger for each and every believer who allows fear and depression to dominate our life.
Over the years I have come to the realization that many people are crippled by the debilitating grip of fear, depression, or both. Counselors have been providing so-called answers to these issues from a humanistic point of view, but more often than not they have failed.
The true answer is to be found with the Lord Himself. The answer He provides for fear is that He is with us — WE ARE NEVER ALONE! The answer to depression is God’s promise TO STRENGTHEN US AND UPHOLD US WITH HIS RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
