by Pastor Cecil | Aug 18, 2017 | 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.”
The Haven of Rest Quartet began singing in the year I was born, 1934. I can recall First Mate Bob introducing the program after a fog horn sounded. The quartet then would sing the words of this week’s hymn.
As we struggle through the storms of life it is a wonderful assurance that God provides a haven of rest where we can safely escape the wild waves of adversity. I thank God that many times in my life I have found God’s haven of rest for my own soul. In the book of Psalms, David refers to the storms of life. 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 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 have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am 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 have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, who will save whosoever will have
A home in the Haven of Rest.
Refrain: I have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am 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 have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am 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 have anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest; I will sail the wide seas no more; The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep, In Jesus I am safe evermore.
To access The Haven of Rest, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://gloryscapes.com/thehavenofrest/ in your browser or click on the image below.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 17, 2017 | Ephesians
Ephesians 3:20-21
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
I have two cousins who are expert marksmen. In speaking to one of them I discovered that each of us have a dominant eye that may not be the same as whether we are left or right handed. For example, both cousins are right handed, but shoot by sighting with their left eye.
The Bible repeatedly calls us to look to Jesus as the author and finisher of our faith. In today’s Scripture Paul admonishes his readers to focus their attention TO HIM. That means making the rational decision to take careful aim at the target of our faith.
In a world that is increasingly cluttered with things that draw our attention away from the spiritual realm, it is vital that we stop and take careful aim at the things that will matter for eternity. We know that the things of this world grow strangely dim as we focus on His glory and grace.
What are you aiming at? If you have no target in mind, you will find yourself lost in the frustrating confusion of life. If you direct your attention TO HIM, you will find that He is worthy of all of your efforts. TO HIM!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 16, 2017 | Psalm
Psalm 53:2
“God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.”
I recall one of my grade school teachers who seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Not that I was a problem of course, but every time I did something I was not suppose to do … she saw me. I did kind of live in constant fear of her.
Unfortunately, we tend to carry over that attitude toward God. We picture Him as always watching out of the portals of heaven in order to catch us when we do something that is wrong. That is an inaccurate picture of God.
In today’s scripture we see that God is always watching. It is not so much that He is trying to catch us in our sin, but rather He desires to discover those who have a spiritual understanding of God and who are actively seeking to find Him in all of His glory.
When God watches you does He see a person who is actively seeking to do His will or their own will? It should be our heart’s desire to understand more about the nature of God each day. The Father gives us the Word – the Son gives us the Way – the Spirit gives us the Witness. We only have to become aware!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 15, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Thinking back across the years of my life, I have been blessed with a wealth of friends. Some of those friends have gone on to be with the Lord, but some are still alive. One of my friends once gave me a plaque that reads, “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow. Cecil, Thanks for being that friend. Chris.”
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us.
I know that it is possible to become frustrated with life. We may feel hurt or depressed because of the way things are going. We are prone to question whether it even helps to pray. Things are going to happen regardless of what we do. Wait just a minute! That fatalistic view of life is myopic. It is like slamming the door in the face of our closest friend and huddling in the corner of a closet while He patiently stands at the door and quietly knocks. Please open the door and welcome Him to come in once again and heal all of the hurts you feel right now.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 14, 2017 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 1:6
“For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.”
I confess that I am not a deep theologian who has profound knowledge of the writings of learned biblical scholars. I simply believe that the Lord has called me to take the truths that are written in the precious Word of God and study, think, and pray until they become real to me. Then, and only then, I try to present them in a manner that is simple, real, and true to the Word.
When I was in the USAF stationed in Missouri, I talked quite often with a dear pastor, Rev. Frank Meyers in Warrensburg, Missouri. He shared that his first pastorate was in St. Joseph, Missouri, near a large meat packing company. One of the workers there was a member of his congregation. This elderly meat packer had at best a third-grade education. Each day he got off work at 3:00 p.m. and would head for the pastor’s study. Frank said that old man with a limited education taught him more about the true Word of God than all of his highly educated professors in college and seminary. I want to be like that old unknown meat packer!
Just remember that it is the Lord taking this poor preacher’s ramblings to show you that God loves you, knows exactly what you feel, and has a plan for your good and His glory. I encourage you to read the book of 1 Thessalonians. If you can, read it all the way through at one sitting. It will bless you!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
