by Pastor Cecil | Sep 21, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 26:3
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”
I have just returned from the doctor and was given a prescription for a new medication. The medication is designed to deal with a particular condition. I could take it for some other symptom and it would prove useless. This prescription has been created for a particular purpose.
Isaiah 26:3 reveals that God has given us a prescription for peace. In this war-torn world we certainly do need God’s peace, don’t we? Every attempt of man to bring about peace has failed and will continue to fail.
Are you looking for peace in your life? I urge you to take time several times each day to focus on the Lord and His precious Word. Memorize Scripture and use it to pray back to God His promises. We will find peace in the midst of life’s storms!
Not only do we discover that only God can promise peace, but it comes when we keep our mind stayed on God. As we keep our minds focused on Him, and place our trust in Him, He will keep us in His perfect peace.. There is only one prescription that promises not just peace, but perfect peace.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 20, 2016 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
It just happened again. Every so often I see reckless drivers who take their lives, as well as others, in their own hands and drive like maniacs. It seems that these impatient drivers believe they will save time by their wild driving . . . but usually save no time at all.
I was driving about two blocks behind a vehicle that made a left turn after stopping at a stop sign. When that car was about a block away, another car entered from the right behind the first car. When I stopped I heard a loud roar, which turned out to be the second car. He swerved to pass the first car and almost hit an on-coming car head on.
After following these two vehicles for about three miles, I watched the obvious impatience of the wild driver. When I finally turned off the road, the wild driver was the same distance behind as when he first started.
Sometimes we are like these wild drivers. We get so impatient that we feel we cannot wait for God’s answer to a problem. It is during these times that we tend to take the matter into our own hands, believing that we have a better idea of timing than God. That is never the case. We must always and in every situation . . . wait on the Lord!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 19, 2016 | Jeremiah
Jeremiah 33:6
“Behold, I will bring it health and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them the abundance of peace and truth.”
It was way back in 1955 when an incident occurred that taught me a lesson about divine healing. I was serving in the Air Force as a jet mechanic in Rapid City, South Dakota. The young son of the pastor and wife of the church we attended had Down’s syndrome. We all loved Chucky and continuously prayed for his healing.
We were at a service during the summer when a healing service was conducted. The visiting minister placed his hands on Chucky’s head and prayed for God’s healing touch. It was like electricity and those of us in attendance felt that God had heard. Though we did not see immediate results, we watched carefully over the next few weeks in anticipation of a complete healing.
It was no more than a month later that Chucky died unexpectedly. We all were stunned, but none more than his grieving parents. The minister who had placed his hands on Chucky sent this message: “When we felt that God had healed little Chucky, we had no idea that He would heal him so perfectly!”
Wow! When we lost our own daughter years later, we recalled the reality of this truth. It is important to remember that physical healing in this world is always and forever just temporary. This world is not our home―we are just passing through!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 16, 2016 | 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 will make your paths straight.”
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to:http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 15, 2016 | Galatians
Galatians 6:2
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Sometimes it seems that we are carrying more load than we are able to bear. It may even seem that our load is heavier than those around us. It is hard enough to struggle with our own load, but we chafe when someone pours their load on us.
My dear friend Fred sent me this humorous story a few days ago. I think it is worthy of my sharing it for today’s E-Votional.
“My son was about 10 years old when he joined some of my family on a 5 day hike through the Cascade Mountains. Everyone, including my son, carried heavy backpacks of gear. The first day was rough so before anyone else was awake the next morning my son secretly slipped his heavy gear into some of the other’s packs and replaced it with lighter things like bread. He got away with it . . . for awhile. Until we discovered his trick and evened the loads.
So often in life we carry the weight of others unknowingly. It catches up with us and drags the life out of us. My suggestion is that if you’re going to share each other’s burdens, do it willingly and with joy. You will be blessed. And if you’re feeling down and troubled . . . check your backpack. You may be carrying a load the Lord never intended you to carry, or there may burdens He wants you to carry.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
