by Pastor Cecil | Apr 24, 2015 | 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.”
As you read the book of Psalms, David mentions repeatedly 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://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
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 23, 2015 | Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Think of a time in your life when you were all alone. It may be when as a youngster you were away at camp and surrounded by people you did not know. It was not that you were all by yourself, but you were separated from the familiar family and friends you relied upon for comfort and support.
Two times I experienced “alone time” — once in 1953 when I was in basic training, and again in 1962 when I was in Officer’s Training School. I was surrounded by other men I did not know who were just as miserable as I was. I guess you could say that we all felt like we were alone.
Experiencing the death of a cherished mate also makes us feel all alone. I am walking through that dark valley right now. No matter how many people surround me with love and support, it is not the same as being with the one who had been part of my flesh for over 60 years. I have felt a loneliness that makes me ache.
So what are we to do during these times of being alone. God’s Word gives us the answer. In today’s Scripture the Lord promises that He goes with us and will never leave us nor forsake us. That is His promise to us. Our part is to be strong, of good courage, and not be afraid. We are never alone for the Lord is with us! In the most lonely situation and darkest night we are never alone. HE IS WITH US!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 22, 2015 | 1 Peter
1 Peter 3:15-16
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.”
Do you remember playing Hide ‘n Seek when you were a kid? The person who was “it” hid his face and counted to a predetermined number, usually 100. When “it” finished counting he would call out, “Ready or not, here I come!” Then he had to find where the other players were hiding and try to tag them before they reached the safety of “base.”
We never know when God calls us. Several years ago I was conducting a funeral service in a neighboring town. The church was packed and some people even had to stand in the foyer. Before the service I had asked everyone to silence their cell phones.
All was going as expected during the service. The songs had been sung and the message delivered. I was making a challenge to the congregation to stress the point that we never know when the Lord might call. It was just at that moment that the cell phone of the son-in-law of the deceased rang . . . full volume. As people tried to control their laughter I commented, “That might be the Lord calling now.”
Are you ready for the Lord to call? If the heart in your chest stopped beating in the next few minutes, would you be prepared to meet the Lord Jesus who gave His life that we might have life? We need to live with this idea in our mind: READY OR NOT, GOD IS COMING!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 21, 2015 | Psalm
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
When I conduct funeral services I frequently use an illustration that I gained years ago when I read a book by Phillip Keller called A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm. He refers to a young sheep that has a tendency to wander away from the flock. Do you know some family members like that?
A good shepherd knows that if the wandering sheep continues this habit, he will end up as some wild animal’s supper. As a last and extreme resort, the shepherd takes his “rod” and breaks the sheep’s front leg. That may seem a cruel act to those who do not know the reason, but it’s actually done to save the lamb’s life.
After breaking the leg, the shepherd carefully places a splint on it and, during the healing process, carries the small animal everywhere it needs to go — the green pastures, the quiet waters, and the safe place to rest. Over that period of time the sheep falls in love with and bonds to the shepherd. Once the bone has healed and the splint has been removed, the sheep remains close by his shepherd and never wanders again.
I observed this scene in action many years ago. In a local garden shop a young sheep had its leg in a splint and followed close behind a clerk. I asked her about it and she said it had stepped into a hole and, in trying to free the leg, it had broken. Now the little sheep thought of the clerk as its momma and would not let her out of sight.
Sometimes the broken times of our life force us to re-evaluate our choices. Even though it hurts, we have the Great Shepherd who carries us in His arms through the pain, giving us the opportunity to fall in love with Him and never let Him out of our sight.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 20, 2015 | 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 9:10
“Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.”
It seems as if I have always been fascinated by farming. As a boy we had a very small house on the edge of town and in a small field next to the house we had a milk cow. The labor of caring for this sweet natured animal was rewarded by the rich milk that she produced. I will always remember old Blossom.
One summer when I was a teenager I traveled to the Oklahoma panhandle to work for my uncle. My job was to drive a tractor pulling a plow. It was my first experience pulling a plow and thought it would be a snap.
I had not been plowing very long when my uncle met me at the end of the field with a scowl on his face. He wanted to know why I couldn’t plow a straight row. He said my furrow was as crooked as snake. I told him I was trying to plow straight and I was very careful about watching my front wheel to keep it in the furrow.
It was then that I learned that you do not plow a straight line by looking down at the furrow but looking down to a point on the far side of the field and heading directly for it. The field was about a half mile long, so it was hard to pick out a spot in the distance, but as I did the plow lines became straight and true. In like manner we need to keep our eyes on the hope of our eternal home. Quit looking at the furrow and focus on the glory that awaits on the other side!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
