by Pastor Cecil | Feb 15, 2013 | 2 Kings
2 Kings 6:17
And Elisha prayed, and said, {LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.} Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
This passage is one of my favorites. Elisha, by the power of the Holy Spirit, had been supplying the king of Israel up-to-date reports on any traps that the king of Aram had been setting for him. When the king of Aram discovered that it was Elisha who had been warning the king of Israel, he sent troops by night to arrest Elisha and bring him back to him.
In the morning the servant of Elisha saw the armed force of Aram surrounding them. In utter terror he reported to Elisha that they were surrounded and there was no hope of escape for them. It was then that Elisha prayed this prayer to allow his servant what he already was able to see. Oh, how I wish we could see the army of the Lord that He has placed around us.
Clara Fiske Scott lived from 1841 to 1897 when she died after being thrown from a buggy by a runaway horse. She was a prolific hymn writer, but only this week’s featured hymn is still in circulation. Think of her hymn as a prayer such as Elisha had prayed so long ago.
Open My Eyes
Open my eyes, that I may see,
glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key,
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my ears, that I may hear,
voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
everything false will disappear.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare,
love with Thy children thus to share.
Refrain: Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God, Thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.
It is my desire that the words of this hymn will become my constant prayer. In the moments when the cares of this world tend to blind me to the mighty power of God unto salvation, I want to have my eyes opened wide.
To access Open My Eyes, this week’s inspirational video from please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/openmyeyes
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 14, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge.
When I hear the date, February 14th, there are three people who immediately pop into my mind. The first is my precious wife of more than 60 years, Joyce. That is because it is the celebration of Valentine Day—the day of expressing love to the one most dear to you. (She is, and I do!)
The second person that comes to my mind on this day is my precious dad, Cecil Frank Thompson. It was on this date that he went to be with the Lord February 14th, 1982. The realization that dad is rejoicing with those who have gone before is a comfort that takes away the pain of his departure from this old sin sick world. I eagerly look forward to seeing him again!
The third name is that of our grandson, Jeffrey Thompson. He was born on this date just two years following the death of his great-grandfather. It is a reminder that life follows death. Rather than focusing on the death of our loved ones we can rejoice that there are new lives being born to replace those who have departed.
It is a reality that life changes dramatically. From the love of husband and wife, the loss of a beloved parent, to the birth of a delightful grandchild, things are moving at all times. It is a comfort to know that the Lord knows what tomorrow holds. We can glorify His holy name and enjoy His provision for what lies ahead.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 13, 2013 | Matthew
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
On a regular basis I receive messages from readers who are encountering trials and tribulations. The things they are encountering seem so overwhelming that there is no answer. I always pray for the individuals involved and the Lord usually directs my mind to the Scripture for today.
Several years ago one of the members of our fellowship and a dear friend shared with me that several of the people she works with were jealous of her and had been treating her with contempt. She just sent me an encouraging note that has lifted my spirits. I called her and asked if I could use it and she agreed, so here we go!
Cecil, Here is a personal story about loving the unloved:
Last week we had a consultant come to our office to teach us a new database system. The consultant was from India and spoke very broken English. Everyone in the office treated him poorly and nobody wanted to work with him. They quickly unloaded him on me and they took off to (supposed) meetings and other obligations.
They made themselves busy all week so they did not have any time to spend with him. I spent the week with him. At first I admit he was hard to understand and I did not want to put forth the extra effort to have meaningful communication any more than anyone else did but on the other hand I could not stand the way he was being treated so I tried my hardest to have good communication.
It only took about a half day and then we could easily understand each other. The more I worked with him, the more I liked him. By the end of the week, he told me he knew my co-workers treated me badly (by making me work with him). He also pointed out many other ways they treated me badly.
He had been asking our information services person to provide me a new mouse for my computer all week because mine was not working properly. I never did get a new mouse. He said he could not believe they expected me to do days and days of data entry with a non-functioning mouse. Here is the part that blew me away: He said the next time he comes, he will bring me a new mouse!!
We were not only able to work with each other but we became friends!!!
What a great story! When we live our life as unto the Lord, He will open doors that we never dreamed possible. In the process we will find that His ways are pleasant and rewarding. Rather than whimpering and feeling sorry for ourselves, we need to rejoice that we are worthy to face the painful situations of life.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 12, 2013 | 1 Thessalonians
1 Thessalonians 2:19
For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
Some of you who are reading the Daily-E-Votional for today feel that you are at the end of your rope. The pressures of life have been crushing in on you from all directions and, one after another, your safe havens have disappeared. You may even feel that there is no place to go for help.
Hope is more than mere wishful thinking that things may get better. That concept of the meaning of the word hope seems to be all too common. It is thought of as wishing for something that probably will not happen, but we know the likelihood is very slim.
Let me correct that idea for us once and for all. The Greek word for hope as used in 1 Thessalonians 2:19 is the word elpis. It carries with it the meaning of confident expectation that God is the answer. Do you hear that? It is confidently waiting for something the Lord has prepared especially for us!
Please read that last sentence over one more time. It is not what we desire for ourselves, but what God wants to do in and through us. I think the greatest joy in life is to be used of God.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Feb 11, 2013 | Philippians
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
I recently read a comment by a Bible teacher to the effect that Satan is not so much interested in getting us to fight with God as he is convincing us to forget about God. Either way, Satan wants to break our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
As we read the Scripture for today, we observe the powerful words that Paul addresses to the church, but which are equally appropriate for us today. He gives us a list of things with which to fill our minds. Things that are: TRUE, NOBLE, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, OF GOOD REPORT. So says the Lord!
Satan is never pleased with the ways of God. He creates an opposite pattern with which to fill our minds. Satan whispers in the ears of all who will hear him to fill their minds with things that are untrue, ignoble, unjust, impure, unlovely, of bad report. No one is perfect, so just go with the flow and do what feels good and is the best for you. This is the devastating change Satan makes to the true Word of God! Whose interpretation will we accept?
The question immediately arises about what we place in our own minds. It is of vital importance for us to carefully examine our thought life. Are the things of God more important than the things of Satan? Choose the Godly thoughts!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
