by Pastor Cecil | Feb 1, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Ira Sankey was a singer and song writer who ministered alongside evangelist D. L. Moody. He had experienced and extended time of trial and tears in his own personal life. He cried out to the Lord to be able to receive a renewing of his own spirit so he could in turn minister to others. It was during this time of agonizing prayer that the song Hiding In Thee was born. I am so thankful that the Lord heard and answered his prayer.
About twenty years later, Sergei Rachmaninoff was experiencing many problems in his life. He had a mental block, could not write and felt useless. After several years of emptiness he broke out of his doldrums and composed his second piano concerto. It is a joy to feature a blending of both works this week. ENJOY!
Hiding in Thee
O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,
My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;
So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine, would I be;
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
In the calm of the noontide, in sorrow’s lone hour,
In times when temptation casts o’er me its power,
In the tempests of life, on its wide, heaving sea,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,
I have fled to my refuge and breathed out my woe;
How often, when trials like sea billows roll,
Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou Rock of my soul.
Hiding in Thee, hiding in Thee,
Thou blest “Rock of Ages,” I’m hiding in Thee.
To access Hiding In Thee, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Christian Music Hymns & Songs, please click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
360-570-0074
PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 31, 2013 | Psalm
Psalm 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.
World War II ended when I was eleven years old. I can recall the absolute joy in the celebrations that erupted with the news that the war had ended. People that were too old, or like me, too young to participate in the war, still celebrated as if we had been on the front lines of the battle.
It was several years later that I was blessed to meet three Japanese students who were attending college in Nampa, Idaho. These beautiful Christian students had a glow and joy that transcended the horrors of war; they taught us that God is able to end the battles in this world and prepare us for the joy that await us in heaven.
It is fascinating to observe the difference in people who have gone through times of trial. Some have developed a bitter and resentful spirit. To me it signifies that they are still fighting the battles that overwhelmed them in the first place.
Then there are the real examples of victorious saints. Rather than being overcome by the trials and tribulations of life, they have allowed the Holy Spirit to empower them. They enter the presence of the Lord as true victors. They are thankful about trials that others see as defeats. They rejoice that the Lord is beside them and become an example to all of us. I hope you are part of this crowd of witnesses!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 30, 2013 | James
James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
Several years ago I received an e-mail requesting prayer for a prayer worrier. I am sure the writer meant prayer warrior—but (as I have done so many times) the writer had misspelled the word and thus changed the meaning.
I have been thinking about the difference between the two, so I went to the dictionary and found this definition for warrior: One who is engaged in or experienced in battle. One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict. That sounds like someone you would like on your side, right?
Here is the definition for worrier: One who thinks about unfortunate things that might happen. Whoops! That is certainly not the person I would feel confident to have in my corner as a prayer partner.
Where would you find yourself as it relates to prayer? Are you a mighty warrior who eagerly brings matters before the Lord or are you a worrier who tosses and turns fretting over the worst thing that might happen.
Here is the way the Amplified Bible describes the doubter in the Scripture for today: [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. Be a WARRIOR, not a worrier for the Lord!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2013 | Isaiah
Isaiah 6:8
Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: (Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?) Then I said, (Here am I! Send me.)
What constitutes a call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ? I am not sure that I have the answer for everyone, but I know my own experience. It was in 1953 in Amarillo, Texas. I was attending Jet Aircraft Maintenance School and Joyce and I were living in a small upstairs apartment. One Sunday afternoon I was surrounded by an awareness of God and an urgency to proclaim the Word of God.
At this time I was also aware that my call would be different. It was as if the Lord was telling me that I would be His servant in the trenches, as it were. I was to begin preparing myself for ministry, but my call was to be used where He sent me, and that would not necessarily be to an established church.
For years I ministered in places where the US Air Force sent me. It was a thrilling time to see doors open and needs that suddenly appeared. I preached, taught, and made myself available in areas that lacked an established church or minister.
You may be facing a call in your own life. My counsel to you is to wait upon the Lord. Allow Him to reveal the plans He has for you. Do not wait for the established avenues to open up. If God shows you that He is opening a door for you—walk through it!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2013 | Luke
Luke 12:35-36
Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
In the past few months there has been a program on the Weather Channel that has intrigued me. It is called Iceberg Hunters. The reason for my interest is that the iceberg hunters live and work out of St. Anthony, Newfoundland. That was where I was stationed with the US Air Force back in 1967. Our radar site was an early warning station to protect our nation against surprise attack.
One of the major elements in defending against aggression is being on alert at all times. I can still recall the long night hours when I was on alert for any sign of threat to our nation. Thankfully we were never attacked, but there were many simulated threats to insure our readiness to react.
When you are wide awake and expectant it is much easier to react quickly and appropriately. When the night hours slip by and your eyes feel like they are filled with sand, it is necessary to react in a professional manner that comes from long hours of training.
In our spiritual walk we never know when the enemy will mount an attack. We can almost be certain that this attack will occur when we are weary and worn. If we have not spent the time in self examination, prayer, and Bible study, we will be very vulnerable to the attack.
There is one thing we can be sure about—we will meet our Lord face to face. It may be at the moment our eyes close in death or it may be when the trumpet sounds and we are called up to meet the Lord in the air. Either way, we must be on the alert with our lamps burning bright. Are you on the alert?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
