by Pastor Cecil | Feb 20, 2013 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
What is the therefore in our Scripture for today, there for? I think it is vital to always read what precedes the use of the term. What precedes it was the answer Paul received to his prayer for his thorn in the flesh to be removed. Three times he prayed and three times the answer was that the grace of God was sufficient.
Each of us needs to learn the lesson that Paul learned, that the sufficiency of God is all we need to bring meaning and purpose to our life. There was a time in my life when I felt that I needed to have my own way. If only I had that request answered by the Lord, then everything would be perfect. It did not happen!
Have you ever experienced that in your life? Are you facing an issue or issues in your life at this very moment in which you feel that if only this or that would happen then you be at peace and find contentment?
Let me assure you dear heart that the answer is not in having all of your prayers answered in the manner and in the time frame you have envisioned. The Lord is the One who is in control and we need to learn the lesson that Paul discovered. That lesson is that our weakness and inadequacy is where God steps in and begins to reveal His power displayed in and through us. I pray that you will allow your personal thorn in the flesh to become the power of God in action!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 9, 2013 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 12:10
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
No, that is not a mistake in today’s E-Votional title. I fully intended to spell it W-E-A-K-END. Sometimes when we come to the end of the week, we collapse for a couple of days before returning to work on Monday morning. The activities on our days of rest are intended to refresh, restore, and prepare us for another week in the rat-race. Do we really experience rest?
Every day is a wonderful time to consider the weak-end. It sounds crazy, but God delights in operating opposite to human reasoning. God does things His way and in His timing. We may never understand how or why, but simply trust Him to do what we are never capable of doing ourselves.
Jesus taught the principle of allowing Him to be our strength. It is not our own power or ability that makes the difference, but our willingness to give ourselves fully to Him. Faith demands that I choose to believe without understanding.
When we read what Paul has to say about human weakness it seems to be a paradox for us. How is it possible for us to become strong when we are weak? The less energy, stamina, health, muscle tone, endurance, power, drive–whatever–the more God’s power comes into play. Do we understand it? No! Do we need to understand it? No! We only need to yield to Him and allow Him to be our power.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 24, 2012 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 2:14-15
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
Imagine walking down the street on a warm spring day. The birds are singing and the sun shining through the trees leaves creates dimpled blotches on the sidewalk. Your mind is preoccupied with the joy of the day, when suddenly everything changes. An irresistible aroma wafts across the street and entices you to a small shop with a familiar sign over the door—FRESH BAKED BREAD!
You laugh to yourself, “As if anyone would have to tell you it is fresh bread!” That fragrant aroma had provided enough of an announcement by itself. Peeking through the window of the shop you can see row after row of freshly baked bread on the counter. Having great will power you turn and walk away. RIGHT? WRONG!! You walk in and purchase two loaves. You can hardly wait to get home and cut into one of those warm loaves. With butter melting into the warm bread you enjoy the precious treat. It is so delicious that you and your family eat one loaf that evening.
The next day, in great anticipation, you take out the remaining loaf . . . but something has happened. That wonderful aroma has faded. Yes, there’s still a hint, but it’s just not the same as the day before. By the third day, what is left of the loaf is stale and the aroma is gone. Now it’s nothing but stale bread. You can still remember what it had once been, but it just does not have the fresh-baked aroma that was so appealing only three days ago.
As we read today’s Scripture, we are told that we are to be the aroma of Christ to those around us. In other words, we are to draw people to Christ. What fragrant aroma of Christ do people sense when they are around you?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2012 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
I have just completed reading the book by Chuck Swindoll, Say It Well. To say that it has had an impact is an understatement. One of the most startling illustrations he gave was a sermon preached by Dr. Dwight Pentecost during a chapel service at Dallas Theological Seminary the first year that Chuck attended. In that sermon Dr. Pentecost related how trying the conditions had been when he was a student. He and his wife lived in a tiny trailer and had very little food. Things looked very bleak for them.
One day Dwight Pentecost arrived home and announced to his wife that he was no longer going to be discouraged. He had determined in his heart that as long as they were there in that difficult situation, they were going to live an ABNORMAL LIFE.
That declaration had no immoral implications, but a declaration that even though things were trying and tough, they would persevere with the courage that looked beyond the immediate and saw the future.
If I were to send out a questionnaire, I am sure that most of us would say that we have gone through abnormal times in our life. It may be that we are going through them right now. The important thing is how we react to these abnormal times. When we, like Dr. Pentecost, determine to not become discouraged, we will have victory. When we accept the fact, that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are different from others, we will find that God will bless our abnormal life. It is in these abnormal times that we will experience His sweet nearness.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 26, 2012 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 5:8-9
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
Over the years I have officiated at numerous funeral services. The age of the deceased has ranged from over 100 years of age to a premature infant. There have been politicians, ministers, policemen, firemen, military members, students and teachers. The one common element is that they have left this world and are now in eternity.
There is a poem by C.T. Studd that has eight or nine verses. The end of each verse is the same but has such truth that many believe it is a quote from the Bible: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” If that is true, and it is, the purpose of our life should be to follow close to our Lord.
Just about a year ago I was having digestive problems. Medical tests all indicated that there was no problem with my heart. But a treadmill test showed that there was something amiss. The long and short of it was that I had a three way heart by-pass. The cardiologist said that it was luck that I did not have a heart attack and die. I do not believe it was luck, but the Lord showing me that there is still work to do.
Paul was eager to be with the Lord, but that did not matter. His prime objective was to please the Jesus he met on the road to Damascus. Those of us who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior have a wonderful eternity waiting for us. But there are many who face a sinner’s hell if they are not given the opportunity to make their decision. I pledge to do everything I can to please the Lord I met as a young boy some 70 years ago. I want to live life with a purpose!
Blessings dear hearts. Walk with God today. Live with a purpose and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 12, 2012 | 2 Corinthians
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is not seen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Sometimes I have been accused of not being truthful when I say that everything is going great with me. Read today’s Scripture carefully and you will see that those things around us (or in us) do not determine our attitude. I found the following little story in my files. I hope it will bless you.
“The 92 year old petite, well-poised and proud mother-in-law of my best friend, who is fully dressed each morning by 0800, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. Maurine Jones is the most lovely, gracious, dignified woman I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. While I have never aspired to attain her depth of wisdom, I do pray that I will learn from her vast experience.
“After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it”, she stated with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old having just been presented with a new puppy. “Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room . . . just wait.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged. It’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
“Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
P.S. – You can find previous E-Votionals covering a variety of Scriptures and topics to help you in your walk with the Lord at www.Daily-E-Votional.comPlease feel free to forward this E-Votional on to your family and friends
P.P.S. – My book, 100 of Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, is now available on Kindle books. Just go to the Kindle store and type in Pastor Cecil’s Select Illustrations, or Pastor Cecil Thompson.
