by Pastor Cecil | Mar 20, 2012 | Joshua
Joshua 1:8
“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Recently I happened to see a commercial with a picture of a sweet faced cow. She was a Guernsey breed with tan and white color. It took me back to my childhood days when we had a cow named Blossom.
We didn’t live on a farm and in fact I have no idea how our family managed to care for her on the small bit of property where we lived. I think we shared her with our neighbors and each family did the milking and whatever feeding and watering that was required.
Since I was young enough that the care of Blossom was not my responsibility, all I had to do was enjoy her. She loved company and would “mooo” her approval when I would go into the field to spend time with her. One of the things that fascinated me about Blossom was watching her chew the cud. For the citified readers, that is when the cow regurgitates a portion of the stomach contents into the mouth and chews it again.
I find this same thought in the word “meditate.” When I recall a portion of God’s Holy Word and spend time to “chew” on it again and again, I begin to take into my heart where the Lord can use it to strengthen and mature me in my spiritual life. If I fail to take time to meditate, my growth is stunted. I don’t want to be a stunted child of God.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 23, 2010 | Joshua
Joshua 1:8
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
A few days ago I had an interesting conversation with a brother-in-Christ, Mike Keller. By the way, Mike and his wife Suzette are the parents of Anna Dugger who is married to the oldest Dugger, Josh of 19 Kids and Counting.
Mike and Suzette, as well as their children have a prison ministry. Each week they visit prison after prison in northern Florida where they distribute gospel tracts and personally share with the inmates which are brought into the visiting area. (Last week there were over fifteen that professed faith in Jesus Christ as Savior).
But there was that other girl! She was vile, profane and repeatedly used the Lord’s name in vain. She proudly announced to Mike that she was an atheist and proud of it. In his quiet and gentle manner, Mike asked her this question: “I can see that you are above average in intelligence and can understand what is going on. If there is no God, as you claim, why are you using His name in profanity? By your own profanity you admit there really is a God.” She was silent.
There are many people around us who seem to be proud of their rejection of God and Jesus Christ as the only provision for salvation. I pray that God will give us wisdom in speaking and acting. May we behave in such a manner that the Holy Spirit will draw these lost sinners to receive God’s greatest gift, eternal life through Jesus Christ.
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 | Aug 18, 2010 | Joshua
Joshua 1:8
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
There are some things from our past that from time to time recur. (That’s a fancy word to mean that we remember them again). One such memory crossed my mind this morning—it was Old Blossom.
Blossom was a milk cow that we owned when I was a boy. We barely had enough room for her to graze and feed. My dad and a neighbor man milked her twice a day and we shared the milk between the two families. There is nothing that tastes as good as a glass of fresh milk.
Old Blossom had a sweet and gentle nature. We could hug her neck and lay our head on her warm soft side as she lay on the grass chewing her cud. It is one of life’s mysteries that a brown cow can eat green grass, give white milk and yellow cheese. Our modern society has lost much by not seeing God’s simple miracles!
It was always a delight for me to watch Blossom chewing her cud. She would chew a mouth full of grass, swallow it and then a few minutes later she would burp it back up and chew it again until it was totally digested.
God calls us to treat His Word the same way. As we read this passage of Scripture in Joshua 1:8, we picture a cow bringing up and re-digesting what it had eaten. In like manner we are to feast on the precious Word of God, and then meditate (chew the spiritual cud) day and night.
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 | May 20, 2009 | Joshua
Joshua 1:8
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
My mind goes back across the years (many years) to my childhood days. There was a boy my age that lived next door. We have remained friends over these many years through thick and thin. There is one major difference—my friend became consumed with making money while I was consumed with serving the Lord.
My close friend is now a millionaire while I have very little of this world’s goods. Let’s just say that this economic downturn has had much more impact on him than it has on me.
Prosperity has become the topic of many modern ministries. Sad to say, many people have become so preoccupied with making money that they have taken their eyes off of Jesus. What a tragedy!
Just this morning I heard a statement made by one of my favorite Bible teachers that has stirred my thinking. I did not catch the entire teaching but here is what I heard: “True prosperity is achieving the will of God.”
Wow! What a clear and concise statement! It reminds me that the richest people I have ever met are some of the poorest, while the poorest are the richest. They have little of this world’s goods, but they serve the Lord with such sincerity of mind and purpose that contentment abounds.”
In today’s Scripture the Lord is challenging Joshua as he is commissioned to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. His challenge is just as meaningful for us today. It also explains how we can achieve it: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.”
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
