by Pastor Cecil | Dec 12, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 15:1-2
A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness.
You may have heard the adage; “The pen is mightier than the sword.” The sentence (if not the idea, which had been expressed in various earlier forms) was coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy.
I would have the audacity to go one step further and suggest that the tongue is mightier than the pen. Here is one reason I would say that. In John 11 we read about the death of Lazarus. His two sisters came one at a time to meet the Lord. Each said the same words, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Martha received a mild rebuke while Mary received commendation. The difference must have been in the tone of voice.
It is critical that we control our tongue and the inferences that we use when we speak. I once counseled a man who was relating the words he used toward his wife. They sounded fairly mild. He returned to my office a few hours later and told me that he was wrong. He had indeed spoken the words he had related to me, but his tone of voice made them cut and hurt. Ahh! What a difference.
Read the words of our Scripture for today. Are you using your tongue to bring blessing to others, or is it MIGHTIER THAT A SWORD OR A PEN?!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 31, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:18-19
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed, than to share plunder with the proud.
I once heard of a pastor who presented a sermon series on humility. He hammered against the sin of pride and the necessity for every true believer to be empty of self in order to defeat the terrible sin of pride and self-righteousness. Following his final sermon on the topic, a little lady met him at the door. She thanked him profusely and said, “Pastor, this has been the most meaningful series. I do not have many gifts or talents, but I am so proud that I am humble.” The pastor felt like vomiting!
Pride is one of the most prevalent and insidious of sins. It creeps into our life as quiet as a butterfly. To understand this tendency toward pride, stop and listen to the many times the words “I” or “Me” dominate our conversations. Even our spiritual music often has a personal focus.
None of us are immune from this horrible sin. The moment we take our eyes off the Lord and focus on ourselves, we are headed toward the slippery slope of pride. Surely the Devil howls with delight every time he watches this scene unfold. The way to deal with pride is to spend more time with the Lord and being concerned with others more than ourselves.
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 16, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.
I was talking with a good friend earlier today. He happened to mention that he had heard or read a comment that he had amended to keep in mind: “Never argue with a fool. You will lower yourself to his level and discover that he has more experience at that lower level.”
Often I reflect on the homespun wit and wisdom of Ben Riordan, the Juvenile Court Judge I worked for many years ago. One of his favorite expressions was to describe a fool as one who might appear to be a fool . . . until he opened his mouth . . . at which time he removed all doubt!
There is a definition given in Psalm 53:1; “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their ways are vile; there is no one who does good.” As we consider that definition we discover that many people fall into that category. It is frustrating and counterproductive to argue with those who deny God.
Argumentation will never lead to victory. As long as the fool denies the existence of God, he will remain in his sinful state. We must live out our faith in such a way that Jesus will be seen in and through us without a word being spoken. The best witnesses for Jesus are those who allow Him to use us as His instruments of grace. May the beauty of Jesus be seen in me!
Blessings, Dear Hearts, draw near to God today, trust Him completely, and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 15, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-7
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Have you ever found yourself in the midst of a situation that seemed to have no solution? I am tempted to describe one or two, but if I do it may prevent you from relating to your own particular no-win situation. How do we cope?
In this Scripture in Proverbs, we see there are two things we are cautioned to avoid: (1) Relying on our own understanding. (2) Being wise in our own eyes. These are hard for us to accomplish since we want to be in control of things around us.
When we encounter evil or injustice, we rise up with righteous indignation and want to correct the situation. James 1:19-20 makes it clear that our fervent anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
If we are to avoid using our own abilities, is there anything we can do when faced with the problems that confront us? The answer is very clear. It begins with trusting in the Lord with all of our heart. That means letting go and letting God have control.
Secondly we must acknowledge God in all of our ways. The Hebrew word for acknowledge is the word yada. It means in part to learn more and more about God and His ways. We do that as we rest in Him, study His Word, and discover more of His wonderful attributes.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 8, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:25-26
There is a way that appears to be right,but in the end it leads to death. The appetite of laborers works for them; their hunger drives them on.
Sometimes you have things happen in your life that are both humorous and tragic. When I was working as a police officer, I worked the graveyard shift so I could attend college during the day. Usually the wee early hours of the morning were very quiet.
One night, in the early hours of the morning, things were quiet and, to be honest, very boring. Suddenly I saw a man stagger into the street and wave for me to stop. As soon as I stopped, the man opened the rear passenger side door and jumped in. It took a moment for him to realize that this was not a taxi.
He was stunned when he saw that I was not a taxi driver. I told him that I was not a cab driver, but I was going to give him a lift. I even was going to provide him with a room until he was sober enough to tell the difference between a cab and a cop car. Perhaps I spared the man’s life by getting him to a safe environment for a few hours.
As we read this Scripture from Proverbs, we are reminded that just because we think something is right, does not mean that it is right. People have been duped into believing that if we do enough good deeds, we will make it to heaven. Wrong cab! If we give enough money to the church we will be blessed. Wrong cab! If we just believe in God that is enough. Wrong cab!
There is only one way to get into the cab that is bound for heaven. We must confess and repent of our sins and invite Jesus Christ into our heart. We must be born again. RIGHT CAB!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 28, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I once read about a forest service worker who was walking through an area that had just been ravaged by a forest fire. He saw a strange mound and stopped to check it out. To his astonishment it was a mother bird that had been killed by the fire. As he knelt to examine the bird, he heard a peep from under the pile of ashes. When he turned the bird over he found several chicks.
Instead of flying to save herself, the mother had sacrificed herself in order to protect her brood from the fire that was sweeping toward them. That is what Jesus has done for us. He wants to shelter us under His wings from the firestorm of life.
In 1896, William Cushing wrote the words and Ira Sankey composed the music to the hymn, Under His Wings. Enjoy this featured hymn from GloryScapes.
Under His Wings
Under His wings, I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild.
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me and I am His child.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are over;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I?m safe evermore.
Refrain: Under His wings, under His wings,
who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
safely abide forever.
To access Under His Wings, this week’s free inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings/
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
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PastorCecil@Daily-E-Votional.com
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