by Pastor Cecil | Jun 4, 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 submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Sunday morning, commenting on a portion of Scripture and how it applies to our lives, I quoted the passage chosen for today. It has become such a vital part of my life goal that I refresh my heart and mind several times a day with the profound truth found here in Proverbs.
Sadly, too often we rely upon our own abilities rather than allowing the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us. I am just as guilty of this as any other person, perhaps more so.
I seemed to have developed the persona of a Mr. Fix-it. People call me about all sorts of situations and ask me to give them advice on how to resolve the most complex problems of their lives. I try the best I can, but for the most part I know that I will never be the one who will have the answer they need. Only the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God will be their answer.
That brings me back to this passage in Proverbs 3. You will notice that I have taken the liberty of underlining and capitalizing the words ALL. To me that is a vital element. We are to make our trust and reliance on the Lord a total commitment. When we find ourselves blocking the movement of the Lord to guide and direct our lives, we need to immediately stop and allow the Lord to control.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | May 13, 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.
In our modern world there is a somewhat recent phenomenon known as trash talking. It is most commonly found in the field of sports. Wow! What is sporting about calling the opponent names and boasting about your own greatness?
I wonder if this idea of insulting another person or group while exaggerating the accomplishments of self is part of the reason for so much violence. It seems to follow that if a person cannot back up his boasts with action, he often resorts to criminal action.
I have noticed that Christians are all too often caught in this activity of trash talking. Rather than going to the Lord in prayer and confessing their own sins, they attack other people who hold a different point of view. I do not mean to compromise the solid truths of the Word of God, but much of the time it has nothing to do with biblical interpretation.
To give a soft answer is not a weak anemic attitude. It can be a positive force if we take the time to ask the Lord how we should respond to questionable practices. This entails looking into the Word of God on a consistent basis to find the solid foundation that God desires. How would Jesus respond?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 22, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot.
Saturday I took a trip down memory lane. Actually it was a trip to extend birthday greetings to a dear friend, near the church I had pastored for many years. As I was driving along a route I had once traveled daily, I was struck by memories that flooded my brain.
I glanced across a field and saw an attractive house. I recall the tragedy that took place in that spot as a young girl was crushed in a construction accident. Counseling seemed to ease some of the pain, but a divorce shattered a family.
Not far away and down a lane, a family had lived. They seemed to be happy and at church or the times when we visited, all seemed to be at peace. Then the relationship between husband and wife became strained and they eventually divorced.
I was feeling the sense of helplessness after trying to save these families. It was then that I passed a home that had been under construction for many years. It was a couple I had married and they had determined to live in their trailer until they could finish their house without debt. It was now finished. Yeah!
Then I pulled into the yard of our good friends. Kids galore greeted me with hugs and smiles. It was a sweet time of sharing the victories that Jesus gives. As I left I felt the joy in knowing that we can only do our best for the Lord and look for the good things that He promises to those who love and serve Him. The devil wants me to recall the bad things, but there are many more sweet memories that I want to enjoy! That is what the Lord wants me to remember!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 4, 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 shall direct your paths.
There is an old joke that I heard years ago. It seems that a chicken and a pig were discussing what they could do to show their appreciation to farmer Brown. The chicken suggested that they should honor him by providing a breakfast of ham and eggs. The pig snorted that for the chicken it would just be giving an offering—for him it would be a total commitment.
What a silly story . . . yet it becomes all too appropriate when we relate it to our spiritual walk with the Lord. There are many Christians who are satisfied with only giving a token offering. They do not want to be associated with those they consider to be wild eyed religious fanatics—the WERFs.
As I study the lives of the Old Testament and New Testament saints, I find that they were far sighted and solid in faith. They looked beyond the frothy things of this world and saw the reality of eternity with the Lord.
As we read Proverbs 3:5-6, we see the direction that provides us with a road map for our life. When we place our complete trust in the Lord we have the confident assurance that He will direct our paths. I prefer to have the Lord of the universe direct my life rather than to trust in my own human resources. I trust in Him!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Apr 3, 2013 | Proverbs
Proverbs 12:25
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.
As a pastor and counselor I hear the heart cry of people from all over the world. They are anxious about their situation and want an answer that will give them relief and allow them to get out from under the pressure they feel.
A heavy heart can be caused by grief, uncertainty, loss, or any number of things. It is common to observe people walking around with a frown on their face and their shoulders bent as if they were bearing the weight of the world. As a matter of fact, they probably feel that they are.
When someone is crushed under the pressures of life they need release. One of the most ineffective comments we can make to a person who has a heavy heart is —CHEER UP!
They want to cheer up, but lack the ability to do so. It is at this point that we can be the greatest benefit in lifting them out of the pit of despair. Proverbs 12:25 suggests that a good word makes a heart glad. The question is what is a good word? The answer is that it is a word that comes from the Lord.
As I write this, I am struck by the reality that often the best word we can offer is not a word at all. It is presence. Just to be near during the time of suffering without comment is a word in itself. Our presence can speak hope and deliverance which will allow us to share the ultimate good word—THE WORD OF GOD! Be prepared, you never know when God may call you to lift a weary servant.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Mar 7, 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 shall direct your paths.
As I typed these words from Proverbs 3, I was suddenly struck with a truth that I had not noticed before. I am sure most of you have been aware of this, but I must be a slow learner. The last phrase, He shall direct your paths, has often been interpreted, He shall make your paths straight.
I suddenly see a world of difference in the two interpretations. From our human point of view we want the Lord to take all the curves, bumps, and pits out of our pathway. The truth of the matter is that the Lord often leads us down these difficult paths in order to allow His glory to be displayed in areas that we would not usually like to travel.
There is a humorous song that I have heard professional singing groups present. I am not sure of the title, but there is a line that goes something like this: I will go anywhere you want me to go dear Lord, as long as it is on the beaches of Waikiki. That is so revealing about our failure to trust in the Lord with all of our heart.
If we want to be worthy servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to trust Him with all our heart and allow Him to choose the pathways of life He wants us to travel. Our part in this is to trust Him rather than leaning on our own understanding.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
—Pastor Cecil
