by Pastor Cecil | Sep 3, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:1-3
“To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue. All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”
Look over the three verses that I have cited above. Note that the word LORD appears in all three verses. I do not feel that is a coincidence. We are not able to adequately plan our life if we do not have the Lord on the throne of our life. We can make all the plans we want, but they will be futile plans without the Lord.
There are two ways to look at planning: We can either plan to fail or fail to plan. The Lord must fit into our planning process, or we are planning to fail. On the other hand, if we do not prepare adequately for the future, we are failing to plan and that can spell disaster.
The Lord is always to be the central focus of our planning process. Each and every day must begin and end with Him. Sometime ago I received an e-mail in the form of a card with little Tweety Bird on it with this prayer: “I want to thank you Lord, for being close to me so far this day. With your help, I haven’t been impatient, lost my temper, been grumpy, judgmental or envious of anyone. But I will be getting out of bed in a minute, and I think I’ll really need your help then! Amen.”
Now that is what I am talking about. It is in giving ourselves to the Lord while we are still in bed each morning and then walking one step behind Him throughout the day. We will know we are getting into trouble if we are more than one step behind Him, or if we get ahead of Him.
Notice the promise that comes with the second reference to the word plans. It says that when we commit whatever we do to the Lord, He will cause our plans to succeed. STOP!!! That does not mean you are going to get what you want with no strings attached. It means that when we sincerely commit our ways the Him, we will have a new plan for our life, and it will be in accordance for what He desires for us.
This is another Proverb designed to bring glory to God and peace, joy, love and contentment to us. The longer I walk in the way, the more I realize I can rest in Him without question. Listen–I have a plan! Why don’t we meet in eternity and share our experiences of victory in Jesus? We have a date!!!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 31, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 15:1-2
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”
During World War II there was a slogan that was heard on the radio and read on billboards and newspapers. “LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS!” What did that mean? It meant that there may be spies close by and if you revealed information about the war effort, it may result in peril to our fighting forces.
As a young boy living in a small town fairly close to the Pacific coast, I felt the concern of the adults around me. Many families had sons or daughters serving in the military and others worked in the defense industry. They knew that silence was not only the best policy, it was the only policy.
How do we relate that slogan to a spiritual concept? The mouth is often used as a weapon of mass destruction. Cruel and harsh things are spoken which wound and maim those within earshot. HOW WOULD JESUS SAY IT?
All too often I hear Christians saying things that would be better left unsaid, or to be said in a gentler quieter way. God is not pleased with Christians who scream out in rage. He wants us to speak words of encouragement and hope.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 28, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 17:27-28
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered. Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.”
I have frequently shared many of the witty sayings of the Probate Judge I worked for when I was a Juvenile Probation Officer in Caldwell, Idaho. That was so long ago that it qualifies as “the good ole days.”
One of Judge Riordan’s favorite expressions was; “He was so stupid that every time he opened his mouth he subtracted from the sum total of human intelligence!” I recall that statement every time I read this Scripture in Proverbs 17:27-28.
It is amazing the number of people who speak when they should be listening. The problem is that they often are so busy speaking that they fail to understand what is going on.
Here is a personal example: I once attended a workshop on how to witness for the Lord. We were taught the Scripture verses to use and the sinners prayer to pray, and were then placed in a simulated setting to share what we had learned.
When it came my turn, I left the room while the scene was being set up for me. When I returned, the chairs were arranged something like seats on an airline. I was to sit next to a man (one of my fellow students) to whom I had been selected to witness.
I had just started my rehearsed presentation when the person reacted with anger and tears, accusing me of being insensitive and thoughtless. I was stunned into silence, as the class (and my distraught passenger friend) laughed at my shock.
What I did not know and did not take time to listen to was that this man had just lost his mother and was on the plane taking her back home for the funeral service. I had failed to listen first before sharing the good news of the gospel. Wow! What a lesson for us all!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 27, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 15:13-15
“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.”
Several years ago I was in the hospital room of a friend and member of our congregation. He was a medical doctor and his wife who was also in the room, was a registered nurse. All seemed to be going well when Bob remarked that he couldn’t see his toes. We laughed and thought he was speaking of his eyesight.
We suddenly heard alarms and a call for a code in this room. Bob had developed internal bleeding from a ruptured vessel in his heart. His wife looked somber as she spoke and said; “Cecil, this is very serious!” (As if I needed to be told!)
The Lord graciously spared Bob’s life and since that time he has changed in many ways. He has chosen to exchange his unhealthy habits for healthy ones. He has also chosen to deepen his walk with the Lord. It has been a joy to observe him as he increases his knowledge of God’s Word, God’s Will and God’s Ways.
The Scripture for today speaks about the heart. It strikes me that in the Proverbs we are given contrasts. Concerning the heart in this passage we are presented with two positive options (happy heart and a discerning heart) and two negative options (heartache and the mouth of a fool).
Consider the consequences of each: We are told that the cheerful heart enjoys a continual feast. On the other hand all the days of those who choose the negative path are wretched. What does your heart examination reveal? Remember that we have the choice as to which heart condition we will have.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jul 24, 2009 | 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,” this week’s 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, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain:
To access Under His Wings, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/underhiswings in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jun 4, 2009 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:11-12
“My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline and do not resent His rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in.”
My parents did not go along with the modern day child rearing philosophy. They held rigidly to the theory as introduced by Samuel Butler back in 1662: “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” Though they had never read any of his writings on the subject, they believed in it wholeheartedly.
I did not consider myself to be an abused child even though there were times when it was much easier to stand than to try sitting on my “seat of discipline”—if you get my drift. Let’s face it—my bottom was too sore from the spanking. Did the discipline mean that they did not love me? Not on your life! They loved me enough to not allow me to continue an action that was wrong.
When I was a Juvenile Probation officer I remember being called to take home a 15-year-old girl that had been arrested. Joyce and I met the police and placed her in the back seat of our car. As we drove her home, I mentioned that her dad would no doubt discipline her for her actions. She stunned us with this statement: “My dad doesn’t love me enough to discipline me!”
Sometimes God brings His judgment upon those who violate His commands. Does that mean that He does not love us? Not on your life! As a matter of fact, it is proof that He loves us enough to discipline us.
Do you feel that God has taken you to His “woodshed” for some behavior modification? If so, it is because He loves you and is not willing to allow you to continue walking down the wrong path. His discipline is proof of His love!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
