by Pastor Cecil | Sep 3, 2008 | Proverbs
Proverbs 2:1-5
“My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.”
Years ago I heard a humorous story of a city dweller who failed to follow directions and ultimately found himself on a country road, hopelessly lost. Having no idea where he was, he saw a farm hand working in a field.
He got out of his car and walked up to the fence. He motioned to the farm hand to come over to the fence. He asked directions to his destination but the farmer didn’t know. He then asked how to get back to the main road. Again the farmer was not able to tell him.
The traveler was enraged and frustrated that the farmer was so dense. He flailed his arms in the air and said, “You are the most infuriating and stupid man I have ever met!” The farmer merely shrugged and replied, “That may be true, but I ain’t the one who is lost.”
Sometimes it is easy to put on a façade of spirituality that is not based on fact. The bottom line is that we often lack the wisdom God has promised. In today’s Scripture, Solomon gives the key to true wisdom.
There are two words that I would like us to focus on: “accept” and “store.” It may be well to use the computer as an example. You may be reading this Daily-E-Votional on the screen. We might relate that to “accepting” the message. You read it, delete it and it is gone.
However there may be a Daily-E-Votional that really hits home and you do not want to lose it, so you “save” it. That relates to the word “store” that is in today’s Scripture.
What is the difference? We may “accept” and enjoy reading a passage of Scripture. If you are like me, your forgetting is better than your recalling. (I can’t remember all of the things I have forgotten!) Moan! That was bad, even for me!
How do we “store” the precious Word of God? Memorize! How do we memorize? Repetition! Isaiah 28:10; “For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there.”
One of the best ways to memorize is to use 3X5 cards. Write the passage of Scripture you want to memorize on the card(s). Take the cards with you, and at every opportunity, read and re-read—try to recite from memory until you get the passage firmly in your mind.
I have had people look forward to traffic delays or red lights since it gave them time to go over the memory work. That is the way we “store” God’s Word in our heart, available to use as the Holy Spirit directs.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 28, 2008 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:3-6
“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. 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.”
Today I received the following from Bible Bill. You may want to contact him at for_sharing_truth@yahoo.com. The illustration is so poignant that it deserves to be shared as widely as possible.
LESSON OF THE ROSEBUD (Author unknown)
A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rose bush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing any of the petals.
The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rosebud while keeping every petal intact. It wasn’t long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the young preacher’s inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem:
It is only a tiny rosebud
A flower of God’s design;
But I cannot unfold the petals
With these clumsy hands of mine.
The secret of unfolding flowers
Is not known to such as I.
God opens this flower so sweetly,
Then in my hands, they die.
If I cannot unfold a rosebud,
The flower of God’s design,
Then how can I have the wisdom
To unfold this life of mine?
So, I’ll trust in Him for leading
Each moment of my day.
I will look to Him for His guidance
Each step of the Pilgrim’s way.
Are you busy trying to open the petals of your life, only to discover that you are ripping them rather than unfolding them? The answer is in today’s Scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” Stop relying on your own intellect or abilities, but commit yourself totally to the Lord who can do what only God can do.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
— Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 18, 2008 | Proverbs
Proverbs 22:5-6
“In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them. Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
It happened again! Last Friday I was called upon to officiate at a graveside service for an eighty-three year old lady. If you have attended graveside services, you may recall that there are a limited number of chairs reserved for the immediate family members. On Friday there were only eight chairs.
The funeral director seated the husband of the deceased and invited family members to come and be seated in the other chairs. Immediately four of the great grandchildren (ages, eight to eleven) rushed forward and seated themselves.
The parents of these kids stood with smiles on their faces, while relatives, some with obvious physical limitation were left standing. It was one of those times when I wanted to preach a sermon on children showing respect for their elders.
I have no idea why parents have lost control of their children, but they have. If we look into God’s Word we see that it is not the responsibility of the children, but the parents to establish direction. (Sometimes children seem to act more adult than their parents).
Is the situation hopeless? I don’t think so, but it certainly requires that we face the issue directly. We need to start sharing the powerful Word of God concerning the subject. It is not what some behavioral scientist has conceived, but what God ordains that the relationship with the younger generation will be.
As we read verse six in today’s Scripture, we see where the responsibility for preparing the next generation rests: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”
As we watch the coverage of the Olympic Games, we are impressed by the skill and ability of the various athletes. Remember that this is not something they do without hours of training. In the field of music we may be blown away by the artistry of a performer without considering the years and years of practice required to become a performer.
We cannot change an entire generation to show proper respect, but we can start by being an example ourselves and encouraging others to do the same.
When was the last time you went out of your way to show respect to a clerk in a checkout line? When was the last time you picked up your phone to call someone who had impacted your life to tell them how much you appreciated them?
Respect is taught by God’s Word, but it is patterned by our actions. What actions have you been patterning?
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing to others!
– – – Pastor Cecil
