by Pastor Cecil | Nov 20, 2017 | 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 a boy I used to cherish the times I got to spend alone with my dad. He once worked as a driver for the Washington Motor Coach Company and I got to ride along on his route a few times. The bus may have carried twenty or thirty passengers, but only my dad was the driver. Our lives were in his hands. You might say (and rightly so), we were just along for the ride!
Sometimes, when we would make a scheduled stop, my dad would ask me to perform a small task for him. I did so joyfully. But it was only when he asked that my tasks accomplished the purpose of serving him.
Our problem is that we are doing things our way rather than doing things God’s way. He never desires us to run ourselves ragged in order to please Him or to merit salvation. In today’s Scripture we see that what God wants us to do is to place our trust in Him.
I hope you get the spiritual implication. The Lord calls us to ride along with Him and enjoy the scenery until He calls us to do His bidding. Wait expectantly for Him — it is worth the wait!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 1, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 29:18
“Where there is no revelation (vision), the people cast off restraint; but happy is he who keeps the law.”
I am told that many assembly line workers become lethargic and even ineffective since they are required to perform the same menial task over and over again. To remedy this situation, some companies have assembly line workers go through the entire production process. They show them the completed product and the vital part each worker plays in getting the product to its successful completion.
Our “eyes” can frequently become clouded and distorted. We see with such limited vision that we fail to see the final completion. God sees the end from the beginning and that is why it is imperative for us to search our Bible to see God’s plans.
There is a portion of the Bible that is frequently neglected — the concordance. It should become a regular practice to go to a concordance (even the one at the rear of our Bible) and find references to key words.
We will discover a fresh vision from God when we become actively involved in searching to find meaning to this life that we are living. Stop focusing on the minute details of your life to the neglect of God’s ultimate plan. Ask the Lord to show you His FRESH VISION for you.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 25, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 29:25
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe.”
Joyce and I used to enjoy watching a cooking show called “Cooks Country.” The program’s intro was a particular favorite part. It was a scene of a tiny Vermont village where church chimes pealed out the tune to “Safe Am I.”
As I recall, the lyrics were something like this: Safe am I in the hollow of His hands. No foe can harm me, no fear alarm me, for He keeps both day and night. Those may not be the precise words, but I think they are pretty close.
There have been times in my life when I felt threatened. There was one moment when a car was careening toward my car and it could have been a fatal accident. Suddenly the other car swerved back into its own lane ending the threat.
I know that if the impact had occurred and my life would have ended, eternity with the Lord would have begun. It gives me wonderful assurance to know that whether I live or die, I am kept safely in the hollow of His hands.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 28, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:24
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
Sometimes we hear disparaging remarks about someone who is described as a smooth talker. That may be the case if their smooth words are false, without depth of meaning and purpose.
A friend whose dad hated lemon meringue pie with a passion told me a story that reveals how so-called smooth talk can get you into trouble. The family had been invited to have Sunday dinner with a new family in their church. The host family raved about the special dessert that awaited them — the wife’s to-die-for lemon meringue pie.
Wanting to be a considerate guest, my friend’s dad decided to choke down a piece of the hated pie. It almost made him gag, but he finally got it down. Having survived the ordeal, he began his false smooth talk. He was so convincing that the host insisted he eat another piece of pie. He paid the price for his perversity
But there is true smooth talk that brings peace and resolution. It is imperative that we are Godly and righteous in the words we use and the way we use them. Let me close with Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your smooth words and godly actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 15, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:24
“A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
Thinking back across the years of my life, I have been blessed with a wealth of friends. Some of those friends have gone on to be with the Lord, but some are still alive. One of my friends once gave me a plaque that reads, “A friend is one who knows you as you are, understands where you’ve been, accepts who you’ve become, and still gently invites you to grow. Cecil, Thanks for being that friend. Chris.”
As close as our dearest friend or friends may be, we have a friend who is still closer. Of course I am speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who is with us at all times. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there beside us. When we receive devastating news, He is there to provide the comfort and solace to ease the pain. When we receive news that calls for rejoicing, He makes it even better for we have One who rejoices with us.
I know that it is possible to become frustrated with life. We may feel hurt or depressed because of the way things are going. We are prone to question whether it even helps to pray. Things are going to happen regardless of what we do. Wait just a minute! That fatalistic view of life is myopic. It is like slamming the door in the face of our closest friend and huddling in the corner of a closet while He patiently stands at the door and quietly knocks. Please open the door and welcome Him to come in once again and heal all of the hurts you feel right now.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 3, 2017 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:9
“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Once again I have been blessed by the response of one of our readers. Kim has been a true beacon of God’s grace in a dark and chaotic world. In spite of our attempts the Lord knows what is best. Read what Kim shared with me today.
As I read your E-Votional this morning, I was reminded of my time spent gardening this weekend. I love to garden. It is one of my favorite past-times. I plan where I think each plant will do its best. Just when I think I have everything planned out so that it will look it’s best, I find something that I never planted and was not in my plan to be there. For instance, this weekend I was weeding in my flower bed and right there in the middle of my flower bed is a very small apple tree. It is vibrant and healthy and standing tall and strong right in the midst of the flowers.
I was dumb-founded. How could that happen? This was not part of my plan. It looked so happy there, I left it. It may not have be in my plan but it was in God’s plan.
Another much larger example of this is that last spring I spent way too much money purchasing wildflower seed. I seeded a very large area on the side of our house. It was going to be my field of wildflowers – less maintenance and a more natural look. I was so excited looking forward to this summer when I could enjoy my new field of wildflowers. Nothing happened. I had one single wildflower. I was so disappointed. I knew it was not the seed because I bought from a very reputable nursery. Then something strange happened. Every time I mowed the backyard I noticed more and more flowers coming up in the middle of the lawn. It seems my wildflower seeds had been moved, probably by the birds. Here is the thing – having them in my backyard means I see them all the time. Having them where I planted them would mean I would see them only when I was coming and going from the house. God’s plan is always the better plan!!
Thanks, Kim. You have blessed us again!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
