by Pastor Cecil | Nov 17, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 19:16
“He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die.”
When I was a Juvenile Probation Officer I frequently counseled my probationers to be careful about their actions. Just as frequently, it seemed they ignored my warnings and became careless in their behavior. The result often led to their re-arrest only to find themselves back in Juvenile Court once again.
We have often heard the expression “haste makes waste.” It is true. It is also true that being careless leads to waste and chaos. It may not be one’s intention to do something wrong, but careless behavior has consequences.
Many commitments have been made to serve the Lord with all of one’s heart, mind, and soul. Commitment is a good starting point, but it is just that. It must be followed up with positive and continuous steps of action.
Have you made promises and then allowed the things of the world to slip in and cause you to become careless? Has your careless disregard of spiritual matters led to problems in your relationships with God and other people? Make a new commitment to the Lord and commit to yourself to not become careless.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 17, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 19:21
“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’S counsel—that will stand”
A few days ago I spoke with a fellow worker from the 1970’s when we served on the Idaho Law Enforcement Planning Commission. It was good to reminisce about the “good ole days.” As the name implies, we were delegated the responsibility of planning and funding criminal justice programs in the State of Idaho.
It seems to be a fact of life that sometimes our best laid plans fail to materialize. This is true in the business world, the personal world, and in our spiritual life. But the reality that things do not always turn out the way we plan must never stop us from looking ahead.
In our spiritual life we often make commitments to the Lord, as well as to ourselves, about how we are going to serve Him faithfully. The problem arises when we fail to devote our efforts to prepare to be used of God.
It is essential that we focus our efforts on the Lord’s plans for our lives rather than our own selfish goals. It is not what makes us happy and fulfilled that matters, but the determinate counsel of the Lord. I want to follow as He leads!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 11, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:18
“Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”
It does not take much for us to begin thinking more highly of ourselves than we should. We display a certain act of skill and someone praises us. Then we hear another word of praise … before long we start believing we really are something special.
I want to share from personal experience how foolish that is. I once stopped by an estate auction where I knew the auctioneer. As a lark I made a bid of one dollar on a box of odds and ends. After returning home and going through the contents of the box, at the bottom I discovered several valuable items. The auctioneer heard about my find and began to praise me for my astute eye for valuables. I never was able to convince him that it was purely a fluke and I had no inkling of what was in the box.
The difficulty that we find when compliments are believed is that we get an inflated view of who we are — as a result we feel that we are entitled to special treatment. Some even feel that they do not need to obey God’s word. They begin to do things that are dishonoring to the name of Christ.
My counsel is to forget thinking highly of ourselves. We need to develop a spirit of humility that always draws attention to Christ … not ourselves.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Oct 6, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 18:15
“The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
My mom used to tell me that I was a handful when I was little. That is so hard to believe since I am such a meek and mild adult. Choke! Choke! Let me be quick to clarify that I was not evil, but just full of life and always on the move. Sometimes she would make me sit on a stool in the living room without making a sound.
Mom said that within only a few minutes on that stool I was ready to explode. I was like the little boy who, enduring the same punishment, finally told his mother that he was sitting down on the outside, but he was standing up on the inside!
Can you relate to that? There is another passage of Scripture that I memorized many years ago. It is Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” The answer is that God knows our heart inside and outside.
When we have the spiritual ears to “hear” what God says in His Word and apply it to our life, our inner heart is ready to do His will, His way, and in His time. That is like having ears to our spiritual hearts to respond when He calls us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 16, 2016 | 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
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 7, 2016 | Proverbs
Proverbs 25:13
“Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.”
Not too long ago my granddaughter paid me an extremely high compliment. As I have thought about her comment, it has humbled me. At the same time, there’s a feeling of satisfaction that I’m doing what the Lord wants me to do.
She commented that each day about noon her cell phone always goes off. When her coworkers look in her direction she just smiles and says, “It’s my papa.” She then explains to them that I send out my Daily-E-Votional each day at approximately 12 noon Pacific Standard Time.
By the way, I always send it out one day in advance because many of our subscribers live in parts of the world where 12 o’clock my time is already the following day. I hear from them that they like to start their day by reading the Daily-E-Votional.
Being faithful does not require becoming a super human individual — I am a living example of that fact. All it requires is making a commitment to stay by the stuff until the job is accomplished and the Lord calls me home. Until then, I encourage all of us to remain faithful to the calling that God has given us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
