by Pastor Cecil | Nov 30, 2015 | 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 was known to take shortcuts. My mom would tell me to clean up my room, but somehow my efforts always fell short of Mom’s expectations. My ways were not her ways! My “good enough” was not good enough for Mom!
I fear that is the case with many of us, especially when it comes to spiritual matters. God says it, but we run it through our own individual filter and come up with something that is less than God’s ideal. Does that sound familiar to you?
Today’s Scripture is one of my all-time favorites. In it I see two commands that must be met in order to please God. The first is to trust in the Lord with all our heart. Using our own understanding as a measure will always result in failure. Anything less than all our heart is never pleasing to God.
The second command is to acknowledge God in all our ways. That means our thoughts have to be directed toward Him. We need to acknowledge that God is in control of every aspect of our lives. It is only then that He promises to direct our paths. If you want to find victory in Jesus, live your life by Proverbs 3:5-6.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Nov 27, 2015 | 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 | Nov 17, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 27:14
“He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.”
I love reading the Bible. It is always alive and active; not only that, there are verses that are very humorous, but true. The Scripture for today is such a verse. Read it once again. What does it say? It is not that we are to refrain from blessing our friend, but there is a time and place.
I have been an early riser most of my life. My habit is to arise anywhere from 4:30 to 5:00 in the morning. It is quiet and without interruption and gives me the opportunity to read, study, and pray. The one thing that I do not like during these early morning hours is an interruption.
Picture the scene of someone sleeping when suddenly a friend rushes in and with a very loud voice begins to pronounce a blessing. I am sure it would be safe to say that the person receiving the blessing would not count it a blessing.
Sometimes we may be so committed to sharing a message that we run ahead of the Holy Spirit. We talk when we should listen. Morning, noon, or night, we need to be sensitive to the leadership of the Lord. He knows when the timing is right!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Sep 10, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 20:29
“The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.”
My second duty assignment as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force was in Shreveport, Louisiana. We began attending a local church and it was there that I met a man who soon became my spiritual mentor. His name was (and still is) Dr. John Hall.
The man who had been a spiritual giant in John’s spiritual life was Jack Dedman. Jack, one of the most delightful southern gentlemen I have ever met, just seemed to exude the spirit of Jesus. I will never forget listening to some sermon tapes in Jack’s living room while he reclined in an easy chair where he would either be snoring or softly praising Jesus. What a sweet man of God he was. I am sure he is in Paradise right now with praises on his tongue.
I am humbled that John Hall is a subscriber to this ministry. He wrote last week and mentioned a quote Papa Jack often used: “You are just as old as your doubts and fears, just as young as your faith and hope.” Wow!
I am not sure how long any of us have left of our life, but one thing I know for certain: I want my life typified by faith and hope rather than doubts and fears. Jesus gives us that wonderful spiritual sight that sees heaven waiting for us.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 25, 2015 | Proverbs
Proverbs 16:24-25
“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
This afternoon I had made a trip to the post office and was on my way home when I noticed a young woman slouched over speaking into a cell phone. That was not what got my attention. My eyes were drawn to the sign she was leaning against which read; DEAD END STREET.
Wow! That hit me like a ton of bricks. How many times do we see people around us who are on a dead-end street. We can come to many dead-end streets in our life when we fail to take the action that is necessary. Even though it says dead-end street many times people fail to ignore the warning and come to a sudden stop at the end. At that time it’s either turnaround or crash.
The words of Solomon in today’s Scripture are profound and true. We may listen to the sweet enticement to seek the pleasures of sin, but to do so inevitably leads us into a dead-end street. Many lives, families, and ministries have gone down that dead-end street. Sad! Sad! The bitter wail!
So mentioned earlier, there is an option. If we find ourselves on a one-way street we need to immediately make a U-turn. In Scripture we find that U-turn described by one word . . . REPENTANCE! If you’re on a dead-end street, repent as soon as possible. As a teen we had an expression; “TURN DON’T BURN!”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 12, 2015 | 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.”
Over the years I have come to understand that just because someone says you can trust them, it does not mean that you can trust them! You may have experienced that very same thing in your life. There is a sour feeling in the pit of your stomach when you realize that the people you felt you could rely upon were not to be relied upon.
It is at this point that we can choose to be bitter or better. There have been so many who have become so bitter that their lives were turned inside out. They project the bitterness that has come from one situation into the way they conduct themselves about every situation.
I think of Joseph who was so viciously betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. It would have been so easy for him to become bitter and resentful, but the result would have been a dead-end street as a slave in a foreign land. Joseph did not choose that route. He chose to rely upon his God and recognized that God was in control regardless of where he was. He chose to become better. Whether a servant or a falsely accused prisoner, his trust was in the Lord — not on the circumstances. You know the rest of the story. Joseph found that God was directing his paths!
Where are you right now? In face of the circumstances of life, are you bitter or are you trusting God and allowing Him to make you better? Remember, the choice is ours to make. We can allow the circumstances to crush or create a new opportunity for us. Trusting in the Lord is the answer. I urge you to trust Him and be better!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
