by Pastor Cecil | Sep 1, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 30:5
“His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Last evening I was taking my little dog, Izzy, outside to do her final duties for the night. I noticed how much darker it was than earlier in the summer. Here in the northern hemisphere the days are getting shorter, but in the southern hemisphere the days are getting longer.
As I was meditating on the changes in seasons I was reminded that our lives are very much the same way. There are times when it seems that everything is looking brighter, while at other times it seems the night is encroaching in on us.
As I pondered on this I came to realize that from God’s perspective there is no morning or night. He is the Light of the world. Even in times when we seem to be going through the darkest night of our life . . . HE IS THE LIGHT!
I want to encourage you in the Lord. Whatever is happening in your life, keep your eyes fixed on God’s eastern horizon. As the Psalmist writes: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 25, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 37:34
“Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.”
When I was in the military there were times when I was assigned to “alert duty.” What that meant was that those of us who were on duty could not sleep, but were in a constant state of readiness. We would be the ones who would alert the other members of the unit who would spring into action.
In today’s Scripture, the psalmist is calling us to take on the assignment of being on alert. We are to be the watchmen (watchwomen) who keep our eyes open to the threats of the enemy.
Not only are we called to be alert to spiritual danger, but we are also to be aware of the leading of the Lord. When He is working in our midst, we need to rush to His side in order to respond to His call.
Are you on Alert Duty for the Lord? Are you spiritually aware of what God is doing in your midst in order to join with Him in bringing about His purposes? Now is the time to shake off the spiritual slumber and be alert.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 24, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 37:23
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way.”
A number of years ago my wife Joyce and I took the train from Olympia, Washington, to Washington D.C. (the other Washington). As we prepared to board the train at the local depot, the conductor cautioned us, “Watch your step!”
During the trip that lasted several days, we had to make our way to the dining car for our meals. Frequently, the porter would remind us to “watch our steps” as the train would be a little unsteady as it rumbled along the track.
As we make our way along life’s pathway, we will encounter situations that cause us to become unsteady. It is during these times that we hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit reminding us: “Watch your step!”
The sad thing is that there are all too many times when we refuse to listen to that still small voice of warning. We think that we are able to handle things by ourselves without obeying anything God has to say. When our life suddenly “jumps the track,” we wonder how we ended up in a mess.
God has given us His precious Word to lead, guide, and direct us in such a way that we are able to watch our footsteps through the uneven pathway of life. We encounter unsteady times when fail to spend time in prayer or reading our Bible.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 16, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 34:1
“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
BLESSING PEOPLE is what we should do and a BLESSING PEOPLE is what we are to be. Frankly, I have been around many people that drain the life and vitality out of anyone they are in contact with.
What does it mean to be a BLESSING PEOPLE? I think it means to leave them feeling better because they have been in your presence. That is what we are to do. Doing that consistently as a lifestyle is what we are to be.
We live in a hurting world. Trouble and strife are all around us and it seems to be getting worse all the time. If ever there was a time when people need a blessing from the Lord, it is now. The people of God are the ones who should at all times and in every situation be a BLESSING PEOPLE.
How would you describe yourself? Let me rephrase that. How would other people describe you? Are you a BLESSING PERSON? Do you leave a trail of people that have been blessed after spending time with you? The Scripture says we are to bless the Lord at all times and praise is to be continually in our mouth. Can that honestly be said about you? I want to be a BLESSING PERSON, and I want to encourage as many as possible to be PEOPLE OF BLESSING. Please join me!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Aug 12, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 18:3
“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”
I would dare to say that almost all of us experienced some sort of trial in our life. It could be the loss of health, a financial meltdown, death of a mate or child or any number of catastrophic events. It is not whether or not we will encounter these trials, but rather what we will do when they arise.
The phrase, “Praise to the Lord” occurs in at least 155 verses in the Bible. That indicates to me that we need to spend far more time praising the Lord than we do. It would be well to replace our complaints with words of praise to the Lord.
Over 300 years ago, Joachim Neander was a hymn writer for the German Reform church. He was going through a time of trial and testing in his life. He would take long walks and pour his heart out to the Lord. It was on one of these walks that he came to the realization that it was not his strength that would give him victory and peace, but rather the powerful God he served. It was in that state of mind that he composed this week’s featured hymn.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near;
Join me in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who with marvelous wisdom hath made thee!
Decked thee with health, and with loving hand guided and stayed thee;
How oft in grief hath not He bought thee relief,
Spreading His wings for to shade thee!
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him!
Let the Amen sound from His people again;
Gladly for aye we adore Him.
To access Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes™ Inspirational Music Videos, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/praisetothelordthealmighty/ 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 | Aug 8, 2016 | Psalm
Psalm 28:6
“Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications!”
I have heard it said that men have one-track minds. I tend to think that our minds do get derailed at times. By that I mean that people may be speaking around us, but we are pre-occupied with our own thoughts and simply tune out what is going on around us.
I am so glad that the Lord is not like me! He hears the whispered prayers of His children. When others around us have ignored our cry for understanding, we have a tender and compassionate God who always is anxious to hear us.
As I write this I am also mindful that we need to take time to listen to what others are saying. It is assuring to know that God hears, but it also is an encouragement to have another human prepared to listen.
The Judge I used to work for told the story of two men who had hearing loss. They went before a judge, who also had a hearing loss, to settle their dispute. One brother demanded that his brother be required to share the inheritance with him. The second brother incorrectly heard what was said and shouted, “It’s a lie! I don’t even own a dog!” The judge, shouted, “You boys ought to quit fighting and support your old mother! Case dismissed!” Oops! We need to be more like the Lord and hear what those around us are saying.
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil
