Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

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“I Wonder As I Wander” is a hymn written by folklorist John Jacob Niles (1892-1980), based on a song fragment he heard while traveling in the southern Appalachians.

Niles derived the germ of the song from Annie Morgan, the young daughter of a traveling evangelist, in Murphy, North Carolina, in 1933. He then composed a complete folk song that he performed while accompanying himself on the dulcimer.

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I Wonder As I Wander by John Jacob Niles

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on’ry people like you and like I…
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall,
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all.
But high from God’s heaven a star’s light did fall,
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing,
A star in the sky, or a bird on the wing,
Or all of God’s angels in heav’n for to sing,
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky,
How Jesus the Savior did come for to die.
For poor on’ry people like you and like I…
I wonder as I wander out under the sky.

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You can enjoy this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes by going to https://gloryscapes.com/iwonderasiwander/

May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!

– – – Pastor Cecil

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..

There is an old joke that I heard years ago. It seems that a chicken and a pig were discussing what they could do to show their appreciation to farmer Brown. The chicken suggested that they should honor him by providing a breakfast of ham and eggs. The pig snorted that for the chicken it would just be giving an offering — for him it would be a total commitment.

What a silly story… yet it becomes all too appropriate when we relate it to our spiritual walk with the Lord. There are many Christians who are satisfied with only giving a token offering. They do not want to be associated with those they consider to be wild eyed religious fanatics.

As I study the lives of the Old Testament and New Testament saints, I find that they were far sighted and solid in faith. They looked beyond the frothy things of this world and saw the reality of eternity with the Lord.

In today’s Scripture, we have a road map for our life. When we place our complete trust in the Lord we have the confident assurance that He will direct our paths. I choose to have the Lord of the universe direct my life. I trust in Him!

Blessings dear heart! Walk with God today and be a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

I must confess that when it comes to selecting gifts, I am a complete and utter failure. My wife, Joyce was the one who always seemed to be able to select just the right gift for each and every person.

In today’s Scripture, James introduces us to the ultimate and perfect gift. It is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. James was the earthly half-brother of Jesus and did not come to faith until after the resurrection of our Lord. But the time was not what was important, but that he received the good and perfect gift!

We who have been born again have the privilege of offering this supernatural gift to a lost and dying world. People around us may scoff and belittle the claims of Christ, but the truth stands firm and true, Jesus Christ is the One and only answer to the sin problem.

God’s gift is good and perfect, but like every other gift, it only has value when it is received and opened. Share this priceless gift with others in order that they might discover that it is the ultimate gift that will last for all eternity!

Blessings dear hearts walk with God today and become a blessing!

– – – Pastor Cecil