Blinded By This Age

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"- 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV).

Glaucoma is a silent thief. It begins with loss of peripheral vision, moves to tunnel vision and proceeds to permanent loss of vision. Most are unaware of the damage unless they see their eye doctor on a regular basis. People who have been a victim of glaucoma warn others to have their eyes examined. We can equate this story of loss to the silent thief of this age, who blinds the minds of unbelievers until they can no longer see the glory of God. The evil one causes a different type of damage over time, to the eyes of our hearts, so we can't see what he's been doing, how the world has fallen for his deceptions or how God's glory seems to be fading from sight. Just as the rich man begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his family, to warn them of the torment of hell, here was Abraham's reply: "They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them" (Luke 16:29). To combat the possibility of being blinded by this world we need to see our Doctor on a regular basis and warn others to have the eyes of their hearts examined. Do not be blinded by this age.

Profit

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you"- Luke 6:38 (NIV). 

Today's Scripture promises the more a person gives, the more they will profit, but the blessing goes beyond the one, to the many, and the glory will always go to God. I'll never forget the documentary I watched about a Christian believer who had helped build a school, and met other community needs, without having any money or resources of his own. He relied entirely on God. People would come to him with their needs and he would tell them: "I don't have (whatever the need was), but I'll pray about it and if God gives it to me, I'll give it to you." I thought, how wonderful to be that man; a man who gives all the glory to God and uses God's answered prayers to help others. He didn't seem to be profiting from it at all, according to today's culture; yet, the more the man gave away the more answered prayers came his way. He would have robbed himself of a major blessing if he had tried to make a profit from any of the resources God had sent his way. I am convinced that the words this man will hear when he first meets Jesus will be, "Well done good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness" (Matthew 25:23). There's his profit! 

Cultivation

"He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate-bringing forth food from the earth"- Psalm 104:14 (NIV).

A day in the garden is tranquil, therapeutic...for the soul. The body is a different story. Thigh muscles, I didn't know I had, were introducing themselves to me following a day of picking green beans. That's because I'm not using those same thigh muscles when I pick up a can of green beans in the grocery store. Gathering in food has become so effortless, mindless, that most of our children don't know where or how we really get our food. Some of our store bought food doesn't even look like real food: dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets, waffle fries, fish sticks. No wonder children balk at the hot meal lines in our schools. We, as a people, in choosing the effortless path, have become soft and we're passing this heritage down to our children. We've softened in our physical life, but that same mindset has bled over into our spiritual life too. Do we cultivate, work at, feeding on the Word? Or do we, warm a pew every now and then, effortlessly, and call it being fed spiritually? Sadly, we pass that heritage down to our children, too. There's the easy way and the hard way: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matthew 7:13-14). Cultivate the heritage you want to pass down, because life does depend on it.

Rebelling Against Authority

"Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves"- Romans 13:2 (NIV).

Fact: All authority is established by God (Romans 13:1). Today's Scripture warns of judgment if we rebel against those in authority over us; in addition, God's appointed leaders will have to give an account, to God, of how they watched over us while they were in authority (Hebrews 13:17). God's plan is that each support and encourage the other or one or both will come under His judgment. What about a Hitler or a Stalin? If the governing authority conflicts with Biblical teaching, "We must obey God rather than men" (Act 5:29). The Bible doesn't say we are to obey a governing authority that is in direct contradiction with God's commandments. As history has shown us, the Hitlers and Stalins of the world will come under God's judgment one day and fall. Paul gives this advice: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people-for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior" (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Amazed and Unscathed

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze"- Isaiah 43:2 (NIV).

Where does that confidence come from? It comes from God: "For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior" (v.3a). God will allow hard and trying times into our lives, but He hasn't forsaken us, nor is He punishing us. Our valley becomes the canvas of His work; it is only then that He is spotlighted for all to see. He is our Savior and Deliverer in troubled times. You may have been praying for God to do a work in your life and yet became distraught when hard times fell upon you or your loved ones. But then the Savior lifts you to your feet, you have not been swept away; you have not been burned up...God receives all the glory; His power revealed in your struggle. "For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen" (Romans 11:36). Remember as you stand amazed and unscathed; God has done a work in your life. Your prayer has been answered. Glory to God!

Look at the Heart

""But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"" 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV).

God had rejected Saul as king of Israel and told Samuel, God's prophet, to go to Bethlehem to anoint the next king. Samuel knew the new king would come from the line of Jesse, but when he saw tall, good looking Eliab he assumed he had to be God's choice (v. 6). No, God's intended was the youngest of Jesse's sons, who wasn't even invited to the anointing; instead he was out tending the family's sheep. God looks at the heart, not the outside, of those He chooses to place in leadership positions. America is headed to the voting booths tomorrow to choose our next president. Pray and seek God's will for your choice tomorrow. We should not look at the outward appearance of the candidate, but look at their heart and then vote. God bless America; one nation under God!

Keep Jealous First

"Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God"- Exodus 34:14 (NIV).

Jealous: We most often equate the word negatively, but today's Scripture reveals God's name is Jealous. He is a jealous God. He doesn't want to share us with anything in all of creation, real or not real. Anything we put before Him has stepped over the line He has drawn in the sand. Personally, I have a daughter getting married, so I'm busy with all the details, details, details. My heart is full of joy with each preparation toward the plans that will allow this wedding to unfold into a celebration of love. Doesn't that sound like what God wants; am I not doing the work of the Lord? There's a thin line between the joy of God's blessing in bringing these two young people together and where I've made the event into an altar I kneel before, instead of God who blessed me with it. We know the order of priority: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End" (Revelation 22:13). Let's keep Jealous where He should be: First. This holy prioritizing will cause everything else to fall into it's proper place. "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans" (Proverbs 16:3).