Seeing The Unseen

It is easy in the light of the present cares of this world to become overwhelmed and lose our hope. The antidote for this is seeing the unseen God.

         It is what we gaze upon that shapes us. If we dwell only on the temporal or transitory aspects of life, the things that we can see, feel, or touch, we will always be disappointed.  As the Scripure states, “For the things we see now will soon be gone.”  We must be able to look at our troubles with a backdrop of God’s sovereign eternal goodness.

         God is always enough.  What enabled Moses to preserve when he asked Pharaoh to let his people go and resulted in them being in a more precarious situation? (Exodus 5&6)  He saw this invisible God finishing the task.   And what about Joseph when was betrayed by his brothers (Genesis 37)?  Or when was he falsely accused by Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39), or forgotten by the chief baker (Genesis 40). He saw this seemingly distant God as one who brought good out of bad. If we see this unseen God, it will always be enough. 

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

The Lost Word

When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. (II Chronicles 34:14 NASB)

         During the reign of King Josiah, Hilkiah the priest, happens upon the Book of the Law of the Lord.  The Law had been missing in Jerusalem and they weren't even looking for it. The result of losing the Word is always devastating. 

         King Josiah upon hearing the words of this scroll, tears his clothing in despair. He sent Hilkiah and others to the Temple prophet saying, (v 21B ... “for great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers have not observed the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.” The prophet, who by the way was a women, told the delegation that indeed the Lord is angry and will bring disaster to this city and its people for offering sacrifices to pagan gods.  But because Josiah had repented, God would not bring the promised disaster until after his lifetime.

         When we forsake the Word of God there are always dire consequences. Whatever we fill our minds and hearts with we become. Not immersing ourselves in God’s Word opens us up to all forms of evil.  Idols and many false gods take residence in our hearts.  False gods always disappoint those who worship them.  The lost Word always makes you into the biggest loser.

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Majoring On The Minors

For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though not according to the purification rules of the sanctuary.”

 (II Chronicles 30: 18b-19 NASB)  

         At my  college there was a professor named Major Minor.  I couldn’t remember if his name was Major Minor or Minor Major.  I think sometimes in the Church today we get these two mixed up and major on the minors.

         In our biblical reference, Hezekiah prays for the people who had not been cleansed according to the letter of the law, but had set their hearts to seek God.  It is possible for people to have sincere hearts but still have flaws and weaknesses.  Jesus went straight for the heart, while seemingly ignoring some obvious flaws in their character.  Jesus was not sanctioning bad behavior; He knew it had to be addressed at the source and not the symptom. Sometimes we promote people in our churches who are self-righteous law keepers, who just look fine.

         In verse 20 it says, so the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. Hezekiah was a grace giver and according to this scriptural reference, so is God.  Grace always triumphs over the law.  Are you a grace giver or do you major on the minors?

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

A Spiritual Chameleon

Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight throughout the lifetime of Jehoiada the priest. (II Chronicles 24:2 NLT)       

         The affects of having just an outward religion can be devastating.  Joash became king when he was seven years old and he had Jehoiada the priest at his side as his mentor and confidant. Jehoiada was a righteous man and taught young Joash many good things but the king's faith turned out to be only skin deep.

         A chameleon is a lizard that whose color changes with its habitat.  Joash accomplished many good things as long as he was under Jedoiada’s tutelage. Jehoiada died as all flesh does and Joash came under the influence of other counselors. They flattered him and told him what he wanted to hear and his spiritual life took a one hundred and eighty degree redirection.  Joash’s moral compass was based in what man thought and not God.   When the winds of change came, as they always do, they were easily able to blow Joash off his righteous path.

         What can we learn from the life of Joash? First, true religion comes from the inside out, and not the outside in.  It is all about a heart change. Second, it is possible to do many right things with all the wrong motivations.  Joash obviously tried to please those closest around him. When it was Jehoiada, it brought good actions.  With his later counselors, it brought very bad ones.  The problem was that neither the good nor the bad came from the right motivation, seeking to please God more than man.  A spiritual chameleon is always ripe for apostasy and devastation.  The solution is to ...fear God, honor the king (I Peter 2:17 NASB), in that order.

          

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Love Never Gives Up

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (I Corinthians 13:7 NLT)

         Are you at the end of your rope?  In this portion of scripture, at the very end of this list of the characteristics of love, the Bible reveals to us the enduring aspect of love.  Without love it is very difficult, maybe impossible, to stand through the trials that all believers experience.

         Some of you reading this devotional are so emotionally down that you have a hard time even praying.  You want to have hope and faith, but no matter how hard you try, it is just not there.  You look around you at a world that is swirling around you that you have no ability to control. And when you cry out in your distress, God seems strangely quiet.

         Normally, in these types of situations, we Christians ask the Lord for one of two things. We plead for Him to deliver us and take us out of these situations. And some times he does but not always. Or we ask Him for perseverance, to just get us through our difficulties.   Maybe in these circumstances we should pray for more love.  What drove Jesus to endure the cross?  It was love for His Father and love for you and me.  As love increases in our hearts so will hope, faith, and endurance, because they are part of what love is.  Obtaining these Christian graces as a by-product of His love will speak to us and to all who observe; It is not about our capacity to keep ourselves, but His ability to keep us.  We get sustained in our time of need, love has grown in our hearts, and most importantly, God gets the glory.  Our sovereign Lord doesn’t waste any of our tears.

        

Ken Barnes, the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs:  http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

             http://gleanings757.blogspot.com