Your Signet Ring

“But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:23 NLT)

 

When God called Zerubbabel to his task, he became like a signet ring on his finger. A signet ring represented authority. If God has called you to a task, God has authorized you to act and speak on his behave.

A signet ring was used by a king to sign documents or give authenticity to proclamations, edicts, and the like. Jesus Christ is the all-powerful signet ring on the hand of the Father. All authority was given to him in heaven and on earth. When God calls us, and we obey, we become like a signet ring on the hand of Christ. Christ’s authority rested on submitting his will to his heavenly Father; our authorization rests on the subjection of our desires to that of Christ’s. Christ wears our ring to accomplish His will, not ours.

Jesus sealed his authority when he chose his Father’s will rather than his own on the Cross.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42 NLT). Christ achieved this standing through one momentous event on Mt. Calvary. Our stance emanates from a series of events where our will becomes progressively subservient to his.

Your signet ring on the hand of the Father will have great authority when your heart’s desire is like that of Jesus in the garden, not my will but thine.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

 

The Great Temptation

“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins?  (Malachi 3:14 NLT)

 

As a Christian, if you haven’t felt like the people of Malachi’s day, at some point you probably will.  When evildoers prosper and the righteous are burdened with adversities, there is a great temptation to conclude that serving God is in vain.  Take courage, ultimately the righteous and the unrighteous will get their just reward.

The Devil works overtime to promote an incorrect image of God.  What the Bible tells us about God, the Evil One voices the opposite.  It is a battle that starts in our minds. If we compare ourselves with the unrighteous, we will often come to the wrong conclusions about God.  If I allow myself to form my view of God based on what he gives me as compared to others, I have started to succumb to the great temptation of judging the character of God.  Psalms 145:17 (RSV) says, “The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.”  And all means all.

If you are stuck in dire circumstances, look to God’s Word, not to your surroundings. Circumstances change but God’s Word never does.  Psalms 11:4-5a (NLT) says, “But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.”  Don’t mistake silence for lack of concern.

God always takes care of business, for some you it may be in this life, for others the next one, but God always has the last word. Don’t submit to the great temptation.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes, the author of  “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: Ken Barnes' Book Site
Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com
            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com