"EYESIGHT"!

The journey for the children of Israel  from Egypt to The Promised Land should have taken anywhere from 4 days to 3 weeks, depending on which article you choose to read.  Why did 1.5 to 4 million people have to die before GOD would open their eyes to the correct path to The Promised Land? Why did a seemingly one week journey evolve into a near lifetime of struggle?  

When my oldest son was around a year old we moved into my in-laws house while I remodeled the house I grew up in.   We were "guests" for almost six months!  I cannot imagine being unsettled for forty years!!  To have a place to "hole up" and re-charge yourself is vital to your disposition.

GOD only allowed TWO of the Israeli refugees from Egypt to survive the journey.  TWO out of millions!  The grumbling and complaining people could not trust GOD!  Even in the New Testament we are reminded in 2 Corinthians 5:7 "For we walk by faith, not by sight".   In Hebrews 11:6 scripture records "But without FAITH it is "impossible" to please HIM: for he that cometh to GOD must believe that HE is, and that HE is a rewarder of them that diligently seek HIM."   Three words to be remembered...."WITHOUT", "FAITH", and "IMPOSSIBLE"!  

Too many times we feel our journey has to be guided by "sight"!   I have a quote saved that says "We have a GOD who delights in impossibilities".   Our "eyesight" determines what "realm" (address) we live in.  I pray my "eyesight" will not be on the wilderness I may have to travel, rather on the GOD who made the wilderness, as well as The PROMISED LAND!! 

"LORD OVER ALL"!

Genesis 47:7-11   (KJV)

"And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh: and JACOB BLESSED PHARAOH.  And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.  And JACOB BLESSED PHARAOH, and went out from before Pharaoh.  And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded."

Most of us have heard the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers.  I have read the passage many times, yet this morning it "became" real to me.  Joseph was sold because his brothers were jealous of him and his fathers love for him (Gen. 37:3).  BUT GOD used their deceit and malfeasance to bless HIS people.

In v.10 of Chapter 35 of Genesis, scripture says that Jacob was RENAMED Israel by GOD HIMSELF!  Then in Genesis 47:7;10 Jacob (Israel) blessed Pharaoh!  Israel BLESSED Egypt, worshipper of many false gods!  GOD blessed Israel by using the bounty HE had provided Egypt.  Keep in mind, in Deuteronomy 28:2 scriptures records "And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."  It doesn't say how the blessings will come!!!

My GOD can cause arch enemies to eat from the same table.  Don't let preconceived ideas or notions direct your thoughts.  GOD can use ungodly people to accomplish a GODLY purpose!  Though HE may not be LORD of all, HE IS LORD OVER ALL!!!!

"50 YEARS AGO TODAY"!

Psalms 33:12   (KJV)

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD: and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance."

Quite literally, my wife is my best friend!  I have many other friends, of which I am thankful for, but no one else is as caring and supportive as she is.  She was born in 1963.  (And yes, she will be 50 years old this year!).  Recently, she pointed out an article in our local newspaper to me called "This Week in History" that discussed an "advertisement" ran in June 1963.  I have made the decision to reprint the article on my blog.  

"In response to the Supreme Court (of the United States) ruling on separation of church and state this week, many local business in Texarkana showed their opposition to the ruling by running an ad that show a picture of the statute of Liberty, the American flag, an open Bible.  It states "The Church is the greatest factor on earth for the building of character and good citizen ship.  It is a storehouse of spiritual values.  Without a strong church, neither democracy nor civilization can survive.  Man is the child of a living GOD: we are made in GOD's image.  Here is explained the Dignity of the Individual.  Our national flag, our church flag would not be here today were it not for the open Book."

Now there are a couple of grammatical errors, but there is so much TRUTH to what was printed that one has to take notice!  These were businessmen of my city 50 years ago this month that bought this newspaper ad.  They could see the beginnings of our downward spiral then.  Unless we, Americans,  "HUMBLE" ourselves (2 Chronicles 7:14) and pray, seek HIS face, and "TURN" from our sinful and wicked ways, we are set for destruction!  

And don't think we are TOO STRONG, too powerful, too mighty to experience failure!  Remember the Roman Empire? Remember  September 11, 2001 when nineteen hijackers stopped the most powerful nation mankind has ever known!  Only NINETEEN HIJACKERS!!  JESUS alerted us to this in Matthew 11:25 when HE said  "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."  

The "WISE AND PRUDENT" have been leading the USA for too long.  It is time for us to "HUMBLE" ourselves and "TURN" from our wickedness!  I pray it is not too late!  

"LIGHT and Darkness"!

Genesis 1:3-4   (KJV)

"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."

GOD has always provided "light" to those who desired to be out of the darkness. If you have LIGHT, then darkness is no more.  The brightness of the light may need improved, but the darkness is gone when LIGHT is present.  Below are a few scriptures that demonstrate that LIGHT and DARKNESS cannot fellowship.

John 8:12 says "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the LIGHT of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in DARKNESS, but shall have the LIGHT of life."

John 1:5 says "And the LIGHT  shineth in DARKNESS; and the DARKNESS comprehended it not."

John 8:12 says "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the LIGHT of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in DARKNESS, but shall have the LIGHT of life."

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the DARKNESS of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

GOD is HOLY and HE cannot and will not share HIS glory with any other god.  Scripture is clear that the enemy will try to "deceive" anyone and everyone, just as he did Adam and Eve.  We have our warnings, unlike Adam and Eve.  

I choose "LIGHT"!!  

"THREEFOLD CORD"!

Genesis 2:24   (KJV)

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be ONE flesh."

The enemy likes for me to think of the many failures of my life,  The times when I quit just before the blessing arrived.   The times when I tried to "do it all" on my own!  But, I "choose" to remember the blessings in my life!  The times of  insufficiency are dim in comparison to the all of the successes! 

GOD has blessed me with a "help meet" that is just perfect for me.  Just as GOD creates Eve for Adam, HE created my wife for me.  For me, she is just what I need.  She is there for me when I need her to be "public" and she is there for me when the situation calls for her to be more  "private"!  And before I move on, I must say "She can cook"!  

My oldest son is a calm, yet high energy, driven young man.  He married a young lady to compliment him perfectly, as GOD designed.  One thing about him......they recently bought a house.  Upon closing, he and his wife went to the house they had just purchased and he prayed over the house!   That made tears come to his dad's eyes!!

My youngest son has a heart for people that is unmatched.  His wife plans to earn her Doctorate in nursing premature babies.  He and her have a special gift for "seeing" needs that others overlook because they are too busy.   They constantly take in "orphan" animals for a couple of months to allow the animals "time" to be placed with new owners.  

And then there's JESUS!  HE is the biggest blessing of my life!   My wife and kids are a great joy, but there is nothing like the joy and peace that knowing that I have "LIFE, and that they might have it more abundantly" as stated in John 10:10.  

Most of today's problems could be avoided if people lived the scripture in Genesis 2:24.  If husband and wife were "ONE" and fought problems as a team, they would be a team hard to beat.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 says "And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

I am thankful for my "blessings" and pledge to verbalize it more to them.  And I will always remember that we are a "threefold cord" (husband, wife, JESUS)!  

"SMILING IN THE STORM"!

Every persons life is a journey to "mold" each person into what GOD desires them to be.  The trials, sorrows, disobedience, joys, times of obedience, and blessings ALL play a part into making us  into what can glorify and edify a HOLY GOD!  

Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 (ESV) reveals "Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?  In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him."   

GOD makes "GOOD" days as well as HE makes "BAD" days.  They are all HIS, and so are we.  If you look for HIS presence more during the difficult times, why would HE send joyous times?  Exodus 34:14 says "For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."  Do not find it strange that HE allows difficult times in our lives to cause us to refocus our attention to HIM!  

It is my desire to Praise HIM for the good times, as well as the tough times, and realize that ALL comes from HIM to make me what HE desires!  

"The JOY of FATHERING"!

Proverbs 23:24  (KJV)

"The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him."

I know traditionally the sons make a fuss over their dads on Fathers Day. But I saw this verse this morning and actually teared up thinking if how blessed I am!  

Both of my sons are GOD honoring with their lives in most everything they do.  They are married to GODLY women that compliment them greatly!  When I read "the father of the righteous shall GREATLY rejoice", I am humbled!  

To know you are loved as a father, there is nothing better.  To know The FATHER is loved by your children is something indescribable!!