1. A Reveal Party
Back in March we went to a reveal party and found out that my son and his wife are expecting a baby boy. It was exciting news! Madison is learning to say that she is going to have a baby brother. Friday night my daughter had a reveal cook out planned. Although she had to cancel with all the rain, she still revealed to us that she is expecting a baby girl. More exciting news! Susanna said that Elsa was not surprised, because she said that she knew it was a girl baby. As I talked with the Lord about my new devotional theme, I thought about these recent events in our lives and my mind also went to scriptures in Isaiah that I just read. Let's look at some of the things that God reveals to us through His Word.
"3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:3-5)
2. The Lord Was Revealed
When we continue with Isaiah 40 we read more of the revealing of Jesus Christ who left His home in heaven and came down to earth to give His life for our sins. Isaiah really wanted his readers to hear and understand about the coming of Christ. "Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?" (Isaiah 40:21) John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah 40, as we read in Matthew 3:1-3.
"1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."
Have you heard of Jesus, who gave His life to die for you? Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? You can be saved right now. It is as simple as A,B,C. Admit that you are a lost sinner. Believe in your heart that Jesus died to pay for your sin and He rose from the dead, and went back to heaven. And confess with your mouth. Here are the scriptures from the Romans Road. After you trust the Lord to save you then He will reveal Himself to you more and more as you read His Word.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9-10 & 13)
3. "To Whom Is The Arm Of The Lord Revealed?"
Is anyone reading four chapters a day to finish the Bible in a year? I was pretty even until I came to the book of Psalms and I got ahead reading several of the shorter chapters each day. So I am in the book of Isaiah and I read this very familiar chapter this morning.
"1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:1-6)
You may also be familiar with this chapter. But have you ever turned the questions around and answered them yourself? Have you believed the Lord's report? Has the Lord been revealed to your heart? I was reading the Bible with my eyes and I thought about how amazing it is that I can look at the letters, and my mind turns them into words and sentences, and my brain carries the message to my heart and I believe as the Lord reveals more and more to me. It is sad that so many close their eyes to the things of God and thus become blinded to the Word and don't believe. Please don't harden your heart and turn Him away. Seek the Lord and ask Him to reveal His Word to you.
"37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." (John 12:37-40)
4. God's Righteousness Will Be Revealed
I have seen some of the devastation caused by the volcano eruption in Hawaii. As I watch the videos of the molten lava burning its way across the land and flowing into the sea I am reminded of the burning fire and brimstone described in the book of Revelation. We also read of the judgment of God by fire in II Peter 3:7, "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." God is longsuffering with mankind, but His righteousness will be revealed. "Thus saith the LORD, Keep ye judgment, and do justice: for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed." (Isaiah 56:1) We also find this concept in the New Testament. "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:17) We are living in a day when many people don't believe in a Holy God, and they don't believe in the righteousness of God, so they live for themselves. Our land today reminds me of the Children of Israel during the time that judges ruled. "In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes." (Judges 21:25) God tells us in Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." We are not righteous in our own merit, but the Lord imparts His righteousness to us. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." (Isaiah 64:6) The book of Revelation tells us many things about the end of time that were revealed to John. God is a righteous God and we can be sure from His Word that His righteousness will be revealed! "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war." (Revelation 19:11) It will be a sad day for all those who deny Almighty God and turn away from His gift of salvation.
5. God's Wrath Will Be Revealed
Many times God is described as the "man upstairs" and some think of Him as a grandpa in a rocking chair sitting in heaven looking down on us and smiling. While God is a God of love, He is also a God of judgment, as we saw in our devotions yesterday. We continue that thought today with Romans 1:18, "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" God's wrath will be revealed. Isaiah tried to warn the people. "And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (Isaiah 13:11) "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. (Isaiah 57:21) "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." (Psalm 7:11) But there is hope! As long as we live and breathe on this earth, we can turn back to God. "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." (Isaiah 55:7)
6. Fellowship Reveals Prayerful Needs
Early Tuesday morning Mom picked me up and we rode three and a half hours to the beach to visit with my sister. She had a day off from work and we enjoyed our few hours together. Then we got back in the car and rode the three and a half hours back home. People ask me why we drive so far in one day and come right back. It doesn't usually work out for us to stay much longer so we spend as much time with Linda as we can before we start our trip home. I often pray for my sisters, but spending time with them reveals their prayerful needs so that I know how to pray for them. God hears our prayers when we call out the names to Him. But, sometimes I think it means much more when we can send up prayers for specific things they need help with. It always blesses me when one of my children sends me a text asking me to pray for something special. It is also a great part of our fellowship at church when we spend time talking with our friends and they reveal issues they are dealing with, and we can lift each other up in prayer. Some friends reveal prayer requests on facebook, and I try to take time to pray for them, too. It takes faith to reveal your prayerful needs to others, and we should not take it for granted that someone has confidence in us, and trusts us with their needs. Use these opportunities to lift them up in prayer. "I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers," (Philemon 4)
7. Some Things Are Revealed At A Later Time
I pulled my hair back, tied a hand towel in my belt loop, and put two water bottles in a bag. I put some water in a bucket and grabbed my hoe. After a quick stop to pour the water into the bird bath, I walked down to my garden. My garden rows are not typical. I have radishes and marigolds between my squash and cucumbers to help get rid of the bugs. Zinnias are scattered among the cucumbers to shade them from the hot summer sun and they also bring pollinators into the garden. I also have dill and herbs planted here and there. I hoe, and bend or stoop to pull up the weeds that are close to the plants, throwing most of them into the bucket. The plants are still small, and with so many different things coming up in each row it is sometimes hard to tell the plants I want to keep from the weeds I don't want. Sometimes as I toss them into the bucket I say, "Oops, I was supposed to keep that one." As the pile of weeds grew higher and higher in my bucket I thought about a parable Jesus told. Just as I don't know what some of these plants are until they produce fruit, we can't judge others. Some things that we think we know now, will not be revealed until later. Let's work on bearing fruit in our own lives, and let God take care of others.
"24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn." (Matthew 13:24-30)
8. Eyes Have Not Seen...
I know several people who have visited the Ark in Kentucky. I was always curious about the ark. When I was growing up I used to imagine how it must have been to have all the animals on there with Noah and his family, and the storm rocking the boat. Once with our youth group we measured our fellowship building and graphed a comparison, taping several pieces of graph paper together, to get an idea of just how big the ark actually was. I hope that I can make the trip and see this replica that has been built. I have seen pictures, but I would really like to see it with my own eyes. There are many things in the Bible that I would have liked to have seen. The descriptions of the temple built by King Solomon make it seem so amazing, with the gold, silver, precious stones, marble, and woven cloths in purple, blue and crimson. And these are just things built by people. Can you imagine the beauty of heaven. John tried to describe that wonderful place in the book of Revelation, and I am excited to see it! God spent six days creating the whole world, and there are picturesque places, exotic animals, and even colorful insects and birds that make this a beautiful place to live. Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3) Can you imagine the beauty of this place that He is preparing for us? John tells us of the walls of jasper, gates of pearl, and a street of gold. We can't fathom the glorious beauty. And the best thing about heaven will be living there with our wonderful Lord and Savior who gave His life, to give us everlasting life.
"7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (I Corinthians 2:7-9)
9. God Revealed His Word Through The Prophets
I have moved on to the book of Jeremiah, and it is a very sad book that tells how much God warned His people, but they would not listen. A phrase that I noticed is "rising early", as in Jeremiah 7:25, "Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:" Also found in Jeremiah 25:4, "And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear." God gave them the Word from the beginning. They could not say that God waited until they had gone too far away from Him to warn them. Not only did God send the prophets early, but He taught the people little by little. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:" (Isaiah 28:10) The people could not say that they did not understand, and that the law was too complicated. The prophets were not prideful men who ruled over the people, sending the message to the rich and mighty. God often called the meek and lowly of the people to prophesy. "Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel." (Amos 7:14-15) Another thing that we learn from the Prophet Jeremiah, was that the prophets mourned and cried for their people, who would not listen. "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!" (Jeremiah 9:1) "But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD'S flock is carried away captive." (Jeremiah 13:17) This devotional ends on a depressing note, because even though God cared for His children so much He sent the prophets to them, they would not listen. "Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear." (II Chronicles 24:19) Even today, as we are sent to give out God's message, there are many who still will not listen.
10. God Is Revealed Through His Word
I walked to my compost bin with a shovel, but when I got there the top was covered with huge black and yellow beetles. I had never seen such creepy looking creatures and I decided to leave them right where they were. Susanna was there to help me set out the tomato plants, so she looked on her phone and found out that they were American carrion beetles. It is amazing how quickly we can find information on the internet. (Although we can't always believe everything we read.) It reminds me of Daniel 12:4, "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." We are here! It doesn't say that individuals will be wiser, but that knowledge shall be incresed. We have access to the knowledge of all those who came before us to find out about anything we can imagine. Another advantage we have over the past generations is that we have the written Word of God. Imagine how it was in Bible days when people had to rely on the priests or prophets to tell them what God was saying to them. We have the Bible and we can go to it to find out what God wants us to know. God can give us wisdom and reveal many things to us through His precious Word. Our Pastor recently gave an illustration about a farmer, whose son came to him one day and told him that he was reading his Bible, but he could not retain it. He didn't think it was doing him any good to keep reading the Bible, because he could not remember all that he read. The farmer told his son to take a basket and fill it with water and bring it back to him. The boy tried, but all the water had run out of the basket by the time he got back to his dad. The father told him to do it a second time. Again the water quickly ran from the basket. The father then told to boy to look in the basket and tell him what he saw. The boy told him that the basket was cleaner. The wise father told him that as he read the Bible, he may not retain all that he read, but it would make him cleaner. I am thankful that we can be washed by the cleansing power of the Word of God as He reveals His Word to us. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psalm 119:9) Jesus told the disciples, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." (John 15:3) Also God tells us of the church, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," (Ephesians 5:26) You may be like this young boy who felt like he could not remember what he read from the Bible. Keep on reading. God can reveal many things to you through His Word, wash you, and give you wisdom to walk in the Light of His Word.
11. God Reveals His Will Through The Spirit
Years ago I was getting ready for a doctor's appointment and I saw a New Testament that was left over from some gift baskets we had made. I felt like the Spirit was telling me to take it with me because there was a child who wanted it. Sitting in the doctor's office I kept looking around, but there were no children in the waiting room. After I was called back I talked with the assistant as she took my temperature and blood pressure, and at some point she mentioned that she had a little girl. I took the Bible from my pocketbook and asked her if she would like to have it. She said, "Ain't God something! I told my husband this morning that our little girl asked for a Bible in her Easter basket. Ain't God something!" That really blessed my heart and I can say with her, "Ain't God something!" There have been times in my life when I felt the Spirit of God leading me to do things and I was thrilled that He chose to use me. I am sad to say that there have been other times when I felt His leading and I hesitated. The moment passed and I realized that I had missed an important opportunity to serve Him. God does not have to speak to us in an audible voice for us to hear His leading. After we are saved by God's wonderful grace, the Holy Spirit lives in us to lead us and guide us to do God's will. "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." (I Corinthians 2:10)
12. In The Bible God Revealed His Word Through Dreams
I was pushing Elsa in the grocery buggy when she started telling me about a bad dream she had. Her voice started quivering and I said, "Do you want me to tell you my dream?" She said, "Yes" so I stopped the cart and leaned over to her and began. "I was trying to vacuum the rug, but there were so many kids there, and there were toys all over the floor. I moved some of the toys and tried to vacuum that part, but when I went to another part they put the toys back because there were so many kids and they had so many toys I could not even vacuum." She started laughing, and the fears from her dream were gone. I remember thinking that was a strange dream when I woke up that morning and I wondered why I would dream such a thing. After I shared it with Elsa I realized that I had dreamed it just for her. I don't believe that God speaks to us through dreams as He did in Bible days, but He can use our dreams to make us think about things. Here are some examples of when God revealed His will through dreams.
Jacob - "And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." (Genesis 28:12)
Joseph - "And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" (Genesis 37:9-10) God also used Joseph to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and helped save Egypt during seven years of famine.
Gideon - "And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian." (Judges 7:13-15)
King Solomon - "In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee." (I Kings 3:5)
Daniel - There are many dreams in the book of Daniel. "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;" (Daniel 2:28)
About our Lord - The angel of God spoke to Joseph in dreams regarding the birth of Jesus. The wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. (Matthew 2:12) We also remember the dreams of Pilate's wife at the crucifixion of Jesus. "When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him." (Matthew 27:19)
13. God Reveals Answers To Our Prayers
When I was a little girl I loved to run barefoot through the yard. I tried to be careful when I ran through the clover because of all the little honey bees that buzzed about. I had not paid much attention to the dwindling number of bees until I started raising a vegetable garden four years ago. I know how important it is to keep bees close by. So many of the vegetables are dependant on the bees for pollination. In fact, a month ago Michael and I contemplated getting a bee hive, but we didn't have peace about it since our grandchildren like to walk to the garden. When he mows, Michael will leave a big section of clover in the yard and with all the rain we have been blessed with, there is lots of clover there now. Only, it has been days since I saw any bees and I was beginning to think I made a mistake by not getting a hive. I walk to the garden several times a day, and as I began my walk one afternoon I prayed that God would show me if He wanted me to call the "bee man" we talked to and see if it was too late to set up a hive. I prayed that if God was going to send the honey bees to my garden, that I would see a honey bee in the clover. Michael walked down the hill with me and just as we got to the edge of the garden there was a little honey bee on a clover blossom. It was more than just a honey bee. It was an answer to my prayer! It is such a blessing when God hears our prayers and reveals His answer to us. I have learned to not only pray about the big things in my life (of course there are no prayers too big for God) but to also pray about the little things. And there is nothing too little in our lives for God. He can answer prayers as small as a little honey bee.
"Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:...
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:17, 26-27)
14. Now We See Through A Glass, Darkly
We have had some dark skies lately. The rain is helping my garden grow, and I have been blessed with slow, easy rain falls. I know that in some places there have been flash floods and really heavy rains. And this time last year the water was standing in my garden from heavy rains. We can go out and look at the dark rain clouds, but we really don't know where the rain will fall and how much will fall before it moves on. The dark clouds remind me of I Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Our view of life may be discouraged when we try to see beyond the dark clouds and sometimes we may be looking at life through the darkness. There is so much we don't know about life, about God, and about the plans He has for us. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8) We don't see the whole picture. It reminds me of trying to use a GPS. I am thankful for something to guide me because I don't have a good sense of direction. I often rely on it to know where I am going. But, when I want to see how to go on a long trip, I like to look at a map. It gives me a bigger picture. Maybe we are like that in our daily walk through life. God wants to guide us one step at a time, one day at a time, and we want to stand back with a large map and see the BIG picture. We want to know where we will be next year, or in five or ten years. Actually, I am glad that I don't know where I will be in ten years. God gives us grace day by day, and if I could see the troubles and trials that lie ahead my faith may not be strong enough to trust in God's grace. Yes, we are looking through the darkness now, but God has promised that one day we shall see Him face to face, where He is the Light, and there will be no more darkness.
15. Mirrors Reveal More Than I Want To See
Our oldest son, Matthew, was in town for business and he stayed with us Tuesday night. It was such a joy to see him and spend time talking with him. We talked about his family and all the new happenings on his farm. He told me about a little experiment he did. He said that when he goes to the bank he is always dressed for work and one of the tellers always greets him politely, "How are you today, Mr. Key?" One day he had been working on his farm and he was dressed in old clothes and had his mud boots on and he needed to go by the bank. He could have gone through the drive-thru, but he wanted to see if he would be treated differently dressed the way he was. He said that he did get a few staring looks from some of the people in the bank, but his usual teller greeted him, "How are you today, Mr. Key?" How we look and how we are dressed often determines how people react to us. In this case, the teller was just as friendly, but that is often not the case. I can remember one day that I was working in the garden and I needed to run to the local hardware store. I went as I was. Afterwards I looked in the mirror and I thought, "Wow, I went and saw people the way I look!" My hair was clipped up on my head and my clothes were dirty, and the sweat on my face was mixed with the dust and dirt and looked like mud on my cheeks and brow. There have been other times when I walked by a mirror and I asked myself, "Do I really look like that?" Mirrors sometimes show me more than I want to see. God's Word is like a mirror. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." (James 1:22-24) When I get dressed for church I check things in the mirror and try to look my best. If I see that my hair is standing up or that my make-up is smeared, I try to fix it. When we read God's Word, He may reveal things to us that we need to fix. If we don't follow the Word that He shows us, it is like looking in a mirror and seeing problems, but walking away without trying to fix them.
16. Are You Going In The Right Direction?
We have been talking about ways that God revealed His will to people in the Bible. Some of them are ways that God may also use to lead us and guide us in the right direction. But I am pretty sure that only one man's direction was ever revealed to God by a talking donkey. Do you know the story of Balaam? Balak, the king of Moab, wanted Balaam to curse the Children of Israel. "And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed." (Numbers 22:12) Balaam told Balak that God would not let him go, not even for "his house full of silver and gold". Balaam really wanted to go, and finally God told him that he could go, but he could not curse the people. Balaam saddled his donkey and started on the journey. Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and refused to go, three different times. Balaam struck the donkey and after the third time God opened the donkey's mouth, and the donkey spoke to Balaam. "Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face." (Numbers 22:31) Can you believe that even after all this Balaam still went to Moab? If I was riding a horse and it spoke to me and said it could not go a certain direction, that would be enough to scare me into turning back. Then, if I saw an angel standing with a sword blocking the way, I would surely take that as a sign to go back. Years ago when Michael and I were looking for a car we went to a certain dealership and the car we were interested in would not start. The salesman told us that he would charge the battery, and he did. Then something would not work in the car and he told us it was because the battery had gone dead and it would be okay. After the third problem with the car I told Michael that I would not buy that car. I did not have a good feeling about it to begin with and after three problems, that was enough to show me that it was not right for us. When we pray about God's direction and will for our life, and we keep our eyes and ears open to His Word, He will show us the right path to take.
17. Visions Of God
I began reading the book of Ezekiel and God showed me another way that He revealed Himself to His people. Many times God's prophets were shown visions of things to come. And in these visions, the Spirit of the Lord often moved the prophets. Notice how Ezekiel was picked up by his hair, and carried over Jerusalem. And I am not about to guess whether Ezekiel's body was lifted up, or His spirit was lifted out of his body.
"Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God." (Ezekiel 1:1)
"And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy." (Ezekiel 8:3)
There are many, many examples in the Bible of extraordinary visions. A phrase that I keep reading over and over regarding these visions is, "ye shall know that I am the LORD." I close with Ezekiel's vision of the valley of dry bones.
"1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:1-6)
18. The Hand Writing On The Wall
God not only revealed Himself to His own prophets and people, but in our story today we see that He sent the hand writing on the wall to a very ungodly king.
"1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied." (Daniel 5:1-9)
Daniel was called to interpret the writing. He explained to the king how God had humbled his father Nebuchadnezzar and yet he lifted up himself against the Lord of heaven.
"25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." (Daniel 5:25-28)
That night King Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Median took the kingdom.
19. Gideon's Fleece
We have been looking at different ways God revealed Himself to people in the Bible and I can't say that God has used any of those ways since Bible days. But as we read the story of Gideon's fleece today I can tell you that I have followed his example on several occasions. When we have an answer in God's Word we have no need to ask God to clarify His written Word. But sometimes we need directions for God's will and we can't see the clear passage. I don't take this story lightly, and I don't ask God haphazardly to show me things that I can find in His Word, but I have often asked God to lead me and He has so graciously shown me the way. We see in Numbers 7:12 the magnitude of the battle Gideon faced. "And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude." Our battles may not be that threatening, but our lives are still precious in God's sight. If you are not familiar with the story of Gideon, please read chapters six and seven of Judges to see how God delivered Gideon's army of 300 men with trumpets, empty pitchers and lanterns.
"36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
39 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground." (Judges 6:36-40)
20. The Book Of Revelation
We like to pack up the car and drive a few hours to Oak Island in North Carolina. In just two or three days we have enjoyed our little mini-vacation and are ready to drive back home. It is really nice to get away for even a little while. When we talk about things God has revealed to us, the book of Revelation is the greatest reveal we have for the last days. John was on the Isle of Patmos when he wrote the book of Revelation and it was definitely not a vacation trip. The Isle of Patmos was a place of exile for prisoners. John had been banished for preaching the Word of God and for His testimony of Jesus Christ. "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." (Revelation 1:9) God used this time of trial in John's life to give him the revelation of the last days. When we are going through troubles and trials we usually ask what is wrong in our life that has caused so many problems. It may be that God is trying to speak to us and reveal more of His plan and purpose for our life. He does not always deliver us out of our trials. God may choose to deliver us through our troubles. Daniel was delievered from the lions in the den. The three Hebrew children were delivered from the fire inside the fiery furnace. You may not be able to see the end of the path God has you on, but faith is believing in God even when you can't see the way. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Keep pressing on. Peter tells us that as we suffer with Christ, we shall also rejoice in His glory.
"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." (I Peter 4:13)
"The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:" (I Peter 5:1)
21. A Pillar Of Cloud To Lead Them
I used to say that I wish I had a pillar of cloud like the Israelites had, that would stay in front of me, leading me which way to go. Have you ever thought about that? If you were looking for a job the cloud could lead you to the right place. "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people." (Exodus 13:21-22) Of course, we don't have the visual aspect of God's leading like this, but we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. And we have faith to believe and follow the Lord. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13) Our words of encouragement today... "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
22. God Reveals Himself To The Young And The Old
When my children were very young we used to let them act out some of the Bible stories for their devotions before bedtime. The story of Samuel was their favorite and they enjoyed taking turns pretending to be young Samuel and Eli the priest. Today we are looking at the story of Samuel to see that God sometimes reveals Himself to the young. And as Samuel continued to serve God, the Lord continued to reveal Himself to him.
"7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth...
21 And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD." (I Samuel 3:7-10 and 21)
Today I want to encourage you to pray for your children and grandchildren. Take them to church. Even if you don't think they are listening, they are still learning about worship and the things of God. We don't know when God will reveal Himself to them. God can also reveal Himself to those who are older. Do you remember when Mary and Joseph carried Baby Jesus to Jerusalem when He was eight days old? "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ." (Luke 2:25-26) These verses do not say that Simeon was old, but he does go on to say, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation," (Luke 2:29-30) One more example I want to mention takes place at the same time. Anna was a prophetess who was about 84 years old "And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem." (Luke 2:38) Maybe you are praying for the salvation of parents or grandparents. Keep on praying. God can reveal His Word to the young and old, and to male and female. We are all special in God's eyes.
23. Do You Know That He Is Lord?
I would like to finish our theme of "The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed" with things from the Bible that God has revealed to us. I am almost through the book of Ezekiel in my daily reading and it is amazing how many times God said that "they" or "ye", "shall know that I am the Lord". I looked up the phrase in my app and it is repeated over 50 times in the book of Ezekiel. All of eternity rests on the question, "Do you know that He is Lord?" Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? God has revealed the way of salvation to us through His Holy Word. And one day every knee will bow to Christ the Lord.
"I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:23)
"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11)
"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;" (Philippians 2:10)
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) We have the choice of confessing our sin to Jesus while we live, or bowing to Him after we die. I hope that you know that He is Lord and have asked Him to forgive you of your sins and give you His great gift of salvation.
24. I Know My Redeemer Lives!
God has revealed many things about the lives of men and women of old. We can read the Bible and learn how God created the heavens and the earth. We can see the history of His chosen people and read of their triumphs and their failures. God preserved His Word and has revealed all these things to us. Today I want to talk about Job. He served the Lord and even after Satan's attack on him he still said, "I know that my redeemer liveth!"
"23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" Job 19:23-26
In this chapter of the book of Job, he tells how all his acquaintances had forsaken him in his time of need.
"13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.
17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.
18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.
19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me." (Job 19:13-19)
Job lost his children, his wealth, and his health. At his lowest point in life, his family and friends forsook him. It may have seemed as if Job had lost everything, but he did not lose his faith! Hear his words of triumph. "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" We can read Job's request in verses 23 and 24, "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!" God heard that prayer. Job's words have been printed in God's book, forever. As we go through the storms and trials of this life we can read these words of Job and get help for our souls. When the world forsakes us, and our family and friends turn away from us, we can still keep our faith and say like Job, "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:" I know my Redeemer lives!!!
25. My Lord Cares For Me
Have you ever been in situations where you just needed someone to talk to, and there was no one there? We all have problems from time to time, and even when we don't want someone to "fix" our problems, it is comforting to find a shoulder to lean on. Sometimes things happen and we feel like nobody cares. David said it well in Psalm 142:4 when he said, "no man cared for my soul." But he knew that he could turn to the Lord for help in his time of need.
"4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5 I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I." (Psalm 142:4-6)
As we look at things that God has revealed to us in His Word we see today that He has shown us that He cares. Peter was a fisherman and he knew all about casting out his nets. He tells us that we can cast our cares upon the Lord, just as we would cast a net out over the sea. "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." (I Peter 5:7) And though friends in this world may turn away from us, Jesus has promised to never leave us. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) Jesus left His heavenly home to come and give His life to save us. That was the greatest thing He could ever do to show us how much He cares! "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
26. God Sees All And He Knows All
The more I use the internet or watch the news the more evil that I see. I scroll down through Facebook and see videos of children or the elderly being abused or children and teachers being bullied. More and more faces come up under "Missing Person" posts and still cameras post photos and videos of homes and stores being robbed. I believe the shared information helps bring justice in some cases. Just last week a kidnapped baby was found in a neighboring city after photos were shared and an Amber Alert was sent out. I am amazed at how wicked people can be, but God is not surprised. He sees all and He knows all. Just before He destroyed the earth with the flood we read, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) It seems as though the world is headed towards that place of wickedness again. And it makes God angry. Just as we read recently, "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." (Psalm 7:11)
But, as we think about the truth that God sees all and He knows all, we must also look at the fact that He also sees the good. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." (Proverbs 15:3) "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:4) You may feel like you are the only one in your work place that is honest. You may discover that you are the only faithful one in your group of friends. You may be the only person in your family that goes to church and worships God. Keep on doing what's right. Even when you think that nobody sees the good you do, remember that God sees all and God knows all. "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward." (I Corinthians 3:14) "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12)
"31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:31-46)
27. "Glory To God In The Highest"
I don't know anybody that celebrates the joy of Christmas all year long as much as I do. With two more grandchildren on the way, I will have more stockings to fill and I keep looking for ideas for those. And I am constantly looking for ideas of things to make for Michael's school classes. I get so much joy from making something special for each person. And you don't have to tell anybody, but I am still watching Christmas movies from time to time. I can work in my garden in the 90 degree weather, and come in the house and cool off watching movies of it snowing. Yesterday I received my first email of the year from a Sunday School teacher wanting to use one of our Christmas skits. So, maybe there are others like me who enjoy planning for Christmas all year long. (We have several skits and plays on our web site, and they are free to use for God's glory. Christmas Plays - http://devotions.homestead.com/Christmas-Plays.html) Our theme for the last three weeks has been "The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed" and I want to share one of my favorite scripture passages about the revelation of God's glory from the Christmas story. I love to proclaim with the angels, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."
"11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:11-14)
28. What God Has Revealed About A Believer's Future
A picture came up on Facebook that I had shared a few years back. It was a photo of my Dad holding me when I was just over a year old, and my Mom holding my sister, Donna, when she was a baby. I was fortunate and blessed to be brought up in a Christian home where I was prayed for, and taught the things of God, at home and at church. As many celebrate Father's Day this Sunday, my Dad will be missed. He passed in his sleep in 2002. Michael's Dad just recently passed and it will be hard on the family as fathers are recognized on Sunday. But, we have a sure hope that we will see them again, because they both loved the Lord and served Him faithfully.
"13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
29. We Don't Know The Half Of It
I have enjoyed looking at scripture lessons on "The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed". As I thought about what to write for our last devotional in this series, I thought about all the things that God has revealed in His Word. And I realized that we are only human and we don't know the half of it. We can't understand how things work here on earth, so there is no way we can fathom what lies in the hereafter. I walked down to my garden one morning and it had rained just enough to leave water drops on the leaves. Later that evening after the day grew cooler, I took my hoe to dig up any weeds that were trying to take hold in the garden. I saw that there were wet spots around the stems of the plants. The drops of water, even though they didn't seem to be enough to make a difference, flowed down the leaves, and gathered at the stems where the little pool of water could make its way to the roots. I thought about how amazing God is and how complete His plan of creation was made. I am sure that there are things happening every day, all around me, controlled by God, that I don't even think about. The Apostle John was very close to Jesus and walked with Him and knew Him more than we can hope to know on earth and he admitted in the closing of his book that he failed to write all that Jesus did. "This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:24) I have often heard people say, "We don't know the half of it" and when we think about Almighty God, this is so true. But, we can know more as we practice our faith and call unto the Lord daily in prayer. Let's trust Him to show us more. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jeremiah 33:3)
"The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed"
