You have to see for yourself

Every preacher that preaches on heaven tells and retells this story of a little girl who was blind and had never seen. But a surgeon believed that he could restore sight or give sight to that child. The parents were willing. They did the surgery. The eyes were bandaged. There came that time when the bandage was to be removed. Would she be able to see? They unwrapped the gauze, took those pads from those precious little eyes and the doctor said, Sweetheart, open your eyes.

This little girl opened her eyes and blinked. The first thing she saw was the face of that doctor. Then the face of a nurse, then the face of her mother. She saw a tear for the first time in her mother's eye and she said, I can see. And she looked around at the things in the room that you and I take for granted and then she went to the window and looked outside. She didn't see the grass, she saw the green grass. She didn't see the sky, she saw the blue sky. She didn't see the flowers, she saw the multi-colored flowers. She ran back to her mother, squeezed her mother, said, Mama, Mama, it's beautiful. Oh, Mama, it's beautiful.

Mama, why didn't you tell me it was so beautiful? That mother, through tears of joy, said, Sweetheart, I tried to tell you, but you had to see it for yourself.

You know, I think when we get to heaven we'll say something like that to our heavenly Father. Father, why didn't you tell us heaven was so wonderful? He'll say, Well, I tried to tell you, I took the things that you value, streets of gold, walls of jasper, gates of gold—those are just symbols of greater glory, greater things, things that eye cannot see nor ear hear nor heart conceive of what heaven is going to be like. Heaven, friend, is a place of absolute perfection.

Finding Middle C

Psalm 62:1-8 (CEV) ¹ (A psalm by David for Jeduthun, the music leader.) Only God can save me, and I calmly wait for him.
² God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and the fortress where I am secure.
³ I feel like a shaky fence or a sagging wall. How long will all of you attack and assault me?
⁴ You want to bring me down from my place of honor. You love to tell lies, and when your words are kind, hatred hides in your heart.
⁵ Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him.
⁶ God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure.
⁷ God saves me and honors me. He is that mighty rock where I find safety. ⁸ Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns. God is our place of safety.

AUTHOR LLOYD DOUGLAS tells of a time that he lived in a boarding house as a university student. Below him, in the apartment on the first floor, lived an elderly retired music teacher. The man was crippled and unable to leave his apartment. Douglas said that he had a regular ritual he developed, mostly as a means of keeping an eye on his infirm friend. Each morning before school, Douglas would open the front door to the man's apartment and ask in a booming voice, "Well, what's the good news?"

The old man would pick up his tuning fork, tap it on the side of his wheelchair, and say, "That's middle C! It was middle C yesterday; it will be middle C tomorrow; it will be middle C a thousand years from now. The tenor upstairs sings flat, the piano across the hall is out of tune, but my friend, that is middle C!"

A lifetime in music had taught the old man one thing upon which he could depend. Everything else may change, but one constant will always remain: middle C.

If you've ever played in an orchestra, you know how important middle C is to the music. A fifty-piece ensemble could give a flawless performance on stage, but just let one lone trumpet play out of tune, and it ruins the entire concert. Orchestras depend on the constancy of middle C for the success of their composition.

Life is the same way. We need a true north on which we can depend. Something that will never change and never fail. Something constant, like God. "The mountains may depart and the hills disappear, but even then I will remain loyal to you. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,' says the Lord" (Isaiah 54:10). God is the middle C of life. He is the one note on which all others depend for success and continuity. If we set our instruments to him, our song will ring out pure and true. If we don't, we'll always find ourselves out of tune.

In a world of false ideas and scattered voices, it's nice to be part of an orchestra that plays faithfully to middle C.

Reflection

In what ways is it comforting to know that God is faithful? How can you put your trust in him completely, instead of listening to other voices promising fulfillment?

Embracing Eternity: Living Each Day with a Heart Toward Heaven.

An Unfailing God

April 25: An Unfailing God

Today's Reading: Hebrews 13:5-6

I will never fail you. Hebrews 13:5

A BATTLESHIP had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. Visibility was poor because the fog was thick and patchy, so the captain of the ship remained on the bridge, keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark the ship's lookout reported seeing a light in the direction of the starboard bow. "Is it steady or moving astern?" asked the captain. "Steady, captain," came the reply. After further watch the captain knew that they were on a collision course with this other ship, so he called out to the signalman, "Signal that ship: We are on a collision course. Advise you change course 20 degrees."

"To you who share my faith and are willing to be faithful unto death, remember the promise."

Armageddon, 279

The signal was sent, and immediately one was returned. "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees," was the response. The captain quickly had another signal sent. "I am a captain. Change course 20 degrees."
Once again a response came quickly. "I am a seaman second class. You had better change course 20 degrees."
By this time the captain was furious, and he barked another signal. "I am a battleship. Change your course!"
Back came a simple message. "I am a lighthouse." Needless to say, the captain changed his course. He knew that he could bark at the lighthouse all he wanted yet never cause it to move. Some things in life are constant and unchanging. They are the beacons that guide the rest of us throughout life.

God's faithfulness is like that. It is one constant that will never change, never give way, never move. Joshua says to his people, "Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the Lord your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!" (Joshua 23:14). That sentiment echoes throughout the universe.
"I will never fail you. I will never forsake you," God promises us (Hebrews 13:5). We can bark and complain all we want, but in the end, we are the ones who will have to adjust our course. Because lighthouses don't move.

Reflection

In what ways does Cod's faithfulness bring us confidence? Do you find comfort in knowing that he will never fail you?

Embracing Eternity: Living Each Day with a Heart Toward Heaven.

May they see Jesus in us!

Ivan Seidenberg, CEO of NYNEX, got his first job as janitor of an office building in Manhattan. The building superintendent was an older man named Mike. He said little but watched everything very carefully. One day he asked about a book Ivan was reading. Ivan explained he was putting himself through college at night. Mike said "Okay," and walked away.

Four months later he came up to Ivan and remarked, "You know, there are companies that will help you pay for school." Ivan asked which ones, and Mike told him about the electric and phone companies' continuing education programs for their employees. Ivan filled out the applications and took the employment tests. He heard back first from the telephone company, so he took a job as a splicer's helper. Except for 22 months in the Army, he has worked at NYNEX ever since.

Today, Ivan says, "In the year I worked for Mike he didn't say much, but those few words spoke volumes. He gave me a helping hand. If you take pride in your work and do a good job, you never know who might be watching and one day, provide a boost. Now when I talk to janitors and other employees, I ask, 'What's happening?' Invariably they tell me something I didn't know. It doesn't matter if you're the janitor or the CEO, values and performance count—people are watching." Beloved, people are watching our lives. May they see Jesus Christ in us!

Mattoon's Treasures - Mattoon's Treasures – Treasures from John, Volume 2.

Dr. R. G. Lee On The Bible

The late Dr. R. G. Lee, former pastor of the Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis TN expressed the value of God’s Word in this way:

"The Bible is a book beyond all books as a river is above and beyond a rivulet. The Bible is a book beyond all books as the sun is above and beyond a candle in brightness. The Bible is a book beyond all books as the wings of an eagle is above and beyond the wings of a sparrow.

It is supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, inexpressible in value, immeasurable in influence, infinite in scope, divine in authorship, human in penmanship, regenerative in power, infallible in authority, universal in interest, personal in application, and inspired in totality.

This is the Book that has walked more paths, travelled more highways, knocked at more doors and spoken to more people in their mother tongue than in other book this world has ever known or will know."