Fall Creek Christian Church

“But all these things did happen to King Nebuchadnezzar. Twelve months later he was taking a walk on the flat roof of the royal palace in Babylon. As he looked out across the city, he said, ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’ “While these words were still in his mouth, a voice called down from heaven, ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, this message is for you! You are no longer ruler of this kingdom. You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Seven periods of time will pass while you live this way, until you learn that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world and gives them to anyone he chooses.’" Daniel 4:28-32 It was a Monday afternoon in the 7th grade. It was time to pay the piper. The substitute teacher from the Friday before had taken meticulous notes. These notes identi

"And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness." James 3:18 Growing up, our family was rarely without a garden. It would vary in size and variety of vegetables, but that we would have one was rarely in question. We kids were all "invited" to help with the planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting of the gardens over the years. I remember very distinctly digging in the dirt, planting the seeds, and covering them back up. I really enjoyed it. I kept quiet about that fact though, because I didn't want to get "invited" to help too often. Given that we were planting many different kinds of plants, we liked to mark the rows with a stick, to which, we would attach the empty seed packets. It was a test of my childish patience to watch the plants begin to break through the soil and take the form of the picture on the package. Eventually, however, we would enjoy a wonderful harvest. The Bible speaks often

"So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." Heb. 11:6 Generally speaking, being rewarded is a wonderful experience. "Great job! Here is your bonus." "Thanks mom. Thanks dad. I know it hasn't been easy, but you were and are great parents." "Kids, you did it! We're off to Disney World!!" "Honey, I'd marry you all over again. You are simply the best." Rewards motivate. Rewards encourage. They remind us that all the sacrifice was worth it. God thinks about rewards too. Here in our verse for the day, he tells us that he has a reward for those who seek him. Wow! Imagine that. What reward could God give that in any way, shape, or form speaks to his grandeur, his majesty, and to his glory? The prophet Jeremiah provides us with some insights regarding the answer to that question.

"The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people." Ezekiel 12:1-2 While driving to school, my daughter asked me an odd and random question, "What do blind people see?" I looked at her quizzically and replied, "Nothing. It's just darkness." She then asked, "Wouldn't they have to have seen light to understand darkness?" "Well uh...", I responded with incredible insight. She then followed with, "Would they know what you were talking about when you describe something if they were able to see before they went blind?" Fortunately, we arrived at school before the questions escalated any further. My coffee deprived brain wasn't fully engaged yet. I suppose we'll need to ask these questions to people who are blind someday to get any genuinely insightful answer