The Eyes of Heaven
by Pam Jenkins
"And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." Hebrews 4:13
The flight was long and difficult. The storms were torrential as the pilot struggled, yet with great skill, to land the massive two story jet upon the runways of Tokyo’s Airport. As we descended through the layers of ominous clouds, my travel worn eyes searched below intently to get a glimpse of this land I had waited so long to see. Lower and lower as the plane took us downward, it looked as though nothing would be visible through the storm clouds. Finally a mountain top peered through the density of elements revealing the powerful hand of Elohim, Creator God. From my vantage point, the mountains of Japan, which adorn much of its land masses, looked much like a gentle folded garment laid out with perfection. His beauty and power is the covering of the earth declaring His praises even when hidden among the storm clouds. It was breathtaking; an awareness of God’s presence even in the darkest of places. The land of Japan captured my eyes that day but God captured my heart with the people He Had sent me to that I might share the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
Though striking in beauty and majesty there atop the masses of hills arose another image; stones carved into the likeness of man and worshiped by the Japanese people. I was swept up in the view of God’s creative power as the signs of rejection of Him immersed upon the soil He had created. I would soon see the temples erected to their god and the lost state the Japanese people were in. With every need in life, they would run to their pagan temples and offer incense before Buddha in hopes of being seen and heard. They laid flowers at his feet to honor him and revere his name. The islands of Japan are laced with his temples and their homes are filled with his shrines. How sad I was to know they did not know the One True Living God Who sees them. But they did not see Him! Let me share with you portion taken from My Daily Bread Devotion:
"A young boy in Burma was permitted by his parents to go to a mission school in order that he might learn to read. By and by they found he was losing faith in the idols he had been taught to worship. This made them feel very sad. So the father took the lad to one of the gayest of the temples where the fragrance of incense filled the air. There he showed him the glittering images covered with gold and silver ornaments and surrounded by flowers and candles. ‘Here,’ said the father, ‘is a god you can see! The Christians cannot show you their God.’` "Yes,' said the child, `we can see your god, but he cannot see us. We cannot see the Christian's God, but He sees us all the time!'’
Even when we do not see Him, He sees us; the wisdom of a child, to see the unseen! He is not seen face to face with human eyes but the warmth of His realness brushes against our forehead assuring our hearts He is there. God is more real than any statue, any shrine or temple built by the hands of man and He is too immense to be held within their walls. So magnificent and untamable is His presence that only the heart, created by His hands, can offer Him a resting place in which to disperse His splendor.
LIGHT YOUR LIFE WITH THE REALNESS OF GOD THAT MANY MAY COME AND WORSHIP HIM
For more from Pam Jenkins and Jabbok Ministries, please visit www.jabbokministries.com!
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