Just in passing, my son Richard made a statement that I think has a powerful impact for those of us who are parents. "Open rebellion is always preceded by hidden sin." Richard demonstrated that principle from Scripture. As a dad, I have seen this play out in the lives of my own children. As a parent, you must be aware of the signs of hidden sin. Have your children lost the brightness in their eyes? Do they have difficulty looking you in the eye when you are speaking to them? Have they grown cold in their spiritual walk? Have they grown non-communicative and spend a lot of time by themselves? All of these things can be signs of hidden sin. If you do not deal with the hidden sin, open rebellion will eventually occur. I would encourage you to listen to this lesson to see how this principle is demonstrated in Scripture.

Another principle unveiled in this lesson is that God chastises his children or judges a nation according to what is most important to them. He judged the nation of Judah with a drought because they were an agricultural nation. What are our gods today in our society? Sex and money seem to reign supreme. Isn't it interesting that we are plagued with rampant venereal diseases, AIDS, and are now looking at the near-certain collapse of our economy due to a dependence on debt and a fiat currency? Could it be that God is judging us based on what is most important to us as a society? Will we be smart enough to recognize the message? Will we learn before it is too late that it is time for us to call once again upon God and admit our dependence on Him?

I thank God for a son who has committed his life to Jesus Christ and is using the gifts given to him by his Savior of the glory of God.