Bar Codes

Zip an item across the laser and up jumps the price on the touch screen at your local Wal Mart.

Does that not just amaze you? To me, that is the coolest of the cool. How does a machine know what it is that you have just bought and how to read those silly lines at the bottom of each item? Who thought that up? Who made that happen? What kind of brainiac came up with that thought to begin with? Imagine that person telling their best friend of their fixation with making shopping easier for the shopper, accounting easier for the accountant, the inventory count more accurate for the night stocker? What a conversation that would be!

"Hey man, I've got this idea."

"What is it?"

"Well, I am thinking about how to take a common store item and tabulate the cost electronically so that people can get what they need while being spared long lines."

"How you gonna do that?"

"I have this schematic diagram I have been working on for the last 8 months of an electronic check out counter that can scan, read, identify and calculate each item and its cost. I also think I can provide a diversified payment option that can include cash, credit or direct bank debit."

"You're joking, right?"

"I think I have about got it ready for presentation. All I need is another investor. I have a presentation ready for an Executive Manager for Wal Mart that I have scheduled next week in Arkansas. Want to be partners?"

"You're joking, right?"

Wonder how many people lost the chance to strike it rich with a bar code reading 'cash register'? You know that they have to be kicking themselves over and over...especially when they are in the check out line at their local Wal Mart! Who would have thought machines could read code? Today, automated systems do that and much, much more.

'He did not need man's testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man." John 2:25

Jesus cleared out the Temple of those whose hearts He could read like a bar code cash register. He even withheld Himself from clarifying with absolute certainty that He was indeed the very Son of God to those whose skepticism could not be satisfied even with the most obvious of miraculous identifiers. He intentionally kept what was obvious for some hidden to others. Why? Because He did not need to hear words to read hearts. Inward motives could not be covered by outward appeals. Hidden agenda's, secret unbelief and smile covered attitudes could not be kept from Jesus. "He knew what was in a man."

"He would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men." John 2:24

Jesus was careful to whom He gave Himself. He did not reveal everything to everyone every time that He had opportunity. At times He would even pull His disciples away from the crowds to privately review, explain and instruct them. Jesus knew the sincere heart. He knew the readied heart. He knew the faithful heart, the expectant heart, the hungering heart and the waiting heart. Jesus knew full well the broken hearted. He had no problem seeing straight through the hard of heart, the resistant heart and the indulgent heart.

It is a good thing to invite Jesus to inspect your heart. Pass by and offer to Him your open heart and see what happens next! Could you imagine all the wonder, the blessing, and the satisfying joys that He would lavish upon you as one of the upright of heart? Search the Scriptures and you will see person after person to whom He entrusted Himself because He could read their hearts just as routinely as you scan the bar code of your next box of cereal at Wal Mart. It did not matter to Jesus if a person wore a priestly robe or was covered in shame...as long as they did not attempt to disguise their inner person. The sincere of heart before Jesus are candidates for untold blessing and life change.

He knows your heart. Do you know His?