Over the last several days I've been slowly reading the book of Job. As I've listened to Job and his three friends argue, I came to realize that as they are speaking I generally agreed with whomever was talking. To me, I can understand each side. Granted, I was never there and so can't really comprehend what it was like having not seen what truly went on. I can only go by what Scripture gives me: And it states that Job was a "...man of perfect integrity, who feared God and turned away from evil." (Job 1:1)
It's interesting as well, that everything they claimed and/or fussed about was general. It was never a "remember that time when you did ____?" His friends were just throwing blame. Yes, most of what they said rang true, but that wasn't the case here. Their bickering goes on and on... for 28 chapters! Then another, younger man finally speaks up and says his peace for 5 chapters. That's a lot of "OK, what do I make of these?" questions.
That's when God spoke up.
Job 38-41 are some of my absolute favorite chapters in the Bible. God describes Himself and what He has done. It is so beautiful, humbling, and reassuring. This is His point:
There are times when we have many good questions which go unanswered. There are many times when justice seems to not be served and the wicked get away while the just suffer. When someone is enduring much, we "just know" that they are really being punished for something they, or their family, did wrong. When there is suffering, we just don't know how to respond or comfort.
But, God is God.
He is worthy... whether we feel it or not.
He is able... even when we haven't received the answer we want.
He is holy... and well above our reproach.
He is wise... He has it figured out.
He is faithful... otherwise we would have all returned to dust long ago.
He is love... and has our best eternal interest in mind.
He is merciful... and knows what we can handle.
He is gracious... drawing us near to Him, and allowing us to come into His presence with our prayers.
So, what do we do with all the questions and concerns which don't make sense and never seem to be answered?
We trust in God. That's called FAITH.
For it is by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift--
Ephesians 2:8
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Are You Awake?
My daughter Lauren has a difficult time waking up. If her alarm is set across the room and she has to get out of bed to turn it off, she does fine. It's when we try and wake her the problem comes in. This morning after I went over and gently shook her, she said she was getting up.
Two minutes later she was still in bed.
Talking loudly to her and turning the lights on she began to stretch and sit up so I went to make breakfast, though after about ten minutes I realized she hadn't come out yet. Opening her bedroom door, there she was curled back up and sound asleep. "Lauren!" I fussed. "Get your body out of that bed and get dressed!" She sprung into a sitting position and said, "I am out of bed and dressed!" Then looking around rather dazed, she slumped. "Oh. It was just a dream. I thought I already got up."
Have you ever found that though you thought you had grasped a spiritual concept or had been serving God in particular way, that you had in fact never even "gotten out of bed"? Sometimes we learn things that we know in our mind, but have just never reached our heart.
The Spirit is constantly working in our lives to wake us up: Our job is to realize where we have been dreaming.
Ask God today to allow your heart to accept the truths the Spirit has revealed to you. I believe we all have some area where we haven't let the full truth sink in allowing us to live awake and fully aware of the power Jesus Christ can have in our lives. Think of how effective our life would be in glorifying God and witnessing for His kingdom if we were fully awake!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Not My Sift, But Thine
I often think of when Jesus told Peter to look out, because Satan had asked to sift him like wheat. (Luke 22:31-32) "But," Jesus said, "I have prayed for you..."
I have become accustom to the sifting process over the last several years. There is just so much there to sift! There are good days where I overcome readily through the power of Christ alone, and there certainly are bad ones where I bemoan and feel the world around me is crashing down with little hope. Either way, I know I am being sifted and what I can and can not do about it.
But what do we do when our loved ones are being sifted?
It's so painful when someone close to us is enduring a powerful sifting- especially when it's a spouse. To me, that's harder than suffering through my own sifting. We can not make choices for those we love which truly affect their character. Only they can do that before God. So what do we do? Once again, let's follow Christ's example: We pray for them...over, and over, and over again. Knowing that we can't change anyones heart leads us to the only place we can do any good- On our knees before God.
Another thing to remember is that Jesus didn't harp on Peter telling him what he should have done or be doing. He just told him to look out and that the issue was a spiritual not merely physical one. Jesus let Peter know, "I'm praying for you."
And that's what we should do too.
I have become accustom to the sifting process over the last several years. There is just so much there to sift! There are good days where I overcome readily through the power of Christ alone, and there certainly are bad ones where I bemoan and feel the world around me is crashing down with little hope. Either way, I know I am being sifted and what I can and can not do about it.
But what do we do when our loved ones are being sifted?
It's so painful when someone close to us is enduring a powerful sifting- especially when it's a spouse. To me, that's harder than suffering through my own sifting. We can not make choices for those we love which truly affect their character. Only they can do that before God. So what do we do? Once again, let's follow Christ's example: We pray for them...over, and over, and over again. Knowing that we can't change anyones heart leads us to the only place we can do any good- On our knees before God.
Another thing to remember is that Jesus didn't harp on Peter telling him what he should have done or be doing. He just told him to look out and that the issue was a spiritual not merely physical one. Jesus let Peter know, "I'm praying for you."
And that's what we should do too.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Your Blessing's Awaiting
Sorry I am so late in posting a blog for today, but I was busy getting a blessing that we all can receive: I did some heavy duty cleaning at my church.
Wherever you go to do some corporate worshiping most likely has someone who cleans. Larger churches tend to have staff for it or at least has a hired cleaning person. Smaller churches usually have a person or two that has taken it on to be their ministry. All churches, however, could use a good deep cleaning now and again. This is where you come in...
Have you ever noticed that really dusty/dirty spot on Sunday morning? Perhaps there is a coffee or kool-aid stain on the carpet that keeps drawing your attention. Have you ever tried to find a pen in the back of the pew during a sermon and wished you hadn't stuck your hand in the hymnal holder?
If so, you have been called to be blessed.
Think of it this way...
Before Jesus Christ came, whomever wanted to worship God could come into His presence at the tabernacle. Depending on your race, lineage, and gender, there were limits as to how far you could go and were many areas completely restricted to but a few. Now, that the curtain has been torn in two and we are allowed to come into the presence of God through Jesus Christ our mediator and the Spirit that dwells within us, we may enter into any area of the church building that our church body uses. How could we not honor the One who cleaned all our stain-stubborn sins by not cleaning the building we use as dedicated to worshiping Him?
Clean-up day at your church can be any day you chose to humble yourself before Him. Take a peek this Sunday/Wednesday to see where you can be blessed.
Wherever you go to do some corporate worshiping most likely has someone who cleans. Larger churches tend to have staff for it or at least has a hired cleaning person. Smaller churches usually have a person or two that has taken it on to be their ministry. All churches, however, could use a good deep cleaning now and again. This is where you come in...
Have you ever noticed that really dusty/dirty spot on Sunday morning? Perhaps there is a coffee or kool-aid stain on the carpet that keeps drawing your attention. Have you ever tried to find a pen in the back of the pew during a sermon and wished you hadn't stuck your hand in the hymnal holder?
If so, you have been called to be blessed.
Think of it this way...
Before Jesus Christ came, whomever wanted to worship God could come into His presence at the tabernacle. Depending on your race, lineage, and gender, there were limits as to how far you could go and were many areas completely restricted to but a few. Now, that the curtain has been torn in two and we are allowed to come into the presence of God through Jesus Christ our mediator and the Spirit that dwells within us, we may enter into any area of the church building that our church body uses. How could we not honor the One who cleaned all our stain-stubborn sins by not cleaning the building we use as dedicated to worshiping Him?
Clean-up day at your church can be any day you chose to humble yourself before Him. Take a peek this Sunday/Wednesday to see where you can be blessed.
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