Couragement

God's Desires

2008-01-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

From Hosea 6:6

God has desires.

His desires are for us to exhibit forgiveness,

mercy,

a heart of thanksgiving

and acknowledgement of what He has done for us.

These are all inward traits.

Our sacrifices for Him...

our offerings to Him...

our outward deeds are nothing

unless there is a change of heart.

Remember

2006-08-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Stuff happens...stuff steals our time and our energy. Lack of money, lack of time, lack of discipline and lack of trust are just a few excuses we use for not doing what God had instructed us to do.

As I write, I am thinking of something God told me to do last week...and I've still not done it. It rained one day, so I couldn't do it. One day, I just didn't want to do it. Somehow, I think I might have passed by this opportunity, but I hope this is not the case.

Too many people live with regrets of not having done what they've felt compelled to do. The years pass, and they feel disappointed at themselves and the circumstances because they are not in the place they want to be. They wonder if perhaps their life would have been different had they grabbed ahold of what God was telling them years before and jumped to it with all their vigor.

But, the Holy Spirit of God has been breathing a word to me, and that word is REMEMBER. If you are like me, there are a lot of events in my life I choose not to remember, but what the Lord is saying is to remember who He is and what dreams and visions He gave you at some point in your life. Perhaps, He is wanting to shake up your life and put you in a new spot. Too young or too old is an invalid excuse. Too much responsibility and work or bored spitless are also invalid excuses. Wherever you are in your life and whatever you are doing are merely "easy to fix" details for the God who made the heavens and the earth.

An example of REMEMBERING comes from the life of David. As a shepard boy, he meets the giant Goliath. Goliath is not just a big overgrown man, but a man whose spear is as thick as a weaver's rod. He's outfitted with armour from head to toe. He's mean and brash. He's full of self conceit and is fearless. This big man has the entire Israeli army shaking in their sandals, but David sees him as beatable with God's help. From this story, here are a few points I want to note about REMEMBERING:

1. Remember, our anointing is not like someone else's anointing. In other words, we shouldn't try to be like someone else. I Samuel 17:38. God has specifically designed each of us for the task He's called us to do.

2. Remember what God has already done in us and for us in the past. It is His strength...not ours. I Samuel 17:34-37. When David stood before Saul, a man known to be a head taller than most, this boy was not relying on his good looks to help him win, he was remembering the lion and the bear he had killed with God's strength. His staff he took before him served as that reminder being marked with slashes representing the events of his life. He kept God's faithfulness and his own ability to win through God everywhere he went.

3. Remember what God can do in the now and now.
I Samuel 17:45-46a. David spoke to Goliath what God was about to do. It looked very impossible, but nevertheless, David believed it was going to be accomplished.

4. Remember He saves for His praise. I Samuel 17:46b-47. David knew God would get the glory for his actions against the giant because the power of the enemy to the natural eye seemed far greater than the power of the Israeli army.

5. Remember to run to the battle. I Samuel 17:48. When you are told to go, then go...not with hesitation or question, but with with the knowledge that God has already gone before you.

David remembered and won.

God has always wanted us to remember not the acts necessarily, but Him when it comes to defeating problems in our lives. In the book of Hosea, God rebukes his people for turning from them, yet in the same book He woes them back so He can bless them. He reminds them in Hosea 13:4, it is He who brought them out of Egypt...who cared for them in the wilderness...and who fed them to the point of being full and satisfied. The problem arose when they became proud. As Hosea pled for repentance, he wrote in chapter 14, "We will never again say 'Our gods 'to what our own hands have made."

This brings me to the final point:

6. Remember to never say it is "I" who brought this about, but "I AM" who brought this about.

TheResurrectionLife

2006-07-23T14:20:00.000-07:00

When Peter stood up at Pentecost to declare the resurrected Lord to those who were gathered there in the upper room, and those who had heard the sound of many languages being preached, he was a new person.

Peter was a fisherman by trade when Jesus called him to be a disciple. He spent three years with Him and when the time came for Peter to be tested, he failed. Three times Peter denied Christ. Peter spent time during the days Jesus walked this earth prior to his assention, to receive direction from the Lord and a mandate to be one of the leaders of the early Church. It was at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on every one there, the resurrected life of Christ was manifested in Peter as he preached a bold, Spirit led sermon where thousands were born again.

So, what is the resurrected life? It is a life focused on kingdom life! Jesus said in Luke 12:31, "But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added to you."

Look at the change in Peter from the rough fisherman to a man filled with the Spirit of the Lord...the resurrected power of Christ. Jesus prepared his disciples for the resurrected life by telling them to "take no thought" for their lives. The phrase "take no thought" literally means to not be distracted.

When trouble enters our lives, worry is knocking at the door and asking for entrance. Worry is a distraction which can strip our lives of productivity, time with our family and time devoted on pursuing what God has told us to pursue which is the Kingdom of God.

In Matthew and again in Luke, Jesus tells his disciples to not be:
1. Distracted by what we are going to eat.
2. Distracted by what we are going to drink.
3. Distracted by what we are going to wear.
4. Distracted by what you are going to do tomorrow.
5. Distracted by what you are going to say when you are under pressure.

In essence, these are the activities which make up our lives...food and drink, clothing, work, activities, and pressure.

The best example I know which describes the resurrected, Spirit filled life comes from the transformation of a cucumber to a pickle. I do not like to eat pickles, but this is the best example I have ever heard. From what I understand, in making pickles, you first are to dip the fresh cucumber quickly into boiling water. The cucumber is still a cucumber at this stage. The next process, involves placing the cucumber in a bowl or vat of vinegary mixture. The cucumber at this point is transformed totally from the inside to outside. It is no longer a cucumber, but a pickle. Other than the look on the outside, there is no similarity between the two in any way either in taste or texture...

That is what happens in us when the resurrected life of Christ permeates our lives. So if the resurrected Christ lives in us, then what need do we have to worry about our daily lives? I Peter 5:7 says to cast (throw) our cares (distractions) on Him because He cares for us. There is nothing going on in our lives which surprises God or catches Him off guard. He knows your stuff and your need. Every distraction can be brought to Him and He will give you direction as to what to do...or maybe direction as to what NOT to do.

It is called trusting HE who lives in you.

Scriptures: Luke 12:11-12, Luke 12: 22-32, Psalms 55:22, I Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:28-34 and 10:19

FishingForBusinessPartTwo

2006-07-20T07:12:00.000-07:00

Reminders from the Holy Spirit come to me sometimes in the most unlikely ways. I was totally exhausted last night when our young son glared at me and said he needed a Bible story before he dozed off. His eyes were getting droopy and I was searching the files of my mind to find a VERY SHORT Bible story. This was not the time for Noah and the Ark because he liked that one told in the mini novel format and I too was quickly slipping away.

I tucked him in under his comforter and leaned down to tell him the story of the coin in the fish's mouth.

Upon arriving in Capernaum, the tax collectors came up to Peter and asked "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?" (This was a tax required to be paid to support the temple. Every Jew 20 years of age and older was required to pay the "didrachma".) Peter responded in the affirmative.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke up before Peter could inform him of the tax which was due. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes - from their own sons or from others?"

"From others," Peter answered.

"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours." (NIV)

Jesus was not talking about tithing. He was talking about a tax imposed to support the temple. Jesus made it very clear, they were not required by God's law to pay the tax. However, in the next statement, He says it needs to be paid. Not required...but needs to be paid!

Jesus' reason was very interesting especially since many of the religious leaders were constantly offended by whatever He did. The Greek word translated "offend" means...to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey.

The first lesson he taught Peter was to look at the big picture when making decisions. Even though the tax was not required by God, He said to pay it because He did not want to put a stumbling block in anyone's way. He saw the big picture...the kingdom of God!

Secondly, Peter had already told the tax collector, Yes...Jesus pays his taxes. At this point, it became a credibility issue more than a money issue. With Peter's acknowledgement to the tax collector, it became necessary for him to also pay the tax. Perhaps Peter should have let Jesus do the answering.

Jesus backed up Peter's response instead of embarrassing him in front of his disciples and the tax collector. In a business setting, this can happen when a well meaning employee or co-worker commits the boss's money or time without their knowledge. The question is, how important is your credibility out there in the market place?

I justlove the way Jesus handles this whole situation. Instead of griping out Peter, He tells him how to get money to pay both His tax and Peter's tax. Who was doing the fishing? Peter. In other words, Peter worked to pay Jesus's portion of the tax as well as his own portion! Here's another principle. If you commit someone elses time and money, then you must be willing to do part of the work or pay part of the cost.

Jesus told him to go fishing...something Peter already knew how to do. He didn't take him outside his expertise, but used what was already in Peter's hand...his fishing business. Specifics came next as to how to get the money to pay the taxes. Peter already knew fish meant money because that was his livelihood, so this wasn't as crazy of a request as you might think! Here's what Jesus instructed him to do...

Go to the sea.

Cast a hook.

Take up the first fish caught.

Open his mouth.

There will be a piece of money in the mouth.

Take it out of the fish's mouth and go pay the taxes for me and you!

Very specific. God can give you very specific directions, even in a situation involving money where you "oopsed" by committing before checking it out with Jesus. Everything got paid. Notice, there was not an overage in this situation, just the exact amount needed to pay the taxes!

What tremendous grace was offered to Peter by Jesus. Peter was very good at speaking before his brain was in gear. He was a take charge kind of guy. Even though the denied Christ and was up one minute and down the next minute, it was this man whom Jesus picked to to one of the leader of the early church.

Never let your past dictate your future.

FishingForBusiness

2006-07-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

Our 5th and 6th grade kids were just about to finish the Book of John. I began to study the last chapter. You know how it is...you think you already know and understand what you are about to read...especially if you've been a Christian as long as I have. But once again, I was totally refreshed and astonished at what I discovered. Here are links to read the 21st Chapter of John, and the 5th Chapter of Luke. In this study, we will be comparing the two events to discover some hidden treasure.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=21&version=31

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205&version=31

Peter was a fisherman by trade. He wasn't just a fisherman, he was a business owner...or at least he was part-owner of a family business. Peter comes on the scene in Luke 5 where Jesus borrowed a spot in Peter's boat to use as a podium from which to preach to the crowds. This place was called the Sea of Gennesaret which is also known as the Sea of Galilee or the Sea of Tiberias.

After Jesus finished preaching, he told Peter to take the boat to deep waters and fish. Peter listened even though the crew had fished all night without results. You have to remember...Peter had just heard Jesus teach and I'm guessing he was impressed, because you have a weathered fisherman who knows his business, being told by a carpenter where to fish><> Interesting isn't it.

When they let down the nets, they caught so many fish, the nets began to tear. They called for another boat and filled up two boats with their catch. The boats were so full, they began to sink. It was right then and there that this fishing mogul left everything to follow Jesus.

Now, let's look at the story in John 21 which takes place after the Lord has been resurrected. The scene is the same except the disciples are on board, fishing in the middle of the lake. Jesus is standing on shore shouting out to them..."Have you caught anything?"..."No" they reply.

They didn't recognize him...probably because of the distance of the boat from the shore. "Throw your net on the right side and you will catch some" was Jesus' reply. When they did, the net was filled with very large fish...so many, they could not get them into the boat. At this point, John recognized Jesus. Peter jumped into the sea and swam to shore to see the Master. The catch was pulled to the shore. The nets were not broken.

Jesus had prepared a fire before the catch on which the fish were to be cooked. No one asked who this man was because they all knew it was the Master! As they were cooking and eating, Jesus turned to Peter and three times (three times Peter denied Jesus...now three times Peter affirms his love for Jesus) asked him if he loved Him. Jesus' response each time to Peter was " feed My sheep" or "feed my lambs".

This is what I found very interesting:

*The Sea of Galilee was the scene in both stories...this was the place where Peter worked his trade...his profession. JESUS COMES TO THE PLACE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

*The first time, Jesus came to him and basically rented Peter's boat. The price of the catch. The "money" he paid to Peter was enough to cover a full day's profits plus some. The second time Jesus came to Peter, he gave him more specific instructions on how to be blessed...cast on the right side. The right side is a place of blessing! WITHOUT JESUS...SELF WILL...THERE IS BARRENNESS, WITH JESUS THERE IS ABUNDANCE.

*The first meeting Jesus had to tell Peter to go to deep waters...where the fish lived. He was a fisherman, but Jesus knew and pointed him to the place where he would prosper. The second time, Peter was already in deep waters...he was in the middle of the lake. This was the place of abudance and miracles before, and the disciples did what they knew to do...still without results until Jesus showed up on the scene. DO WHAT YOU KNOW TO DO BUT DON'T RELY ON THE FORMULA...THE FORMULA ONLY WORKS WHEN JESUS SHOWS UP!

JESUS WILL ALWAYS TELL YOU TO CAST YOUR NETS INTO A PLACE OF BLESSING!

NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED YOU ARE IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD, JESUS KNOWS MORE...HE CAN SEND YOU TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE. THEY MAY NOT EVEN LOOK "CATCHABLE" BUT HE KNOWS THE WATERS.

*The first meeting, Peter was just being introduced to the message of the Kingdom of God and was filled with faith. The second meeting he had believed, denyed and had weathered some very tough times with his faith still in place. He had experience. SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE WILL HELP YOU WEATHER THE STORMS AND KEEP YOU IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE BLESSED. (I.E. - DON'T QUIT, YOU ARE ON THE EDGE OF CHANGE AND BLESSING)

*The first meeting the nets tore from the catch. The second meeting the nets held. There were two different kind of nets used for fishing. The drag net and the casting net. The drag net was set out at night... and pulled in at dawn. The casting net was just that, cast out and pulled in. THE NET WAS THE TOOL OF THEIR BUSINESS. YOU MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR YOUR BUSINESS, BUT IT STILL TAKES JESUS IN THE PICTURE TO KNOW THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE TO USE THOSE TOOLS.

*The first meeting they had two boats and lots of help. These were good fishermen with experience. The second meeting they had a boat full of faith filled, Jesus infused believers. The Bible is not clear if all of these in the boat were fishermen. What is evident, is that most of the disciples were on board. This time when they fished, their nets (i.e. - tools of the trade) worked perfectly! The boat did not sink and there was less effort put forth than the first time, but with the same abundant results. THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS, HOWEVER NUMBERS DO NOT EQUAL SUCCESS UNLESS THOSE NUMBERS ARE IN UNITY, FOLLOWING THE SAME MASTER! MANY BELIEVERS WORKING TOGETHER WILL PRODUCE MORE THAN ONE BELIEVER WORKING ALONE.

IT TAKES A TEAM EFFORT TO BRING IN THE BIG FISH!

*The first meeting Peter left everything to follow Jesus. The second meeting he was given his destiny to preach the Gospel which began at Pentecost...where thousands were born again. The questions Jesus asked Peter on the beach while they were dining on bread and fish, exposed the very heart of Peter. Before, he was willing to die for Jesus but then followed up his words with denial. This time, he more or less eradicated the three times he denyed Christ by affirming his love for him...three times. Jesus gave him a mission at this point, set him up as a leader and commissioned him to shephard the church which was about to be born. FROM FISHERMAN TO FISHER OF MEN. PUT GOD FIRST IN ALL YOUR BUSINESS DEALINGS. HE IS THE ONE WHO WILL EXAULT YOU. DON'T TRY TO EXAULT YOURSELF.

At first, it may seem the tools you have aren't enough, but through experience and listening, what you have is more than enough when you work together under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

CondemnToJustify

2006-06-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

Job 40:8 "Would you discredit my justice?

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?"

When Job said "I'm finished", his friends began to slander his character and God's ways. They really didn't have much of a clue what they were talking about, but in an attempt to validate themselves, they tried to destroy their friend.

It is amazing to me in the last chapter of Job, God asks Job to pray for his friends. Apparently, they remained friends after everything that had happened! Unbelievable. This in itself gives you an insight into Job...he had the ability to forgive what most people would call the unforgiveable.

To back up just a bit, beginning in chapter 38, the Lord replies to Job. God never discredits him as his friends did, rather He begins a line of questioning which makes it clear to Job, he has spoken without knowledge. Here is a summary of the questions:

Where were you when I formed the heavens and the earth and do you know how everything was made?

Who orders the heavens and the earth?

Who gives wisdom and understanding to man?

Who looks after and cares for ALL the animals of the earth?

Who endowed each living creature with it's own special characteristics?

Are you saying I am unjust?

WOULD YOU CONDEMN ME TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF?

If you are not able to stand up against the largest and strongest creatures I have made, what makes you think you can stand against Me?

Who owns everything under heaven?

Job realizes he has spoken without understanding, and receives the correction of the Lord. He concluded, God can do what He wants and His plans cannot be thwarted! He says..."I heard of you, but now I see you". Revelation!

I want to go back to this statement God made to Job...would you condemn me to justify yourself? Basically this is exactly what Job's friends were doing. In order for them to feel superior to Job, they condemned him. He was reacting to God in the same way his friends were reacting to him.

If you recall in the account of the flood in Genesis, Noah condemns an entire generation because he is God's man. He was the standard upon which every other human being was being judged. Noah did not knowingly condemn them. It was just who HE WAS...a righteous man.

When Job's friends came to condemn him, they elevated themselves by condemning Job. Everyone knew he was righteous. They knew he followed God and that God had blessed him. Perhaps they too wanted to be looked upon with esteem and honor by their fellow man.

Probably you have heard the example of the crabs in the bucket. If you put one crab in a bucket, it can crawl out without much effort. However, if you put more than one crab in a bucket, they will pull each other down, and not one will make it over the top. I've seen that before with friendships and have probably done it myself.

Do we think there is only room for one at the "top"? Job's friends wanted to make sure they were elevated above their friend. Condemn someone else to justify yourself.

What about what God said to Job? Job was trying to justify his suffering by condemning God's ability to judge righteously. Since Job was blameless, God must have goofed. OOOh! It is interesting, God never addresses the cause of Job's suffering, however, Job gets the picture loud and clear...He is not God.

God remains just in the face of injustice. He remains faithful in the face of unfaithfulness. He remains able and willing in the face of obstacles.

When Job realizes he had spoken without understanding, he readily admited his error to God. He shows himself humble before the Creator of the Universe. Do you ever see Job's friends humbling themselves before God and admitting their error? I do not know if God's reply was where Job's friends could here, but given He later asks them to sacrifice, and they obey...I'm thinking they could hear what God said to Job. Were they sitting smuggly pointing fingers at Job saying "GOD'S GONNA GET YA"?

Do you remember in the first part of Acts, when the disciples questioned Jesus as to when He was going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?...He basically ignored the question and told them they would receive power from the Holy Spirit to be witnesses! Why didn't He answer their question? It wasn't important. What was important was that they were about to be endued with power to witness.

For Job, the question of suffering was really never answered. But the answer was given to Job by God. The Lord God said it was He who had the wisdom Job needed. It was the Lord God who knew HOW the universe was formed...He knew HOW to restore Job...He knew HOW to get him through this transitional time...He knew HOW to take care of Job.......and on and on.

The answer for all of us is not in the WHY'S, but in the knowledge of the One who holds all things in place. It is in the knowledge He will never leave us or forsake us. It is in the knowledge He is working all things out so the end result will be multiple times better than the suffering.

God is bigger than the battle.

When we see God, as Job testified at the end of his suffering, then we know He has a plan just as He had a plan when He created all things. We don't have to condemn to justify anything in our lives. God justified us in Christ. If He went to all the trouble to justify us, then He has our best in mind. The suffering? Paul said it is nothing compared to the Glory which will be revealed!

I'mFinished

2006-06-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

In Job 31, Job gets out his last little bit of venting and is done talking with his friends. He is ready to hear from God and to be judged righteously by the one who made him.

Job defends himself one last time from the onslaught of unfair, untrue remarks his friends have hurled at him. Untrue remarks about how God operates and untrue remarks about what Job has done to deserve this punishment!

This is a summary of what Job says:

*I haven't lusted after another woman or another man's wife.
*I haven't committed adultery.
*I have helped the poor and the widow.
*I have been a father to the orphan.
*I've provided clothing to those in need
*I've used my influence to help the orphan (i.e. - I've been just)
*I fear God too much to act unjustly toward anyone!
*I haven't put my trust in Gold, nor have I worshiped the sun or the moon or any other god.
*I've not rejoiced when misfortune comes to my enemy, nor have I cursed him.
*I've opened my home to the traveler.
*I've not hidden my guilt in order to look good in front of men.
*I've dealt fairly with my tenants.

Job still declares he is blameless. He is blameless in his business dealings, blameless in his judgments, blameless in his trust of God, and blameless in his treatment of those less fortunate.
As I was reading Job's declarations of his good deeds, I cringed just a little thinking how I would size up next to Job. He was a pretty good fellow! Thank goodness for the grace of God!

Job was blameless, yet he vented. At the end of Job, we see what God had to say about the words Job uttered. Another Old Testament character was very good at venting...King David. This is what he wrote in Psalm 22:

1My God, my God,
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.

3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.

4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.

5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.

6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.

7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:

8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."

9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.

10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.

12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.

14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.

15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.

16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.

17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.

18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.

19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.

21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.

23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him
may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,

28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him
those who cannot keep themselves alive.

30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.

31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn
for he has done it. (NIV)

Though he vented and wondered where God was in his life, he always came back to a place of proclamation and praise. I guess what I am saying is that it is okay to vent, but perhaps how and to whom we vent might be in question. My future son-in-law and I were talking about this last night, the need for venting, and I told him I had come to the conclusion it was okay. David and Job both let it all hang out before God. They didn't pull any punches about how they felt, but they both dumped on God instead of a friend who might not know how to deal with the venting. What I have seen in my own life, or shall I say, what I have observed in the lives of young people, is a tremendous need to have someone to whom they can talk. Unfortunately, some of those friends are about as worthless as Job's friends were to him in his time of trouble.

Finally, Job finished. That's redundant! Job got it all out, and waited for God to respond. He was emptied of all his questions, his misery and his anger. I get the same way, but at the age of 53 I'm just now understanding HOW to vent. God is good and knows what is in our hearts, it is not a surprise to Him when we spill everything out to him. God doesn't go "Oh wow, did you hear what she said?" Thank goodness we have a God who will listen, correct and restore us. That is exactly what He did to and for Job.

There is a process called bridement. It is a procedure of scraping out the infection in a wound before it heals over. If the wound begins to heal over before the infection is cleaned out, it will spread and create other more serious health issues for the patient. Job debrided himself, letting all of the stuff which was already in his heart ooze (sorry) out to God who could bring about perfect healing in his life! Yet, he declared what truth he had about who God was.

MoreQuestionsThanAnswers

2006-06-16T22:13:00.000-07:00

It seems here lately, I have been living Job. This evening as I was reading my email, up pops in the subject area of the Troubledwith weekly emails the word "depression". I was suffering from a stressful day, so I dared to click on the subject of the article contained therein. I buried my head in my hands.,.it was about Job.

(click on MoreQuestionsThanAnswers title to link to the Focus on the Family Web Site and the article mentioned above!)

It has been unbelievable the mood swings I've experienced here lately. I've stressed out whether we could pay our bills, eat, have gas and about a million other things. If anyone asks me for anything it becomes a major issue in my mind. I feel as though I am in short supply, and what little supply I have is being eaten up. Then, there are times when I feel full of hope and believe this is shortlived and we will be okay. Today has not been a high belief day, in fact it is a rock bottom, dirty on the ground, below ground feeling of "this is my lot in life"...and it stinks.

Job said in Chapter 30 verse 26 -31 he had helped out the poor, fatherless and widow, yet when he hoped for something good, evil came in it's place...when he looked for light at the end of the tunnel, darkness took its place. Yes brother Job, preach on.

Maybe you are where I am today, afraid to even hope because of the darkness which has choked out anything good in your life. It's hope against hope. It's ashes for beauty, mourning for the oil of joy and a heaviness instead of praise.

All the things I've written prior to this post about Job seem impossible for me even to read today. The hope of things being turned around seems bleak. In fact, it's like I'm heading into the pit of no return. This is not a good place to be yet I have to hope or I die. I have to see the light or I will shrivel up and just not be here one day. I try so hard, yet it is never enough...never enough for my family, my friends, my church family. Everyone seems to think I have this endless supply of hope and energy and I don't. My eyes are baggy from little sleep. My heart is heavy from hope constantly be dashed. My appearance is fading into an old woman.

"Oh Lord, help me, you are my only hope in this time of being down. Even as low as I feel tonight, you still are my only hope. I feel barely alive. Don't leave me in this time of despair. Are you going to let us fade away like a flower cut from it's roots? Are my children to have their tongues stick to the top of their mouth from lack of food? Do you despise my age and cause me to be looked at as a common worker, not being able to fulfill my dreams? What are my dreams? Are they to work myself into the ground leaving my children to teach themselves how to grow up? Will they take counsel from themselves or from other children who have no counsel at all in their lives? Where is the ordering of my steps, Lord? Have they been ordered to the pit where I can fall and be consumed by the Lion or the Bear?

Too many look to me for too many things and I am spent. Is it okay for me to work without pay? Everyone seems to think so! Do what is right and stay until someone else is found! What about the rightness of my family having just the basics of life to survive? Are they to suffer? I am sick within. Nothing gives me pleasure any more. I try, but my eyes fill with tears and my ears ring with the pressure of stress. I hate my life, but I do not have any desire to end it because somewhere within me is the smallest spark of hope. However small it may be, it is enough to keep me dragging through the day, trying to get enough of a surge of energy to make it through until I can drown myself in the sweet opium of sleep. But even that is not enough. For I wake to even more demands because the demands of the day before have not been met and it multiplies each and every day until the weight is more than I can bear.

If you don't help me and turn this business around...turn my life around, where will I go? I depend upon you. My hope is in your hands. What testimony do you want from me? What do people see when they look upon my countenance...do they see you or do they see an empty vessel with no refreshing? You choose Lord what you want to do with me, but I cannot last much longer. My days are fading away. I want to see my children married and fruitful but I feel if life doesn't change for the better, I will be sucked into the earth never to be seen again. In some ways, I hope for that.

Death is as sure as the sun coming up each morning. It can be depended upon. It comes to all people whether great or small. It is no respecter of persons. Death is immanent. But life is different. It changes from moment to moment...never giving you a chance to take a breath and enjoy the morning chill or the evening wind. Only the hot air which shrivels you up into a wad of dry nothingness swirls around you with it's aim to bring you to death. All I can say is help me Lord, help me Lord...I need to be refreshed and have hope infused back into my being. I really do want to live and love and be all you want me to be and maybe this feeling of deadness is part of the process, but it is hard.

Honor your words to us and bring us into the light. Give us more than hope; give us substance. How can I help the ones I so long to help if there is nothing to give. It is frustrating Lord. Perhaps I do not have enough of something, but yet I have all of you...Are you not enough? I am resigned I do not have all the answers, just more questions. But you, Oh God, do have all the answers and it is in this knowledge I base my hope. In this world there is a saying. Actions speak louder than words. Is this not true? I realize words create actions or substance, so where is the substance of those words. If you do not answer me, I am undone."

Abandoned

2006-06-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

ABANDONED!

Totally stripped of his dignity, Job becomes a household word to all of his friends and neighbors. "What has Job done wrong to deserve this agony?" "How could we have thought all these years he was such a good man. What is hidden we don't know about that this Job fellow has done!"

Laying in ashes and lancing his boils, the bloody bodied Job has become the target of ridicule from his "friends" who feel they know so much more than he. They believe they have the mind of God on this matter and have gotten together to form a committee which in their eyes, validates their torment of Job.

In chapters 15-20, Job's friends dig the knife deeper into his already grieving state, but he will not keep silent. (vs. 16) It is in his venting, Job finds release. He calls his so called friends...windbags full of hot air...without substance...lacking wisdom.

Job is (16:15-16)clothed with sackcloth and his head is covered with dirt as he buries himself in his agony. His eyes have dark circles from lack of sleep and they are red from crying. He can barely see from all his weeping...a fog covers his eyes...the fog of pain and the fog of despair.

A once wealthy man who was esteemed in the eyes of his countrymen, Job realizes he has been abandoned completely. His friends and acquaintances have forgotten him. His guests who once counted him a friend along with his servants look at him as though he were a stranger. Even the few servants he has don't respond to his call. His own wife is sickened by his bad breath. (vs 19) To make matters worse, he is scorned by the children of the community who point and make fun of his grief.

As the days of his torment reduce him to just skin and bones, Job makes a remarkable statement. (19:25-26) He says "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth, and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God." (NIV) Hope in the midst of hopelessness...wow!

How horrible to be surrounded by those who call you wicked and an oppressor of the poor. Your friends?! Have they forgotten you just lost everything...yet they are telling you God will bring more terror...He will strike you with an arrow...He will bring down His wrath upon you...You cannot escape his vengeance...He will cause fire to consume all you have left and will send a flood to wash away the rubble. "This is your heritage, Job", says his friends.

Where was Job's hope? It was in the only one who could change the circumstances of life...His Redeemer. The only One who could ransom him...be his kinsman redeemer. Though Job thought his redemption would come only through death, he was speaking into his darkness powerful words of life. It was in the death experience of the old Job, that the new Job was resurrected.

Like the three Hebrew children who were able to walk through the fire and come out smelling like a rose, Job weathered the attack and came out possessing more in relationship with God, and in possessions.

Are you in a situation of loss? Have you felt as though you were being stripped of everything? Friendships...have they gone bad? Children headed the wrong direction? Loss of job? Loss of income? Not enough? No hope? I figure if Job's hope was in his redeemer, then mine should be wrapped up in My Redeemer. Did you notice that Job got a glimpse of the big picture, for he called God "MY" Redeemer...he was talking about a personal relationship here!

Instead of possessing trouble...My problems...or My heartache...why not posses your redeemer. Job was saying "My Redeemer Lives". In the face of a dead situation, Job possessed the life giving Redeemer as his own.

Possess Life today!

SinsOfOurYouth

2006-06-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

Through cheery faces and smiles, we cover up the nagging thought we pay for our past...sometime in the future. We've all been taught you will eventually reap what you sow. There is always a harvesting of what we plant...unless the seed is removed and new seed is put in it's place.
========================
Here in West Texas, farmers often times have to replant as fledgling plants pop up only to be destroyed by hail. Every season, the threat of severe weather is on the minds of even the non-farmer. We all know what that means...we all know the consequences of this kind of trouble!
============
In a way, that is what the storms of life bring...a chance to destroy the "bad seed" which has popped up in our fields. Yeah, I know this is a weird way of looking at things, but Job had a chance to live this out. I was reading the 11th through the 14th chapter of Job today. He had lots of time to think about his situation. Though his adult life had been "blameless", he recalled the time of his youth. "Ah, yes, that must be the reason I am in such misery," he thought. After all...your sins will find you out. I sometimes think we have this picture of our sins chasing after us. It doesn't matter how committed we are to the Lord now. In fact, in our eyes, that has nothing to do with it. Our sins will find us out and there will be "hell" to pay.
===================================
I am well aware that our past will often times color our future. An unplanned pregnancy...a poor financial decision...a word spoken in anger....all of these will make a difference in our futures, but, that does not mean our futures will be dim. I like what David said in Psalm 23...."surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life". David wasn't exactly a model of moral behavior, yet he was called a man after God's own heart. Now, don't get me wrong, I believe in purity, and I believe purity is what God desires, but even David who experienced trouble even when he had been "good", knew the mercies of the Lord. Goodness and mercy followed him because whenever he "sinned", he turned aside from the sin and allowed God to bring him to a point of brokenness so he could be restored.
=======
So, are the storms of life always bad? No. There are multiple reasons for the travail we experience in life. Sometimes they are to bring life (like a birth). Sometimes they are because we have created the atmosphere for storms to occur by our decisions. Sometimes they are formed against us...not by God...to seek our very lives. But in any storm, God's mercies are there for us if we will hold tight to the only one who can make the storms cease.

************************

In the midst of his trouble, Job's life was always protected. God was never going to remove His protection from Job in that way. The storms he experienced had nothing to do with his past. God was wanting to increase Job. Job stood the test even though he vented his anger at God and questioned His love for him. In the midst of his venting, however, he still glimpsed the fact, God would "vindicate" him and hoped He would cover his sins and toss them into the deepest part of the ocean.
===

If your past is still haunting you, head for your future. As the apostle Paul said...get rid of anything which keeps you from running the race, and run to win. Paul too had a past if you remember...he was a murderer, a religious zealot whose hands were covered with the blood of Christians. He said...much is required of me...because much has been forgiven. The knowledge of his past sins did not deter him from having a future, it only reminded him of the mercies and goodness of God in his life. He desired to run the race for a God who unconditionally gave everything just for him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So here's the question. Given that storms happen, which would you rather do...ride out the storm with the Creator of the universe who knows how to get you through, or depend on yourself to get you through? Who is the one who can speak to the storm and tell it to cease? Is your past coloring your future? Have you angrily pointed your finger at God like Job and said "I can't take this any more"? I have, yet I know I will make it through because God's life raft is bigger than what I can make with my own two hands, and I prefer to get aboard the big raft!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

JesusOurMediator

2006-06-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was studying out of Job 9, I found myself crying as I read Job's response to his friend. I could not believe I was crying, but I found that I had said the same things as Job or felt the same feelings. I cannot say I have been in a position where I've lost nearly everything dear to me, but yet I felt a closeness to this Biblical character from years gone by. The most amazing thing happened as I read each emotion, the Holy Spirit dropped into each scenario a New Testament scripture or principle which seemed to answer the feeling expressed.

---------------------------

For instance:

Job's thoughts in Job 9:13 - God does not restrain His anger.

God however, pours out mercy on the just and the unjust alike. To be merciful, God must be able to restrain His anger. We tend to look at God the way we would BE GOD if given half a chance. For instance, if we were God, the unjust would immediately be toasted...second chances would be rare, and long periods of patience would be non-existent...but God is patient, full of mercy and compassion and...can hold His anger for centuries!

------------------

Job's thoughts in Job 9:15 - Even if I were innocent, I could only ask for mercy

Only ask for mercy?! Mercy is extremely important.

Hebrews 4:16 says this: "Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."(NAS)

We are to come boldly...having that freedom to speak...knowing we WILL receive mercy in our time of need. This is a benefit of being under the new covenant!

----------------------------------------

Job's thoughts in Job 9: 16-34 - Even if I asked for help, you wouldn't respond. I can't even catch my breath before you hit me with more misery. You laugh and make fun of the innocent in despair...Apparently you have found me guilty, so why struggle...I hate my life. Even if I cleaned up, you would just throw me back into the slime pit. Is there anyone who would arbitrate between me and God...someone who can get Him to ease up on me! If there was someone like that, then I could speak my mind.

I Timothy 2:5 says this "For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men"

Yes...we do have a mediator who has already given His life for us!.

Romans 8:26-28 "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Not only is Christ the Mediator between us and Father God, He intercedes for us constantly. Add to that the work of the Holy Spirit and His intercession for us, we can be confident all things will work together for our good! He responds to our every call...He's not forgotten us!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

In the face of discouragement, despair and lack of direction, the Holy Spirit is here to comfort and direct.

-------------------

It was just a few nights ago, our 16 year old daughter was taking home a friend who lived in the country. As long as she had someone in the car who knew the way, everything was fine. It became apparent as she left to come home, she did not know the way. After making several turns this way and that way, managing to get totally lost, she phoned home to get directions from her Dad who speaks "roadeese". Unfortunately, he was not acquainted well enough with country roads to be of any help. "Call 911...they have all the county maps and should be able to get you pointed in the right direction." So, our very embarrassed daughter phoned 911 and they eventually got her headed back to the house.

It's a very lonely and frustrating feeling to be lost on a dark night in the middle of nowhere! I must imagine Job felt the pull of darkness and despair. But Christ became our mediator...He (Christ) didn't leave us without help...The Father sent us His Holy Spirit to direct us and intercede for us. There is something comforting knowing someone is watching out for us and constantly has our best in mind at all times.

Job was hopeless and all alone, but we are never alone. He said He would never leave you or forsake you. That is good news!

PassedUp

2006-06-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Job 9:11 "When he passes me, I cannot see him; when he goes by, I cannot perceive him." (NAS)

Unable to feel the movement of the robes of God as He passes by...the breeze of His presence. Unable to see the beauty and the radiance of His perfection. Unable to perceive He has even been in your life.

----------------------------

Troubles bring with them a desensitizing to a lot of us. The forgetting of all the good things He has given us in the past. A feeling of "bring on death" because of the heartache of loss and the constant pressure of sickness is more real than God himself.

--------------------------

It is in times like these when a good dunk in a lake, or smelling the mountain air does me a lot of good, but then, so does immersing myself in the bathtub. Job, a man who lived before the new covenant did not have what we as Christians have today...The Holy Spirit. He is better than a good dunk in a lake or a day in the mountains. His presence can be felt and perceived as He passes by and re-colors our world with hope and freshness. He is like watching a black and white picture take on color and finally form. He "wow's" us every day with the joy of the Lord and a song in our heart.

----------------

Job's situation was probably worse than any of use have experienced but yet we have all felt the hopelessness and desperation of loss. That black hole that seems to continue into utter darkness and despair.

Recently, I was praying for a daughter of a friend. The Holy Spirit showed me as I was praying, a hand grabbing this young woman from darkness into light. It was not a gentle gesture, but a jerk as though she was in danger. For Job, his world was completely dark, but God was about to jerk him back into the light so He could bless him.

---------------------------

Your present condition is not permanent. Neither was Job's. Though you may be having trouble perceiving Him, He is there. Write upon your heart the events in your life where you know God has been there. The same breath He gave you when you came into this world, He can breathe again into a dead situation and create restoration.

-----------------------

Holy Spirit breathe upon each heart reading this today. Create a passion for You in them. Open their eyes so they will see the greatess of the Father's love for them and the hope You've breathed into them.

TestingTesting!

2006-06-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

James 1:2 (NASB)

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Job 6 begins a second discourse of grieving and venting. Job responds to the confusing, erroneous counsel of his good friend Eliphaz by explaining to him I'm in total misery. What God has done is more than he can bear...according to Job. If only God would kill him now then it would be over! He is determined to tell it like it is (or as He perceives it!).

ssssss
Can you imagine going to your best friend's house who has just lost their children in a car accident. Their home has been leveled by some natural disaster. All their possessions have been looted. They are wounded and horrified at life itself. Would you, like Eliphaz, tell them God did this to you because you did something wrong? Probably not. Would you tell them they did not have enough faith? OOh...I KNOW that one has been used before...way too many times.
ssssss
In his eyes, Job had nothing to loose. He unleashed his anger at his friends. For in the midst of total disaster, they were not even allowing him to speak what was in his heart. He believed God had given up on him, so he'd given up on God...there was nothing left except the compassion of his friends which he obviously was not getting. They were full of flattery when life was good, and finger pointing when things got bad. They were as James would put it, unstable.

ssssss

As I was waking up this morning, I began thinking about the "red" verse (above) in the book of James. The Lord kept me in James for several years. I will have to admit, I rather tired of reading the same thing over and over again. But James is the only New Testament book which even mentions Job. Parts of the book of James mirrors the theme of the book of Job.

How could James tell us to consider it joy when we encounter various trials? What did he say was being tested? Our faith. Where does "our faith" come from, or is it really "our faith"? Faith comes into our lives by hearing the Word of God. For Job, he had only heard the Word of the servants bringing him bad news, the Word of his wife, and the Word of his friend who was unable to discern what was really going on in Job's suffering. As the book concludes, Job finally gets the Word of God...then faith came...then restoration came.

ssssss

The second part of this verse out of James is dealing with asking God for wisdom. I don't want to jump ahead too much, but when God, (Job 40) begins to speak to Job He says..."would you condemn me to justify yourself?" This is exactly what happens in all of our lives when we are lacking wisdom...we condemn God to justify ourselves! It may go something like this..."God, I've followed you all my life and this is the pay I get for obedience?!" Condemning God for not being faithful. Here's another one..."God, why haven't you healed me...I believed you...what happened?" Condemning God for not being true to His Word. The list goes on.

ssssss

Should we NEVER complain? Can we not even complain to God? Read in the Psalms to see how David..."a man after God's own heart" handled his open anger and grief.

66666666

The bottom line, stuff will happen when we've been "good" but God ALWAYS turns things for our good. I too have to make myself remember a basic characteristic of Jehovah God...He operates out of love and a desire to give. He gives wisdom freely to all who ask.

TO AND FRO...

2006-06-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

In Job 2, The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From roaming about (to and fro) on the earth and walking around on it."

------

You have a roaming enemy (who by the way is a defeated enemy, not a victorious enemy), and you have a running Heavenly Father who is constantly aware of every move you make.

Everything in life is about perspective. I hate to use this rather worn out addage, but the cup is either half full or half empty. I can choose each day to either focus on God, my help, my salvation, my hope, my future, my provider, my healer...or I can look at the crap that happened that day.

------

You must know, you are reading these ponderings from a woman who just yesterday was in tears about what she didn't have, so don't put me on any pedastal. I am also a woman who, when I read the Word and get before God, realizes just how blessed I really am.

------

The problem with "the cup is half full or half empty" is that there is the same amount of liquid in the cup no matter how you look at it.

-------

With God, it is different. When we focus on Him, our cup does not remain half full, but fills to the brim and overflows. When we focus on "stuff" and problems and perhaps, the workings of the enemy, that liquid life which was previously in the cup begins to evaporate and we sense a dryness in our lives.

------

I guess I just don't get too worked up with the whole scenerio about satan coming to the Lord, because, as James says, the Lord is full of mercy and compassion. Have you ever been extended mercy when you've screwed up? It is like fresh flowing water in your life. Have you ever been laddled with compassion during times of sorrow or stress? It is like lifting a 1000 pound weight off your shoulders.

------

I pray for you today, that your eyes will focus on His eyes.

THE HURTING HEART OF JOB/THE VALUE OF A FRIEND

2006-05-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Job 2:11 - 5:27
We might all use words like...loyal, kind and loving to describe a true friend. As I was reading the comments made to Job by his friends, I had to gulp as I thought of the words I have given to friends, not understanding their grief.

This scene opens in Job 2:11. Job is sitting on the ground covered with ashes, scraping his sore covered body with a piece of broken pottery. Job had lost his children...that is enough to cause a man to break. He had lost his "stuff" and was receiving "0" comfort from his angry, grieving wife. As I pondered her anger, I gained some insight into her statement, "Just curse God and die." She too had just lost the children she bore and all she possessed. They were both grieving in different ways. So, I guess I will back down slightly from my first impression of the woman and cut her a little slack. (OOO, was I acting like Job's friends?!?)

In the next scene, we see Job's friends coming to grieve with him. They were deeply moved by their friend's destruction and wept when they saw him. They entered into his grief by sitting with him in silence for an entire week. You know how it is when you have kept your mouth from speaking "junk". Someone you feel comfortable with enters your life, and major venting begins. That is exactly what happened to Job.

Beginning in Job 3:1-26, we see the extent of Job's suffering. He wishes he had never been born...and if he HAD been born, he wishes he would have died at birth. Then he thinks...if he COULD die, then at least he could have a king's honor...he could be with the wise men of the earth. At this low point in Jobs life he reasons death is the only way out. As he vents his condition, he ponders what death would bring...he would not have to deal with the wicked..he would not be weary...there would be no slavery or bondage to sickness...he would be filled with peace and quietness. Perhaps Mrs. Job was right..."just die."

With the pouring out of his grief to his friends, the dialogue begins...Eliphaz is the first to respond. (his name means "My God is Fine Gold" or another meaning is "God is my strength. He was a descendant of Esau!) As you read this chapter, see if you find as I did, Eliphaz contradicting himself. It is obvious, he did not understand...but rather than admit his own ignorance of the ways of God, he continues to give poor advice. I have a challenge for you.... Read this chapter (Job 4:1-5:27), and come up with a list of your own discrepancies.

True or False

Plus or Minus

You rate these statements. Are they true or false. Are they encouraging or discouraging...you JUDGE the words of Eliphaz the Temanite! (This has been Cherylized)

1. Job, you have encouraged so many and now you are discouraged.

2. Job, you are blameless...put your confidence and hope in your blamelessness.

3. God does not DESTROY the innocent!

4. What evil men sow, they will reap evil.

5. God is just.

6. God looks for fault in us, and forgets us when we are broken so that we die without wisdom and just wither away.

7. Job, you call all you want to, but who is going to listen!

8. Job, I think you are full of resentment and envy and you are acting like a fool.

9. Job, only a fool has his children crushed and his possessions taken.

10. Hard times always have a root of sin...they don't just come out of nowhere.

11. What I would do is build a case for myself before God.

12. Job, God is able and just so call on Him, maybe He will hear you.

13. Job, God is surely disciplining you so don't reject His disciplining.

14. If you hadn't done something wrong, you wouldn't be suffering.

15. Take our counsel. We know we are right because we took a committee vote on your situation and that makes us right.

16. You need to do what we say.

Do you see Eliphaz giving sound words of encouragement? Did you notice he contradicts his own words? Even He is trying to understand God!

"Oh Lord, help me to know you so well, when I speak to someone, it is your words and not the wavering words of a fool."

My husband and I lost our first child through miscarriage. A caring friend who did not know what to say said this to me..."It's okay, you will be able to have other children!" For those of you who have suffered the loss of a child, even if it is the loss of an unborn child, you know these words did not ease our grief. About a year later, she lost a child through miscarriage and when I went to see her, the first words out of her mouth were in the form of an apology. She said, "I didn't know how you felt...I am so sorry." But I already knew she didn't know what to say and I certainly did not want her to experience the same loss I had experienced.

HOLY COW, WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU

2006-05-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

James 5:11 - "As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. (In the NT, the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings is that one who has PERSEVERED!) You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

As we start the study of Job, remember the words of James "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." It hardly seems appropriate that compassion and mercy would be used when we see the misery brought on Job, a man who was blameless...but there may be something hidden in this book which I for one have missed seeing. (James 5:7-16 will help you put this verse in context.)

Chapters 1 and 2 tell of the plight of Job and how he reacted to disaster!

Job lost all his children and all of his possessions. Job wasn't even given a break. As soon as one servant appeared with distressing news, another would arrive. Can you imagine loosing everything precious in one day! He did retain his wife who was such a joy to be around and so very encouraging...not. As I recall, God gave permission to satan to take everything except Job himself. Why do you think Job's wife was allowed to live...physically untouched, but verbally full of anger, telling Job to just curse God and die. Apparantely, she was exactly the kind of wife the enemy wanted around Job. Who else could influence Job to end his life but his own wife.

I want you to see something very remarkable!

Job looses all his children and his possessions:
What was his response? Job 1:21_______________________________________
Did Job blame God? Job 1:22____________

Job is inflicted with sores:
What was his response? Job 2:10_______________________________________
Did Job blame God? Job 2:10___________

In both cases, his response was perfect. He did not blame God!...He did not sin!

Remember the verse out of James? God is full of compassion and mercy!

So, this is a question for you to ponder. If God is full of compassion and mercy, why did He allow Job to be tested in such a manner?

Look forward to hearing from you...

JOB

2006-05-23T07:25:00.000-07:00

Job

An Arab from the land of Uz (Not OZ!)

His name means "hated"

His Character as described in the book of Job

blameless

perfect

just

upright

feared God

turned from evil

Family

Married with 7 sons and 3 daughters

Position

Considered the greatest man among all the people of the East

Possessions

7,000 sheep

3,000 camels

500 yoke of oxen

500 donkeys

A large number of servants

God's Opinion of Job

(1:8) "There is no one on earth like him;

he is blameless and upright,

a man who fears God

and shuns evil...

(2:3) And he still maintains his integrity (in loss)

though you (satan) incited me against him

to ruin him without any reason."

Welcome to the Book of Job. This is a first time for me to actually spend time studying this book in depth. I welcome any comments and wisdom you gain from studying this book. As you go through this study with me, I would like to share some of my favorite websites where you can get Bible concordances and dictionaries for free. Here they are: ttp://www.biblegateway.com/ and http://www.blueletterbible.org/ . Here are some other sites I like to get information on a number of matters pertaining to the Christian Walk. http://cbn.com/ , http://www.troubledwith.com/ . Along with this, I want to share with you how I study. I was asked by a friend of mine some time ago just how I studied.

First

I TRY (not always the case) to find some time when it is quiet and I can focus on hearing from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, and I don't want to miss what He has to say.

Second

I personally like to get a little background when I am doing a book study. When was it written? What was going on politically, historically? Was there persecution? Where was it taking place? In other words, I like to have a scene in which to put the "characters" in the story. I like seeing things in dimension rather than flat on a page. The above two links...blueletterbible and biblegateway are standards for me. You can read in any number of translations. What I do is open several browser window so I can go back and forth. That is what I am doing right now!

Third

The Word of God can only be understood by the Spirit of God. Without Him, there might be some surface understanding, but to know the deeper things of God, He has to be in our study time. It is interesting to me how sometimes I can read and get nothing. The next time I read, the Spirit of the Lord shoves my face down into the Bible and all of a sudden I see something I've never seen before. (Wow...now I understand everything about that verse!...not) It may be years later when I am once again grabbed and have my face shoved back down into that verse and another side of what God is saying becomes relavant. There is no end to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in just one tiny verse. There is always freshness in His teaching.

Fourth

I begin to read where He places me. Sometimes it is a book study. Sometimes it is a subject matter (That is where the links above help) and sometimes is it just one small verse. Perhaps He has called you to walk through the Bible each year. Where ever He has placed you...go there. Study His Way. What I am giving you is the way He has taught me.

Fifth

Listen. Sometimes I don't understand what He is saying and I just tell Him I don't understand!

You can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit within if you have accepted Jesus the Christ as your Lord and Saviour alone. Jesus said He would bring the comforter who would lead us and teach us and reveal to us... (One more point to listening. Commentaries are fine, but don't pick them up unless the Holy Spirit instructs you to. They are sometimes filled with wisdom, and sometimes not. Give God an opportunity to speak directly to you.)

Sixth

Don't be discouraged if you don't understand everything. If God gives you one nugget out of an entire chapter, hold on to that nugget as a gift from God. The Christian life is progressive...one step at a time...precept upon precept.

Finally...understand the importance of Bible study is not just to gain information so we can look good among our Christian bros and sis's. The Holy Spirit's leading to read a chapter, a book, a verse is to prepare us. Have you ever been reading...let's say...about forgiveness and within a few days you have to apply that teaching? Well, He prepares us if we will listen. Wisdom applied. Sometimes I've heard...been taught...and still screw up in application!

It's all about Him! So let's see what He is saying in this study. Will love to hear from you!

UPCOMING STUDY IN JOB

2006-05-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Although I had fully intended to begin a study in the Song of Solomon, it just didn't happen! The book of Job is one book I've read but said, "Once is enough". Never say that, God will bring it around a second time. Watch for more posts!

MARE/STALLION

2006-05-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with a need to explain one of the verses...

Solomon describes his love as a mare harnessed to a chariot in Pharoah's army in 1:9. Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots. He had imported them out of Egypt. So he was familiar with the horses of Pharoah's army. What is interesting here is that Pharoah used stallions to pull his chariot's...The picture he is painting here is of a beautiful, vibrant woman who is well noticed by the multitude of men surrounding her. She is a woman to be sought after!

Remember her sensitivity when she said...don't stare at me? She had been weathered by the sun, oppressed by her brothers...sucked dry in other words, but Jesus said he didn't see her that way. Instead, he affirms her beauty.

Isn't that just like Jesus! He looks past the stuff in our lives and robes us in fine linen and scarlet and purple. Then He places a crown of jewels on our head and a ring on our finger and takes us for His own to have and to hold for ever and ever.

Very cool!

PINK FLAMINGO DRESSING IN RED

2006-05-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

The only time I remember seeing a Flamingo was when the girls were little and we took them to Florida. I recall taking a picture in front of a whole bunch of the brightly colored birds...maybe I'm wrong but whatever.

Here's a tid bit of information that I know only because I looked it up. Flamingos range in color, generally speaking, from a light pink to a hot pink to a bright red. I didn't even know flamingos were ever red, but we learn something every day! The healthier they are, the more vibrant the color.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a red flamingo? Yeah right...me neither. Well, let's see if I can put it another way. My husband went to Texas Tech, the land of the Red Raiders. Whenever someone was not quite the faithful fan they needed to be, they were referred to as a "pink raider". Now the Pink Raiders did not possess enought passion for the rabid, fired-up, never miss a game, died in the wool Red Raiders. It was all about passion.

Now...back to the birds. The healthiest flamingos are hot, hot pink to bright red. Interestingly enough, the brighter colored the bird, the more desirable they are to their mates. It's a passion "thang" (as we say in West Texas).

Passion. Passion for life. Passion for our spouse. Passion to see our children grow up godly men and women. Passion as a single to trust God in every area of life. Passion is what adds energy to life and moves us beyond a boring, dull existence. Some look for passion in other people or a job or even a "calling", but passion was not man's invention, it IS from God.

For this reason, The Song of Songs or Song of Solomon was written. On a natural level, it is about the passionate married love between a man and a woman. On a spiritual level, it is about the passionate love between Jesus and his beloved bride...Us...The Church. I would enjoy hearing from you, what God has or is showing you from this book. I am not even through with the second chapter and have gleaned so much. So, here are a few nuggets from the first chapter and the second chapter that grabbed me.

*Passion for God should drive us to seek for him (1:7)The Beloved finds him as the shepherd.

*Love for God can be sensed (1:3)

*His love for us is better than the intoxicated feeling from wine (1:2)

*Just the mention of His name creates memories of the joy of intimate times together(1:3)

*Whatever we think about ourselves or whatever "life" deals us which makes us feel ugly...his love says we are perfect in Him. (1:6)

*He has brought us to His house and has made us royalty(1:17) (The House of the Lord which Solomon built was made with cedar and fir...He has actually made us His habitation...we are the temple of the Lord because Christ lives in us.)

*His passion for us causes Him to want to give to us(1:11) (God's character is to give to us!)

*We may have allowed the demands others have put on our lives to keep us from being intimate with God, but we are here now...to spend time with Him. (1:6)

*His love has made our lives a well watered, rich and fruitful land, able to flourish no matter what tries to stop our growth. (2:1)(The Rose of Sharon grew in rich soil...The Lily of the Valley was able to thrive among thorns. Jesus said that Solomon in all his glory was not as beautiful as these lilies. We are the beautiful Bride of Christ)

*His fruit is sweet (2:3) (love, joy, peace, patience, etc)

*His banner over me is love (2:4) (The Ensign or banner was carried by armies to signify what nation they served. His banner over us shows the world we belong to him.)

God is passionate for us. The Bible says he seeks us out. He is so passionate about a relationship with us, Jesus came and took the punishment for our sins and restored our relationship with Him. He desires time with you and me today. You want a spiritual adreneline shot today...spend time with Him...think about him when you get up and when you go to bed. Ponder His love for you during the day. Whenever someone tries to make you feel unloved, remember His love sent Jesus to the cross because He absolutely adores you. Whenever you feel this way "What has God done for me today!", remember His gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, mercy, health, favor, life...just to name a few.

"As the Deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for you..." "Lord, you are more precious than silver and gold....and all I desire is you"

A pink flamingo can be dressed in red...the fire of a passionate life for God.