Posts
timewithgod.blog-city.com — October 2009
Job 1 & 2 -- The Incredible Privilege Of Knowing God Better
Job had no clue it was coming. He hadn't been privy to the conversations between God and Satan. In fact, it would have come as a complete surprise to him to know that God himself had brought up Job's name to Satan, and in do
Job had no clue it was coming. He hadn't been privy to the conversations between God and Satan. In fact, it would have come as a complete surprise to him to know that God himself had brought up Job's name to Satan, and in doing so, Job's life had thus become a lightning rod for Satan's attacks.
No, Job only knew that things had been going incredibly above and beyond "well" in his life. Yet despite all the blessings, Job had always taken care to make sacrifices for himself and his children, on the off-chance that one or more might have sinned. You see, despite the conventional wisdom of the time that material blessings were strong indicators of God's favor, Job had somehow transcended all that to understand God far better than most, I think. For when Satan's attacks began and Job quickly lost every bit of his livestock, his children, and his health, this greater ability to worship God shows itself:
"I was naked when I was born, and I will be naked when I die. The Lord gave these things to me, and He has taken them away. Praise the name of the Lord." And just a little later, "Should we take only good things from God and not trouble?"
One word hit me square between the eyes this morning from my commentary: "ENABLED". It said, "In spite of these terrible losses, Job was enabled to WORSHIP God." I don't know if I could exhibit such heartfelt confidence in God's sovereignty in the same situation without such enablement. It's hard to even think about trying.
Anyone reading Job would be asking "WHY?" at this point. Why did God allow this to happen to Job? What purpose could it possibly serve? My commentary said, "The Lord allowed these sufferings to come into Job's life in order to ENLARGE HIS CAPACITY FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD." Wow! Our Maker and Creator, who knows us better than we could ever know ourselves, knows that extreme grief can produce dependence and trust in Him. I sure discovered that during one of the many hurdles in my adoption process, for when we have no other hope - when God is our only hope - we cling more tightly to Him. And when He brings about a miracle out of the ashes, we know we've encountered the divine, and that He loves us.
Father, please remind me often that all I have in this life is on loan from You, and You have the absolute right to remove it without notice or consent. Because of this, help me to cherish it all the more, and never to take it for granted. Thank You for loving me so much by blessing me with my two boys. Help me to train them to be less like me and more like You.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 3-7 The Importance Of God CARING
Job was in such misery and physical pain that, in typical Middle Eastern fashion, he hurled curses at the day he was born, as if by doing so he might somehow undo time and erase the existence he'd known and therefore his current affliction
Job was in such misery and physical pain that, in typical Middle Eastern fashion, he hurled curses at the day he was born, as if by doing so he might somehow undo time and erase the existence he'd known and therefore his current afflictions. One thing he said in all that caught my eye: "Don't let God care about it." Why would he say that? To me, it sounds like he believes that if God ceases to care about something, then it will immediately cease to exist. And you know what? He's most likely right - for God holds the universe together and keeps the stars, the sun, and the moon in perfect motion, it says elsewhere in the Bible. I know that if He stopped doing the "holding together" that it would all fall apart. Even an atom is held together by God. We can know that because in Genesis He created something out of nothing. Therefore, He can also "uncreate" which would amount to taking something and making nothing out of it.
Job said something else in 3:25 that's worth mentioning: "Everything I feared and dreaded has happened to me." This may reveal a chink in Job's armor. Satan quite possibly could have read Job's thoughts and manufactured the very situations he dreaded. God seems to be hands-off at this point in Job's trials. My commentary said, "Did Job have a fear of losing what he had? This is a common characteristic of the very rich: extreme fear of losing wealth ... Riches give no real security; only God can give that." It says a lot to us about the importance of trusting God and not "fearing and dreading", for when we do, we may be unconsciously giving Satan ammo to use against us.
Father, I love the thought that if You don't care about something, it ceases to exist. For that indicates just how much You care about me and the world I live in. Help me to have complete trust in You, never giving the devil a foothold to climb aboard my life.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job said something else in 3:25 that's worth mentioning: "Everything I feared and dreaded has happened to me." This may reveal a chink in Job's armor. Satan quite possibly could have read Job's thoughts and manufactured the very situations he dreaded. God seems to be hands-off at this point in Job's trials. My commentary said, "Did Job have a fear of losing what he had? This is a common characteristic of the very rich: extreme fear of losing wealth ... Riches give no real security; only God can give that." It says a lot to us about the importance of trusting God and not "fearing and dreading", for when we do, we may be unconsciously giving Satan ammo to use against us.
Father, I love the thought that if You don't care about something, it ceases to exist. For that indicates just how much You care about me and the world I live in. Help me to have complete trust in You, never giving the devil a foothold to climb aboard my life.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 8-11 When God Doesn't SEEM To Be Making Sense
With friends like these, who needs enemies?? They may start out well-intentioned, but they don't listen very well. Bildad continually seems to have wrong perceptions about his friend, and even though his prescribed remedies sou
With friends like these, who needs enemies?? They may start out well-intentioned, but they don't listen very well. Bildad continually seems to have wrong perceptions about his friend, and even though his prescribed remedies sound much like what we might offer, they are far off base.
Job has started out with the right perception of God: "How can anyone be right in the presence of God? Someone might want to argue with God, but no one can answer God." Of course, God had chosen to hold back everything to show Satan Job's loyalty, so probably rightly Job feels this separation: "When He passes me, I cannot see Him; when He goes by me, I do not recognize Him."
Though in his exasperation he will later forget this, again he knows God: "So how can I argue with God, or even find words to argue with Him? Even if I were right, I could not answer Him; I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy."
Perhaps more than anything else, chapter 10 compared with the outcome of the book shows us that God doesn't mind our honest and sincere questioning. We do have to be careful, however, not to tread on His sovereignty and majesty by ascribing motives to Him that may not be true. For instance, in verse 13, Job says, "But in Your heart You hid OTHER plans. I know this was in Your mind." No, he doesn't.
Father, I know in my distress I've cried out to You, longing for answers, and more than enough times begging, "Why??" I don't think, though, that I've ever dared accuse You of having hidden plans against me. Thank You for answering my biggest "why??" back at a 4Him concert probably 17 years ago, when I saw one of their shirts for sale that said on the front, "Why Ask Why?" and on the back, above the nail-pierced hand of Your Son, was the answer, "He holds the reason why."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job has started out with the right perception of God: "How can anyone be right in the presence of God? Someone might want to argue with God, but no one can answer God." Of course, God had chosen to hold back everything to show Satan Job's loyalty, so probably rightly Job feels this separation: "When He passes me, I cannot see Him; when He goes by me, I do not recognize Him."
Though in his exasperation he will later forget this, again he knows God: "So how can I argue with God, or even find words to argue with Him? Even if I were right, I could not answer Him; I could only beg God, my Judge, for mercy."
Perhaps more than anything else, chapter 10 compared with the outcome of the book shows us that God doesn't mind our honest and sincere questioning. We do have to be careful, however, not to tread on His sovereignty and majesty by ascribing motives to Him that may not be true. For instance, in verse 13, Job says, "But in Your heart You hid OTHER plans. I know this was in Your mind." No, he doesn't.
Father, I know in my distress I've cried out to You, longing for answers, and more than enough times begging, "Why??" I don't think, though, that I've ever dared accuse You of having hidden plans against me. Thank You for answering my biggest "why??" back at a 4Him concert probably 17 years ago, when I saw one of their shirts for sale that said on the front, "Why Ask Why?" and on the back, above the nail-pierced hand of Your Son, was the answer, "He holds the reason why."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 12-14 An AMAZING Discover God Allows Job About God
This discovery would have been incredible for a theologian working with the few texts available at the time. To think that these words came from a man who has lost all and is in such physical suffering is all the more incredible! A
This discovery would have been incredible for a theologian working with the few texts available at the time. To think that these words came from a man who has lost all and is in such physical suffering is all the more incredible! Any other mind would have been occupied with his pain and grief, yet Job is coming to an even deeper understanding of God through his suffering.
In the middle of chapter 12, he agrees that "only God has wisdom and power, good advice and understanding." He knows deep within his heart that God is sovereign over all creation.
As chapter 13 begins, Job is tired of arguing with his friends whose concept of God is so small. He wants to plead his case with God, my commentary says, and to commit his life to Him. He's still going to trust God even if God slays him. Job begs God directly for relief from his suffering. Because he feels he's done his best to honor and uphold God's righteousness always, he even "demands an explanation of why God is treating him so severely," my commentary says. Quoting Francis Andersen, it continues:
"Here Job shows himself to be a more honest observer, a more exuberant thinker, than the friends. The mind reels at the immensity of his conception of God. The little deity in the theology of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar is easily thought and easily believed. But a faith like Job's puts the human spirit to strenuous work."
About chapter 14, verses 14 & 15, Harold St. John said, "Light dawns on a silent sea, light breaks in, and in a passage of almost incredible daring, Job declares that man is more than matter, that though the heavens will pass and decay, the everlasting hills will crumble, he himself may lie in the grasp of the grave for millennia, yet a day MUST BREAK when God will feel a hunger round His heart for His friend and will have a desire for the work of His hands. Then from the deeps of the underworld, Job will answer and, more abiding than the hills, more permanent than the heavens, he WILL BE reunited with the God who had become HOMESICK for His SERVANT."
Those are powerful words. Again, they are spoken by a man who's just about given up on life. He's lost his children and all his possessions. His wife can only encourage him to curse God so he can die. His friends can only accuse him of having secret, undisclosed sins. And yet God allows him the hope of reuniting with Him again as His friend, something no one at that time dared dream.
Father, that last concept is something You allowed me to discover not too long ago - that we could dare to say we are friends of You. We're not being presumptuous, for we find it here and elsewhere in Your word. Most remarkably, it's not because of anything we might do, but instead, as Job discovered, a hunger round Your heart for Your friend and a desire for the work of Your hands. Thank You for caring so very much and for loving this fragile clay jar.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
In the middle of chapter 12, he agrees that "only God has wisdom and power, good advice and understanding." He knows deep within his heart that God is sovereign over all creation.
As chapter 13 begins, Job is tired of arguing with his friends whose concept of God is so small. He wants to plead his case with God, my commentary says, and to commit his life to Him. He's still going to trust God even if God slays him. Job begs God directly for relief from his suffering. Because he feels he's done his best to honor and uphold God's righteousness always, he even "demands an explanation of why God is treating him so severely," my commentary says. Quoting Francis Andersen, it continues:
"Here Job shows himself to be a more honest observer, a more exuberant thinker, than the friends. The mind reels at the immensity of his conception of God. The little deity in the theology of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar is easily thought and easily believed. But a faith like Job's puts the human spirit to strenuous work."
About chapter 14, verses 14 & 15, Harold St. John said, "Light dawns on a silent sea, light breaks in, and in a passage of almost incredible daring, Job declares that man is more than matter, that though the heavens will pass and decay, the everlasting hills will crumble, he himself may lie in the grasp of the grave for millennia, yet a day MUST BREAK when God will feel a hunger round His heart for His friend and will have a desire for the work of His hands. Then from the deeps of the underworld, Job will answer and, more abiding than the hills, more permanent than the heavens, he WILL BE reunited with the God who had become HOMESICK for His SERVANT."
Those are powerful words. Again, they are spoken by a man who's just about given up on life. He's lost his children and all his possessions. His wife can only encourage him to curse God so he can die. His friends can only accuse him of having secret, undisclosed sins. And yet God allows him the hope of reuniting with Him again as His friend, something no one at that time dared dream.
Father, that last concept is something You allowed me to discover not too long ago - that we could dare to say we are friends of You. We're not being presumptuous, for we find it here and elsewhere in Your word. Most remarkably, it's not because of anything we might do, but instead, as Job discovered, a hunger round Your heart for Your friend and a desire for the work of Your hands. Thank You for caring so very much and for loving this fragile clay jar.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 15-18 MY Hope Is In My FRIEND
It's getting hard to stomach all of the loving advice being dispensed by Job's friends. They've pretty much decided that he's stubborn and willful and has hardened his heart against God. Otherwise, all of these thin
It's getting hard to stomach all of the loving advice being dispensed by Job's friends. They've pretty much decided that he's stubborn and willful and has hardened his heart against God. Otherwise, all of these things wouldn't be happening to him. I suppose that they have good reason, for in all history before that time, I don't think there is evidence of God removing His shield of protection from someone who tries as hard as Job does to live a righteous life and honor God.
The honesty of his pleas to God show the depth of his hurt: "God, You have surely taken away my strength and destroyed my whole family. You have made me thin and weak, and this shows I have done wrong." Job can't figure out what he's done, but he assumes that God must have a reason for it all. He continues: "God attacks me and tears me with anger ... my enemy stares at me with His angry eyes.... He has made me His target ... Again and again God attacks me ..."
I don't sense here any animosity toward God, despite what's happened. Job seems to have found himself on opposite sides from God, and not knowing why, he states that, since anyone attacking must be the enemy, therefore so must God be seen at this point. In 16:15, he says that he's sewn rough cloth over his skin to show his sadness. My commentary said this showed permanent mourning, since the rough cloth therefore couldn't be taken off like regular mourning clothes.
Verses 19-21, though, shine out a beacon of hope through Job's faith in God, and I just wonder who the Jews thought he meant when they read it, since they didn't believe in Jesus: "Even now I have one who speaks for me in heaven; the one who is on my side is high above. The one who speaks for me is my FRIEND. My eyes pour out tears to God. HE begs God on behalf of a human as a person begs for his friend."
In the last part of chapter 17, it's easy to try and say that Job has lost the hope he seemed to have kept when we hear him say, "Where, then, is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?" BUT, the key word is "then", because it shows that these sentences are part of an "if-then" statement. Job said, "IF the only home I hope for is the grave, IF I spread out my bed in darkness, IF I say to the grave, ‘You are my father', ....where, THEN, IS my hope?" Those are GREAT, BIG ifs. He's not saying that. He's saying he wouldn't have hope if he fell into that line of thinking. We can't ever allow ourselves to fall into that kind of thinking either.
Father, no matter how bad it might look, I know that my hope lies in the One who speaks for me in heaven; the One who is on my side high above; the One who speaks for me and is my Friend; the One who begs God on behalf of this frail, sin-infected human. Thank You, my Friend!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
The honesty of his pleas to God show the depth of his hurt: "God, You have surely taken away my strength and destroyed my whole family. You have made me thin and weak, and this shows I have done wrong." Job can't figure out what he's done, but he assumes that God must have a reason for it all. He continues: "God attacks me and tears me with anger ... my enemy stares at me with His angry eyes.... He has made me His target ... Again and again God attacks me ..."
I don't sense here any animosity toward God, despite what's happened. Job seems to have found himself on opposite sides from God, and not knowing why, he states that, since anyone attacking must be the enemy, therefore so must God be seen at this point. In 16:15, he says that he's sewn rough cloth over his skin to show his sadness. My commentary said this showed permanent mourning, since the rough cloth therefore couldn't be taken off like regular mourning clothes.
Verses 19-21, though, shine out a beacon of hope through Job's faith in God, and I just wonder who the Jews thought he meant when they read it, since they didn't believe in Jesus: "Even now I have one who speaks for me in heaven; the one who is on my side is high above. The one who speaks for me is my FRIEND. My eyes pour out tears to God. HE begs God on behalf of a human as a person begs for his friend."
In the last part of chapter 17, it's easy to try and say that Job has lost the hope he seemed to have kept when we hear him say, "Where, then, is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?" BUT, the key word is "then", because it shows that these sentences are part of an "if-then" statement. Job said, "IF the only home I hope for is the grave, IF I spread out my bed in darkness, IF I say to the grave, ‘You are my father', ....where, THEN, IS my hope?" Those are GREAT, BIG ifs. He's not saying that. He's saying he wouldn't have hope if he fell into that line of thinking. We can't ever allow ourselves to fall into that kind of thinking either.
Father, no matter how bad it might look, I know that my hope lies in the One who speaks for me in heaven; the One who is on my side high above; the One who speaks for me and is my Friend; the One who begs God on behalf of this frail, sin-infected human. Thank You, my Friend!
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 19 -- The Importance Of The Words "My" And "Know"
I really feel for Job and how miserable his existence had become. He's listened to his well-meaning but quite-incorrect friends and done his best to fend off their attacks on his character. He's lost his kids. I just
I really feel for Job and how miserable his existence had become. He's listened to his well-meaning but quite-incorrect friends and done his best to fend off their attacks on his character. He's lost his kids. I just cannot imagine life without my boys! His wife - his soul mate - can't even stand his breath now. His physical pain makes life almost unbearable. Such a combination would make even the strongest man think of ending it all and putting himself out of his misery.
Yet what must hurt the most is that nagging question - "Where is my Friend?" He had felt such close communion with God and suddenly, without reason, his connection has been cut. His prayers seem to reach the ceiling and go no higher. How it must have hurt to utter the words, "God has wronged me ... I scream for help but get no justice ... God has blocked my way ... He treats me like an enemy."
Yet again, from the very depths of his sadness, misery, and depression comes that steadfast faith that spurs me on in my belief:
"I know that my Defender lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, IN MY FLESH I WILL SEE GOD. I will see Him MYSELF. I will see Him with my very own eyes. How my heart wants that to happen!"
By allowing all those things to be removed from Job's life, God has been teaching him what truly matters and has been developing with Job's heart even greater desires for Him.
My commentary quoted some amazing insights by Charles H. Spurgeon on verse 25:
"The marrow of Job's comfort lies in that little word "My" - "My Redeemer," and in the fact that the Redeemer lives. Oh! To get hold of a living Christ ... Rest not content until by faith you can say, "Yes, I cast myself upon my living Lord, and He is mine....But there is also another word here, expressive of Job's strong confidence, "I know." To say, "I hope so, I trust so," is comfortable; and there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But to reach the essence of consolation you must say, "I know."
He also speaks about verse 26:
"Mark the subject of Job's devout anticipation - "I shall see God." He does not say, "I shall see the saints ... but, "I shall see God." It is not - "I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I shall see the crowns of gold," but "I shall see GOD." This is the joyful hope of all believers."
Father, there is a Redeemer, and I'm so glad that I can call Him mine. My Redeemer is Your Son who gave His life for me, and who would have done so even if I were the only sinner on earth who needed saving. I don't hope so. I don't trust so. I KNOW so. I know MY Redeemer lives. And when my time on earth is done, it will thrill me to say, "And now, I shall see GOD."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Yet what must hurt the most is that nagging question - "Where is my Friend?" He had felt such close communion with God and suddenly, without reason, his connection has been cut. His prayers seem to reach the ceiling and go no higher. How it must have hurt to utter the words, "God has wronged me ... I scream for help but get no justice ... God has blocked my way ... He treats me like an enemy."
Yet again, from the very depths of his sadness, misery, and depression comes that steadfast faith that spurs me on in my belief:
"I know that my Defender lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, IN MY FLESH I WILL SEE GOD. I will see Him MYSELF. I will see Him with my very own eyes. How my heart wants that to happen!"
By allowing all those things to be removed from Job's life, God has been teaching him what truly matters and has been developing with Job's heart even greater desires for Him.
My commentary quoted some amazing insights by Charles H. Spurgeon on verse 25:
"The marrow of Job's comfort lies in that little word "My" - "My Redeemer," and in the fact that the Redeemer lives. Oh! To get hold of a living Christ ... Rest not content until by faith you can say, "Yes, I cast myself upon my living Lord, and He is mine....But there is also another word here, expressive of Job's strong confidence, "I know." To say, "I hope so, I trust so," is comfortable; and there are thousands in the fold of Jesus who hardly ever get much further. But to reach the essence of consolation you must say, "I know."
He also speaks about verse 26:
"Mark the subject of Job's devout anticipation - "I shall see God." He does not say, "I shall see the saints ... but, "I shall see God." It is not - "I shall see the pearly gates, I shall behold the walls of jasper, I shall see the crowns of gold," but "I shall see GOD." This is the joyful hope of all believers."
Father, there is a Redeemer, and I'm so glad that I can call Him mine. My Redeemer is Your Son who gave His life for me, and who would have done so even if I were the only sinner on earth who needed saving. I don't hope so. I don't trust so. I KNOW so. I know MY Redeemer lives. And when my time on earth is done, it will thrill me to say, "And now, I shall see GOD."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 20-22 He Asked All The Wrong Questions
Job's alleged friend Eliphaz fired off some questions at the start of chapter 22 that my commentary says were designed to show that God doesn't need Job or anything he has or does, including his blameless ways. He said, "Can
Job's alleged friend Eliphaz fired off some questions at the start of chapter 22 that my commentary says were designed to show that God doesn't need Job or anything he has or does, including his blameless ways. He said, "Can anyone be of real use to God? Can even a wise person do Him good? Does it help the Almighty for you to be good? Does He gain anything if you are innocent?" Eliphaz thinks that Job is almost proud of his service to God and his following in God's righteous ways, as though in doing so, God has gained something out of it. He's really wanting to knock the legs out from under Job and let him know that man is nothing compared to God. Therefore, Job's pride has no place.
Thinking that Job is indeed a person hiding his sins, Eliphaz then asks, in my opinion, one question too many: "Does God punish you for respecting Him?" Of course the most likely answer would be "no". That got me to thinking over those other questions he'd just asked. "Can anyone be of real use to God?" Scriptures say that God has plans for us and that over the course of history God has used people in the Bible for His purposes. We hear that we are the hands, arms, and feet of Jesus here on earth until He returns. The true answer seems to be "yes" - the opposite of what Eliphaz thinks.
"Can even a wise person do Him GOOD?" What would be God's purpose in giving wisdom to some people (as He did many times in Scripture) if it were not to be used to judge fairly, dispense justice, settle arguments, and teach His ways to others? In doing that, God is promoting His true plan for living, which will give honor to His name and to His wisdom.
"Does it help the Almighty for you to be good?" Wow ... how many of us have asked ourselves that question, particularly right after high school when we are away from the watchful gazes of those who know us for the first time? If the answer were "no", then the world would have a license to do whatever feels good. The truth, Eliphaz, is that it does. God is vindicated in His giving us His word to live by. We can see and show that such a life brings happiness, contentment, joy, and freedom from worrying about loss. We are, in effect, living advertisements for Him.
"Does He gain anything if you are innocent?" Although no one but Christ was ever sinless, innocence speaks of having nothing about our lives that could be held against us by others. Max Lucado wrote in Cosmic Christmas about how the angels might have wondered when God announced that He had decided to create something called a human that would have "free will". It was an unheard-of concept, for no other created thing ever was given the ability to choose whether or not to worship and obey God! Only man. God's supposed answer was that when worship and obedience are options rather than all-that-the-creature-can-do, then when man chooses to worship and obey, it would be all the more MEANINGFUL. I believe that's exactly what God gains when we choose to live innocent lives.
So what about that one-question-too-many? "Does God punish you for respecting Him? No. Then isn't being of real use to God respecting Him? Isn't living wisely respecting Him? Isn't being good and being innocent respecting Him? Then God would not punish for any of that. He doesn't NEED anything from us - that's true. But He created us for these very purposes and these are our acts of worship to Him.
Father, please use me for Your purposes daily. Help me to be wise and good and innocent. I can't do it apart from You. Let me be a living advertisement for You, with Your help.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Thinking that Job is indeed a person hiding his sins, Eliphaz then asks, in my opinion, one question too many: "Does God punish you for respecting Him?" Of course the most likely answer would be "no". That got me to thinking over those other questions he'd just asked. "Can anyone be of real use to God?" Scriptures say that God has plans for us and that over the course of history God has used people in the Bible for His purposes. We hear that we are the hands, arms, and feet of Jesus here on earth until He returns. The true answer seems to be "yes" - the opposite of what Eliphaz thinks.
"Can even a wise person do Him GOOD?" What would be God's purpose in giving wisdom to some people (as He did many times in Scripture) if it were not to be used to judge fairly, dispense justice, settle arguments, and teach His ways to others? In doing that, God is promoting His true plan for living, which will give honor to His name and to His wisdom.
"Does it help the Almighty for you to be good?" Wow ... how many of us have asked ourselves that question, particularly right after high school when we are away from the watchful gazes of those who know us for the first time? If the answer were "no", then the world would have a license to do whatever feels good. The truth, Eliphaz, is that it does. God is vindicated in His giving us His word to live by. We can see and show that such a life brings happiness, contentment, joy, and freedom from worrying about loss. We are, in effect, living advertisements for Him.
"Does He gain anything if you are innocent?" Although no one but Christ was ever sinless, innocence speaks of having nothing about our lives that could be held against us by others. Max Lucado wrote in Cosmic Christmas about how the angels might have wondered when God announced that He had decided to create something called a human that would have "free will". It was an unheard-of concept, for no other created thing ever was given the ability to choose whether or not to worship and obey God! Only man. God's supposed answer was that when worship and obedience are options rather than all-that-the-creature-can-do, then when man chooses to worship and obey, it would be all the more MEANINGFUL. I believe that's exactly what God gains when we choose to live innocent lives.
So what about that one-question-too-many? "Does God punish you for respecting Him? No. Then isn't being of real use to God respecting Him? Isn't living wisely respecting Him? Isn't being good and being innocent respecting Him? Then God would not punish for any of that. He doesn't NEED anything from us - that's true. But He created us for these very purposes and these are our acts of worship to Him.
Father, please use me for Your purposes daily. Help me to be wise and good and innocent. I can't do it apart from You. Let me be a living advertisement for You, with Your help.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 23-26 Seeing From GOD's Perspective
Job's friends keep arguing in an ideal sense that evil people don't prosper - that God will get even with them in this life. The only problem is that it rarely seems to happen that way in this life. How can they argue as fa
Job's friends keep arguing in an ideal sense that evil people don't prosper - that God will get even with them in this life. The only problem is that it rarely seems to happen that way in this life. How can they argue as fact something that can rarely be observed in the real world?
Despite the fact that all men are sinners, Job has kept God's commands (remember how even God said this about him to Satan in the first chapters?). He has led a righteous life, and he can't understand why God seems to be attacking him. The sidebar today in my Bible is from a book entitled When God Seems Far Away, and it hits the nail on the head:
"Most of us tend to have this idea that since God is sovereign, He's supposed to make everything work out perfectly. Nothing is supposed to touch us as long as we're walking with Him. This is the very problem that leads many Christians to despair when they go through trials. They can't imagine how God could ever let anything bad happen to them. They turn His sovereignty into a magic genie ... As a result, when we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of terrible circumstances, we crumble, blame God, and accuse Him of not caring, not being just, not acting in a loving manner, not having our best interests in mind. We must come back to the truth that while God is in absolute control of all life, He is not the cause of all life's mishaps. Rather, His plan allows those mishaps for the great purpose of raising up "many brethren conformed to the image of Christ." Job's trial exposed this important misinterpretation on Job's part ... He couldn't understand how God could allow these things to continue - let alone happen ... We can all identify with Job ... The reason we see things this way is because we don't understand how God thinks; we can't comprehend the nature of His wisdom. "His thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are not our ways," said Isaiah. When we're new in the faith or immature, we tend to think that God will always do what is best for us. Indeed, He will. But what we think is best and what He does are as different as whipped cream and concrete. We think He'll make us happy ... But He plans to make us holy. That often calls for plenty of knocks and raps .... Job's problem was just like ours. We have one plan and God has another. But God's plan is the one that will be put into operation... It's through gaining GOD'S PERSPECTIVE that we begin to see true wisdom. That was what God was bringing Job to understand."
Father, when my plans don't seem to match up with Yours, help me to understand that You always know best and that You have my ultimate good in view from Your perspective. Lead me to move to where You are, so that I can see it as You see it. Help me not to doubt You. Remind me of what Spurgeon once said: "God's children run home when the storm comes. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Despite the fact that all men are sinners, Job has kept God's commands (remember how even God said this about him to Satan in the first chapters?). He has led a righteous life, and he can't understand why God seems to be attacking him. The sidebar today in my Bible is from a book entitled When God Seems Far Away, and it hits the nail on the head:
"Most of us tend to have this idea that since God is sovereign, He's supposed to make everything work out perfectly. Nothing is supposed to touch us as long as we're walking with Him. This is the very problem that leads many Christians to despair when they go through trials. They can't imagine how God could ever let anything bad happen to them. They turn His sovereignty into a magic genie ... As a result, when we suddenly find ourselves in the midst of terrible circumstances, we crumble, blame God, and accuse Him of not caring, not being just, not acting in a loving manner, not having our best interests in mind. We must come back to the truth that while God is in absolute control of all life, He is not the cause of all life's mishaps. Rather, His plan allows those mishaps for the great purpose of raising up "many brethren conformed to the image of Christ." Job's trial exposed this important misinterpretation on Job's part ... He couldn't understand how God could allow these things to continue - let alone happen ... We can all identify with Job ... The reason we see things this way is because we don't understand how God thinks; we can't comprehend the nature of His wisdom. "His thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are not our ways," said Isaiah. When we're new in the faith or immature, we tend to think that God will always do what is best for us. Indeed, He will. But what we think is best and what He does are as different as whipped cream and concrete. We think He'll make us happy ... But He plans to make us holy. That often calls for plenty of knocks and raps .... Job's problem was just like ours. We have one plan and God has another. But God's plan is the one that will be put into operation... It's through gaining GOD'S PERSPECTIVE that we begin to see true wisdom. That was what God was bringing Job to understand."
Father, when my plans don't seem to match up with Yours, help me to understand that You always know best and that You have my ultimate good in view from Your perspective. Lead me to move to where You are, so that I can see it as You see it. Help me not to doubt You. Remind me of what Spurgeon once said: "God's children run home when the storm comes. It is the heaven-born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah."
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 27-31 Watching Our Words, Even When They Sound Good
My heart feels for Job and his longing to once again commune with God. He said, "How I wish for ... the days when God watched over me ... and I walked through darkness by His light ... when God's close friendship blessed my hous
My heart feels for Job and his longing to once again commune with God. He said, "How I wish for ... the days when God watched over me ... and I walked through darkness by His light ... when God's close friendship blessed my house. The Almighty was still with me." He misses his Friend.
Over three chapters, Job describes his innocence, and his words are enough to cause me to wish that I were more like him. It's easy to see why God mentioned him to Satan.
He'd recognized God's blessings, and I caught this in something he said, "My roots will reach down to the water." He'd sunken his spiritual roots deep in God.
He cried out to his Friend, in essence saying, "Please, tell me what I've done wrong?" I found myself admiring his life and again wishing that I'd done better, as a result. But then something he said in 29:35 really threw a wrench into it all: "Here I sign my name to show I have told the truth. Now let the Almighty answer me." In effect, he's saying, "I've presented all my evidence, and there's nothing to convict me of any crime, God. So why don't You release me from this punishment?" He appears to demand GOD's appearance in court. Can anyone issue a subpoena to God? After all, He is sovereign. He doesn't have to do anything. No created being has any right to demand an audience with Him, just as no person on earth has a right to, for instance, meet with any U.S. president, only much much more so.
Then I looked back over chapter 31, and I saw the fingerprints of legalism: "If I have .... If I have ..." over and over again. Man asking God to review his checklist to make sure God has been paying attention. Job needs to remember to be careful what he asks for, because in a few more chapters, he's going to get it.
Father, I honestly can't make all the claims of innocence that Job did. My claims to You would instead be, "I have ... I have..." Like Paul, I no longer want to repeat those sins, yet I do even now find myself wanting them again. I do still fail. All I can do is to beg the mercy of the Court. It is only by Your grace that I'm forgiven and only by Your strength that I can resist. I depend entirely on You to try to live a righteous life. As one of my t-shirts declares, "I am the wretch the song refers to." Thank You for loving me anyway.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Over three chapters, Job describes his innocence, and his words are enough to cause me to wish that I were more like him. It's easy to see why God mentioned him to Satan.
He'd recognized God's blessings, and I caught this in something he said, "My roots will reach down to the water." He'd sunken his spiritual roots deep in God.
He cried out to his Friend, in essence saying, "Please, tell me what I've done wrong?" I found myself admiring his life and again wishing that I'd done better, as a result. But then something he said in 29:35 really threw a wrench into it all: "Here I sign my name to show I have told the truth. Now let the Almighty answer me." In effect, he's saying, "I've presented all my evidence, and there's nothing to convict me of any crime, God. So why don't You release me from this punishment?" He appears to demand GOD's appearance in court. Can anyone issue a subpoena to God? After all, He is sovereign. He doesn't have to do anything. No created being has any right to demand an audience with Him, just as no person on earth has a right to, for instance, meet with any U.S. president, only much much more so.
Then I looked back over chapter 31, and I saw the fingerprints of legalism: "If I have .... If I have ..." over and over again. Man asking God to review his checklist to make sure God has been paying attention. Job needs to remember to be careful what he asks for, because in a few more chapters, he's going to get it.
Father, I honestly can't make all the claims of innocence that Job did. My claims to You would instead be, "I have ... I have..." Like Paul, I no longer want to repeat those sins, yet I do even now find myself wanting them again. I do still fail. All I can do is to beg the mercy of the Court. It is only by Your grace that I'm forgiven and only by Your strength that I can resist. I depend entirely on You to try to live a righteous life. As one of my t-shirts declares, "I am the wretch the song refers to." Thank You for loving me anyway.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
Job 32-37 Things We Need To Remember About God
Elihu, the young guy, has been sitting quietly and listening to all of this back-and-forth between Job and his friends - all older than him. He finally has had enough. After chastising Job's friends for not giving him a good an
Elihu, the young guy, has been sitting quietly and listening to all of this back-and-forth between Job and his friends - all older than him. He finally has had enough. After chastising Job's friends for not giving him a good answer, he asks Job to listen. Some of the things he said that really stuck out to me this morning are:
Elihu, my commentary says, was acting as a mediator between Job and God. That's what Jesus did, in a far better way. That's what we can do for others, helping them to hear what God is trying to say.
Father, I want to always remember how much higher You are than I. I want to remember that I am only dust, and yet for some unfathomable reason, You love me anyway! You are always fair, and if I don't understand, then it is my lack of knowledge that's the problem. You are God and I am not.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
- 1) Don't accuse God of not answering. He answers in many ways and His motive is always to save a person.
- 2) God can never do wrong. It is impossible.
- 3) God is sovereign and can decide to do whatever He pleases. The only reason we still exist is because He chooses it.
- 4) God is fair.
- 5) God is omniscient. He knows everything we do.
- 6) God can choose to keep quiet and hid His face for a time. No one can blame Him if He chooses to do so.
- 7) We cannot demand ANYTHING from God.
- 8) When God decides to withhold something, we must support His decision, knowing He has His best in mind for us. Otherwise, we are guilty of the sin of pride.
- 9) Nothing we can do is capable of injuring God OR benefiting Him. We're not that powerful.
- 10) "I know that my Maker is right."
- 11) "God does not hate people. But God saves those who ‘suffer through' their suffering; He gets them to listen through their PAIN."
- 12) "God is gently calling you from the jaws of trouble to an open place of freedom where He has set your table full of the best food."
- 13) "No one can say to God, ‘You have done wrong.' Remember [instead] to praise His work."
- 14) Stop and notice God's miracles.
- 15) "Should God be told that I want to speak? Would a person ask to be swallowed up?"
Elihu, my commentary says, was acting as a mediator between Job and God. That's what Jesus did, in a far better way. That's what we can do for others, helping them to hear what God is trying to say.
Father, I want to always remember how much higher You are than I. I want to remember that I am only dust, and yet for some unfathomable reason, You love me anyway! You are always fair, and if I don't understand, then it is my lack of knowledge that's the problem. You are God and I am not.
Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford
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