Proverbs 10-12 The Wise And The Foolish

What I call the fortune cookies start in chapter 10.  In fact, my commentary does not discuss these individual chapters but instead pulls together various topics and summarizes what Solomon says about them in many chapters. 

“The wise:  listen to wise instruction, especially the Word of God; fear the Lord; associate with wise people; preserve what they’ve gained and use it; flee from sin; don’t take unnecessary chances and experiment to see how close they can get to the precipice without falling off; discipline their speech; are diligent in their work; and seek to influence others to trust the Lord.”

“The fools:  won’t learn from God’s Word; can’t control their speech; can’t control their temper; are proud and self-confident; create problems and bring sorrow, especially to their parents; don’t know how to use wealth properly; and can’t be trusted with responsibility.”

Of course, as humans we are likely to not reside solely in one or the other of these two camps.  We can each have blind spots in certain areas that, though we may be wise in other areas, cause us to be foolish in others.  In this vein, two footnotes in my commentary caught my eye:

“Love and hatred can exist in the same heart.”

“If God’s people loved holiness more, they would hate sin more.”

Father, show me each day where I’m being a fool – where I’m intentionally disobeying Your Word.  Guide my heart with Your wisdom and help me to make it a solid part of my life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Proverbs 8-9 Pursuing God's Wisdom

In the first chapter of Proverbs, Wisdom called out to the simple, the fools, and the scorners.  But here, the scorners don’t get addressed.  “They had laughed at her message and turned away from the truth, so their opportunities were over, not because God wasn’t speaking, but because their hearts were too hard to hear.”

“Wisdom’s words are plain, spoken clearly and openly so there can be no confusion.  Of course, those who reject the Lord don’t understand what God is saying, but this isn’t because the Word of God is confusing or unclear.  It’s because sinners are spiritually blind and deaf.  The problem is with the hearer, not the speaker,” my commentary says.

“The Lord Jesus Christ, who holds the universe together and causes it to fulfill His will can hold our lives together and accomplish His purposes for His glory.”

In chapter 9, only one class of people are invited:  the simple … The scorners laughed at her … the fools didn’t want God’s wisdom, so in this third call she invites only the simple ones to come to her feast.  It’s a dangerous thing to reject God’s invitation; you never know when it may be your last one.”

“What do we receive when we respond to Wisdom’s invitation?  For one thing, we’ll have a greater respect for the Lord and a deeper knowledge of the Holy One.  The better we know God, the keener will be our knowledge and discernment when it comes to the decisions of life.”

Father, help me to know what I don’t know and to seek out that wisdom from You.  I know You will be faithful to deliver what You promise.  Develop my character by the good decisions I make, and let me not disappoint You by making bad decisions.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Proverbs 5-7 Sex And Warnings About HOW We Are Tempted By It

Solomon wants his son to know what Solomon’s father David failed to know at one time – that sexual sin destroys.  My commentary boiled it down this way:

“Sexual sin is eventually disappointing.  The experience goes from sweetness to bitterness, from gain to loss, from purity to pollution, and from freedom to bondage … The most expensive thing in the world is sin … Yes, God in His grace will forgive our sins when we repent, but God in His government will see to it that we reap what we sow … He watches the decisions we make and the roads we take … If we abuse our freedom and deliberately disobey His Word, our freedom will gradually become bondage, the kind of bondage that can’t easily be broken … It’s impossible to sin without being bound.  One of the deceitful things about sin is that it promises freedom but only brings slavery … The cords of sin get stronger the more we sin, yet sin deceives us into thinking we’re free and can quit something whenever we please.  As the invisible chains of habit are forged, we discover to our horror that we don’t have the strength to break them … the only One who can set us free is Jesus Christ.”

In chapter 7, we see “the steps that lead to destruction:  First, a man tempts himself … proud, convinced that he can play with sin and get away with it … people deliberately put themselves into the place of temptation and danger … Then he is tempted by the woman … she appeals to his male ego and his imagination.  Then he tempts the Lord … we tempt God when we deliberately disobey Him and put ourselves into situations so difficult that only God can deliver us.”

One final thing I noted:  “It isn’t enough for Christians to protest the evil, we must also practice the good and proclaim the good news that sinners can become new creatures in Christ.” 

Father, thank You for these awesome warnings and these clear pictures of how our flesh – our chemical makeup – can be used by Satan to entrap us.  Keep screaming the warnings in my ears if I begin to tempt myself or listen to temptation, or tempt You!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Proverbs 3-4 -- An Outline In The "Fortune Cookies"

Proverbs can sure seem like a pile of fortune cookie inserts at times, but my commentary found an outline that’s worth considering.  In chapter 2, we learned that wisdom protects our path.  Chapter 3 shows that wisdom also directs our path, and in chapter 4 that wisdom perfects our path.  Here are some of the “lists” it came up with:

“Four conditions we must meet for receiving God’s guidance and wisdom:  1)  We must learn God’s truth, not carrying the Bible in our hands but letting the Holy Spirit write it on our hearts; 2) we must obey God’s will – a total commitment to Him; 3) we must share God’s blessings  -- forget spiritual and material – everything belongs to God; and 4) we must submit to God’s chastening.  Chastening is a part of God’s plan to help His sons and daughters mature in godly character.  God chastens us … as a parent disciplines a child … Sometimes He chastens us because we have rebelled and need to repent; other times He chastens us to keep us from sinning and to prepare us for His special blessing.  No matter how much the experience hurts us, it will never harm us, because God always chastens in love.”

“If we keep the conditions, we can partake of the blessings He has planned for us:  1) true wealth that comes from wisdom; 2) harmony with God’s creation; 3) the Father’s providential care; and 4) a positive relationship with others.”

Perfecting our path involves three responsibilities on our part, my commentary says:  “Knowing God’s Word, trusting God’s providence, and obeying God’s will.”

There’s a personal spiritual inventory here to help us see if we’re really living in obedience to the Lord:

                What comes into our ears?

                What is within our hearts?

                What is upon our lips?

                What is before our eyes?

                What is beyond my path?

“The Lord is weighing our ways and our hearts as well as our actions, and we had better do the same.”

Father, thanks for this guidance to help me ensure that I’m in Your will and following Your ways.  I want the blessings that spiritual wisdom bring!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Proverbs 1-2 -- Wanting Wisdom And Discernment

“The greatest tragedy of life is that there’s so much noise that people can’t hear the things they really need to hear.  God is trying to get through to them with the voice of wisdom, but all they hear are the confused communication clutter, foolish voices that lead them further away from the truth,” my commentary began.

“Check carefully the path you’re on and don’t walk with the wrong crowd … If you’re walking with the wrong crowd you’ll end up doing the wrong things.  Don’t play with temptation, because temptation always leads to a trap … When you disobey God by harming others, you only harm yourself.”

“Anybody who makes it easy for us to disobey God certainly isn’t a friend.”

Father, anytime we think we don’t need Your wisdom, we are setting ourselves up to fail.  Please help me to have discernment in all things, not falling for temptation and taking the bait, but being able to see that “flattery is manipulation – people telling us things about ourselves that we enjoy hearing and wish were true.”  Remind me that the godly will be rooted in the place of Your blessing.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 40:6 - 42:17 Job Learned

“Job was not quite broken and at a place of sincere repentance.  He was silent but not yet submissive; so, God continued His address,” my commentary said.  “Instead of confronting Job again with the broad sweep of His creation, God selected only two creatures and asked Job to consider them … ‘Here are two of my best products.  What can you do with them?’”

“The issue now is not the power of God but the justice of God.  Job had said that God was unjust in the way He treated him and in the way He failed to judge the wicked.”  God was basically saying, “I’ll let you do it.”

God had Job consider two creatures – behemoth and leviathan – that were beyond man’s ability to capture or control, and asked Job if he was even as powerful as them, yet they would “beg God for mercy and speak to Him with gentle words,” acting like a pet would.

After all this, “Job knew he was beaten.  There was no way he could argue his case with God … Job humbled himself before the Lord and acknowledged His power and justice in executing His plans.  Then Job admitted that his words had been wrong and that he had spoken about things he didn’t understand.  Job withdrew his accusations that God was unjust and not treating him fairly.  He realized that whatever God does is right and man must accept it by faith … Job had met God personally and seen himself to be but dust and ashes.”

“God called Job My servant.  How did Job serve God?  By enduring suffering and not cursing God, and thereby silencing the devil!  Suffering in the will of God is a ministry that God gives to a chosen few.”

“Job the servant became Job the intercessor.  God was angry with Job’s three friends because they hadn’t told the truth about Him, and they had to be reconciled to Job so he could pray for them.  Job became the umpire between God and his three friends! … We only hurt ourselves when we refuse to forgive others.”

“Job’s greatest blessing was knowing God better and understanding His working in a deeper way … No matter what God permits to come into our lives, He always has His afterword.  He writes the last chapter – and that makes it worth it all.  Therefore, be patient!”

Father, already in my life I’ve watched as You have done this for me – brought me to a better understanding of You, watched as You blessed me, then followed You through suffering to grow me in my faith and teach me to be Your servant.  Thank You for the blessing of knowing You better and understanding Your working in a deeper way.  It is worth the suffering!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 38-40:5 God Speaks And Requires Job To Answer

God’s timing is amazing.  Job’s request for a hearing is granted and he has to spend time before the judge.  I was in court yesterday for a hearing and the remembrances of that helped set the tone for what I read.  The judge controlled everything about the court appearance and those in attendance could only speak when spoken to and told to answer.

“Job was sure that his speeches had been filled with wisdom and knowledge, but God’s first question put an end to that delusion … God didn’t question Job’s integrity or sincerity; He only questioned Job’s ability to explain the ways of God in the world.  Job had spoken the truth about God, but his speeches lacked humility.  Job thought he knew about God, but he didn’t realize how much he didn’t know about God.  Knowledge of our own ignorance is the first step toward true wisdom,” my commentary explained.

After God questioned Job about the dimensions of creation, “Job was probably wishing for a reprieve; but the Lord kept right on … Man may study the heavens, but he can’t control them.”

God next asked Job a series of questions about whether he knew how to take care of God’s living creation – wild animals – for God Himself takes care them, teaches them, and feeds them, it says.  “Now Job,” asked the Lord, “if you can’t succeed with these animals, how then do you expect to succeed when you meet Me in court?  How strong do you think you are?”

Imagine after all this, hearing God say, “Let the person who accuses God answer him!”  Oh, my!  All Job could say was, “I’m not worthy.  I can’t answer you anything.  I will say nothing more.”

My commentary contained a quote by Christopher Morley which exactly matches my view of what it will be like upon getting to heaven:  “I had a million questions to ask God, but when I met Him, they all fled my mind; and it didn’t seem to matter.”

I also read this:  “Until we are silenced before God, He can’t do for us what needs to be done.  As long as we defend ourselves and argue with God, He can’t work for us and in us to accomplish His plan through us.”

Wow, Father!  I too am ready to shut up.  Silence me and help me to be humble, remembering my insignificance and unworthiness, when I come before You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 34-37 Elihu Gives It A Shot

Elihu, the younger man who thought himself wiser than Job and his three friends, set out his case and appeared to think he had more knowledge of God than all of the other four put together.  “With all his verbosity and lack of humility, Elihu did say some good things that Job needed to hear.  Elihu’s use of rhetorical questions prepared Job for the series of questions Jehovah would ask him next.  Unlike the three friends, Elihu assessed Job’s problem accurately.  Job’s actions man have been right – he was not the sinner his three friends described him to be – but his attitude was wrong.  He was not the saint Job saw himself to be.  Job was slowly moving toward a defiant, self-righteous attitude … It was this know-it-all attitude that God exposed and destroyed when He appeared to Job and questioned him,” my commentary said.

Elihu answered Job’s question of whether God was just.  Summarizing his words, my commentary  said, “If God is truly God, then He is perfect; and if He is perfect, then He cannot do wrong.  An unjust God would be as unthinkable as a square circle or a round triangle.”

“Elihu made a big mistake in singling out and emphasizing only one divine attribute, the justice of God; for God is also loving and gracious … In His wisdom, God devised a plan of redemption that satisfies both His justice and His love.  Because of the cross, God can redeem sinners and still magnify His righteousness and uphold His holy law.”

Father, only You could come up with such a plan, where You paid the price for our sin when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  You maintained Your justice and Your righteousness through Your mercy and Your love.  Such love!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 32-33 Elihu Steps In

“Job’s three friends were silent, appalled that Job had dared to speak so boldly to God and about God.  They were sure that God’s judgment of Job was the next thing on the agenda.  God was silent.  No fire came from heaven and no voice spoke in divine wrath.  The silence was God’s eloquent witness to the three friends that they were wrong in what they said about Job and about God.  It was also God’s witness to Job that the God of the universe is not at the beck and call of His creatures.  God doesn’t appear just because somebody thinks it’s time for a showdown,” my commentary said.

Young Elihu then spoke up.  “He was not trying to prove that Job was a sinner, but that Job’s view of God was wrong.  Elihu introduced a new truth to the debate:  that God sends suffering not necessarily to punish us for our sins, but to keep us from sinning and to make us better persons.”

“Elihu said that Job had claimed to be sinless, which was not what Job had said … Elihu also quoted Job as saying that God was unjust and was treating him like an enemy.  This quotation was true … Elihu’s great concern was not to debate what Job said about himself but to refute what Job said about God.”

In verses 32-33 of chapter 33, Elihu describes a mediating angel, which very well could mean Jesus Christ – not just a Mediator but a provider of the ransom for sinners … “Only God can provide the ransom, and He did.”

In the next chapters, Elihu will attempt to explain and defend God.

Father, thank You for helping us to think outside the box.  I think that’s why You tell us in Your Word that Your ways are not like our ways – that Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts.  Help me to seek out and discover Your truths hidden in Your Word.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 29-31 Job States His Case

Job presented his case in these chapters.  He first looked back at life’s joys, #1 of which was the presence of God in his home, followed by respect from others, ministry to others, confidence in the future, and the privilege of speaking words of encouragement and help, my commentary said.

He then looked around at what he perceived to be God’s judgments – he no longer had anyone’s respect, the blessings were gone, no one he’d helped would help him, he felt he had not future, and he’d lost his ministry.

“Job didn’t know it, but he was being honored by God to share in ‘the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.’  Though sitting in an ash heap, Job had been promoted in the highest possible way,” my commentary pointed out.

Job then looked ahead to God’s justice.  This was his final defense.  “Job’s only hope was that God would hear his cry and vindicate his name.”  Job reviewed every area of his life and found nothing that would lead God to deliver such misery to him.  And God knew that.  It’s why He picked Job to thwart Satan.  “He made it clear that he was willing to face the righteous judgment of God along with all the other judgments he’d called down upon himself if he had sinned intentionally.

Oh, that I could review my life and say the same.  What an honorable man Job had been.  He wasn’t sinless, but he’d confessed any sin to God and received forgiveness.  How wonderful it feels to be reconciled to my Lord when I do the same!

Father, as I review the last few years, I see similarities to Job’s story.  I pray that what seems to have been judgments will turn out to have been tests that I have passed, though not as well as Job did.  Keep my heart directed toward You, and never let me doubt Your love for me.  I trust You, God!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 25-28 God's Wisdom

“The three friends must have listened impatiently because they already knew the things Job was talking about; but they hadn’t drawn the right conclusion from them … they thought they knew all about God; therefore, they could explain God to Job.  Job said that just the opposite was true … What we see of God in creation is but the fringes of His ways, and what we hear is but a whisper of His power! … Knowing a few facts about the creation of God is not the same as knowing about the God of creation… He truly knows God perfectly that finds Him incomprehensible and unable to be known.”

“Job declared that, as long as he lived, he would defend himself and maintain his integrity.  He would not lie just to please his friends or to bribe God into restoring his fortunes.  (Satan would have rejoiced at that!)  Job had to live with his conscience no matter what his friends said or his God did to him.”

“In the sight of God, Job was right.  God had twice declared before the court of heaven that Job was ‘a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil.’  Therefore, Job’s enemies were wrong and Job had the right to ask God to vindicate him.  In fact, God was the only one who could prove Job right and his enemies wrong.”

“Not everyone who suffers is being punished for his or her sins.  Sometimes we suffer because of the sins of others or because God is keeping us from sin (Paul in 2 Cor. 12).  Jesus suffered, not for His own sins, because He had none, but for the sins of the world.”

In chapter 28, Job sought God’s wisdom … wisdom is the right use of knowledge.  The Word of God is like a deep mine filled with precious treasures; but the believer must put fort effort to discover its riches … The Holy Spirit of God is willing to assist us … man cannot find God’s wisdom by mere human effort.  It takes more than courage and native intelligence; it demands humility and spiritual perception… So, the first step toward true wisdom is a reverent and respectful attitude toward God … Personal pride is the greatest barrier to spiritual wisdom … the next step is to ask God for wisdom and make diligent use of the means He gives us for securing his wisdom, especially knowing and doing the Word of God.  It is not enough merely to study; we must also obey what God tells us to do.  As we walk by faith we discover the wisdom of God in the everyday things of life … We must allow the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our heart so we can see God in His Word and understand more of the riches we have in Christ.”

Father, thank You for opening my heart more over the last several days to Your wisdom.  You’re reminding me of things I’ve forgotten and also showing me new things.  Help me to absorb them and integrate them into my life.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 22-24 Eliphaz Conducts A Trial

Job sat on the ash heap and listened to his friends lie about him,” my commentary began.  “Eliphaz made three serious accusations against Job:  he is a sinner, he is hiding his sins, and he must confess his sins and repent before God can help him.”

“The highest reward for a faithful life is not what you get for it but what you become by it … Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men.  Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last some crisis shows what we have become.”

Submitting to God means “to stop fighting God and accept His terms of peace.  It also means to listen to His Word and obey what God says.  A sinner must put away sin and make God his greatest treasure; he must pray and seek God’s face.”

“When we get to the end of this book, we will discover that it is Eliphaz and his two friends who are out of fellowship with God.  They will need job to intercede for them so they can be restored.”

Job had three bitter complaints:  “God is hiding form me; God is frightening me; and God perplexes me … It’s one thing to submit to God when you can see His face and hear His voice in His Word.  But when, like Job, you are in darkness and pain, it is easy to fall apart and become frightened and wonder what will happen next.”

Today’s focus?  “The God of Israel, the Savior, is sometimes a God that hides Himself, but never a God that absents Himself; sometimes in the dark, but never at a distance.”  (Matthew Henry)

Father, when situations make it hard for me to see You, let me never doubt Your love.  When I’m in the furnace, remind me that You keep Your eye on the clock and Your hand on the thermostat!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 20-21 Job Gets Personal

Job’s friends seem to think that if they pound him with their crazy logic long enough, eventually he will come to his senses!  But we have to remember that Job was a righteous man whom God was using to put down Satan, but Job didn’t know that.

Zophar’s descriptions of what happens to the wicked are idealistic, but unrealistic.  “Zophar and his two friends were certain that Job was a hypocrite, that his pious life was only a veneer to cover his secret sins … But God does not always judge hypocrites and other sinners immediately, and the death of a young person is no evidence that he or she was a hypocrite,” my commentary said.

“Job replied to Zophar’s statements and refuted each one of them … Point by point, Job took Zophar’s speech and shredded it into bits.”

“Job pointed out that his complaint was not against men but against God.  Men had not caused his afflictions, and men could not take them away.  If he was impatient, it was because God had not answered him.  The longer God waited, the worse Job’s situation became.”

“The saddest thing about the wicked is the way they leave God out of their lives and still prosper.”

“Job became very personal and asked his friends, ‘If you really believe that the wicked are destined for an early death, have you ever warned them?’   If his friends replied, ‘No, we have never talked to the wicked about their future,’ then Job could have said, ‘Then why are you warning a righteous man about his future?  How inconsistent can you get?’ … When the three friends attacked Job, they were breaking faith and trespassing against God.  Instead of helping Job, they were leading him astray.”

The takeaway was this:  “If you want to be an encouragement to hurting people, try to see things through their eyes.”

Father, there are so many hurting people I can help, and You’ve prepared me for that ministry by taking me through what they feel myself.  Help me to remember to see things through their eyes so that I can encourage them and not be like Job’s friends.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 18-19 LOVE Job's final statement here!

“Bildad made two mistakes when he gave this speech about the horrors of death.  To begin with, he preached it to the wrong man; for Job was already a believer.  Second, he preached it with the wrong motive, for there was no love in his heart … D.L. Moody once said, ‘A man’s heart ought to be very tender when preaching about the doom of the lost.’”

Bildad spoke of the terrors of death, but “none of the pictures Bildad used should be applied to those who have trusted the Lord for salvation,” my commentary said.

Job then described to him the trials of life.  “Even if I have sinned, it’s my sin and not yours.  God and I can work things out, so leave me alone.”  “The word Job used (“erred”) means ‘an unintentional sin.  Job still defended his integrity and claimed that he had committed no sins worthy of all the suffering he had endured,” my commentary added.

“Throughout the book, Job pleads for justice and cries out for an advocate to defend him before God.  What Job doesn’t realize was that he was the advocate defending God.  It was Job’s faith and endurance that proved Satan wrong and brought glory to the Lord.”

“Never doubt in the darkness what God has taught you in the light.”

I love Job’s statement of faith in verses 25-27!  “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!”

Father, yesterday felt a lot like what Job was going through.  Thanks for hearing and answering my prayers for Your help.  It makes these chapters come alive!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 15-17 Purpose In Suffering

“Job’s three friends were not true theologians because they only saw one side of the picture, the side they wanted to see … We are least open to precise knowledge concerning the things we are most vehement about,” my commentary said.

Eliphaz simply repeated his same arguments as before, telling Job he lacked wisdom and that God judges the wicked.  Job then uttered three heartfelt requests – “a plea to his friends for sympathy; then a plea to God for justice; and finally a plea to God to end his life and relieve him of suffering.”  His friends were miserable comforters.  All of their attempts to comfort him only made him more miserable.  “Sometimes we have to experience misunderstanding from unsympathetic friends in order to learn how to minister to others.”

“In spite of the accusations of Eliphaz, Job knew he was right before God and that God would hear his prayers.  As Christians, we come to a throne of grace, not a throne of judgment, and we have confidence that our loving Father will do that which is best for us.”

Job sensed that death was very near.  “When people suffer so much that their spirit is broken then they lose their fight and want life to end.  However, at no time did Job ever consider taking his own life or asking someone else to do it for him.  Life is a sacred gift from God, and only God can give it and take it away … He didn’t know how much more he could endure … God did not answer Job’s plea for death because He had something far better planned for him.  God looked beyond Job’s depression and bitterness and saw that he still had faith … In the darkness of despair and the prison of pain, we often say things that we later regret; but God understands all about it and lovingly turns a deaf ear to our words but a tender eye to our wounds.”

Father, thank You for letting me experience misunderstandings from unsympathetic friends so that You could teach me how to minister to others.  And I thank You greatly for answering my prayers before I ever reached the depths that Job reached.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 11-14 Almost At The Edge Of Hopelessness

Zophar spoke last, and his speech is full of animosity.  He was angry with Job, but what Job needed was a helping hand and not a slap in the face, my commentary said.  He accused Job of being guilty of sin, ignorant of God, and stubborn in his refusal to repent.

“When Job began to answer him, he first pointed out that age is not guarantee of wisdom and that he did have good knowledge of God.  He told of God’s sovereignty over individuals and nations.  Then he spoke of his disappointment in his three friends, then his declaration of faith in the Lord, and finally his desire that God come to him and get the issue settled once and for all,” my commentary said.

“Job is saying, ‘I will take my case directly to God and prove my integrity.  I know I am taking my life in my hands in approaching God, because He is able to slay me.  But if He doesn’t slay me, it is proof that I am not the hypocrite you say I am’ … To approach God personally was a great act of faith, but Job was so sure of his integrity that he would take his chances.”

By chapter 14, though, hopelessness had set in.  “Early believers like Job did not have the revelation of future life as we now have it in Christ.  Job asked, ‘If a man dies, shall he live again?’  He’s vacillating between hope and despair … When people are experiencing intense grief and pain, it is easy for them to feel that the future is hopeless and that God has forsaken them … The assurance of resurrection and life in glory with Christ is a strong motivation for us to keep going even when the going is tough … When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.  Job had not yet slammed the door, but he was getting close to doing it, and his friends were not helping at all.”

Father, although hopelessness has dogged me over the past several years, I’m so glad that You continued to give me hope and brought me through many tough times.  Keep me focused on You and Your never-failing mercies.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 8-10 WOW! What We Need To Hear!

Bildad steps up to counsel Job.  “He was so concerned about defending the justice of God that he forgot the needs of his friend,” my commentary said.  “It angered Bildad that Job even thought that God would do anything wrong.  Bildad was looking at only one aspect of God’s nature – His holiness and justice – and had forgotten His love, mercy, and goodness … His love is a holy love, and His holiness is exercised in love, even when He judges sin.  These two attributes of God are reconciled at the cross.”

With all Bildad’s talk of God’s justice, Job simply wants a chance to see God in court to present his case to prove his integrity.  But he asks, “How can a mortal man prove himself righteous before God? … If God doesn’t step in and testify on Job’s behalf, what is the purpose of all this suffering?”

“Job is convinced that God is against him and that any steps he takes on earth will be nullified by heaven.  ‘If only I had a mediator!’ … This is where Jesus Christ enters the picture.”

“Job could not understand what God was doing, and it was important that he not understand.  Had Job known that God was using him as a weapon to defeat Satan, he could have simply sat back and waited trustfully for the battle to end.  But as Job surveyed himself and his situation, he asked the same question the disciples asked, when Mary anointed the Lord Jesus:  ‘Why this waste? … Nothing that is given to Christ in faith and love is ever wasted … Job was bankrupt and sick, and all he could give to the Lord was his suffering by faith, but that is just what God wanted in order to silence the devil.”

“Job asked, ‘Why was I born?’  In the light of his losses and his personal suffering, it all seemed such a waste!  But God knew what He was doing then, and He knows what He is doing NOW.”

Father, this is exactly what I needed from You at this time in my life.  Thank You for watching over me and remind me of this today!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 4-7 With Friends Like This ...

“The three friends were silent for seven days, and Job later wished they had stayed that way,” my commentary said.  Eliphaz answered the words from Job’s lips and not the pain in Job’s heart, it said.  “You do not heal a broken heart with logic.  You heal a broken heart with love.”

Eliphaz’s theology was the classic God punishes sin and blesses obedience so Job must be sinning.  Eliphaz likely had a dream that he gradually transformed into a vision that was probably not a direct revelation from God, yet he used it to counsel him, it said.  “One thing is sure:  Eliphaz was not telling the whole story about God and man … man is also made in the image of God, and the God who made him is a God of grace and mercy as well as a God of justice.”

His second argument came from his observations about life.  “The problem with arguing from observation is that our observations are severely limited.  Furthermore, we can’t see the human heart as God can and determine who is righteous in His sight.”

“If Job is in trouble, concludes Eliphaz, he caused it himself because he sinned against God.  Therefore, Job must repent of his sins and ask for God’s forgiveness.  Eliphaz decided that Job needed to seek God and commit himself to him.  He had no idea that that’s where Job had been when all this started.  Job instead asked for sympathy from his friends.  “They didn’t feel the heaviness of his suffering nor the bitterness of his suffering.  Job felt like a target at which God was shooting poisoned arrows, and the poison was making Job’s spirit bitter … and Job’s friends were adding to the poison.  What Job needed were words of encouragement that would feed his spirit and give him strength … he was hungry for love and understanding … Prolonged and intense suffering can make a person feel powerless to handle life and this can lead to hopelessness … Hopelessness can lead to a feeling of uselessness, and when you feel useless, you don’t want to live.  This explains why Job wanted God to take his life.”

Job also appealed to the Lord.  He felt watched by Him unnecessarily, as if He were guarding him constantly.  He then requested forgiveness.  “If I have sinned, then forgive me.  Why should I be a burden to You and to myself? … It was not a confession of sin, for Job still maintained his integrity; but it was an opportunity for God to deal with areas in Job’s life that he knew nothing about.”

Father, the last few years remind me of this story.  It seems like things just keep pining on even though I cling to You and trust You.  Help me to discover what Job discovered about You.  Don’t let me feel so much hopelessness that I want to give up.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 3 -- Some Effects of Grief

The style of grieving that Job exhibits is very foreign to us.  We don’t sit on ash heaps and we don’t often curse the day of our birth, as if in doing so God might go back in time to intervene and change our history.

Job’s friends arrived and sat with him at the garbage dump for seven days as he remained silent in his misery and grief.  I wonder if he was hoping that his silence might capture God’s attention so He would fix things?

When he did speak, it wasn’t to curse God, but to curse the day he was born.  “Job’s suffering was so great that he forgot the blessings that he and his family had enjoyed for so many years … But pain makes us forget the joys of the past; instead, we concentrate on the hopelessness of the future.”

“Job cursed two nights:  the night of his conception and the night of his birth.  Conception is a blessing that comes from God; so when we curse a blessing, we are questioning the goodness of God.”

“He closed his curse with four why questions that nobody but God could answer … There is nothing wrong with asking why, as long as we don’t get the idea that God owes us an answer.  Even our Lord asked, ‘Why hast Thou forsaken me?’  But if the Lord did tell us why things happen as they do, would that ease our pain or heal our broken hearts?  Does reading an X-ray take away the pain of a broken leg?  We live on promises, not explanations; so we shouldn’t spend too much time asking God why,” my commentary said.

Father, over the years, You’ve helped me so much to trust You and to stop asking “why”.  You’ve taught me to accept both the good and the bad and to say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 2 -- Not Wasting Suffering

God was pleased with Job and knew Job’s heart.  He therefore baited Satan again with Job’s faithfulness.  Satan just knew that robbing Job of his health would remove that faithfulness and he asked God for permission to do just that.  God agreed, because He knew that He would be glorified by the result.

Job was so afflicted by Satan’s efforts that he had to remove himself from society, living with outcasts in the city dump.  He was covered head to toe in sores, and his skin even turned black as a result.  His three friends who came to console him didn’t even recognize him!

Having lost her family, her wealth, and her status, Job’s wife couldn’t bear to see him suffer so, and she tempted him to curse God in the hopes that he would die quickly.  “Of course, she was wrong to suggest this,” my commentary said.

It continued, “In times of severe testing, our first question must not be, ‘How can I get out of this?’ but ‘What can I get out of this?’ … Faith is living without scheming.  It is obeying God in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences, knowing that He is working out His perfect plan in His way and in His time … Even if God did permit evil to come into his life, Job would not rebel against God by taking matters into his own hands … ‘It is faith’s work to claim and challenge lovingkindness out of all the roughest strokes of God.’  Job was going to trust God – and even argue with God! --  and not waste his sufferings or his opportunity to receive what God had for him.  When life is difficult, it’s easy to give up; but giving up is the worst thing we can do.”

Father, help me to have a faith like Job’s.  When sufferings come, help me not to waste them or to waste my opportunity to receive what You have for me.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

Job 1 -- Four Basic Truths

As my commentary pointed out, any time we study Job, we may go through a furnace ourselves as God enables us to really grasp His message to us.  It says our response should not be fear, but “By faith, just say with Job, ‘But He knows the way I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’  Gold fears no fire.  Whatever we have that is burned up and left behind in the furnace wasn’t worth having anyway.’”

“Job was not sinless, for nobody can claim that distinction, but he was complete and mature in character and straight in conduct.  He had integrity … The foundation for Job’s character was that he feared God and shunned evil.”

In one day Job lost his wealth and his 10 children.  “Job knew what had happened, but he did not know why it had happened.”  We do, because we get to hear the words from heaven.

My commentary gave four truths that emerge:

“First, God is sovereign in all things … even Satan can do nothing to God’s people without God’s permission … No matter what happens in this world and in our lives, God is on the throne and has everything under control.”

“Second, Satan has access to God’s throne in heaven.”

“Third, God found no fault with Job, but Satan did… There was nothing in Job’s life that compelled God to cause him to suffer … Satan’s accusation against Job was really an attack on God …. To decide the question, ‘Is Jehovah God worthy of man’s worship?’”

“Fourth, Satan can touch God’s people only with God’s permission, and God uses it for their good and His glory… remind yourself that nothing can come to your life that is outside of His will.”

“It takes real faith to say in the midst of sorrow and suffering, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord.’”

Father, God, You know my heart right now.  You know the things I’m facing and how I’ve been praying about them.  I know You are sovereign, and I trust You, God.  Work out Your perfect will, and help me to praise You in whatever comes.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Timothy 4 -- Three Admonitions

In his last words to Timothy, Paul gave him three final admonitions and included the reasons behind them, my commentary said.

First, preach the Word.  “Both Paul and Timothy would be judged one day when Jesus Christ appeared … one day we will face God and our works will be judged … He should afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.  If there is conviction but not remedy, we add to people’s burdens.  And if we encourage those who ought to be rebuked, we are assisting them to sin.  Biblical preaching must be balanced.”

Second, fulfill your ministry.  “Fulfill whatever God wants you to do … No God-directed ministry is small or unimportant … We do not measure the fulfillment of a ministry only on the basis of statistics or what people see.  We realize that faithfulness is important and that God sees the heart … Timothy would have to endure afflictions …  most of Timothy’s sufferings would come from the religious crowd.”

Third, be diligent and faithful.  “For a Christian there are things even more dangerous than suffering and death.  Sin, for example.  This is what Paul had in mind.  He was confident that the Lord would deliver him from every evil work and take him to the heavenly kingdom.  Paul’s greatest fear was not of death; it was that he might deny his Lord or do something else that would disgrace God’s name … You and I must be faithful so that future generations may hear the gospel and have the opportunity to be saved.”

Father, it has certainly seemed that the opportunities to fulfill the ministry You’ve given me have been hampered by others.  Yet You know my heart.  Please encourage me to keep going even as Paul encouraged Timothy.  Work through me to do Your will.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford

2 Timothy 3 -- What To Do Before It Ends

“Paul informed Timothy about the character of the last days and they instructed him how to respond … These last days began with the ministry of Jesus Christ and will continue until He returns.”

He told Timothy to turn away from the false and he listed 18 characteristics to watch out for.  “There is an emphasis on love:  “lovers of their own selves, of money, of pleasure … The heart of every problem is a problem in the heart … In this universe there is God, and there are people and things.  We should worship God, love people, and use things.  But if we start worshipping ourselves, we will ignore God and start loving things and using people.  This is a formula for a miserable life.”

Paul encouraged Timothy to “follow those who are true … whose lives are open for all to see … who teach true doctrine … who practice what they preach … whose purpose is to glorify God … who are willing to suffer.”

He also told him to continue in God’s Word, for “the only way a believer will be able to tell the true from the false is by knowing the Word of God.”  He made sure that Timothy understood that “they are Holy Scriptures that lead to salvation,”, that “they are true and dependable”, and that “they are profitable and equip us for service.”

Paul had been given a glimpse of what the future would be like, and that includes what we’re living through today.  “The times are not getting better but we Christians can become better people, even in bad times.  We must separate ourselves from that which is false, devote ourselves to that which is true, and continue in our study of the Word of God.  Then God can equip us for ministry in these difficult days,” my commentary concluded.

Father, I’ve sure seen how these days are getting more difficult.  I’ve watched as even our small town is changing for the worse due to ungodliness and love of pleasure.  Help us to see what is needed to get us all back to You.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford