Finding Wisdom

In the book of Job, chapter 28, Job spoke about how much people knew.  They knew how to mine for silver and gold, how to dig in the earth, how to explore the darkest regions.  People knew how to go down deep mine shafts, grow food, and how to dam up rivers.

But how do we find wisdom?

That, my friend, we do not know.  It does not show on any map.  It cannot be purchased by any amount of gold or jewels.

God alone knows the way to wisdom.

God created the laws of the rain and how the lightning paths are made.  He decided exactly how hard the wind is to blow and where.

In verse 28, Job stated that the fear of the Lord is true wisdom, to forsake evil is real understanding.

No hope for the godless

Continuing on in the book of Job, chapter 27, Job made a vow that no matter what was done to him, he would tell no lies.  He would not turn his back on God.  He placed his complete trust in the Almighty Lord.

Verse 8 struck me as powerful: "For what hope do the godless have when God cuts them off and takes away their life?"

The rest of the verses are a comparison to evil people and righteous ones.  Evil people may have hordes of money, large houses, and tons of clothes.  But they will soon find it gone and are constantly worried about their stuff.

The righteous gained their inheritance from the Lord.

Stop comparing yourself to others, when you know in your heart that they are not living a godly life.  Keep your trust in the Lord as Job did.  God will reward you.

The Jesus Moment

While reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, certain passages always perplexed me when it came to Jesus performing His miracles.  After the miracles, He would tell them to not say anything to anyone.  Undoubtedly, the majority of the time, they didn't listen and told all who would listen about the miracle and who did it.

Why would Jesus do that?

Then, upon further examination, it was the timeline of Jesus's ministry that was at play.  He wasn't ready for the world to hear His message.

Now, keep in mind, it all had to do with timing.  His timing was always perfect.  And those times were not the correct time.

The same could be true of all us.  As we read the Gospels, we're eager to share our message with the world.  In late August, I was at a funeral and one of my co-workers struck up a conversation with me about religion.  He told me he had reservations about how he had been treated in some of the older churches and had found some peace with a form of paganism.

Even though I had been listening to a lot of apologetics and immersing myself into Christianity more and more, my response lacked any luster.  The Holy Spirit definitely intervened, stopping me from doing more harm than good, and I know it was not quite my "Jesus Moment."

Others may come to their Jesus Moment faster than others.  But as long as we work to get there, praying and allowing God and the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus to fill your heart, mind, and spirit, your time will come.

Answered Prayers

It's been close to a month since my last post.  A lot has been happening lately, and I'll soon get back on track.

I'm currently reading Heaven Is For Real and something struck me today about God answering prayers.  It's something I've thought about for a while, so bear with me as I write it down.

During the holiday season of 2019, it was a dark time for my family with my wife's rapidly failing health.  As Thanksgiving came upon us, I prayed to God to let us get through the holidays at least.  I knew she was going to pass.  I just didn't know when.

However, I did tell God that if it was His will to take her before or during the holidays, I would do my best not to let it tarnish future holidays.

Not only did we make it through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays in 2019, I also rang in the New Year with her.  She passed on January 16, 2020.

As the months dragged on following her passing, I wondered if I would ever find love again.  So I turned to God in prayer.  I asked God if it was His will for me to remain single for the remainder of my life, I would accept it.  I wouldn't be very happy with the decision, but would accept it and would claim the life as He saw fit.

However, if He did see that I would find another female companion, I had a few asks.  I will keep the asks to myself and the Lord Himself, save for one.  She had to be a Christian.  And not just a so-so Christian.  One who knew God and we could have spiritual and Biblical conversations about.

Well, I will let you know that God has once again answered my prayers.  She lives around three hours from me, had lost her husband in March 2021 to pancreatic cancer, and . . . not only is she a Christian, her father is also a part-time pastor.

Halleluiah!

Praise the Lord!

As an added note of irony, she also shares the same first name as my late wife.

Yes, Jesus is smiling down on us for sure.

Comparing man to maggots

In Job, chapter 25, which is extremely short at 6 verses, Bildad told Job that God is indeed powerful and no one is able to count the number of his army of angels.  He then questioned how a mortal man can be innocent, pure, when even the moon and stars cannot hold any glory without God.  He ends by stating that, to God, people are nothing more than maggots and worms.

Job rebukes this in chapter 26.  He asks how he has helped the powerless and weak, where has he received the words of wisdom that he speaks of?  God is everywhere, from across the sky to every cloud and rain.  God created the earth and Heaven, separating them.

The Lord made the heavens and earth powerful and beautiful, all from a mere whisper.  His power is great.  And who is Bildad to question that power?

Quote Scripture, not Plato or Confucius or Abraham Lincoln

A quick one today.

Have you ever noticed how many people quote others in history like President Lincoln, Plato, Confucius, or Henry Ford or countless others, and treat them like gospel?

But very few seem to quote the actual Gospel?

Start a movement today to quote God's Word instead of someone else's.  Not that others' words aren't meaningful, but the True Word should hold more weight in our daily lives than others.

Amen.

Unknown sins

A few weeks ago, during our usual Sunday service, our pastor read something that I had heard hundreds and hundreds of times before, but for whatever reason it struck me that day.

It was during what is called the "brief order of confession."  In it was a line that talks about our sins, known and unknown.

I furrowed my brow and asked myself, "What is an unknown sin?"

At first, I thought it was something we're doing, knowing deep in our heart and soul that it is wrong, but we're justifying on doing it anyway.  No, this couldn't be it.

Then it struck me.  It is something we're supposed to do and didn't.  I then thought about my college years in InterVarsity.  The leaders of the chapter at Bemidji State University were probably unaware of how poorly they were treating me. I'm positive that they weren't actively plotting against me, ignoring me, when all I wanted to do was learn more about Christianity.

That would be an example of an unknown sin.

And I forgive them for it.  If God ever offers a chance for me to forgive them in person, I pray that He does and I will.  Those leaders may be clueless as to what I would be talking about, but that doesn't matter to me.  I forgive them with all my heart, soul, and being, so help me God.

I have thought of times when I, myself, have not done something that God was pointing me to do.  Those are too numerous, I'm sure, and as long as God forgives me, I also forgive myself.  I can't change the past.

I can only do what is right in the future, guided by the Hand of God.

Don't judge Christ by other Christians

I will try not to get political here, but if there is one thing I've noticed during the last 4-5 years, there are a fair amount of "Christians" who are just plain a--holes.

These people are on social media, in my own church, and to listen to their hypocrisy absolutely hurts my heart.  I work very hard at being nice to them--sometimes I fail, sorry to say--despite their inability to not see the err in their thinking.

I'm currently reading a Christian book about not being a jerk when it comes to politics.  While I agree with some of what the author says, I can't help but see a biased angle in their thinking.

Back in college, I was a member of the InterVasrsity Christian Fellowship.  I was a Lutheran all my life, and to experience Christianity from a non-denominational view was interesting.  There are a few friends I still have from those days.  However, those involved on the leadership team were not always the best . . . Christians.  My first year was pleasant, but by the second year they completely ignored me.  I would attend Thursday night fellowship times and no one, save for my few friends, would even acknowledge me.  I asked my few friends about it and they noticed it too.

Now, if I was on the fence about Christianity or didn't believe, I could see someone's faith be completely shattered because of their actions and wouldn't want anything to do with these a--hole Christians ever again.  But my faith was much stronger than this.  I don't know why.  It just was.  It took me several years to actually forgive them--if God would give me the opportunity to meet them face to face, so I could verbally forgive them, I'd love the chance.

Christ is perfect.  His love is perfect.  Don't judge Our Lord Jesus by the actions of human Christians.  Read His teachings and let His love fill your heart.

Prayer doesn't have to be complicated

Prayer doesn't have to be complicated.  It can be as simple as "Thank you, God."

At the end of every episode of Duck Dynasty, there is a prayer.  Each one is simple and lasts no more than ten or twenty seconds.

As with everything else that's good, it's important to create a habit of prayer.  When I wake up in the morning, I thank the Lord.  Whenever one of my kids drives off, either to work or school or to be with their friends, I thank the Lord and ask Him to watch over them.  Whenever I walk out of the gym each night after a good workout, I thank God for granting me the opportunity to do so.

Don't complicate prayer.

For that matter, don't complicate daily habits of reading the Bible either.  Read it at whatever pace God wants you to do.

God is your security

Starting in the 23rd chapter, from the book of Job, Job responded by saying that his complaint about his treatment from God is bitter, but he tried not to make it very loud.  He desperately wanted to find God and ask Him what he had done to deserve such horrible treatment.

God knew where he was going and that he always stayed on God's path, treasuring God's Word more than food.

Then, in the 24th chapter, Job ranted about how the wicked never seemed to be brought to the Lord's judgment and that the poor and needy could never get a break.  By the end of the chapter though, he did admit that although the rich seemed to rise high, they never had any assurance in life.  God is the only path to security.  Not physical riches.

Create a habit of thanking the Lord

You wake up in the morning, thank the Lord.

You step outside, no matter the weather, thank the Lord.

You go to the store, thank the Lord.

You step onto the bus, thank the Lord.

You drive along the highway, thank the Lord.

You sit down to eat, thank the Lord.

You finish a workout, thank the Lord.

Even what seems to be the most mundane of tasks or everyday events, create a habit of thanking the Lord.  I live in northwestern Minnesota, and right now we have a good inch or two of snow on the ground--this started coming down yesterday.  I breathed in the crisp air and thanked the Lord.  Since the middle of June 2020, I've been going to the local gym to work out at night.  It's a good cap to my day.  It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, but for personal reasons I was unable to do so until last year.  And so, whenever I get done, I look up and thank the Lord.

Habits centered around the Lord will lead you to a much better place, as He guides your heart to where you're supposed to go.  Even reading the Bible and praying should be a habit.

Don't worry about what you didn't do tomorrow.  Start today.  Create the habits that He wants you to create.

Having peace

Chapter 22 in the book of Job is rather interesting--then again, aren't all of what we read in the Bible interesting or intriguing?

The chapter, of course, continues with another of Job's friends.  This one is Eliphaz, whom we've heard from before.  He starts by asking what use righteous people are to God Himself, what use wise people can be to God.

Then, he asks Job if it's his fear of the Lord, that He corrects Job, that is causing him so much angst?  He goes on a tirade about how Job had lent money to friends but demanded their clothing as security, stripping them down to nothing.  He refused water to those who were thirsty and food to those who were starving.  He even took land and when widows came to him, he sent them away empty-handed.

If you review the first chapters of this book, you get none of this, the events that took place.  What's interesting is that, of the four types of Bibles that I read, the New Living Translation says that "he must have" done these things, not that he had.  All of the others state that he did them.  I'm leaving this open for interpretation as there is still a message in these words.

In verse 21, Eliphaz tells Job to submit himself to the Lord and be at peace.  In verse 22, he tells Job to keep the Lord's words into his heart.  Be at peace with the Lord's words in your heart.  Definitely wise words to live by.

When my wife passed in January 2020, I was sad.  I grieved deeply--and still do, if you want to know.  But knowing what I've read and prayed about from God, my heart is at peace.  My wife is at peace, and one day I will wrap my arms around her again in Heaven.

Reading the Bible gives you a peace that is beyond understanding.  When you read His words, open your heart, open your mind, and be prepared to be filled by his incredible peace.

Repetition is necessary for learning, even the basics

While I was studying the 19th chapter from the book of Proverbs, it struck me how many times things were repeated in the Bible.

And Proverbs 19 is no exception.

First, what's interesting is how much of this chapter deals with wealth.  The first verse goes like this: "Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and a fool."  Then, in verse four: "Wealth makes many 'friends'; poverty drives them all away."  In this last verse, the word friends is in quotations, which really means false friends.  True friends will always stick with you.

Verse 5 and 9 are very similar: "A false witness will not go unpunished, nor will a liar escape."  Verse 28 also deals with witnesses: "A corrupt witness makes a mockery of justice . . ."

Verses 13 and 14 are interesting, as it deals with wives.  In 13, it says, ". . . a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping."  Then, in 14: ". . . only the Lord can give an understanding wife."

Of course, like all Proverbs, there is so much to cover, but this will get you started.

From faith's point of view

In the book of Job, chapter 20, another of Job's friends Zophar replied to Job, stating how disturbed he was from the continuous insults hurled at him.  He then went on to say that since the beginning, those who did wicked deeds had short-lived triumphs.  Their joy was temporary and their dreams vanished like the night.  Even though those who were evil seemed to have many gifts, all gifts turned sour and were finally left with nothing.

Zophar went on and on, ending with saying that God's anger always descended on those wicked ones.

In chapter 21, Job responded that the wicked always seemed to prosper, grow old, and prosper beyond one's imagination.  They always seemed to have it all, even with the greatest of health and all the riches one could have.

When I read these two chapters and reflected on them, as I have the previous chapters where Job goes back and forth against his friends, it struck me that everything depends on one's point of view.  One may see those who have more than others, more than themselves, and are envious of them, thinking that God has blessed them, even for doing wicked things.  But when you peel back the layers, like the layers of an onion, those who seem to have it all are really being torn apart on the inside.  The Spirit is constantly telling their heart to change their ways, and the wicked ones don't know how to handle it.

Life depends on one's point of view.  One widower may view the passing of their spouse as a blessing, for the spouse would not have to be in pain from the illness that had attacked them.  But another widower may curse God as to why they had to take their spouse away from them, why they had to be cursed with a deadly illness.

Pray to the Lord to view life from another point of view.  From the point of view of Heaven, of the Lord, of the Spirit, of Christ Jesus.

God's timeline may not be in line with your expectations

I happened to find myself back in the book of Genesis the other day and I read chapter 16.  In this chapter, Sarai, wife of Abram, went to Abram and told him that, since the Lord has prevented her from having children yet, go to her maid Hagar and have a child with her.

Abram was not pleased with this at first, but soon relented, listened to her advice, and had a did as she told him to do.  In other words, instead of trusting and listening to God, he took his advice from others as it more served his flesh, his earthly pleasures, than those outside of the flesh.

When Hagar became pregnant, Sarai was jealous and treated her poorly.  After Hagar gave birth to Ishmael--a name given by an Angel of the Lord--it would be another fourteen years before Sarai actually had a child, a son named Isaac.

We may go through life, wondering when something will happen.  When will you find the love of your life, the job of your dreams, for your side project to overshadow your day job as far as earnings?  Or it could be when a disease to be cured or an illness to be healed or, in the case of Abram and Sarai, to bring a child into the world.

Early on in my relationship with my late wife, she knew I wanted to be a writer.  Not once did she ever put me down for not getting published with a big publisher or making millions of dollars doing it as an indie author.  In fact, when she wrote to-do lists for me, at the bottom she would write: P.S. And Write!  I hate to admit this, but even after a twenty-two and a half year marriage, she never saw the fruits of my writing labor to the degree at which I wanted.

But we both had faith that it would happen in God's timeline.  Our timeline may not be His.

Keep your faith in the Lord that what will happen was meant to be.  Think of it this way.  Jesus's Apostles were told that He would return to earth one day and for us to prepare the Way for Him.  That was over 2,000 years ago.

We're still waiting.

God knows best.  God's timing is perfect.

Even little prayers can get answered

Last week, my youngest daughter was having battery troubles with her cell phone.  She has tons of pictures of her late mother, my late wife, as well as a bunch of notes for things.

I get it, for a young teenager, these things are like the life blood of their entire livelihood.  But the troubles were so bad that she had to do a complete factory reset on it.

Then, as she was having more troubles getting the phone back on, she couldn't find any of those pictures or her notes.  These were cherished memories she had of our sweet beloved, and her tears just tore at my heart.

I then went into my room and prayed.  I had tears running down my own cheeks as I asked God to please let them be restored, the pictures.  We know that one day, when we pass on, that we'll walk hand-in-hand with her again.  But for now, with our time on earth, we cherished those physical memories.

The next morning, she looked at her phone.  Her battery was still causing troubles, but guess what?  Most of the pictures and notes were restored.

Praise Jesus!  Praise The Lord!

These prayers may seem trivial and small.  But including the Lord in all aspects of your life reminds us that He is in charge of it all.  We are just stewards of this life.  And we need to do our best to honor what we have been given to the Almighty!

Imperfection Written In Stone

Last Saturday, March 20, 2021, I visited my beloved wife's grave.  I have visited it many, many times since her passing last year, and as I came up on it again, I brush whatever dirt is along the front, side, and top.

Since the snow has melted, I've been out at least three or four other times, and this trip would be no different.

And Lord knows how many times I've read the words etched into the stone marker.  But this time, I noticed something different.

A typo.

As I looked at it, pondering its significance, I could feel my wife's arm looping through mine, as she had done hundreds of times when she was with me.  There, written on the back were the words: "Love is paitient . . ."  Notice it?  It should be patient.  Later on, I went back to the correspondence from the funeral home and, sure enough, it was right there and I approved it.

In the book of Job, chapter 19, it is written in verses 23-24: "Oh, that my words could be recorded.  Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument, carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead, engraved forever in the rock."

I chuckled at the imperfection, and I'm certain my beloved Melissa did the same.  You see, even in our strong need for perfection, none of us can ever achieve it.  This imperfection is a reminder that there are bigger issues in the world, and one little typo doesn't define us.

Christ Our Lord defines us.  He guides us.

Praise Him Always!

Words inscribed in stone

Continuing on in the book of Job, chapter 19, Job again speaks, asking his friends why they hurt him with their words.  How long will they keep this up, insulting him.  He knows he has sinned, but does not want to hear it from his friends.  He wants the Lord to tell him what he had done to deserve such punishment.

He laments on that his friends have abandoned him, when he cries out, no one listens.  All of his family are gone and he is considered a foreigner to all others.

He pleads for mercy from his friends.  He wishes for his words to be recorded, inscribed in a monument for all to see.  He is detested by all.

But the Lord, the Redeemer, lives on and his enemies should be fearful.

The nature of the wicked

In the 18th chapter from the book of Job, Bildad, one of the friends seated with him, responded to Job's latest tirade.

First, he scorned Job for speaking to his friends like they were animals, that they were stupid.  But he sid, despite his anger, will that do any good?  Will the earth tremble from his mere words?

Then, Bildad goes on to describe the nature of those who are wicked.  Those who are wicked, those who reject God, will live in darkness, they are living in a constant trap in their lives.  They will have no descendants to honor their lives.  He goes on and on, describing the vile ways in which those who reject the Lord, the wicked, will live an appalling life.  They will have no survivors, and the only remembrance will be those who cherish and honor the Lord. for they will say, "This is the home of a wicked person."  Their reputation will follow them to the grave.

The Lord's Face Shines Down On You

The author of Psalm 80 makes a plea to the Lord, asking to show His mighty power to rescue us.  There are numerous passages where he asks God to shine His face down on us.

Only then, will we be saved, by His Holiness.

The author reminds God that He brought His people out of Egypt, drove away the pagan nations, cleared the choice land for us, gave us everything we ever needed.  He begs the Lord not to turn His back on us, not to abandon us.

The Lord shines down upon us.

With God, we are saved.

One Crushed Spirit

The first verse of chapter 17, from the book of Job, starts with, "My spirit is crushed . . ."

I'm positive all of us have felt a crushed spirit at one time or another.  Whether it's at the seat of a dying loved one, a huge financial or job loss, devastating news about a close relative, harsh medical news, or even car troubles while in the middle of nowhere--and countless other scenarios--we have all felt that feeling of hopelessness, helplessness, and a downright crushed spirit.

In the next few verses, Job expresses how his life is nearly snuffed out and that he is surrounded by those who continuously mock him.

No one will stand up for him.

He pleads with God for his innocence.  His hopes have vanished.  His heart's desires are torn away from him.

Hope, he prays for.  He searches to find any hope, saying that his only hope may go down in the grave with him.

The Chosen - a dramatic portrayal of Jesus unlike anything else (and that's a good thing)

Some days I feel like I'm late to the party on many things, and the 2019 drama titled The Chosen is no exception.

The Chosen is a dramatic portrayal of Jesus through the eyes of those who were with him.  I have been watching season 1 on DVD, and as of this posting I have one episode left.

If I have to describe The Chosen down to one word, it's this: AMAZING!  Throughout each episode, I've laughed, cried, cheered, and have been amazed.

As far back as I can remember, I've loved watching movies about Jesus.  Most of them seem to tell roughly the same story.

The Chosen tells this dramatic story of Jesus quite unlike other movies or TV shows--and that's a good thing.  The story isn't told in a linear fashion, from His birth to death, but rather in a unique telling, mixing Old Testament with New Testament historical events.

According to the website for The Chosen, it will be seven seasons long, and it is one of the best crowd-sourced film projects of all time.  Currently, season 2 is in production.  This is definitely one you will not want to miss.

Sins of our ancestors

Psalm 79 is a very visual psalm in the first few verses.

It starts by proclaiming that pagan nations have conquered our lands, and that the bodies of the Lord's servants have been left as food for the birds, the flesh of godly people have become food for wild animals.  Blood flowed through Jerusalem like water.

And that's just the first three verses.

We are mocked by our neighbors--something many have felt this past election season in the United States.  We have been mocked by our faith, our convictions, when the hypocrisy from others have been ripe and vengeful.

Verse 8 stood out for me: "Do not hold us guilty for the sins of our ancestors!"  So much of our division nowadays seems to stem from past events.  Events that occurred several decades, if not centuries ago.  Even against people who are long since dead.

But in the end of this short psalm, it pleads that we the people of the Lord, like the sheep of God's pasture, will thank you forever and ever.  We will pass on our praise to Your Greatness from generation to generation.

Amen.

An advocate for God

Continuing on in the book of Job, chapter16, Job responded to his friends about how empty their words of supposed comfort are, that he would do a better job of stringing words together than them.

What Job was looking for was an advocate of God.  He knew he couldn't speak to the Almighty Lord Himself, so the next best thing would be an advocate.

Job's enemies have attacked him from all angles.

There is a saying that keeps me going each day: God can bring you to it, and God can bring you through it.  Whenever I'm struggling with something tough, I'm reminded of this.  So much was done to Job, and yet he still wanted to have a conversation with God.

Speak to Him through prayer.

A monopoly of wisdom

 Continuing on in the book of Job, we now come to chapter 15.

Eliphaz responded to Job's latest tirade.  He goes on about wisdom and the nature of one who has much of it.  "Would a wise man answer with such empty talk!  You are nothing but a windbag."  He goes on with how he rambled on with empty words, empty chatter.  All of his talk was, well, empty.  No substance.  No evidence of any wisdom.

In verse 8, he asks, "Were you listening at God's secret council?  Do you have a monopoly of wisdom?"

I love that one.  A monopoly of wisdom.

This reminds me so much today about the ramblings of the extreme in today's political climate.  Does any of them have a monopoly of wisdom?  Of course, they think they do.

Let me be the first to tell you: you do not.  Only God does.  Read His Word daily, practice the teachings His Only Son Jesus came to give to us--and died for.

Eliphaz then went on to educate Job on the nature of wise men as well as those who are wicked in their ways.  They cannot escape the darkness that lies in their hearts, and even their riches are empty.

Job's Argument

In the book of Job, chapter twelve through fourteen, Job responded to his friends.  At first, he put them down, asking if they really knew everything that he had gone through, that even robbers are treated better than him.  He mocked his friends, saying things like, "Just ask the animals, and they will teach you."

As we go along, Job truly wanted to argue his case with the Lord, pleading with Him on exactly what he did wrong.

Job even stated that life is short, and that even a tree has more hope for it will always sprout new branches.

Can anyone blame Job for speaking so plainly?

But as a father myself, sometimes things happen for a reason and your children may not be mature enough to understand.  That may be the case here.  Job, although seemingly strong in faith, when the battles became personal, he wanted to know what he did wrong.

The answers of our wrongdoing may not be as simple as this or that.  Continue to put your trust and faith in the Lord.  For my own life, as I near the one-year anniversary of my sweetheart's passing, I could ask God why He chose to take her away from me at such an early age.  But I haven't.  I trust that He did it for a reason, that He needed the love of my life for another purpose in Heaven.

Lessons learned from the past (but don't dwell on it)

Psalm 78 is a lengthy psalm.  It highlights all of the wonderful and glorious things that the Lord had done for His people, from when they were slaves in Egypt to when He gave them David, the shepherd boy who went on to become king.

Many times the people would disobey God, and He would be disappointed in them but gave them what they wanted.  He gave created a wall of water to allow them passage from Egypt to the Promised Land.  He gave them water when Moses struck a rock with his staff.  He even brought down food from Heaven, manna, when they were hungry.

He gave them everything.

And yet, time and time again, the people disobeyed him and complained.

Like the best Father any of us could ask for, He gave us His all--even His only Son Jesus--and we should glorify Him.

Always.

Preparing for heart for the Lord

Continuing on in the book of Job, chapter 11, one of Job's friends named Zophar responded to Job's plea.  He went on and on about how God isn't going to answer his questions, and by verse 6 he says, "Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin."

Zophar questioned why Job was even questioning God's will toward him.  Did he really think to prove the Lord's actions?

Then, in verse 13, Zophar told him to prepare his heart and lift his hands up in prayer.  Forget all of your sins and let the glory of God shine on you like the shining sun.  Forget all of your past sins and let them flow off you like water flowing off your body.

Having hope in the Lord will give one courage.  Having courage and faith in the Lord will protect you.

Job's plea

In chapter 10 from the book of Job, Job makes a tearful plea to the Lord.  With the pain he's going through, he feels an absolute disgust with his life.

Then, he pleas with the Lord to not only condemn his life but tell him why He is doing so.  He wants to truly know what he did wrong.

The Lord made him and now He seemed to destroy him.  For what gain?  For what purpose?

If Job is guilty, he wants to know what it is and he will accept it.  But Job wants to know why bother with his birth if only to turn him back to the dust in which he came.

He then ordered his friends to leave him alone as he knew he only had a few days left to live.

Shout out to the Lord

Psalm 77 starts out with one crying out to the Lord, shouting to be more precise, searching for Him as one is in deep trouble.  The troubles are so severe that one has difficulty sleeping.  One dreams of days long gone, pondering why today is not so joyful.

Then, one wondered if the Lord was against him, until they recalled all of the good deeds that God has done.

Like the Lord parting the waters of the Red Sea so that Moses and His people can escape to Israel, He has led the way for His people at all times.

When you find your spirit troubled, sit quietly and put your trust in the Lord.  Let His Holy Spirit fill you, point you in the direction He wants you to go.