Job

One of the goals I set for myself this year was to read through the bible.  So, I copied a plan off the Internet that goes in Chronological order.


I started out in Genesis and then went to Job.


I really, really, really liked reading Job,


I have heard people talk about that book a lot but reading it for myself was great.  I learned so much from it.


I was comforted by Job's reaction to his circumstances, first that he questioned God, because I think everyone at some point and time in their life questions God.  Things happen all the time that I don't understand and it made me feel pretty good that even such a righteous man as Job questions his trials.


And having said that it also made me very humble in that I am nothing and God can do whatever he pleases and I should just trust him and not say a word.  

"Surely I spoke of things I did not understand:

I talked of things too wonderful for me to know."

Job 42:5,6

I think we can all see our self as Job in some sense, I mean we all have times when we don't understand why everything seems to happen to us?  I mean some people just can't seem to catch a break.  It's normal to seek God's will during those times, isn't it?

These are opportunities for us to grow, to grow in our relationship with Christ and within ourselves.

I mean it all turned out pretty swell in the end for Job.

The Lord blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part.  

Job 42:12

Suffering

If you are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you.  But even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed.

1 Peter 3:13,14

Key note; even if you suffer for doing right, you are blessed.  


I know that is true, I mean I know it in my head.  I believe it, I really do, it's just that when you are in the middle of the suffering it can be down right difficult to feel blessed.


With everything that is going on in the "world" today, there is suffering every where you look.  I see good people who have been out of work for a long time.  I see people who have always been able to pay their bills on time struggling.  I see people who can't afford to buy medicine that they desperately need.


That is suffering.


Will these people be blessed?  Definitely!  I know it!


Will I ever see it?  That I don't know.  


I do know that God's time and mine are definitely not the same.  But do I trust his word?


YES!  YES!! YES!!!!

Literally, talking to God

This year, I have made a commitment to read through the bible, I hope to do it in a year.  Hope being the operative word, since I am not really following any type of plan, just kind of winging it.


So having prefaced the story, I was reading in Genesis and it seemed amazing to me the way that God spoke to Abraham.  He came down to him and had real conversations with him.


Amazing, right?


In Genesis 17:1, it says when Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him.  It does not say in a vision or a dream, but he actually appeared to him.


In Genesis 18:2, Abraham saw three men standing near him.  Two of those men were angels, but one was the Lord.  Can you imagine having a conversation, face-to-face with the Lord?


I'm not sure I can really fathom the idea of being able to talk to God like that?  But I imagine that it was an amazing experience.  Actually having God answer you when you are talking to him.  I wonder why he doesn't come down to talk to us?  And how would we react if he did, I'm not sure we  would like everything he had to say to us.  


I don't see God as someone who would sugarcoat what we are doing wrong in our lives do you? I know he is a loving, caring God, but he is also a jealous God.  Sometimes, I'm not sure we really get that, or me at least.


I have so much I would like to ask God, if I could sit down with him and talk to him.  First off, I really don't get how the ocean just stops at a certain place.  Why do some people get sick, while others don't?  Why do some people die young?  Why, Why, Why?  Then I think I'd want to know a little more about what he expects of me.  I know, I know, I have the book that tells me all of that, but sometimes hearing is better than reading it.


What would you ask?

Suffering

Since Christ suffered while he was in his body, strengthen yourselves with the same way of thinking Christ had. The person who has suffered in the body is finished with sin.  Strengthen yourselves so that you will live here on earth doing what God wants not the evil things people want.

1 Peter 4:1,2

My friends, do not be surprised at the terrible trouble which now comes to test you.  Do not think that something strange is happening to you.  But be happy that you are sharing in Christ's sufferings so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again in glory.

So those who suffer as God wants should trust their souls to the faithful Creator as they continue to do what is right.

1 Peter 4:12,13, 19

What goes through your mind when you read those passages?  Do you find yourselves turning more to God when problems arise?  Do trials bring you closer to him?  

I know for me, while I am in the midst of a bad situation I go through several different stages.  I feel sorry for myself, I get angry, then I may ask myself why?  Why do bad things have to happen to us?  Maybe they happen to strengthen us, to prepare us for something, to show us that we can.  Because with God's help, we can, and we do, we get through situations that we never thought we could.  

So I will leave you with a favorite verse;

"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

What love can do

At bible study we are discussing 1Peter.


This verse was discussed at length.


Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 
1 Peter 4:8

Isn't that a wonderful verse.  Last night we were talking about how we, us puny humans, are capable of loving each other sometimes to the point of blindness.  Once we love someone, it can be pretty hard to make us stop loving them.  They can lie to us, hurt our feelings, just plain walk all over us, and yet we still love them.


I hope that is how much God loves us, so much that nothing we do can stop him from loving us and all he wants for us is to come to him.


Amazing love!  


I have found from personal experience that even when someone I love hurts me, I still love them, and I just want them to make the right choices.  I want them to realize that with God on their side, they will always be OK.  


I imagine that's how God loves us.  He only wants to take care of us, he wants us to come to him, and stay with him.


Love is alive, because God is alive!!

Sunday Scripture

But when he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.  He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and make it known to you.

John 16:12-14

Peace or Freedom

If someone asked you what you would rather have, peace or freedom?  What would you say?

I was watching a TV show the other night with my daughter and a man was asked that question and it got me thinking, which would you choose?

I thing I would choose peace because with peace comes freedom.  There is something to be said for knowing that no matter what I do my father loves me unconditionally.  Honestly, and completely, UNCONDITIONALLY!

I suppose freedom has a certain appeal to it also.  Who wouldn't love complete freedom?  Freedom to do whatever you wanted with no consequences.  Is there such a freedom?  Doesn't everything have consequences?

Besides that if we have peace, true peace, don't we have freedom also? 



To the Jews who had believed  him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

John 8:31,32

That's true freedom, freedom that comes with peace.