What can be learned of God? As we look upon the interaction between God and his creation throughout scripture we start to glimpse how perfect God is and the completely dysfunctionality of mankind. We easily align ourselves in complete allegiance to God but do we truly live as a child of God? “Hear this, O house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel, and who came from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and confess the God of Israel, but not in truth or right. For they call themselves after the holy city, and stay themselves on the God of Israel; the LORD of hosts is his name.” Isaiah 48:1,2 Have we progressed to a point where we only view our faith and religious endevours as chic, trendy, fashion? What percentage of people claim to be religious because they attend church once a year or because they feel in tune with themselves or nature? Continue Reading…
Will you abdicate the throne of life to the True King: Isaiah 48 and 49
Leaving pride to find the enveloping grace of God: Isaiah 15 and 16
What of do you think about pride? Is pride a noble virtue, an inherent quality of mankind, or a fault to overcome? Look at the people of the world who you pass by each day. Have they presumed to live their lives in complete apathy towards God and endure without calamity? We create monuments to our vanity as we glory in ourselves each day. Oh the wretchedness of humanity ; we take the precious gift of life that God has given us and we degraded it to a freak occurrence of nature over billions of years. Do we fear God? Do we realize the peril that is upon our doorstep as we glory in our pride of life? Continue Reading…
Is God enough for you to find complete rest: Psalm 131
Is God enough? Do we find rest in God? We often look upon our lives and think that we need just one more ‘thing’ to make ourselves complete. Why do we long for more? We let ourselves get in our way: we let the pride within us dictate our needs and wants, we let our eyes lust upon the items our pride desires, and we tout how our great intellect helps us. How can we believe that God is enough when we assume requirements from God upon our lives and we think that if we work hard enough we will meet the requirements. Is our busyness an attempt to win God’s favor? Why do we feel compelled to work for our salvation which was completely finished and granted at the cross of Calvary. Continue Reading…
Pressing on with excellence through the doubt and fear: Psalm 90
What lasting purpose exists for us with life so terribly short? Is there any value to our daily tasks that we repetitively complete? When we look at all that we accomplish from day to day, week to week, year to year and culminating in our life we tend to feel infinitely small because we truly make little to no lasting impact. It is only when we focus upon God and His working throughout time that we can see our true purpose. “For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh. As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger and Your fury, according to the fear that is due to You? Do teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:9-12 Continue Reading…
Do your words bring comfort to hurting hearts: Job 35 and 36
What is the point of Elihu’s discord after the discussion of Job, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz? I find myself reading the words that Elihu spoke with great caution. Why is this? What about the words of Elihu make me wary? What was the motive of this young man? Does Elihu have a greater degree of head knowledge concerning God only to have little of that knowledge transform his heart? I cannot know the heart of Elihu but it seems that there is an underlying self righteousness to Elihu’s arguments.
“How much less when you say you do not behold Him, the case is before Him, and you must wait for Him! And now, because He has not visited in His anger, nor has He acknowledged transgression well, so Job opens his mouth emptily; he multiplies words without knowledge.” Job 35:14-16 Continue Reading…
Foolishness of youth touted as wisdom: Job 33 and 34
How would you feel, a in Job’s place, three of your friends have offered little comfort and continually refuted your words? Your friends are finally silent, no longer throwing accusations back at you, when a young man who was listening to your conversation decides to speak his mind. How would you react? I have had discussions with friends that random strangers feel compelled to join. It took a lot of restraint for me to not want to turn all my anger upon this person who butted into my private conversation. I have never been in such a place of despair and grief as Job to have someone decide they need to be heard. Elihu speaks to Job, his elder, as a one who thinks that his wisdom is greatest of all. Can the people of the younger generation so easily speak out against the wisdom of their elders? Continue Reading…
Contrast shows peoples true feelings: Job 29 and 30
Do we long for the glorious past? Do we sometimes think that God has forgotten us? In Job 29 and 30 Job reflects on everything that has changed since the calamity fell upon him. As Job speaks we get a greater understanding and picture of his life. Prior to losing his children, livelihood and health, Job’s life was marked by renown, admiration, respect, notoriety, charity and compassion. People looked at Job with an awe and wonder at all that he was blessed with and all that he did for others. Did this acknowledgement from men cause pride to develop in Job? After suffering so much loss Job was taunted, spit upon and talked about as he suffered persecution and cruelty from those who once looked up to him. There is a stark contrast between the life of Job before and after the troubling times. Continue Reading…
The intangible holds preeminence over the tangible: Job 15 and 16
What do you take pride in? Pride can be grounded in knowledge, works of man, position in life or many other idols we embrace. After reading Job chapters 15 and 16 the pride of Job, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz became apparent. All of these men had head knowledge of who God was and they easily proclaimed the nature of God. Job’s friends act as the Pharisees did with their great knowledge of God but none of it transferred from their mind to their heart. What did Job desire from these friends? “I have heard many such things; sorry comforters are you all. Is there no limit to windy words? Of what plagues you that you answer? I too could speak like you, if I were in you place. I could compose words against you and shake my head at you. I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.” Job 16:2-5 All that Job desired was comfort in his pain instead of accusations. Continue Reading…
Cling to God while facing the ‘Why me?’ moments of life: Job 11 and 12
Why is this discussion taking place between Job, Zophar, Bildad and Eliphaz? What is the purpose for all of this talk? In Job chapters 11 and 12 we have Zophar the Naamathite, the last of Job’s three friends, entering the discourse. The three friends initially came to comfort their friend but quickly start to argue that Job is to blame for his situation while Job is consistently seeking an answer from God as to why this lot has fallen upon him.
When Zophar wishes God would speak in Job 11:5,6 did he really believe or want God to speak? Did God speak openly during the period we see in Job? Would we really desire God to openly speak to us? What would our reaction be if God spoke? In that instant all thoughts of conflict, blame and despair would fade away in the presence of God. How often do we casually reference God in our discussions? We need to rightly look upon God as the almighty creator that He is and stop the elevation ourselves to positions of prominence. As Zophar speaks the assumption of Job’s guilt continues and gains more direct wording. There are moments that I want a friend to speak boldly to me but when I am broken and fighting a despairing spirit I want a friend who will just be there with me. Continue Reading…
Joy, fulfillment, and blessing from God: Esther Summary
The book of Esther takes place during the exile of Israel between the time when Persia conquers Babylon and the return of Zerubbabel to Jerusalem. What is the overall theme of Esther? Is the book about a rags-to-riches journey of a young woman? Is the book just a random picture of life for the Israelites in exile? Does the story really apply to people living in the church today? God’s faithfulness is evident in the lives of the people of Israel throughout the book. The seemingly small events that unfold for Esther and Mordecai are instrumentally used as God delivers the Israelites from peril. Continue Reading…
