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Only God Knows [Job 18]
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Job 18
19"He has no offspring or posterity among his people,
Nor any survivor where he sojourned.
20"Those in the west are appalled at his fate,
And those in the east are seized with horror.
21"Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
And this is the place of him who does not know God."
Only God knows the truth about a person because He is the only one who can see past the things that are seen to the things that matter. We have no business trying to decide whether someone else knows God or not. In these verses, Bildad not only called Job wicked, but someone who didn't even know God! I can't imagine the pain Job was already experiencing and here his supposed friend said something like this!
We praise You, God, that you alone are the judge of the hearts of men. Cause us to trust You to guide us in ministering to hurting people without condemnation. We can't, but You can. |
Beth Warlick, 3/19/2010 |
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Where Is My Hope? [Job 17]
Friday, March 19, 2010
Job 17
15Where now is my hope?
And who regards my hope?
Hopelessness feels miserable. I vividly remember both times when hopelessness overwhelmed me. Once was in High School, the night before my 16th birthday and the other was in October 1975. Both times I considered dying as a way out and thought about how I might end my life. In High School, I took a bunch of headache pills laced with caffeine. Obviously, I didn't die, nor did I suffer any ill effects except that I didn't get any sleep that night. In 1975, I accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my life. After Jesus became my hope there has been plenty of pain, but I have never felt so hopeless again that I considered taking my own life. God has taught me that putting my hope in things going my way leads to misery, while putting my hope in God results in peace and joy. By His grace, He can keep me in His peace as He prompts me to keep exchanging my feelings for hoping in Him.
We praise You, God that You, alone are the source of true hope. Cause us to grow in taking our feelings and situations to You that You may keep us hoping in You. |
Beth Warlick, 3/18/2010 |
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God's Children Are Never His Enemy [Job 16]
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Job 16
11"God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12"I was at ease, but He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His target.
In this chapter, Job imagined that God was his enemy. It makes sense that he would come to this conclusion because that was what it looked and felt like to him sitting in the ditch with sores all over his body with his sorry comforters. However, Job was wrong. In the beginning of the book we saw what God had to say about Job. God pointed him out as a righteous man to Satan. God who knows all, gave Satan permission to torment Job, but not to kill him. God's Sovereignty over the situation was absolute, but His righteous and good motives were not clear to Job as the sufferer, to his friends, or even to us as the readers.
Job did not have access to the complete revelation of God in the Scripture and so he did not know God as we can know Him now. He probably had enough information to know that God was not His enemy, but was speaking out of his fleshly feelings in chapter 16. That's pretty normal for anyone in a devastating crisis. However, we are in a much better place to go through something like this resting in the arms of the God of love if we surround ourselves with people who know and trust the God of the Bible and we take time daily to spend time with Him in the Word and prayer. Then, when the crisis comes, which it will, we will be equipped to go through it embracing God and trusting Him to be on our side even if our feelings tell us differently (and they will!).
It felt like God handed me over to ruffians several times during the past two weeks. Nothing huge or devastating happened, but I had big enough emotional blows to feel like the wind was being knocked out of me time after time. It's amazing how quickly I focused on my feelings and forgot to focus on God. However, I am realizing that no matter how long I have walked as closely as I am able with God, in painful times my focus will always gravitate to the source of the pain. It's a built in response and completely normal. Instead of kicking myself for the self focus (thinking I should more mature by now), I take it to My Heavenly Daddy and whine at Him and receive His affirmation concerning my feelings and situation. He loves me and understands and is happy to comfort me in those times. And then I have the awesome privilege to work it all out with Him.
This past week, for example, on Sunday morning after church, I had some quiet alone time and I used the 9 Steps for Dealing With Conflict* at least twice for two different things and the Dealing With Emotions God's Way* chart for one other thing. When I was done, I got up and started doing something and realized there was still another issue bothering me. I went back to my quiet place and worked through another chart and finally had peace. The bottom line was that God put me through those situations for my good to teach me some valuable lessons. Not only do I have peace, but I am grateful to see that He is growing me in His grace through it all. That is what God wants for every one of us, to see the pain as a call to intimacy with Him, to spend time with Him and to grow in grace through it all.
We praise You, God, that you are never our enemy even when our thoughts and feelings tell us You are. Cause us to run to You for affirmation, comfort, wisdom and grace in times of pain.
*These charts are free downloads at www.egpministries.com, go to resources and then tools for a list of the charts available. |
Beth Warlick, 3/18/2010 |
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One Last Blast [Job 15]
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Eliphaz was not happy that Job had dismissed his argument. He felt he had seen more of life than Job and was much wiser. It really bugged him that Job felt he was close to the Almighty. He felt that such a claim did “away with reverence and hinder(ed) meditation before God.” V. 4
4"Indeed, you do away with reverence
And hinder meditation before God.
5"For your guilt teaches your mouth,
And you choose the language of the crafty.
6"Your own mouth condemns you, and not I;
And your own lips testify against you.
7"Were you the first man to be born,
Or were you brought forth before the hills?
8"Do you hear the secret counsel of God,
And limit wisdom to yourself?
9"What do you know that we do not know?
What do you understand that we do not?
10"Both the gray-haired and the aged are among us,
Older than your father.
11"Are the consolations of God too small for you,
Even the word spoken gently with you?
What was really on the line was Job’s theology. How dare Job believe that God would speak to him. The rest of Eliphaz's discourse was all about how man just falls into a course of life and God does not involve Himself with man’s personal stuff. Eiliphaz is miffed because he thinks he gave God’s consolations and that Job is being arrogant not to receive them. Will Job give in to the gray-haired wisdom card being waved? Stay tuned in and see.
We praise You God that Job knew You well enough that he was convinced that You are a God who gives counsel and cares intimately for your children.You are Abba, Daddy, and You want us to know You.We praise You for the personal care and wisdom You give each of us secretly and just for us. Cause us to take time today to listen to Your quiet voice.
John 10:26-28:
26"But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.
27"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
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Verna McCrillis, 3/17/2010 |
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Pondering About Death [Job 14]
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
1"Man, who is born of woman,
Is short-lived and full of turmoil.
2"Like a flower he comes forth and withers
He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.
3"You also open Your eyes on him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.
4"Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5"Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.
6"Turn Your gaze from him that he may rest,
Until he fulfills his day like a hired man.
As Job contemplated his pain and suffering he started thinking about death.He knew that at some point he was going to die and now he wondered if death was going to be the end result of his sickness.He realized that he didn’t know much about death.He feebly acknowledged that God was in charge of the outcome.“Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; and his limits You have set so that he cannot pass.”Since he didn’t really know what happened when a man died, he was sad about the prospect.He would like to stay on earth and watch his sons achieve honor.
Thinking about death can contribute to a crisis of faith.There are no facts about what happens after death so it is a mystery.Job didn’t have anything written by God to help him understand but we do.We have the words of Jesus in John 14:1-6 and lots of descriptions throughout Scripture.Jesus said that He was going ahead of us to prepare a wonderful place for us.When we die we will be where He is!
We praise You Father that You have promised us eternal life with You. When this body dies we aren’t without hope. We can know that we will see You just as You are and that we will live with You eternally if we have accepted for our own the forgiveness Christ offered on the cross.
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Verna McCrillis, 3/16/2010 |
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If I Ask Him, Will He Answer? [Job 13]
Monday, March 15, 2010
1"Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2"What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3"But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
4"But you smear with lies;
You are all worthless physicians.
13"Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14"Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands?
15"Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him
Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.
20"Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21Remove Your hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22"Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23"How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my rebellion and my sin.
24"Why do You hide Your face
And consider me Your enemy?
25"Will You cause a driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry chaff?
26"For You write bitter things against me
And make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27"You put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28While I am decaying like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
We have come to Job's turning point. He realized, at last, the he would rather speak to the Almighty and argue his case before God than listen to his friends who coat the truth with lies. He was not sure what the outcome would be but he now knew this was the only answer. "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him."
He invites God to call out to him, "Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, then reply to me." He then put it all out on the table before the Lord. "How many are my iniquities and sins? Make known to me my rebellion and my sin. Why do You hide Your face and consider me Your enemy?" He fires off the questions but then he just keeps talking instead of stopping to listen.
I recognize myself in Job story. Over the years I have become desperate enough for answers that I have finally quit asking everyone else their opinions about how God is dealing with me, and finally cried out to the Lord. But then I just keep talking and talking. It is only recently that I have learned to be still and listen for God's answer. I think in the past I was really afraid to listen. I was afraid,first, that God wouldn't answer and, second, that I might not like what He had to say if He did answer. I usually have a vague idea that I have a problem with unbelief or pride that I don't want to face. But God was patient with Job and his friends need for words. He will answer Job when he finally becomes quiet enough to listen.
We praise You, God, that You are not in a hurry. You are patient and long-suffering with us. You have promised that when we call out to You, You will answer and show us great and wondrous things that we don't know. (Jeremiah 33:3) When we take the time to be still and listen we will hear Your answers and will know You are God.
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Verna McCrillis, 3/15/2010 |
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Great and Available God [Job12]
Saturday, March 13, 2010
1Then Job responded,
2"Truly then you are the people,
And with you wisdom will die!
3"But I have intelligence as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
And who does not know such things as these?
4"I am a joke to my friends,
The one who called on God and He answered him;
The just and blameless man is a joke.
13"With Him are wisdom and might;
To Him belong counsel and understanding.
14"Behold, He tears down, and it cannot be rebuilt;
He imprisons a man, and there can be no release.
15"Behold, He restrains the waters, and they dry up;
And He sends them out, and they inundate the earth.
16"With Him are strength and sound wisdom,
The misled and the misleader belong to Him.
When Job spoke again he defended himself in response to the latest accusations Zophar made against him. His focus was on himself and the situation and not on God. Job and friends acted as if they were enemies as they took turns defending their positions. What Job said in the first half of the chapter was probably from his anger and frustration with his friends and not from a God focused place. However, his friends missed the opportunity to act like true friends and to encourage him to get his mind off of himself and connect with God. Instead, they compounded his pain by their continued accusations. I am learning that the person that I have conflict with is not the enemy even though it feels like they are. The enemy is never flesh and blood, but wrong thinking that is not God centered. The answer is working the conflict through with God first.*
In the second half of the chapter, Job got his mind back on God through praise. We have seen this same behavior in previous chapters. This tells me that Job is accustomed to pondering the God of the universe and praising Him and that is a familiar and safe place for him to be in a crisis. God is our safe place in times of trouble and I am encouraged to see how quickly Job got his focus off of his friends and back on God. But he is still missing the intimacy of talking to God about his pain and the further comfort he could have experienced.
*The 9 Steps in Dealing With Conflict (on the www.egpministries.com website under the resources menu, click on tools for life) is a downloadable resource to help you to go through your conflict keeping God at the center.
We praise You, God, that You are the answer to all of our struggles, conflicts and pain. Cause us to keep our focus on You day by day and to grow in intimacy with You. |
Beth Warlick, 3/13/2010 |
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God the Perfect Communicator [Job 11]
Friday, March 12, 2010
Job 11
1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered,
2"Shall a multitude of words go unanswered,
And a talkative man be acquitted?
3"Shall your boasts silence men?
And shall you scoff and none rebuke?
4"For you have said, 'My teaching is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.'
5"But would that God might speak,
And open His lips against you,
Job's conversation evolved and he began to reach out to God for answers while his third friend, Zophar, continued saying the same things that had already been said by Eliphaz and Bildad, much like a broken record (does anyone remember what a record is?). Job's suffering, questions and conversation were almost irrelevant to Zophar. As I think about communication between people as well as between God and man, there is no comparison. God's message was spoken clearly and repeated throughout the Bible. When He spoke to a man or a situation, He met them at the point of their need. He listened and responded to prayers. He is the perfect communicator.
I know I am a lot like Job's friends at times in that the goal of my conversation is to get my point across without being willing to respond to what the other person is feeling or saying. With some people I have seen myself tell all sorts of things about me and never let them share what is going on in their lives. Then, there are other times when I am engaged in hearing the other person and responding appropriately. As God has grown me, I know that He has done some good work in that area of my life. However, I see through the example of Job and his friends that I have a long way to go for God's goal for me, to be like Jesus in this area of communication.
God is revealing to me that a lot of good communication is simply caring more about what the other person has to say than what I have to say. Seeing those words in writing make me sad because that is pride and not love. It is good to identify those things, but it is better to go to God and ask Him to show me the root unbelief for that pride and lack of love. By God's grace, I plan to spend some time this weekend talking to and listening to God about this. I know He will guide me and continue the good work that He began in me when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
God, we praise You that You are the perfect communicator. Cause us to recognize our areas of poor communication and exchange them for Your love and humility in our conversations. Enable us to find time to work out our root unbelief with You and let You fill us with the faith to be more like Jesus in this area.
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Beth Warlick, 3/12/2010 |
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God is Waiting on Us [Job10]
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Job 10
3'Is it right for You indeed to oppress,
To reject the labor of Your hands,
And to look favorably on the schemes of the wicked?
4'Have You eyes of flesh?
Or do You see as a man sees?
5'Are Your days as the days of a mortal,
Or Your years as man's years,
6That You should seek for my guilt
And search after my sin?
7'According to Your knowledge I am indeed not guilty,
Yet there is no deliverance from Your hand.
8'Your hands fashioned and made me altogether,
And would You destroy me?
12'You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your care has preserved my spirit.
13'Yet these things You have concealed in Your heart;
I know that this is within You:
14If I sin, then You would take note of me,
And would not acquit me of my guilt.
15'If I am wicked, woe to me!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
I am sated with disgrace and conscious of my misery.
Finally, Job talked to God about his situation. I can just imagine that God in his love and compassion for Job rejoiced in this moment! God patiently waited for Job to connect with Him in his pain. This chapter reminds me of David's Psalms and of Habakkuk's questions at the beginning of his story.
God welcomes our honest questions. He waits patiently for us to get to the point where we will connect with Him in our situations. I realized yesterday that I am pretty good at taking the big stuff (the Job times) of life to God whether it is about me or someone else. However, I can miss God in the small stuff in my life as well as in dealing with others. Yesterday, I arrived at Bible study self-focused and whining about a fairly insignificant issue that was significant to me. As I whined to two of my friends, one gave me advice that wasn't really helpful for my situation and the other laughed that I even thought it was a problem. I walked into the class just as self- focused as I was when I walked into church. That was when I realized that I was in pain and that my friends missed a chance to get me focused back on God. Both of these ladies are growing and godly women and through this, we all learned a valuable lesson in inviting God into the small stuff and being better friends.
I walked away with two new thoughts about friendship. One is that when someone is in pain even over what appears to be silly stuff, the fact is that they are in pain and they need to connect with the Lord in that pain. No pain is insignificant and without God we are stuck in a flesh focused place trying to solve our problems on our own. Second, as I develop a closer relationship with God, I can be in a better place to embrace my friend in whatever pain she is feeling and ask God how can I minister to my friend by His grace? What words do I use? How can I get her/him connected with You, God, so that You can meet her/him at the point of her/his need?
As I consider this friend thing, it came to mind that there are a lot of other applications of this connecting people to God in their pain no matter how insignificant it may seem. What would this look like in a marriage, between a parent and a child, in dealing with elderly parents, in work relationships etc.? Already I can see how God can make a difference in my relationship with my husband and with my mother who lives with us. I know I have ignored others' pain when I think it is silly in all of my relationships. I am beginning to see that if something matters to someone I love, by God's grace, it can matter to me and make me a better wife, parent, daughter, co-worker etc. as I am willing enter into that pain with them and minister with God's grace.
We praise You, Lord, that You are a God of lovingkindness and that You welcome our questions and are always there to minister to us in our pain. Open our eyes to the many times we are ignoring our own pain over small things and the pain that others are feeling because we think it is insignificant. Enable us to remember that You are always the One who will perfectly meet us at the point of every pain and to go to You in those times.
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Beth Warlick, 3/11/2010 |
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The God Who is Approachable [Job 9]
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Job 9
1Then Job answered,
2"In truth I know that this is so;
But how can a man be in the right before God?
3"If one wished to dispute with Him,
He could not answer Him once in a thousand times.
20"Though I am righteous, my mouth will condemn me;
Though I am guiltless, He will declare me guilty.
21"I am guiltless;
I do not take notice of myself;
I despise my life.
22"It is all one; therefore I say,
'He destroys the guiltless and the wicked.'
23"If the scourge kills suddenly,
He mocks the despair of the innocent.
24"The earth is given into the hand of the wicked;
He covers the faces of its judges.
If it is not He, then who is it?
32"For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him,
That we may go to court together.
33"There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon us both.
34"Let Him remove His rod from me,
And let not dread of Him terrify me.
35"Then I would speak and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.
Job was quite a man. Even though he was surrounded by condemning friends, Job began to take his eyes off his pain and began to ponder God, asking himself questions and recounting what he knew about the Sovereign Creator. Some of what he said was really good, too. Unfortunately, as he answered his own questions about God, he also came to some inaccurate conclusions in verses 20-24 by trying to figure out who God was on his own through his particular situation. Instead of asking himself about the character of God, he could have asked God to reveal Himself to him. However, if his friends had been doing a good job of comforting and encouraging him, they would have prayed with him for answers and helped him to connect with God in his pain. God designed us to get through these things together and we need to be surrounded with people who will take us to God when we are suffering. We are not supposed to figure it all out on our own. And I commend Job for doing pretty well in chapter 9 in spite of the lousy company!
I love verses 32-35 as the way to end this chapter because Job concluded that he could use an umpire between him and God to work all this suffering stuff out properly. What he really was recognizing was his need for Jesus even though there was no way for him to put a name on his umpire at that point in history.
Thank You ,God, that you can be seen in creation and that is one way we can know You. I praise You for providing godly people who can point us to talk to the true God and that we have the Bible to guide us now. And most of all, we praise You for our umpire, Jesus Christ, the best umpire ever. |
Beth Warlick, 3/10/2010 |
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