Bible Book Club

Job 38 & 39 - God Speaks Out of the Storm

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINKS:

January 28: Job 38
January 29: Job 39

BACKGROUND

God arrived in a storm to bring revelation to Job. Job switches from the plaintiff in this court case to the defendant, and God comes out with a bang! His questioning of the defendant reveals His greatness and man's smallness.

He rebuked Job for speaking words without knowledge (38:2). I love the way The Living Bible paraphrases this: "Why are you using your ignorance to deny My providence?" Job didn't know everything about God; but, in pride, didn't acknowledge that. Warren Wiersbe says, "Knowledge of our own ignorance is the first step toward true wisdom" (Be patient. An Old Testament study). That is so true. The more I grow. The more I realize how much I don't know about God!

In these chapters, the heart of God's questions are: "Do you understand all about the physical (38) and animal (39) worlds?

The Life Application Bible says:

God used Job's ignorance of the earth's natural order to reveal his ignorance of God's moral order. If Job did not understand the workings of God's physical creation, how could he possibly understand God's mind and character? There is no standard or criterion higher than God himself by which to judge. God himself is the standard. Our only option is to submit to his authority and rest in his care (p. 888).

I want to share the diagram of God's justice again because it bears repeating:

REFLECTION

If I have said it once, I will say it again. This REALLY trips people up in their walks with God. That is why I love this diagram. We have our own "Law of Fairness" that we think that God should operate under, but for obvious reasons, He doesn't operate under anyone because He is GOD. He is the standard of justice. All of His ways are just. We may not understand it, as Job didn't, but it is what it is. Learning to rest in that is key to growth!

APPLICATION

Please continue to simmer on this concept and talk to God about it. It is crucial to a vital relationship with God. Here is a picture I took once when things were out of control. It is titled, "The Virtue of Humility: Realizing That He is God, and I Am Not":

PRAYER

I am grateful that You are God. I am grateful that You have Your own standard of justice that You created, and I don't need to figure everything out. Lord, I pray that everyone in the Bible Book Club can submit to that truth and live their lives accordingly. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 36 & 37 God is Great

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 36 & 37

BACKGROUND

Elihu is concluding his long speech by saying, "Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you there is more to be said in God's behalf" (36:1). with a proclamation of the God's justice and power in his purposes for man (36:1-25) and His mighty power in nature (36:26-37:13).

In 36:1-25, Elihu asserts that God is just and mighty, but he is not lacking in mercy. Elihu asserts that suffering leads people to repent of pride and wrong conduct (36:8-12). He agrees with the other three friends: that God always rewards people in this life according to how they live their life. Job has already disagreed with the others, but the others stressed punishment for sinful actions while Elihu stresses the sinful attitude of pride. The truly godly will respond to suffering with an acceptance of God's dealings with them. God wanted to take him to a spacious place (36:16) through the path of suffering but he was not to do it through the path of money, accomplishment, or suicide. Elihu tried to turn Job's attention to the power of God instead of his pain. Job should praise God rather than reprove him.

The key verse in these two chapters is 36:26:"How great is God -- beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out" (NIV). Job is a poetic book. (the others are Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) One theme in the poetical literature is that God is incomprehensible, We can never know enough about Him to answer all of life's questions (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Some things will always be a mystery to us. In 36:26-37:24, Job uses images from the physical and natural world to show God's creative power, majesty, and might that are incomprehensible (36:26,29;37:5). Even nature is under His control and does His bidding, both for cursing and blessing. God is sovereign over all of man's ways.

Elihu made a path for God to finally speak to Job.

REFLECTION

This chapter reminds me again of the Malaysian thunderstorms that I mentioned in Job 26. The whole incomprehensibility of God comes out in there too when Bildad exclaims, "Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; and how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand" (26:14)? We really can't totally grip our minds around how big God really is. We can have a little knowledge of Him, but there is no way we can plumb His depths and really figure Him out. I like that about God. For others, it can be really hard. They want to know all the answer's to life's questions and want to know why God does or doesn't do certain things. I think Job might have been one of those types of people. We will see tomorrow how God responds to all of that.

Stay Tuned!

PRAYER

God, You know all. Help us to rest in that and respect You for it. Amen.

Job 34 & 35 - Elihu Speaks of God's Justice and Sovereignty

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 34 & 35

BACKGROUND

Yes, Elihu is still talking. He talks longer than the three other friends combined.

These chapters contain his second and third speeches.

In review, His first speech in Job 33 refutes Job's claim that God is silent and does not respond to him (13:33) by claiming that God does speak through dreams and pain.

His second speech in Job 34 refutes Job's claim that God is unjust because He does not relieve Job of his suffering (19:6-7, 27:2) by claiming that God is just.

His third speech in Job 35 refutes Job's claim that God is unconcerned because He does not reward Job for his innocence (10:7) by claiming that God is sovereign.

REFLECTION

When I was fairly young in the Lord, a very wise and well-respected preacher came to preach at my church and said something profound, "The Bible says that God is just, but it does not say that He is fair." As I have read the book of Job this January, I have often thought about this man's wise words. God isn't fair, and there is a big difference between fairness and justice, and we better get this straight in our minds before we can really begin to have an accurate view of God. I think the book of Job helps us to grapple with this.

Elihu emphasized that God is sovereign, and a sovereign God can be indicted by no law or judged by no court. The king can do no wrong. God was not appointed to His throne, so He can’t be taken from it (Job 34:13). To say that God is unjust is to say that He is not God and therefore has no right to be on the throne. But God controls our very breath and can take our lives away in an instant (vv. 14–15; Acts 17:25, 28). “It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not” (Lam. 3:22). -- Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1991). Be patient. An Old Testament study. (Job 34:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

This diagram from the Life Application Bible explains it so well:

(View a larger picture HERE)

What, then, is the God I worship?...You are the most hidden from us and yet the most present among us, the most beautiful and yet the most strong, ever enduring; and yet we cannot comprehend you. -- St. Augustine

Do you see God as just or fair? Do you see Him as sovereign and good in all your circumstances? Dialogue with Him about this.

PRAYER

Lord, we praise You that You are a just God. Thank You that You are 100% sovereign in everything that comes our way, and that we can trust You to be 100% good. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 33 - The Problem of Pain

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 33

BACKGROUND

In this chapter, Elihu introduces a new insight to the purpose of suffering not covered by the other three friends. Elihu's main thesis is that God permits suffering in order to keep people from sinning and going to the "pit" (used five times in this chapter).

Elihu does quite a bit of quoting of what Job has already said, but he doesn't get it exactly right because he says that Job has said that he was sinless. Job never claimed to be perfect (9:20-21). He just claimed to have not sinned to bring on the punishment that he was now receiving. He was blameless in this particular situation.

Elihu was correct in quoting Job as saying that God is unjust (13:24, 27; 16:9; 19:7, 11). Job did ask God why and particularly why God hadn't given him his "day in court."

REFLECTION

In The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

British Congregational theologian P.T. Forsyth said, “It is a greater thing to pray for pain’s conversion than its removal.”

Pain can be positive.

APPLICATION

Pray to embrace the pain you are now experiencing in your life. Let God use it to humble you and bring you to a place of total dependence on Him.

My application is to put The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis on my reading list. I have never read it before even though I am looking at it sitting on my bookshelf as I type this entry! (2012 Update: I have still not read it, and it is three years later! I just finished an eight year reading goal. So, I will do it in 2012!)

PRAYER

Lord, we accept the pain and sorrow and want You to use it for Your glory. Help us to depend on You Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 32 - Elihu Speaks

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 32

BACKGROUND

The younger Elihu (his name literally means "my God is He") has been standing by and listening to Job's three "comforters" who tried in vain to convince Job that he could not be innocent and needed to repent. Since they were talked out, Elihu the Buzite (probably a descendant of Abraham's nephew Buz, Genesis 22:20-21) begins his first of four speeches; (1) Job 32:6-33:33 (2) Job 34, (3) Job 35, and (4) Job 36-37.

As you read, you will note that he has a different way of accusing Job than the other three. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar claimed that Job was suffering because he had sinned. Elihu believed that Job was pridefully sinning because he was suffering. He was in sin for his reaction to the pain that God had allowed to be afflicted on him. This is most definitely a different tack. He is the only person that Job does not answer. Elihu is a bridge to God's answer that starts in Job 38.

Elihu is a bit prideful himself when he says "Hear what I know!" in Job 32-33. He is also angry at the three friends for not being able to refute Job and angry at Job for justifying himself. With all that, there is quite a bit of truth in Elihu's speech compared to the other three. He exhorted Job to look at suffering from a different perspective and for the higher purposes God might have in mind for it. In Job 33, however, we will see that he wrongly assumes that if Job responds correctly to the suffering he will be healed and restored (33:23-30). In Job 34, he wrongly assumes that suffering is connected with sin.

REFLECTION

The whole time I have been meditating on Elihu's words, I have thought of Paul. He is a perfect example of someone who certainly didn't "deserve" to suffer and wasn't being punished for sin. He was also a great example of someone who reacted rightly to his suffering because he had a very high view of the sovereignty of God and God's higher purposes for his life.

George and I studied 2 Corinthians with a group of like-minded people back in 1994. We were exhorted by our leader to develop a biblically based "theology of suffering" as we launched out of our comfort zones and into the world! I can't tell you how much I go back to that study over and over again and praise God.

The gist of the "good" part of Elihu's speech is that sometimes God allows suffering to keep us from sinning! Paul certainly indicates that in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10:

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason,
to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in
the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting
myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might
leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for
power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast
about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in
me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with
distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for
when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul's suffering kept him from pride. Boy, did I ever need to hear that today! I have been suffering over the last few days and feeling very weak/whimpy (ask my friend, Kim, who listened to me cry for over an hour yesterday. Thanks Kim!). Satan knows RIGHT where my weak spot is, and he has been twisting the thorn for days, but I know that God has allowed it so that I don't get a big head!!!! Praise be to God.

Even though Job had not brought on the trial by sinning, he has sinned in the midst of the trial by very proudly demanding an explanation from God for his affliction.

Pride can kill.

C.S. Lewis said,

"A proud man is always looking down on things and people;

and of course, as long as you're looking down,

you can't see something that's above you"

APPLICATION

The Daily Walk, May 28, 2008 adds to this quote:

--even if that "something" is God! Here's a thought to copy and carry with
you through the day: "Pride" always demands that "I" be in the middle, but
there's no place for "I" in "humble." Take it from Job, the quickest remedy for "I" trouble is looking up into the face of the great "I AM."

God is so good to save us from exalting ourselves in pride. We can be thankful for our suffering. We can rejoice in the great "I AM" in the midst of it instead of demanding an explanation from God.

As application, I heartily suggest a reading and study of 2 Corinthians in order to develop a "theology of suffering" for your life!

PRAYER

Lord, there is some truth in Elihu's words. Help us to embrace suffering as You allow it to keep us from exalting ourselves. We want to be free of pride, Lord. Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 31 - Job's Final Oath of Innocence

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 31

BACKGROUND

This chapter contains Job's final "oath of innocence." He looks up to God and pleads:

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,

And let God know my integrity. (31:6)

It is like a legal defense where he swears to "tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him, God." He talks of his innocence from the sin of lust (1-4), deceit (5-8), adultery (9-12), harsh treatment of his servants (13-15), ignoring the needs of his fellow man (16-23; 29-32), worshiping other things besides God (24-28), and not stewarding God's land well (38-40). In the end, He asks for judgment if God can prove that he is guilty of any of the above. Then Job rests his case (31:35-37,40).

Wonder how God will respond.

REFLECTION

Job seems to have a solid case before God, but, honestly, "who is able to stand" before Him (Revelation 6:17)? The answer is nobody because "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," even Job (Romans 3:23).

The prophet Isaiah (whom we will study this year) said:

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6, NASB95)

With all Job's legal pleading, he doesn't have a leg to stand on. It is true that Job is innocent of the specific charges leveled against him by his "friends," but he is not sinless. That was reserved for Jesus who died for all men's shortcomings in the righteousness area. Only His blood can avert the "wrath to come" (Revelation 6:17). Without it, no one would stand.

I am writing this three days after Christmas 2011, but I can't stop listening to Handel's Messiah. It really is more an Easter oratorio (and was performed at Easter for many years before it became a Christmas Holiday favorite). The verses from the songs playing right now are so appropriate for what I am trying to say:

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ (laundrymen's) soap. He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. (Malachi 3:2-3, NASB95)

There is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3). We will discover more when God speaks to Job, but I want you to consider any areas where self-righteousness may have crept into your life. Is there anywhere where you are "defending" yourself before the Lord when it would be better to just confess and repent before the Lord?

APPLICATION

Each new year, I try to have an extended evaluation/prayer time that often leads me into confession and repentance before the Lord. An application might be to schedule one today!

PRAYER

We stand before You, a most Holy God, as sinner in need of a Savior. You gave us Your only begotten Son to bear our sins. We stand before You because of His blood. Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 30 - The Bad New Days

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 30

BACKGROUND

Job has just reminisced about the "Good Old Days." In chapter 30, he has to face the reality of the "Bad New Days" of the present! He contrasts his past with his present by lamenting that he has . . .

no respect (30:1-15 contrasted with 29:7-11),
no blessing (30:16-23 contrasted with 29:2-6),
no help (30:24-25 contrasted with 29:12-17),
no future (30:26-28 contrasted with 29:18-20), and
no ministry (30:29-31 contrasted with 29:21-25),
and
no REFLECTION or APPLICATION today (but that isn't so bad).

Just keep reading!

PRAYER

Lord, help us, like Jesus, to learn obedience in the things that we suffer (Hebrews 5:8). Amen.

Job 29 - "The Good Old Days"

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 29

BACKGROUND

Zophar's should be sharing his "wise" advice for this 3rd cycle, but there is only silence. Job fills the void and speaks like a lawyer giving his closing arguments to a jury. Chapter 29 is a review of Job's "Good Old Days" when he was blessed by God, his family was all alive, and he enjoyed respect from those in his community.

No REFLECTION or APPLICATION today.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead, the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). Lord, we want to know You, and the power of Your resurrection, and the fellowship of Your sufferings; being conformed to Your death (Phil. 3:10). In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 28 - Seeking the Wisdom of God

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 28

BACKGROUND

This is Job's soliloquy on God's wisdom that contrasts greatly with the wisdom from Job's three comforters!

I hope you let the poetry just wash over you in this chapter. It is beautiful. The first 11 verses have a definite structure to them:

a. Getting valuable metals from the earth (Job 28:1-2)......b. Going underground (v. 3).............c. Remoteness of the mines (unseen by people, v. 4)a. Getting valuable metals and gems from the earth (vv. 5-6).............c. Remoteness of the mines (unseen by birds and animals, vv.7-8)......b. Going underground (v. 9)a. Getting valuable metals from the earth (vv. 10-11).

(Clark, David J., "In Search for Wisdom: Notes on Job 28," The Bible Translator 33. October 1982:401-405)

Compare these verses with Proverbs 3:13-15; 8:11; 16:16.

Job brings out that even though man can mine metals and gems with certain techniques, he cannot find wisdom (which is of far greater worth than precious metals or gems). Man cannot buy wisdom like he can buy other precious metals and jewels.

Job asserts that the only One who knows wisdom is God. Again, we see another interesting structure in the poetry:

a. Inaccessibility of wisdom (vv. 12-14).......b. Wisdom's value beyond [gold, silver] jewels (vv. 15-19)a. Inaccessibility of wisdom (vv. 20-22).......b. Wisdom's value known by God (vv. 23-27)

So, if wisdom is inaccessible and cannot be bought, how can man find it? It is summed up in the final verse of the chapter:

And to man He said,

"Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding."

REFLECTION

Job's three friends had knowledge, but they lacked wisdom. Charles Spurgeon said:

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as the knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.”

(Wiersbe, W. W. [1996, c1991]. Be patient. An Old Testament study. [Job 28:1]. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)

How can we find that wisdom?
By fearing the Lord.

How do we learn to fear (reverence) the Lord?
By knowing Him more deeply.

How do we know Him more deeply?
By digging DEEP in the Word of God and obeying what it says!

Psa. 119: 38 says,

"Establish Your word to Your servant,

As that which produces reverence for You."

Warren Wiersbe continues:

If you want real treasure, you must dig deep . . . The Word of God is like a deep mine, filled with precious treasures; but the believer must put forth effort to discover its riches. It takes careful reading and study, prayer, meditation, and obedience to mine the treasures of the Word of God; and the Holy Spirit of God is willing to assist us. Why are we so negligent when this great wealth lies so near at hand?

Wisdom is found in humbling ourselves before God and seeking Him through His Word and obeying His voice as He speaks to us through it. Wisdom and understanding involve evaluating our circumstances in light of God's perspective (found in His Word) and walking down God's path and not our own.

Who would want to toss away so great a treasure?

APPLICATION

Hopefully you are growing in wisdom as you mine God's Word here in the Bible Book Club and apply what you are learning to your everyday situations in life, but we can always grow more! Are there any areas of your life that you are not giving over to God to guide you down the wise path? Humbly come to Him and ask Him for wisdom and a heart to obey.

PRAYER

Lord, make us miners of Your Word so that we might fear You. When we find nuggets of precious truth, help us not to toss them aside but to see them as valuable. We want to be people who look intently at Your perfect law and become not just hearers of the Word but doers too (James 1:22). Guide us by Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Job 27 - Job Curses His Enemies

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 27

BACKGROUND

Job continues with his response to Bildad by reaffirming his innocence, "I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go." (27:6). He claims that the Almighty has denied him justice and made him taste bitterness (27:2).

Job 27:7-23 includes a description of the fate of the wicked. Job never denies that the wicked are ultimately punished (24:18-24), but he does deny that they are punished immediately as Zophar had claimed in 20:5; 21:7.

It is interesting to note that in the East, it wasn't enough to just claim your innocence, you also were to call down the wrath of God on those who accused you of guilt. It is like the imprecatory psalms we have learned about last year (Psalms 58, 69). One commentary said this sounds cruel to call down the wrath of God in light of what Jesus has taught us in the New Testament about forgiving our enemies (Matthew 5:38-48), but this book was written even before the Law was given to Moses. According to Warren Wiersbe in Be Patient: A Commentary on Job, "we must not expect him to manifest the kind of spirit that was seen in Jesus."

REFLECTION

Job may not have been expected to manifest the spirit of Jesus, but we, as New Testament believers, are!

In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus said:

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a
tooth." But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever
slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants
to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

May we follow Jesus' example!

APPLICATION

Are you persecuted by modern day "enemies"? Look at the example of Jesus, and pray for them today.

PRAYER

In light of what Jesus has taught us, please help us to pray for those who persecute us and to love our enemies so that they might be loved into Your Kingdom. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 25 & 26 - Cycle #3 with Bildad

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 25 & 26

BACKGROUND

This is Bildad's last turn at convincing Job he needs to give up on his effort to try to appear before God in "court." Again, he does speak some truth about God. Dominion and awe belong to Him, He rules over the angels, His light goes everywhere, etc. It is also true that man cannot be righteous before a holy God, but Bildad was seeking to humiliate Job into admitting sin he did not commit. He is speaking in generalizations again, and he offers no comfort to Job in his specific situation.

Job's rebuke to Bildad is straightforward, "You are no help to me!" Then he speaks of the greatness of God in nature.

REFLECTION

To whom have you uttered words? And whose spirit was expressed through you? (26:4)

It has been firmly established that Job's friends were terrible comforters. They weren't helping Job in his powerless situation and feeble condition. Instead they were trying to get off their "theological points" about God and the wickedness of man. In Job 26:4, he speaks to the fact that they weren't paying attention to him in their monologues and were certainly not listening to God's voice so that His words could be expressed through them. That is a challenging thought for all of us! We need to hear God's voice because He knows what the recipient needs to hear. We need to speak by the Spirit and not by the flesh!

Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;And how faint a word we hear of Him!But His mighty thunder, who can understand? (26:14)

Malaysia has AMAZING thunder and lightening storms. I have never seen anything like them here in the States. I used to sit upstairs in the darkness of our master bedroom and watch the show on many sultry Malaysian nights. I couldn't help but marvel at the flashes of light followed by high decibel claps of thunder. I would praise God and realize that this amazing thunder storm was only the "fringe of His ways" and a "faint word" of Him! He is so much bigger than anything we have ever even experienced in all of nature. What a marvelous thing to ponder!

APPLICATION

Cultivate a listening heart to God and give counsel and advice that is led by Him rather than driven by your own 'puffed-up' knowledge. He knows the needs of the hurting people around you, and you can trust Him to speak through you if you let go and move yourself out of the way. Also, comforting is about dialogue rather than monologue. Listen to people before you speak.

Realize God's power today. Open You eyes and look at amazing things in nature and realize that it is just a "fringe of His ways." Amazing!

PRAYER

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name, amen (1 Chronicles 29:11).

Job 23 & 24 - The Puzzle of Life

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 23 & 24

BACKGROUND

As I mentioned yesterday, Job does not respond to the accusations of Eliphaz. His complaint is with God, and he voiced it. He speaks of his bitterness for the fourth time (3:20; 7:11; 10:1). He wants to know why God was hiding from him (23:1-12). He wants to present his case to the Judge and be acquitted! Again, Job declares that when God has tried him, he would come forth like gold. I wonder if that "gold" is in relation to Eliphaz's exhortation for Job to place his gold in the dust so that the Almighty would be his gold (22:24-25)? He concludes chapter 23 with a declaration of God's sovereignty.

In chapter 24, Job focuses on the injustices that God allows in the country (1-11) and city (12-17). He closes his complaints with a denunciation of the wicked (18-25). Judge Job has come on the scene!

REFLECTION/APPLICATION from The Daily Walk, May 24/25 2008

Hide-and-seek is an entertaining children's game, where the object is to find someone who is trying to evade you.

Hide-and-seek in the spiritual realm is neither entertaining nor enjoyable. In fact, it can be downright frustrating. The question, "Where are you, God?" is as old as the days of Job.

Job 23:8-12 contains a striking mixture of doubt and trust. Job had kept God's ways, obeyed God's commands, and even "treasured the words of [God's] mouth more than [his] daily bread" (23:12). And yet, wherever Job turned in the midst of his crisis -- "east . . . west . . . north . . .south" (23:8-9) -- God seemingly could not be found.

Although Job could not put the pieces of the puzzle together, he realized that God could. And that was the key, for God wanted his unquestioning confidence. Trust, not knowledge, was the issue.

A jigsaw puzzle makes a great family-fun project after dinner. If you don't have one around the house already, buy one on the way home from work. And as you work together to make the pieces fit, share with your family a lesson from Job's life about what to do when the pieces of life don't seem to fit.

This is a great application to do over the Christmas holiday.I really dislike puzzles though! Wonder what that says about my ability to figure out the puzzles of life! But I do like Spider Solitaire which involves figuring out mysteries! . Many times when I am dealing with a difficulty or something is perplexing me, I put on praise music and play as I pray and work out the puzzle of the game and life!

PRAYER

Lord, You hold all the cards and the pieces of the puzzle. You know our beginning and our end and know how to fit everything together in Your time and in Your way. Help us to trust in Your sovereign purposes. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 22 - Eliphaz's Third Cycle of Accusations

2012-01-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 22

BACKGROUND

We are back to Eliphaz again. You might remember that Eliphaz was more aggressive in his confrontation in the second cycle than the first (Job 15), and he is even more pointed and persistent, even verbally abusive, in this third cycle by proclaiming, "Is not your wickedness great?" (22:5). Eliphaz still cannot fathom that an innocent man would ever suffer. He even accuses Job of several evils without proof that Job has even committed them (22:6-9). Job will answer to these false accusations in Job 31:16,19-22. Eliphaz also twists Job statement that God does know all and judges (21:22) by accusing Job of saying the opposite (22:13). Again, Eliphaz pleads with Job for repentance.

As already mentioned, Job will not reply to these accusations until chapter 31. We will see in Job 23 that he does not argue but ignores Eliphaz's accusations completely.

REFLECTION

False accusations are so stinging. I used to hear them when I was part fellowship that chewed me up and spit me out on a regular basis. It was horrible! I hate to be falsely accused! I got to the point where I was afraid to say anything for fear it would be twisted around. I can relate with Job as Eliphaz false accused and twisted Job's words.

Job didn't argue with his friends. He ignored them. That was hard for me to learn to do because I am a truth-teller, but I had to after a while as the accusations got more and more ridiculous and even the elders were the people spreading the false accusations. I realized the truth of the old saying that "A lie goes all the way around the world before the truth ever gets its shoes on." People are more drawn to falsehood and don't usually question it. I have learned I can't put out the fires of falsehood, and they are there to trip you up and keep you from moving forward. Now, I just walk away from the muck and mire and move on, knowing God knows the truth. I also don't believe everything I hear about others, and I chose not to be around people who are speaking about others in the first place! Thankfully, my current fellowship doesn't do that!

APPLICATION

It is hard to walk away from false accusations, but it is the best possible course of action. The truth will be known eventually. The only person who really matters is God. Walk away and pray!

PRAYER

Lord, help us to walk away. In Jesus' power and name, amen.

Job 21 - Job's Rebuttal to Zophar

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 21

BACKGROUND

Job refutes Zophar's argument that the wicked only enjoy life for a brief time by saying that this cannot be right because some live on into old age with abundant prosperity without ever honoring God. Justice is not always for this life on earth. Sometimes, the wicked prosper and the godly do not!

Job refutes Bildad's claim that the "lamp of the wicked is snuffed out" (18:5) by asserting that often they are not snuffed out! God allows them to live on in prosperity and good health while He may allow another man to experience tremendous hardship and sickness. Wealth and health are not always an indicator of a person's character!

Job concludes this chapter by calling the consoling of his three friends "full of falsehood" and "nonsense." The Hebrew word for nonsense, also found in Ecclesiastes 1:2, is hebel. It means "empty, futile, useless, no meaning."

No REFLECTION or APPLICATION today.

PRAYER

Lord, help us to have a proper view of You in both prosperity or poverty. You are good, and we desire to live holy lives before You regardless of where we are situated on the scale. Draw us close to You and help us to live ABOVE our circumstances, not UNDER them. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 20 - Zophar Slams Job Again

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 20

BACKGROUND

This is Zophar's second round of rebuke. Did I say rebuke? Zophar is providing "comfort," and Job is the one who is giving rebuke; at least according to Zophar (20:3). Zophar is a pathetic comforter. He pontificates upon the fate God allots to the wicked (20:29), and he assumes that Job's hardships prove he is wicked. Sadly, he still uses generalizations that do not apply to Job's unique situation.

REFLECTION

One of the original Bible Book Club members and I met and talked about what we were learning from the book of Job. She brought up something really important: some of the things that the comforters say are true even though they do not apply to Job's situation. What do you do with that?

Much of what the comforters say is accurate, biblical truth. In fact, Paul even quotes Eliphaz from Job 5:13 in 1 Corinthians 3:19 (This is the only time Job is quoted in the New Testament).

In this chapter, Zophar is wrong for rebuking Job, but he is correct in 20:6, 7 when he speaks of the end of the wicked and godless:

Though his pride reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,
he will perish forever, like his own dung;
those who have seen him will say, "Where is he?"

This is a true statement regarding their final end. There may be temporary gain, but God's justice will prevail in the end.

We can't always assume that what the comforters say is not truth. It is just not truth for Job's situation! What a cautionary tale for our own lives to not thump people over the head with the Bible before listening to their heart first!

APPLICATION

We can be "puffed up" with the knowledge of the truth, but we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in when we should apply that truth. Pray that God will help you to be sensitive and not jump to the wrong conclusions about people.

PRAYER

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman
who does not need to be ashamed,
accurately handling the word of truth"
(2 Timothy 2:15).

Lord, thank You that You teach us everyday through Your Word. Help us to handle Your truth in a way that brings glory to You and not dishonor by the way we mishandle it. Keep us sensitive to the Holy Spirit's promptings every minute of every day. In Jesus' name, amen.

Job 18 & 19 - "I know that My Redeemer Lives"

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 18 & 19

BACKGROUND

Bildad the Shuhite starts his second round of "comforting" Job by telling him that the "light of the wicked goes out" (18:5). By saying this, he was again implying that Job was wicked, and this was why he was suffering. It must have especially hurt Job to have Bildad say that the wicked "has no offspring or posterity among his people, nor any survivor where he sojourned" because Job had just lost all his sons and daughters! Such a sensitive friend (NOT!).

Maybe this last little jab about his family did hurt Job because he said, "How long will you crush me with words" (19:2)? He continues to defend his innocence and shouts for help, but he claims he gets no justice and that God is against him and has "uprooted [his] hope like a tree" (19:10). He claims that everyone else is against him and that even his "breath is offensive to [his] wife" (19:17 - I must admit. That one made me laugh out loud today.). He cries out for pity, but his friends give him none.

Even though Job says that God has uprooted his hope, he still expresses hope in the final crescendo of chapter 19:

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.Even after my skin is destroyed,Yet from my flesh I shall see God. (19:25, 26)

REFLECTION

The Hebrew word for "Redeemer is go'el and was "a person who defended or avenged the cause of another, or who provided protection or legal aid for a close relative who could not do so for himself" (Bible Knowledge Commentary). We have heard about this most famously in the Book of Ruth where Boaz, as Ruth's kinsman redeemer, rescued Ruth in the new land by marrying her.

In the midst of the darkness of Job 19, the words of hope echoed in verses 25-26 inspire me to walk by faith even in my darkest times. Job made a hopeful affirmation of faith in the midst of a garbage dump, ostracized from family and friends, and in intense pain and suffering. He shouted: "I know that my Redeemer lives!" to his worthless friends and all those around him. He knew that in the end God would stand upon the earth and testify that Job was innocent. In addition, after he was dead, he would see God.

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

We know that our kinsman redeemer is Jesus Christ. He died for our sins and returned to heaven as our Advocate (Job 16:9) and He will, one day, stand upon the earth exercising true righteous judgment as our Kinsman Redeemer. Satan may kill, steal and destroy, just as he did to Job and his family, but Jesus Christ is the Vindicator and Living One who will give, to all who know Him, life (John 5:21, 26).

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Enjoy this song by Nicole Mullen called "I Know My Redeemer Lives" and rejoice that He does!

Job 16 & 17 - We Have An Advocate on High

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 16 & 17

BACKGROUND

Job reacts to Eliphaz by calling all his friends "miserable (sorry) comforters" which literally means "comforters of trouble."

From Job 16:15 through the end of Job 17, he pleads for justice (16:15-22) and his own death (Job 17).

REFLECTION - The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

When I read Job's cries for his "advocate on high" (vs. 19), my heart skipped a leaping beat toward Jesus! He is our "Advocate" on high!

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines an advocate as "one that pleads the cause of another; specifically : one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court."

This is the only use of this word (borrowed from the Aramaic) in the Old Testament. We see Jesus as our Advocate in the New Testament in 1 John 2:1-2:

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world"

Because Jesus was the propitiating sacrifice for our sins, He pleads our case before a righteous Judge and averts God's wrath and the due punishment for our sin.

Can you say Hallelujah?

APPLICATION

Praise God for sending us an Advocate, Jesus Christ!

Also, The Life Application Bible summarized Job's words to his "sorry comforters" in a list about how to become a better comforter to those in pain:

1) Don't talk just for the sake of talking2) Don't sermonize by giving pat answers3) Don't accuse or criticize4) Put yourself in the other person's place
5) Offer help and encouragement

Try this next time you are with someone in pain!

PRAYER

Praise You God for sending our Advocate! Lord, continue to make us comforters of hope and not of trouble. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Job 15 - Eliphaz Lays Into Job

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 15

BACKGROUND

In this second round, Eliphaz isn't as polite to Job as he was in the first round of exhortations. He said Job's words were like a "hot east wind"! The heart of Eliphaz's accusation is this question: "Why has your heart carried you away . . . so that you vent your rage against God?" (15:12-13). Here are examples of Job's bold words toward God: 6:4; 7:15-20; 10:2-3; 16-17; 13:20-27. Eliphaz reminded Job the the wicked "writhe or whirl" in torment. Therefore, he must be wicked. He gave Job 17 examples that befall sinners (15:21-35). Eliphaz hopes he can cajole Job into repentance, but it was to no avail. We'll read about Job's response tomorrow.

No REFLECTION or APPLICATION today - Keep reading.

PRAYER

Lord, Your kindness leads others to repentance. Help us to be kind in our confrontation of friends. Help us learn from this bad example of what not to do. Amen.

Job 13 & 14 - From Hope to Hoplessness

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 13 & 14

BACKGROUND

In his continued response to Zophar, Job tells his friends he is taking his case to God and tries to silence them because they are literally, "falsehood plasterers" (13:4)! The key verse in Job 13 is, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him (v. 15). He was sure He would be vindicated. He continues to declare His faith in God but also his need for closure!!! He wants to meet God in court and have it out.

Despite Job's declaration of hope in chapter 13, he turns to hopelessness in chapter 14! He laments that man's life is short-lived and full of turmoil like a withering flower or fading shadow (Ecclesiastes 6:12). He speaks of the futility of death and saw the grave as a place to hide from God's anger and to be honorably discharged from life's hard military service, but in the midst of his hopelessness he wonders whether there is life beyond the grave (13:14).

REFLECTION on Hope

I read Frederich Nietzche in my eight year quest for The Well-Educated Mind and it confirmed for me that many of these "classics" were written by great minds gone awry! What a brilliant, hopeless individual! He said, "Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man." He also said, "God is dead." Wouldn't he have been pleasant company at the Thanksgiving table?

I prefer another man's sentiments, "What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it hides a well" (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry). As believers, we have a "living hope" who is a well in the middle of any dry land we may encounter:

Blessed bethe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercyhas caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection ofJesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable andundefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected bythe power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the lasttime. (1 Peter 1:3-5, NASB95)

APPLICATION

PRAYER

You are our hope. We cling to You. Because of Jesus, amen.

Job 11 & 12 - Zophar and Job

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 11 & 12

BACKGROUND

The last of Job's comforters was Zophar who held nothing back in the way of accusations. He is by far the most arrogant and angry of the three friends. He accused Job of three things:

1) Job was guilty of sin (11:1-4)
2) Job was ignorant of God (11:5-12), and
3) Job was stubborn because he refused to repent (11:13-20)

Job responded with sarcasm ("Doubtless you are the people and wisdom will die with you!"). Then he went on to say that animals were even smarter than Zophar because they understood that calamities came from the LORD (only occurence of Yahweh in the debates with his friends.). He concluded Job 12 with a discourse on God's wisdom and power and that everyone is under His control.

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Apply what you have read by praying through Job 12: 13 - 25 today! Acknowledge His control over everything in your life.

Job 10 - Questions, Questions

2012-01-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 10

BACKGROUND

Continued affliction caused Job to go deeper into despair. He became his own defense attorney in this chapter and vented his complaint to God with bitterness of soul. The gist of his questions were:

1) What charges to You have against me? (10:2)
2) Does is please You to oppress me and spurn the work of Your hands? (10:3, 8; 14:15; Psalm 139:13, 15)
3) Why was I even born? (10:18)
4) Can't I just die and get it over with? (10:20-22)

REFLECTION (written in 2009)

Job began to wallow in self-pity. When we face baffling affliction, our pain lures us toward feeling sorry for ourselves. At this point, we are only one step from self-righteousness, where we keep track of life's injustices and say, "Look what happened to me; how unfair it is!" We may feel like blaming God. Remember that life's trials, whether allowed by God or sent by God, can be the means for development and refinement. When facing trials, ask "What can I learn and how can I grow?" rather than "Who did this to me and how can I get out of it?" (Life Application Bible, p. 854)

I got to know my friend, R, in 2005-2006 when she was struggling through the pain of infertility. She was on all sorts of treatments that left her very uncomfortable and sick most of the time. The group of us who gathered around her prayed over and cried with her a ton that year, and she ended up conceiving on the month when she wasn't on the fertility drugs and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl in November of 2006.

Now, she is trying for a second child, and she has not conceived. So, she is on those same feritlity drugs with the accompanying discomfort, but her attitude is different, reflecting three years of incredible growth in her understanding of God and His purposes for her life.

The other night on the phone, as we were both making dinner (What can I say? We are both multi-taskers!), she relayed to me words that brought tears to my eyes. I am paraphrasing here:

"Carol, you know I was just telling K and N at church the other day that it isn't so much that God did this miracle and I was able to have my daughter in the end, although that is a miracle and a blessing from Him, but that I grew through the process. I am not trying to brag here, but so many people seem to think they are in control of things. They get pregnant easily because that is what they planned; and because they didn't struggle with infertility, they think they have some control over it, but they don't either. Through my inferility last time, I realized that God is in control of everything and has a purpose for things like inferility. I think God is much more concerned with what we learn in the process than the end result. So, this time around, I am not as concerned about the end result of having a baby because I know that God is in control. That may be the only thing that results from this and no baby, it doesn't mean things won't be sad or messy in the process, but I welcome the process because I know it will help me understand God more."

By Jove (or maybe we should say "Job." LOL!), I think she's got it!!!!!

My friend is asking: "What can I learn and how can I grow." Wise friend!

2012 Update: She gave birth to a bouncing baby boy at the end of 2009. Her second was also conceived in the interim between fertility treatments. :)

APPLICATION

When you face trials, do you feel like God is out to get you or do you ask, "What can I learn and how can I grow from this?"

PRAYER

Lord, teach us to learn and go deeper with You through all that we encounter in this messy life. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Job 9 - The Umpire is Jesus

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 9

BACKGROUND

Job 9 begins an emphasis on God's justice and the visual picture in Job's mind is a legal court. He wants to prove before God his own integrity! Warren Wiersbe points out some of the legal terms used in Job in his commentary Be Patient:

Contend (Job 9:3, 10:2) = bring a court litigation against Him (as Eliphaz suggested in 5:8)

Answer (9:30, 16) = testify in court

Judge (v. 15) = an opponent at law, accuser
Set a time (v. 19) = summon to court
Daysman (v. 33) = an umpire, an arbiter
Reason (13:3) = argue a case
Order my cause (v. 18) = prepare my case
Plead (v. 19, 23:6) = dispute in court
Hear me (31:35) = give me a legal hearing
Adversary (v. 35) = accuser in court

Job asks three fundamental questions in Job 9 and 10:

1) "How can I be righteous before God?" or "How can I be declared innocent?" (9:1-13)

2) "How can I meet God in court?" (9:14-35)

3) "Why was I born?" (10:1-22; see v. 18 - we'll talk about that tomorrow)

REFLECTION - The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Who is that umpire (arbitrator) that Job speaks of in 9:33?

"There is no umpire between us,
Who may lay his hand upon on both."

Eli said to his sons in 1 Samuel 2:25:

"If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man
sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?"

Who is that umpire? Who is the mediator?

"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

It is JESUS.

"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to
God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 9:25).

APPLICATION/PRAYER

Meditate on the grandeur of our God as you pray through Job 9:1-13 today!

Job 8 - Blunt Bildad's First Speech

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 8

BACKGROUND

Bildad the Shuite (Shua means "wealth") bluntly gives Job his two cents worth. He tells Job that his words are a strong, abundant, mighty wind! (He was probably picking up on Job's reference from 6:26.) In other words, they were nonsense. Bildad's thesis: God is just and Job is guilty; case closed. He believes that God would not punish someone for nothing. He would not distort justice! He told Job that his sons probably sinned, and they got what they deserved. OUCH! Bildad's solution is simple: SEEK GOD! If Job is so pure then Bildad exhorts him to just implore God's grace. But Job has already done that in chapter 7! Bildad gives examples from history and nature to confirm his thesis. His thesis was theologically correct but horribly misapplied!

REFLECTION

Bildad's theology is correct: God is just, but Bildad is misapplying his theology in Job's situation and forgetting about the whole of God's character. God is just and holy, but He is also loving. merciful, and good. Could Job's suffering be a result of God's goodness rather than His justice? Yes!

Yesterday, I was telling someone about the surf safari that I took recently and something that was overlooked in my experience by the people who ran the safari. I told her that I was going to talk to the owner about this. She jumped in and said, "Oh but is that really a battle that you want to get into?" She doesn't know me very well (just in an exercise class I take). My heart in wanting to tell the owner was to make the experience better for future clients! I wasn't there to demand my rights or tell them that I got short-changed (justice). I wanted to help them know how they can make experience the future clients with my particular characteristics a better one (love and goodness). I guess it is all in the heart attitude. There might be some suffering on their part as I give them critique, but it isn't for judgment but for growth!

God was giving Job a growth experience that would help him become all that God had for him to be. Suffering is often the best path, and it is paved all along the way with God's goodness. I know that is sometimes a bitter pill to swallow for most of us, but it is good medicine.

APPLICATION

Anytime we are suffering, it is always good advice to seek God. In that way, Bildad is right (although he delivers his advice in a very unloving and blunt manner). God is 100% good. Go to Him right now.

PRAYER

God, You are good and Your love endures forever. Cement the truth of You infinite goodness in our minds today as we struggle through everyday life. Amen.

Job 7 - Job Appeals to God

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 7

BACKGROUND

I woke up this morning and began reading today's reading and thought, "This sounds like Ecclesiastes!" "Human life is a struggle, isn't it? It's a life sentence to hard labor . . . I'm given a life that meanders and goes nowhere --" (7:1, 3; The Message). His life had "no meaning" and is the same Hebrew word, heḇel, Solomon used over and over again in the book of Ecclesiastes. His life was "hard service" which in the Hebrew means "military service." Job was saying his life was harder than a soldier, hired man, and slave! His days were hard, but his nights were even harder as he dealt with his physical infirmities.

Job was miserable and wanted to die, and he let God know how he felt. He wanted God to tell Him how he had sinned. Why did God not pardon Him and be done with the whole thing? Job wanted closure.

REFLECTION

Pain does bring out raw honesty. Job's friends would no longer listen, but God would listen and Job poured his heart out to Him. He questioned the point of life and why God was doing it all. God can take honesty better than our friends or family. We have seen this honesty as we have read the Psalms of David. We will see more as we read the "weeping prophet" Jeremiah. Honesty before God is very important.

APPLICATION

Are you suffering? "Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord" (Lamentations 2:19; Psalm 62:8).

PRAYER

Lord, it is hard to see Job suffer, but I know You have myriad lessons to teach us in our suffering. We want to be honest before You and allow that suffering to help us to see You (Job 42:5) more clearly. Amen.

Job 5 & 6 - Despairing of Life and Disappointment with Friends

2012-01-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 5 & 6

BACKGROUND

In the last chapter, Eliphaz rebuked Job. Now he gives Job some advise that is not wrong in itself, but it was based on the wrong assumption that Job sinned! He was also very smug in his delivery.

Job wanted God to "loose His hand" from keeping Job alive (5:9). The Hebrew word for "loose" has the picture of setting prisoners free (Psalm 105:20). His only consolation or joy was that he was suffering but still innocent.

Sadly, his friends will not buy Job's argument. In Job 6, he compares them to a riverbed which is dried up in the summer when it is most needed. When he most needed his friends, they were a disappointment to him and not kind.

He closes Job 6 asking them to show him where he has erred.

REFLECTION

When trouble comes your soul to try,
You love the friend who just "stands by."
Perhaps there's nothing he can do --
The thing is strictly up to you;
For there are troubles all your own,
And paths the soul must tread alone;
Times when love cannot smooth the road
Nor friendship lift the heavy load,
But just to know you have a friend
Who will "stand by" until the end,
Whose sympathy through all endures,
Whose warm handclasp is always yours--
It helps, someway to pull you through,
Although there's nothing he can do.
And so with fervent heart you cry,
"God bless the friend who just 'stands by'!"

Written by B.Y Williams, published in Poems That Touch The Heart by A.L. Alexander

I have a couple of friends going through some tough things. Many hours over the Christmas Break were spent just "standing by" and listening to their hearts and praying for them. I am challenged not to be a friend like Eliphaz who just assumed things about Job and dispensed advice that didn't pertain to Job's situation. Eliphaz didn't take the time to listen to and hear Job's heart.

We are usually quick to speak and so slow to listen. This chapter challenges me to be a better friend by reading the negative example of Eliphaz.

APPLICATION

I have often heard the saying, "The only way to have a friend is to be one." How are you as a friend? How can you encourage a friend today?

PRAYER

Lord, teach us to be the friend who just stands by when our friends are going through tough times. Make us a better friend to others. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Job 3 & 4 - Job's Death Wish Soliloquy

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 3 & 4

BACKGROUND

Job breaks his silence in Job 3. He would not curse God, but he did curse the day he was born. By wishing for the night he was conceived to be dark (3:6), barren (v. 7), and never turn to day (v. 9), he was saying that his pain was so bad that he wished he had never even been conceived! He said, "May no joyful shout enter [the night]" in verse 7 because it was customary for Near Easterners to shout when a boy was born. He referred to Leviathan in verse 8. Leviathan was a seven-headed sea monster of ancient Near Eastern mythology. Since he had already been conceived and born, then he wished he had died at birth. Finally, he wished for death right then and there. In this chapter he asked "why" five times.

Job's friends start their first round of speeches in Job 4, and this round continues until Job 14. Throughout their speeches they will be adamant that the righteous are rewarded and the unrighteous are punished. So, they concluded (wrongly) that Job must have sinned, and he needed to repent. This particular chapter contains a rebuke from Eliphaz, probably the eldest of the three "comforters."

REFLECTION

Every Christmas Eve, my family sits down to watch the movie, It's a Wonderful Life. It is a story about George Bailey who, after a series of trials, wishes that he had never been born. So, God, through Clarence, the Angel Second Class, grants George Bailey his wish. It is a fabulous story about the impact of just one life on a series of events and people!

Before its resurgence in popularity back in the 80's, it was a little known film when a dear friend came to me very depressed and wishing that she, like Job and George Bailey, had never been born. I wanted to be a good comforter (unlike Job's comforters), but I was at a loss for the words to help my friend in this terrible time of her life. My parents had taped this movie, and God gave me the idea to show it to her, and He used it in a wonderful way to show her that God put her on this earth for a purpose and that sometimes life doesn't always turn out the way that we had planned (like it didn't for George and Job). It was the perfect way to comfort her as she cried to me after the movie, "Maybe there is a reason for my life!"

APPLICATION

I don't doubt that most have probably watched Its a Wonderful Life, but if you have not, I heartily recommend it as a springboard for discussion with your loved ones. How important is your life and what might be God's purpose for it?

PRAYER

Thank You that You wove us in our mother's womb, and we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139). You made us for a purpose. Show us Your purposes for our life and meaning in our suffering and pain. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Job 1 & 2 - Job's Example of Suffering

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Job 1 & 2

Doesn't "January in Job" sound great! Job is the only poetical book we didn't study last year because it was too big to insert in the historical time period of the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc) without interrupting the historical flow. So, we have saved it for now.

BACKGROUND

We do not know for sure when Job was written, but it was believed to have been written during the time of the patriarchs approximately 2000-1800 B.C. It is set in the land of Uz which was believed to be in northeast Palestine, near the desert land between Damascus and the Euphrates River.

Chapters 1 - 2 are the prologue of the book. Job is introduced as a man of character who feared the Lord. He had wealth, position, seven sons (often considered evidence of divine blessing) and three daughters. Satan accused Job of being upright only because God had blessed him. He conjectured that Job wouldn't be pious if he were not blessed. Thus, he was worshiping God for selfish reasons. So, God allowed Satan to test him. Many have wondered why God would allow this but God knew Job's heart, and he used Job in order to silence Satan. In addition, God wanted to deepen Job's spiritual insight. You also may wonder why Satan was in heaven! Apparently, Satan had and still has access to heaven (Rev. 12:10). He also walked and still walks the earth because the earth is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19).

Satan was allowed to test Job in two areas. First, Job was tested on his possessions and offspring (1:6-22) and second on his health (2:1-10). In all of this, Job recognized God's sovereign right to be God and worshipped Him in spite of His circumstances!

Job 2 closes with the three "comforters." We will soon see that their "monologues" are not very comforting. Stay tuned.

REFLECTION

Attitude is everything.

One of my favorite verses in all of Scripture is Job 2:10:

But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we
indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not
sin with his lips.

Even though Job's wife wanted him to curse God, he did not do so. He kept his perspective on God's sovereign purposes for his life.

Life would be so much easier if we were more like Job and were able to accept adversity along with the good. It is God's way of conforming us to His image. It is a hard lesson to learn, and I am praying some people I am involved with right now will learn from his life!

APPLICATION

Job will be an excellent study to develop your own "theology of suffering." How do your respond when adversity comes? What is your attitude toward suffering?

PRAYER

Lord, help us to have an expanded view of Your sovereignty and a deeper understanding of suffering as we read the book of Job. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

1 Chronicles 1 - David's Family Tree

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

LINK: 1 Chronicles 1
(It really helps to just listen and let someone else try to pronounce all those obscure names!)

BACKGROUND

1 and 2 Chronicles were once one book. It was split into two during the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament, in about 200 B.C. Jewish tradition suggests that Ezra wrote it, but there is no way we can know for sure. We will just call the author "the chronicler." Many things indicate that it was written based on earlier written sources because more than half of 1 and 2 Chronicles parallels 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. It was believed to be written around 430 B.C. 1 Chronicles recorded events from 1000 - 960 B.C. and 2 Chronicles recorded events from 970 B.C. to 586 B.C. (the Babylonian captivity).

The way they differ from the books they parallel is that they are priestly recollections and interpretations of the history of Israel from the reign of David to the Babylonian captivity. 1 Chronicles records the religious history of Judah and Israel. It especially recounts the reign of David in Judah and the Levitical line. 2 Chronicles highlights the importance of the temple and the religious revivals of Judah but almost completely ignores Israel.

1 Chronicles 1 - 9 will be a short review of the history we covered in YEAR ONE of the BBC from Adam to Saul. David's reign is the subject of the last 19 chapters of 1 Chronicles (chapters 11-29). 1 Chronicles 10 will be a look forward with the genealogy after the exile.

Today, you will just read or listen to the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 1. It really helps to just listen to the audio so you don't get caught up on the names. I am sure many will sound familiar to you from our reading last year.

Here is a little summary with references for you:

Adam to Noah's Sons (1:1-4, Genesis 2-9)
Noah Sons to Abraham (5-27, Genesis 10-11)
Abraham to Jacob (28-54, Genesis 12-36)

Starting tomorrow, we will spend the rest of January in Job. This is the only poetry book we didn't cover last year. It was written during the time of the patriarchs in Genesis, but I didn't want interrupt the flow of history since it is a very long book. So, we are reading it during this history review time.

REFLECTION and APPLICATION from The Daily Walk 2008

The chronicler spends nine chapters showing how important it was for God's people to trace their roots and cling to their ancestral ties. Why? Because many of God's promises were made to an individual and his descendants, such as Abraham (Genesis 15) and David (2 Samuel 7). Take away the roots and you take away the promises, For a people exiled and wondering if God had forgotten them, their heritage is their hope.

Do a little New Testament research to discover what your rich heritage is because of your position in the family of God. Start with Galatians 3:29; 4:7; Titus 3:7; James 2:5; 1 Peter 1:3-4.

Since this was written after the exile, a record of their heritage would have been such an encouragement. The promises that came along with their heritage were great. For those in Christ Jesus, our promises are even greater!

PRAYER

Lord, thank You that our heritage is great in Christ Jesus. Thank You for bringing us into Your family because of Him! WOOHOO! Amen.

Welcome to Year Two of the BBC!

2011-12-31T16:35:00.000-08:00

Congratulations! You have completed Year One of the Bible Book Club. I have highlighted (darkened to a deep blue and purple) the books that we have completed.

In Year Two we will cover history from the divided kingdom (1 Kings 12) through the Assyrian and Babylonian Captivities and the Return! I will be interspersing the major and minor prophets in the context of that history.

But before we go on, we will cover a poetry book that goes back to the time of the patriarchs: Job! The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles will be constantly referred to as we review what we learned last year and march forward in history.

Hold on to your hats, we are in for a bumpy ride, but just remember one thing: JESUS IS COMING TO THE RESCUE!

Psalm 45 - The King of Kings

2011-12-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Psalm 45

BACKGROUND

This psalm is a wedding song. It celebrates the wedding of a mighty king. Some believe it was for Solomon. It was written by the sons of Korah, a musical family from the Levites (Exodus 6:24).

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

This psalm is also a termed a "Messianic psalm" because it prophecies of Christ the Messiah and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:23ff; Revelations 19:6-21; 21:9; 22:17). It is believed to be about Jesus because Solomon was not a warrior (45:3-5) and the King is addressed as God (45:6). Hebrews 1:8-9 confirms it is a Messianic Psalm. It is all about the splendor and majesty of Jesus!

REFLECTION

My friends and I had been studying through the life of different Old Testament people. We had already gone through Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. When we started studying David and came to this Psalm, one of the women exclaimed, "I think this king is Jesus. Is it Jesus?" We had not even mentioned Jesus yet. She just knew it was about Him! The Scarlet Thread was evident to her without even knowing anything about Him.

So fun.

APPLICATION

Worship the King and enjoy your Christmas break!

See you in Bible Book Club Year Two: Divided Kingdom to Captivity to Return!

PRAYER
Lord God, thank You for an excellent year of reading Your Word. Help us to be transformed by it! Thank You for Jesus! Amen.

Psalm 72 - The Perfect King

2011-12-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Psalm 72

BACKGROUND

This is the last writing of Solomon we will cover during the Bible Book Club! While this Psalm is attributed as a "Psalm of Solomon," some commentators believe, since it was written in the third person, it was "for Solomon" and written by his father, David, and a prayer for people to use when praying for God's blessings on the new king.

If it was written by Solomon, it was probably written before he fell away from the Lord in 1 Kings 11. The reason I did not put it before we read that chapter is because it also might be a messianic psalm about the Son of David, Jesus Christ, who was greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42).

The Psalm, in highly wrought figurative style, describes the reign of a king as “righteous, universal, beneficent, and perpetual.” By the older Jewish and most modern Christian interpreters, it has been referred to Christ, whose reign, present and prospective, alone corresponds with its statements. Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., Fausset, A. R., Brown, D., & Brown, D. (1997). A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. (Ps 72:1). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Since we are celebrating His birth this month, I wanted to save this one for last! It describes the perfect King:

1) Righteous
2) Just
3) Peaceful
4) Prosperous
5) Compassionate
6) Unlimited dominion
7) Worthy of honor and praise
8) Savior

APPLICATION and PRAYER

Praise our King Jesus today! Get out a copy of Handel's Messiah. His kingship is so evident in it! Let this be your prayer for today.

Here is my favorite version:

click on image to find on Amazon

Here is also a link to the lyrics from it!

Handel's Messiah

Also, I am starting readings for the Gospel Harmony Book Club to coincide with the Christmas story if you want to follow along.

PRAYER

Put Ecclesiastes Back on the Shelf!

2011-12-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 11 & 12 - How to Live Life to the Fullest

2011-12-19T00:30:00.000-08:00

Read over the next two days:

It is very helpful to read these chapters in different versions. So, I have provided three for you to enjoy. Soak and savor!

December 19: Ecclesiastes 11

December 20: Ecclesiastes 12

BACKGROUND and REFLECTION

Solomon has concluded his reexamination of four arguments to support his conclusion that life is not worth living. Here is a summary of that reexamination by Warren Wiersbe:

Being a wise man, Solomon reviewed his arguments and this time brought God into the picture. What a difference it made. He realized that life was not monotonous but filled with challenging situations from God, each in its own time and each for its own purpose. He also learned that wealth could be enjoyed and employed to the glory of God. Though man’s wisdom couldn’t explain everything, Solomon concluded that it was better to follow God’s wisdom than to practice man’s folly. As for the certainty of death, there is no way to escape it; and it ought to motivate us to enjoy life now and make the most of the opportunities God gives us. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1990). Be satisfied (Ec 11:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.)

Solomon concludes this book in chapters 11 and 12 by getting down to some practical applications for us that counters the four arguments:

Life is not monotonous but an adventure of faith. So diligently live by faith making eternal investments through acts of charity (11:1-6).
Death is certain but life is a gift from God who wants us to treasure and enjoy life (11:7 - 12:8).
Wisdom of the world can't answer the deeper questions of life but God's wisdom can, and He has given us the experiences of life to learn how to live according to His wisdom (12:9-12).
Wealth is a waste if we don't steward all our wealth (money, time, abilities, talents, etc) out of our reverence for Him (12:13-14)

1. Live by Faith (11:1-6)

Solomon is pressing the rich into showing their faith by not being idle in doing good to others and giving freely. I found two possible interpretations for "casting your bread upon the waters." One related to merchant grain ships that Solomon would have been quite familiar with (1 Kings 10:15,22). A merchant had to trust and wait for months for their ships to return. It was risky business to send them out upon unfamiliar and potentially dangerous waters. Another interpretation related to the ancient world practice of casting seeds from boats into the overflowing waters of the Nile or marshy ground. When the waters went down, crops would spring up from the fertile soil (Isaiah 32:20) but what an act of faith to just throw it onto water! He continued his illustration using the farmer who has to trust God for all his crops. The merchant (or alluvial plain seed sower) and the farmer have no control over the circumstances and must labor by faith. Through these illustrations, he exhorts us to diligently labor on behalf of others, trusting that our investments today will reap eternal rewards tomorrow and into eternity. The New Testament equivalent of this would be Galatians 6:9, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary" (see also Psalm 126:5-6 and Hosea 10:12).

2. Enjoy Life Responsively (11:7-12:8)

Solomon is drawing the young person into purer and more lasting joys by remember/revere his or her Creator and living a lifestyle in fear of the Lord which is usually much healthier than one in pursuit of sensual pleasures! He exhorts us to enjoy life but do it responsibly before old age and death come!

Today is a very DARK fall day. It is rainy and wet and cold, but my house is flooded with light as I have about 25 candles lit in my living room. It is my acts of rebellion against the spiritual darkness by remembering God's blessings even though I was raked over the coals (link for our international readers who don't understand American idioms) by a frustrated 20-something last night. The frustrations were stemming from something deeper. So, I put away my pride and potential offense to get to the bottom of it. I remember what it was like to be in my 20's, and I once had a 50 something (like myself) comfort both physically and spiritually in my frustrated days. She gave me such kind words telling me that she would never want to relive her 20's. I could have compassion for this 20-something too. After remembering her today, I looked her up so that I could call her and thank her for being light in a dark place of my life, but she passed away in 2004. Life is so short! We must learn to enjoy this life that He has given us with all its trials and hardships!

3. Live According to His Wisdom (12:9-12)

The world has its wisdom, and God has His. We need to chose God as our teacher in the school of life! Solomon was a wise teacher of God, and we can learn much through his proverbs and other writings (Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Psalm 72 and 127) about living wisely in this life.

4. Steward the Wealth of Our Life (12:13-14)

Got has given us everything we need to live a full and rich life. We are to steward all of it by fearing God and keeping His commandments. It is so simple really! Corrie ten Book said, "The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation." Let's steward that life as wisely as possible.

APPLICATION

Are you living by faith by being generous with the wealth (both materially and spiritually) he has given you? Christmas is a great season for responding to the needs of others!

Are you enjoying the life that God has given you while living responsibly?

Are you responding wisely to the challenges of life? Is God's Word running through your veins and out into the decisions you make everyday?

Are you wisely stewarding the time, talents, wealth, and possessions He has given you?

PRAYER

Lord, Thank You that You have given us this life to enjoy and bring joy to You. Teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Help us to steward our time wisely because these days are evil (Ephesians 5:16). Help us to give generously (Proverbs 3:9,10). Teach us to fear You and keep Your commandments (Ecc. 12:13). Amen.

YAY! Put Ecclesiastes back on the shelf!

Ecclesiastes 9 & 10 - "No Exit"

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 9 & 10

BACKGROUND

A key repeated phrase in chapters 9 and 10 is "no man knows" (9:1, 12; 10:14) . Man cannot predict what will happen to him in the end and whether his toil will fail or succeed. We do know that we all share a "common destiny" (NIV) and that is death. The fact is that none of us get out of here alive! After making this conclusion, Solomon continues with his recurring theme of living life! Death is coming, but God has given us good gifts to enjoy so let's enjoy them! With all this, Solomon warned that life can sometimes be unpredictable, and we must yield to God's loving hand of Providence and walk in wisdom rather than folly.

In chapters 10 and 11, Solomon concluded his discourse with a practical application.

REFLECTION (Written in 2009)

Ecclesiastes has been all about the quest for meaning in life. Many search for it. This week, I completed Walden by the famous transcendentalist, Henry David Thoreau. He went to Walden Pond in Massachusetts for two years, two months, and two days in order to contemplate the meaning of life and observe nature. He observed that "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." I agree with Thoreau's observation while I don't necessarily agree with some of his conclusions about how to "live life."

I also read the play No Exit by French playright and existentialist, Jean Paul Sartre. He sets a man in a locked hotel room with two other women and "no exit." They are bound for eternity in that room bringing each other sorrow and grief as each takes turns at manipulating and taking control of one another. The main character cries, "Hell is -- other people!"

Solomon, Thoreau, and Sartre all grappled with the question,"Is life worth living?" There was a dark time in 1987 where I, too, grappled with this question. I was a believer in Jesus who was despairing of life after a series of events that left me overwhelmed, tired, and feeling very much alone. On the outside, life was good, I had just graduated with a master's degree and was working in a good job in my career field. Maybe the achievement of some worldly goals made me see the emptiness I still felt within. I remember a great wrestling match with God in my bedroom on Emerald Street in Eugene. God won. He drew me to His presence in a very powerful way. Sometimes, even as long-time believers, we can get knocked off course.

After investigating "life under the sun," Solomon concluded that life was not worth living! He cited the monotony of life, the vanity of wisdom, the futility of wealth, and the certainty of death as arguments to support his conclusion. Yes, it was not worth living apart from knowing that what we are doing is part of God's purpose for our lives.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You that Jesus is the answer to our desperate condition. Thank You that Jesus came that we might have an abundant and full life (John 10:10). We want You to be the center of everything we do. We want Your purposes for our lives. Teach us Your way. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Ecclesiastes 8 - Evil in the World and Joy in the Journey

2011-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 8

BACKGROUND

As Solomon continued to praise wisdom. He purported that a wise person knows how to act with graciousness. In 1-9, he is saying that one should recognize the absolute authority of a king and the need for wisdom in averting a king's wrath in order to avoid harm. (Wise advice considering what we have learned about kings in our study last year!)

In 10-17, he also tackled the issue of why there is evil in the world. He lamented that wicked people often go unpunished which leads to even more wrongdoing. Solomon believed in the "doctrine of divine retribution" (people eventually are punished for evil) and that God-fearing people are better off than the wicked; but he had seen the wicked getting what the righteous deserved and vice versa. He saw this as perplexing or meaningless.

Despite this contradiction, he offered the same advice he offered in 2:24-26; 3:12-13, and 5:18-19: eat and drink and enjoy life! He is not recommending hedonism (the pursuit of pleasure for pleasures sake). Rather, he is recommending submission to God. We cannot control when God allows adversity or prosperity. We cannot have all our questions answered or comprehend all of His mysterious ways, but we can receive the good things in life as gifts from His hand and fully experience the joy they bring as we walk by faith and trust that He is in control of all the unanswered questions.

REFLECTION AND APPLICATION AND PRAYER

As I typed this post, my favorite song in the whole wide world kept going through my head. I know I have even shared it in the Bible Book Club before. I want it sung at my memorial service.

I hope you can see how this song relates to this chapter. It sums up how Solomon proposes we live: WITH JOY! There is joy in this journey of life despite the mysteries and questions and incomprehensibility of our big God and evil in the world. I don't even know if you will see the connection between Ecclesiastes 8 and this song, but God is leading me to put it here. So, I will! I pray it blesses you like it did me tonight.

It is a short and beautiful video clip. Light some candles and meditate.

Joy in the Journey
by Michael Card

There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
and freedom for those who obey.

And all those who seek it shall find it
A pardon for all who believe
Hope for the hopeless
and sight for the blind.

To all who've been born of the Spirit
And who share incarnation with Him
Who belong to eternity stranded in time
and are weary of struggling with sin.

Forget not the hope that's before you
and never stop counting the cost
Remember the hopelessness
when you were lost.

'Cause There is a joy in the journey
There's a light we can love on the way
There is a wonder and wildness to life
and freedom for those who obey
and freedom for those who obey.

Wishing you freedom and joy this day . . .Carol

Ecclesiastes 7 - A Bend in the Road

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 7

BACKGROUND

In this chapter, Solomon does not contradict his advice in the last chapter to eat, drink, and find satisfaction in one's work. He is saying to enjoy what we have while we can, but adversity and hardships also strike and are there to remind us that life is short, and we must make it count by living each day with wisdom, integrity, and close communion with Him.

REFLECTION (written in 2009)

"Consider the work of God

for who is able to straighten what He has bent?"

I can't tell you how many times I have claimed Ecclesiastes 7:13 through gritted teeth as some circumstances in my life have taken a tragic (at least from my point of view) turn. I have had to look God square in the face and say, "God, You have allowed this to happen, and I do not like what has happened, but I am not going to try to straighten what You have already bent. You are in control, and I relinquish mine. You are God, and I am not."

Often, God allows "bends" in the straight path we think we are taking towards eternity. Wasn't the whole book of Job all about a huge "bend" in Job's righteous road? We are bent toward wanting to straighten God's bends though! Part of maturing in Christ means learning to understand those "bends" as allowed by His hand for His sovereign purposes.

A woman asked me to pray today because her husband will likely lose his job in the latest job cuts from one of the the largest employers in town. For many, these lay-offs have been quite an unexpected "bend" in the road. Many thought they would retire from this company, but there is no job security now. It is a sad time for many. The morale is quite low as many wait for the next axe to lower. Today it was a 5% pay cut, elimination of stock options, and reduction in 401(k) contributions. Many bends today, but we pray that God draws many people closer to His side through the uncertainty of the times. Trust in God is never misplaced trust.

We've been there. In August, the day after we turned from a fantastic exploration trip to Southeast Asia (the picture above is from that trip), George got his pink slip. Thankfully we have had six prior unemployment "bends" in our married life. So, we had this sick (my friend Abigail calls it "positive reframing") sense of excitement about what was around that next bend. We knew that God had something special in mind even if it involved adversity, suffering, or even poverty. We accepted it and tightened our budget to brace for what was ahead. Who were we to attempt to straighten God's bend?

After four months of unemployment, we can testify about the bend! God is good. He continues to be sovereign, yet again (I used to tell girls in my Bible study to "mark it on their calendar" when they saw God sovereignty each day. You should try it!). He was faithful the last five times of unemployment, and guess what? He was faithful once again! We see it was all part of His plan. In those four months, George was able to invest more time in being a part of a team that got the first Perspective on the World Christian Movement course in Corvallis up and running. This has been a huge blessing for us to see 120 people coming every Sunday night excited to see God's name proclaimed among the nations!

In God's prefect timing, four weeks after the course was running smoothly, George started a job with the USDA Forest Service on the OSU campus. In God's perfect way, He "bent" the roads of two of the guys that George meets with so that they are ALSO working on the OSU campus, making it so much easier to meet! Your God at work, once again.

We are so glad we didn't waste energy trying to "straighten" things out. God knows what He is doing with our lives, and we can rest confidently in Him!

APPLICATION

How do you respond to those "bends" in the road? Maybe you are facing a possible one in the near future or going through it right now. Talk to God about this and listen to what He says to You. Write it down. He may give you a verse to cling to. Write it on a card and memorize it. Return to it again and again. God is in the process of maturing You for His sovereign purpose!. Don't do anything to try to straighten Him out.

PRAYER

Lord, we are grateful for the bends in the road. Teach us not to be straigtheners. Teach us to ride the wave of Your sovereign will until we reach Your secure shores. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ecclesiastes 5 & 6 - Chasing After Wind

2011-12-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 5 & 6

BACKGROUND

Some commentators think this is an "interlude" in Solomon's argument, but it is a very important part of his argument! First, he wisely warned us to approach God with reverence and be ready ("to draw nigh with the desire") to hear (obey) rather than offering the sacrifice of a fool. The essence of Old Testament ritual was obedience and not a hasty sacrifice (Remember Samuel's rebuke to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:2?) or vow. Perhaps Solomon was looking back in reflection at the end of his life at his own disobedience (See 1 Kings 11 regarding his foreign wives).

Second, he warned against corruption in government and the need for honest and organized authority. The gist of these verses can be summed up in this quote by Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Next, he covered the futility of loving money because it cannot bring satisfaction or solve your problems. "The human heart was made to be satisfied only with God" (Warren Wiersbe). Solomon argued that increased money for a person whose heart is in the wrong place only leads to increased anxiety and not increased pleasures. Also, a person can't take it with them. He enters the world with nothing and leaves with nothing!

In Ecclesiastes 6, Solomon concluded his assertions on the meaninglessness of riches by giving some practical advice summed up by Warren Wiersbe in this way:

Nobody can truly enjoy the gifts of God apart from the God who gives the gifts. To enjoy the gifts without the Giver is idolatry, and this can never satisfy the human heart. Enjoyment without God is merely entertainment, and it doesn't satisfy. But enjoyment with God is enrichment and it brings true joy and satisfaction. (Be satisfied)

REFLECTION (written in 2009)

As I meditated on this, I recalled a conversation several year ago with a recently married man whose sole goal in life was to become a "Christian millionaire." He didn't have any plans to use his money for God's glory either, he just wanted to be rich. Period.

Fast forward twenty years. Even though he has tried, he did not become a millionaire. In fact, it has become quite the opposite despite his fruitless pursuit of wealth and "chasing after wind." How very sad. Sadder still that he ended up having an affair and leaving his wife.

I want to chase after things that last into eternity and are burning on God's heart. Tonight, I spent two hours with three other people who are passionate about God's glory spreading throughout the whole earth. We are all taking the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement class! The article in our book called "Apostolic Passion" really hit us. I hope you enjoy it too!

APPLICATION

Read "Apostolic Passion" and let me know what you think!

PRAYER

Lord, we want to run hard after You and not chase after wind. Show us where we are chasing after things that are meaningless. Help us to know that any gift we receive in this world is material to bring You glory. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Ecclesiastes 4 - What Makes Life Meaningful?

2011-12-13T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 4

BACKGROUND

In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon continues to reexamine his supposition from Ecclesiastes 1:4-11 that life is monotonous. He challenges these "ivory tower" intellectual conclusions by observing real life.

He observed injustice and oppression and labor motivated by status, envy, greed, and/or fame. He contrasts this with giving several advantages of companionship.

He draws the conclusion that it is better to be poor and wise than rich, foolish, and powerful (4:13). Status, riches, power, and fame are all transitory and meaningless in the whole scheme of life.

REFLECTION

God was gracious to nip my need for fame and recognition in the bud very early in my life. I am so grateful! I can honestly say I am not motivated by status or fame because I was given a stark wake up call at 17 years old!

I know I told this story in October in the Bible Book Club, but I will repeat it (with some modifications) to remind you:

Written in 2008: In high school most people liked me (excepting the jealous ones) even though I didn't necessarily like myself all that much. By the end of my senior year, my room was filled with flowers from all the awards that I had racked up in the academic, social, and athletic realms. In the midst of the "award season" of senior year, the mom of my friend, Julie, said to her, "If there is anyone you should look up to and model your life after, it should be Carol." I was flattered, and this was a temporary fix (like a drug) to the deep craving that I had for love and acceptance.

The morning after this lovely compliment, I got a distressed call from Julie telling me that her mom had fallen asleep at the wheel of her Volkswagen bug, crashed into a pole, and died instantly. Her flower-filled memorial service was set in stark contrast to the flowers in my bedroom, many of which had begun to turn brown with pedals making a mess all over my floor.
Julie's mother's death caused me to ask myself many questions: "So, I win all these awards, but the glory of those awards fade away, just like these flowers. What is life all about anyway if we all eventually die? Why am I here on earth; and if I am someone Julie should look up to and model her life after, who am I looking up to and modeling my life after?"

These verses in James express my position:

But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position;and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation,because like flowering grass he will pass away.For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass;and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. (James 1:9-11)

I was like that "rich man" in the midst of my pursuit for my own glory because I had achieved everything I had set out to do in high school; but even with all of this, I was really bankrupt in my soul!

Julie's mom's death hit me hard, and my life began to unravel. Sure, I was achieving both academically and athletically in college, but I was very depressed. Like Solomon, I was seeing that life was meaningless and striving after wind. Yes, I had been a believer in Jesus since I was ten years old, but I didn't really know how to follow Him. I didn't let Him define what gave me meaning in life and was still going by what the world told me was meaningful. I needed someone to lead the way.

Then came Cheryl Potter.

Cheryl was a mild-tempered, humble coworker who wasn't very "rich" in the world's eyes but had EVERYTHING I wanted. We worked alone in the business office of the Fallbrook Hospital on the 3 - 10 p.m. shift. Things would get crazy and stressful when emergencies would come in, and Cheryl always worked diligently and calmly and with love for everyone. Cheryl followed Jesus, and I wanted to follow Cheryl so I could follow Jesus too. The rest is history.

The last time I talked to Cheryl was in the winter of 2005. She was fighting breast cancer, and all my emails had bounced. I was afraid to pick up the phone because of what I might not hear on the other end. I thought that if she had died, she lived her life for something that really mattered: the glory of God. I do not doubt that she left a legacy of "mighty women" behind her, all because she led by following Jesus. Cheryl was really someone to look up to and model her life after.

So, this post has taken all day because I got brave and located an old number for Cheryl and made the dreaded call wondering if she would be on the other end of the line.

And she was! Still Cheryl and cancer-free for three years! Alive and vacuuming! She had just said good-bye to a woman (and her two dogs) who had lived with her for three weeks while the woman was between homes. She was a brand new believer in Jesus. Cheryl was still leading other "mighty women" toward what is really important in life by pointing them toward Jesus.
May I someday live to fill her shoes.

I was around many people recently who are very successful in the world's eyes, and I wasn't intimidated by their worldly achievements in the least. (They weren't cramming those worldly achievements down my throat either and were very kind, but I had the potential of feeling inferior.) I may not receive a salary for what I do (although I could, I chose not to), I know that God thinks it is VERY important, and that is all that matters! My life is beautiful and meaningful, and I am doing EXACTLY what he has gifted me to do! That is really all that matters in the grander scheme of things. :)

APPLICATION

Are you evaluating your life according to the world's standards or God's?

PRAYER

I praise You that You give life meaning and dimension that is wonderful! Help us to conform to Your standards of significance rather than the world's. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ecclesiastes 3 - A Time for Every Delight

2011-12-12T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 3

BACKGROUND

This chapters is so beautiful. Linger long over it.

In Ecclesiastes 1-2, Solomon has presented four arguments that life is meaningless and isn't worth living, but he will reexamine each of them in Ecclesiastes 3-10:

1) Life is monotonous (1:4-11) is reexamined in 3:1-5:9
2) Wisdom is vanity (1:12-18) is reexamined in 5:10-6:12
3) Wealth is futile (2:1-11) is reexamined in 7:1-8:17
4) Death is certain (2:12-23) is reexamined in 9:1-10:20

In this chapter, he reexamines his supposition that life is monotonous by concluding that God was in control of time and life experiences. From birth to death, God has divine purposes sometimes beyond out own understanding. Solomon concludes that if we cooperate with God's sovereign timing in everything, both the good and the bad, life will be meaningful and beautiful (3:11, Romans 8:28).

The NIV says there is a time for every "activity" under heaven. The NASB says, "event," but in the margin it says, "delight." Delight is a much closer translation of the Hebrew word. The basic meaning of the Hebrews word is "to feel great favor towards something, to experience emotional delight." Some of the things don't seem like they would be things of "delight," (death, killing, weeping, mourning, losing, hating, war) but weaves all into the fabric of our lives to accomplish His purposes in us. He knows what He is doing. We can trust that they are for the purpose of preparing us for eternity (3:11), and we might not fully understand all of life's pain and toil until we meet Him face to face.

Solomon concluded that we are to enjoy life, not in a pagan hedonistic way, but enjoy the gift of life that God has given us even in toil and pain knowing He is in control and knows what He is doing.

REFLECTION

One thing I love to do in my ministry of helping people "fly" is having them go through their life experiences in order to reflect upon how life events have shaped them. Here is the handout that I use to help them:

Time-line Reflection Questions

Throughout the year, you will beadding to a time-line in order to analyze overall patterns of God’s work inyour life. The analysis of the time-line comes from the book called TheMaking of a Leader by Robert Clinton. This is a valuable tool to help youto reflect upon your spiritual journey and get the “big picture” of where youhave been and where God is taking you.

The first four developmental phases inClinton’s book are summarized below along with reflection questions to help youin completing you time-line. Many of the phases overlap because, hopefully, weare always growing in these areas. The last two phases (Convergence andAfterglow) will be addressed in the spring,

Phase I: Sovereign Foundations

Overview: In this phase, “God providentially works through family,environment, and historical events. This begins at birth. You might find ithard to believe that God was working through your family or your environment,especially if these were not godly influences, but He was. It is exciting tosee how the providence of God was—and is—working through all our experiences.” Godis developing you by “laying foundations in your life. . . His primary lessonis to learn to respond positively and take advantage of what God has laid inthese foundations.” (p.44)

Assignment: As you share your Jesus story, answer SHAPE questions,and share with others about the people and things that have shaped your life,take time to reflect and ask God to put together some of the pieces of yoursovereign foundations. As He does, you will come to a deeper appreciation ofHis power in your life. What things did God use in your life to bring you towhere you are today? What people, circumstances, or events did God use to wooyou to Himself? Reflect upon your desires, passions, longings, and struggles inyour early years. How have they affected your spiritual journey in positive andnegative ways? The reason that Clinton calls it sovereign foundations isbecause God has a sovereign plan for your life, and everything (both positiveand negative) fit into that plan. Reflect on them and map this on yourtime-line to give perspective you wouldn’t otherwise have.

Phase II: InnerLife Growth

Overview: In this phase, you start seeking to know God in a morepersonal, intimate way. You learn the “importance of praying and hearing God.” Itis marked by growth in discernment, understanding, and obedience. In thisphase, “God uses testing experiences to develop character.” (p.45)

Questions: When was the first time you sensed the presence of Godin your life? What were your early experiences of the spiritual disciplines (prayer,meditation, study, fasting, solitude, etc) that had particular impact in your life?When were your “aha” moments with God that brought about changes in you? Whatwere some of your testing experiences that brought you into deeper intimacywith Him and grew you in character? This is a good time to look at those“painful” experiences in your SHAPE material and reflect upon how they shapedyour character. Plot these on your time-line. For some of the painful things,feel free to write them in “code” to maintain privacy and confidentiality.

Phase III: MinistryMaturing

Overview: In this phase, you have learned about reaching out toothers. You are beginning to experiment with spiritual gifts (even though youmay not have known what they were all about). You may have taken specifictraining to be more effective in ministry. Ministry is the focus at this stage.Many of your lessons will zero in on relationships with other people and onyour inadequacies in your personal life as you become “other-centered.”

Questions: What were experiences that you particularlyliked/disliked or in which you were effective/ineffective? Did you get trainingthat gave you better skills in a ministry? Were there any bible studies youparticipated in that really helped you grow in your walk with God and abilityto serve Him? Did you lead a study? Did you disciple a person? Were youinvolved in helping a needy group of people? Did you take a short-term mission?Record these ministry experiences. What positive and negative experiences didyou have within the Body that helped you gain understanding of others andyourself?

Phase IV: LifeMaturing

Overview: In this phase, you have “identified and are using yourgifts in a ministry that is satisfying. You have gained a sense of prioritiesconcerning the best use of your gifts and understanding that learning what notto do is as important as learning what to do. A mature fruitfulness is theresult. Isolation, crisis, and conflict take on new meaning. That principlethat ‘ministry flows out of being’ has a new significance as your charactermellows and matures. . . In this phase the leader’s experiential understandingof God is being developed. Communion with God becomes foundational; it is moreimportant than success in ministry.” There is a “positive response to theexperiences God ordains.” (p. 46)

Questions: Do you understand your gift-mix, and are you functioningin that mix in ministry and saying no to other things that aren’t in your“primary gifting”? When did this occur? Have you had any experiences ofisolation, crisis, and conflict in ministry that have matured and challengedyou as a minister? Have you had situations that were challenging, but youresponded positively to the experiences God has ordained? Does your “doing” inministry flow out of “being” in communion with God?

The last two phases, Convergence andAfterglow, will probably come at a later time in your life journey so we won’tbe covering those phases in this assignment.

APPLICATION

Make a time-line and reflect how God has made "everything beautiful in His time."

PRAYER

Lord, thank You that You really do make all things beautiful in Your wonderful timing. Thank You that You have had a reason for every one of our life events. Shape us into the people that You desire for us to be. In Jesus' name, amen.

Ecclesiastes 1 & 2 - Give Up Your Small Ambitions

2011-12-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Ecclesiastes 1 & 2

BACKGROUND

Ecclesiastes is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Koheleth which means "preacher." In this case the preacher is King Solomon. It is the inspired record of his search for meaning and satisfaction toward the end of his life (possibly around 933 B.C.). Throughout this book, Solomon will cover ten pursuits that are empty apart from God: wisdom, work, possessions, status, companionship, fame, money, long life, feasting, and desire.

Solomon begins chapter 1 by proclaiming "Everything is meaningless!" He will use the term meaningless throughout the whole book, and it refers to what is without real substance, value, permanence, or significance. He asserts that all human effort is futile. He supports this thesis by proclaiming that this futility is demonstrated in nature. All of nature's activity is monotonous and tiring without making any progress or reaching a fixed goal. He compares this to man's activity that produces weariness and no satisfaction.

In chapter 2, he experiments with the value of pleasure and comes up wanting. Then he covers three empty pursuits apart from God: wisdom, work, and possessions. In wisdom (a more correct word would be "human knowledge"), he sees some advantage but concludes that there is no real advantage to being wise as opposed to living foolishly because both the wise man and fool die and are forgottten. Then he evaluates work and possessions and concludes that toils bring no lasting pleasure even if one accomplishes great things and is rewarded for them. Even if there is much fruit in a person's labor, he "can't take it with him" and must leave it to someone else. The results of a person's labor may be inherited by a fool who would squander it and all that labor would be in vain. In view of the fleeting value of the fruits of man's toil, he recommends that man enjoy the fruits but realize that true wisdom, knowledge, and enjoyment are not possible apart from being in right relationship with God and living to please Him.

REFLECTION

Looking at Everything in Light of Eternity: A Total Life Makeover

As we meditate on Ecclesiastes, let's all gear up to put everything in our life out on the table and examine it all in light of God's eternal purposes. I already mentioned Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover" in our reading of Proverbs. Well, let's do a "Total Life Makeover"! Let's examine our life in those ten areas that are mentioned throughout the book:

Wisdom/Human Knowledge (2:15-16)
Work (2:19-21)
Possessions (2:26)
Status (4:4)
Companionship (4:7-12)
Fame (4:16)
Money (5:10)
Long Life (6:6)
Feasting (6:7)
Desire (6:9)

The title of Warren Wiersbe's "Be Series" commentary on this book is entitled Be Satisfied. This is so appropriate because true satisfaction can only be attained when we know what is really important in life and adjust our lives and futures to God's purposes.

APPLICATION

Frances Xavier, a 16th century missionary to Japan, wrote back to fellow students and pled with them: "Give up your small ambitions and come East to proclaim the glorious gospel of Christ."

Do you have small ambitions in light of God's BIG purposes? It may not mean going East to Japan, but God has a specific and vital role that only you can play in His plan.

Ask God about your "small ambitions." In light of Ecclesiastes 2, evaluate the two empty pursuits apart from God covered: aquiring human knowledge and working to gain possessions.

PRAYER

Lord, reveal to us our small ambitions. Help us to live in light of eternity. For Your glory we pray, amen.

1 Kings 11 - Solomon's Downfall and Death

2011-12-10T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: 1 Kings 11

BACKGROUND

The king who asked for wisdom and understanding to govern his people and wrote many wise proverbs was not very wise when it came to his personal life. God anticipated this, and we read about it back in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 . To refresh your memory, here is a summary of a previous post:

Deuteronomy 17 deals with officiating idolatry. This chapter also holds a foretelling of Israel's rule by kings. This will come about as the theocracy set up by God will unravel in the book of Judges and a monarchy will be set up in 1 Samuel. God knew all of this. So, He spoke through Moses about the qualifications of a future king of Israel. There were three "dont's" and one "do":

DON'T ACQUIRE . . .Horses - Solomon will not honor this - Kings 4:26Many Wives - Solomon will not honor this - 1 Kings 11:3Large amounts of gold and silver - Solomon will not honor this - 1 Kings 10:14

DO FOLLOW . . .The Law of God - Solomon did not honor this - 1 Kings 11:11

(For the entire post, see here: Deut. 17)

Solomon governed wisely and his reputation brought him acclaim and riches throughout the region, but he did not follow these simple commands above! Marrying foreign wives led him into worship of their many gods and "his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been" (verses 4).

Here is a rundown of the gods mentioned in this chapter:

Ahstoreth - goddess of sex and reproductive power - a mistress of Baal. The worship involved licentious rites and worship of the stars. She was a vile goddess (2 Kings 23:13).

Molech - National god of the Ammonites. Worship of him involved human sacrifice, especially children.

Chemosh - National god of the Moabites. Israelites were warned against worshiping all gods but Molech was singled out in Exodus 20:1-6, Leviticus 18:21, and 20:1-5)

God's warned Solomon in chapter 9 that if Solomon strayed into paths of idolatry and immorality, He would discipline him, and God declared in 11:11, "I will certainly tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant."

Then, God told Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah that He will tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hands and give him ten tribes. Stay tuned.

REFLECTION

Solomon did not end well. He did not follow his own proverb: "A man's own folly ruins his life" (Proverbs 19:13). I am sure it didn't happen all at once. He made little decisions that led to major consequences and eventually "turned his heart away from God."

I have been evaluating my "little decisions" lately. It is easy to let compromise creep into my life. . Solomon had this pattern:

He resisted idolatry and maintained his heart for God.
Then, he tolerated idolatry around him.
Finally, when he was involved in idolatrous worship, he rationalized the potential danger for himself and his kingdom.

In the end, he had a divided heart, and this resulted in a divided kingdom.

APPLICATION

How is your personal life? Are there any places where you are going down that slippery slope from resisting to rationalization? There are so many "gray" areas in our culture today. There is entertainment that is not explicitly sinful, but does it divide your heart? There are certain activities that are not sinful in and of themselves, but do they take you away from God's best? It is not legalism if our heart is to want God's best.

Journal about this, and pray that God would give you clarity.

PRAYER

I have been meditating on Romans 12:1 -2 from The Message. Allow this passage (and the way I structured it) to lead you in prayer:

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you:

Take your everyday, ordinary life -- your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life -- and

place it before God as an offering.

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.

Instead,fix your attention on God. You'll change from the inside out. Readily

recognize what He wants from you, and quickly

respond to it.

Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it level of immaturity.

God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Lord, help us to offer our lives wholly to You and to fix our attention on You.

In Jesus' name, Amen

This concludes the historical narrative for our first year of the Bible Book Club and the end of the united kingdom!

Get ready for Solomon's reflections in Ecclesiastes and a couple of Messianic Psalms before Christmas!

Put Proverbs Back on the Shelf!

2011-12-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

You have completed the book of Proverbs if you have been doing this from the beginning! Hope you enjoyed it!

Proverbs 31 - The Secret of Our Success

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 31

BACKGROUND

Proverbs 31 are the words of Lemuel, but we don't know who he is except that he was a king and his name means "devoted to God." It has been speculated that Lemuel was from the kingdom of Massa in northern Arabia (Life Application Bible, p. 1131).

The instructions from verses 2-9 are from his mother and pertain mainly to her exhortations regarding adultery (also see Proverbs 2:16-19; 5:1-14; 7; 22:14, and 23:27-28) and alcoholism (see 20:1; 23:2-0-21, 29-35). Drunkenness clouds memory and judgment resulting in unwise leading and oppression of people (21:8).

Verses 10-31 relate to the "Excellent Wife." It is an acrostic poem. Each of the 22 verses begins with a consecutive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We do not know who wrote this part. The word excellent (NASB) or noble (NIV) is the Hebrew word hayil and is also mentioned in 12:4. Ruth was called "a woman of excellence" (Ruth 3:11). It is also translated "capable" in Exodus 18:21, and we see from these verses that this wife was very capable. She cared for her family but also was involved in trading, investing in real estate, farming, selling, sewing, and manufacturing cloth! In addition to all of this, she gave to the poor and needy through her profit. As a result, her husband was honored, had full confidence in her, and lacked nothing. Her children also called her blessed.

What was the secret to her success? The secret was her reverence for God! It is appropriate that Proverbs begins and ends with reverence for God. This is the key to EVERYTHING and all that God desires.

REFLECTION/APPLICATION

I had a friend who looked for the perfect "Proverbs 31" woman to be his wife, and he made it clear to all the rest of the single women in which he was associated that we were not that woman! When he finally found one and married her (had to go to Canada to do it), we stood with "P 31" signs as he was leaving the wedding reception. I thought I had a picture in hopes of posting it, but I didn't see it in my scrapbook. Oh well!

Does the list in Proverbs 31 exhaust or intimidate you? If you are a married woman, the best gift we can give our husbands and children is our fear of the LORD! I have seen many "domestic divas" who had it all together on the outside, but they were not growing spiritually and crumbling on the inside. If we are connected with the Lord on a day by day basis, He will direct us in our domestic and work duties. We don't need to feel less than worthwhile and imperfect in our execution of our duties as wives and mothers. We can look to this woman (or composite from many women) as an inspiration but know that our God has a specific plan for us as women, and we just need to listen to Him! Reverence is the key. Keep that in mind next time your don't feel like you are measuring up to the "perfect ideal."

PRAYER

Lord, establish Your Word to your servants as that which produces reverence for You (Psalm 119:38). We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Proverbs 30 - The Oracle of Agur

2011-12-08T01:58:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 30

BACKGROUND

This proverbs contains the wise counsel from Agur declared to Ithiel and Ucal. We know nothing about any of these individuals. Agur spoke in an oracle which means “weighty message” in Hebrew. He wrote numerical proverbs and pictures from the natural world. He summarizes many of the themes from the whole book: wisdom and folly, greed and gluttony, adultery and hypocrisy.

After a brief introduction, he speaks of knowledge about God (2-9) emphasizing that man can know God only because He has revealed Himself through the written Word, because every Word is tested (5). Then he wrote about four . . .

Undesirable behaviors (11-14)
Things never satisfied (15-16)
Amazing things (18-19)
Unbearable, unfair things (21-23)
Small, wise things (24-28)
Stately creatures (29-31)

There are also warnings (17, 20) in the middle of these lists of four things, and they are surrounded with advice (10, 32-33).

REFLECTION on Proverbs 30:5-6

Every word of God is tested;He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.Do not add to His wordsOr He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.(compare these with Psalm 12:6; 119:140)

The Word is indispensable to our growth in the knowledge of God. We cannot add to His words. Our understanding of God can only come from protracted time alone with Him in His Word. Even some Bible studies are “commentary” studies and are often like receiving food that has already been chewed. God wants us to know Him by direct interaction with Him in the pages of Scripture.

Thank you for taking this adventure in knowing God through His Word with me. I am so grateful to be doing this with you! The BBC has been such a “iron sharpening iron” sort of thing for me as I am held accountable to spend time in His word everyday!

Rejoice! We are almost done with our first year of the Bible Book Club. Let’s keep digging into it so that we might grow in our personal relationship with Him!

APPLICATION

Your reading is about relationship with God. Don’t lose sight of that as you continue to read through the Scriptures. Talk to God about how much you want to know Him through His Word.

PRAYER

Lord, Establish Your word to Your servant, As that which produces reverence for You (Psalm 119:38).

Proverbs 28 & 29 - Confession of Sin is a Win-Win!

2011-12-06T01:51:00.000-08:00

LINK:
December 6: Proverbs 28December 7: Proverbs 29

BACKGROUND

I am doing chapters 28 & 29 together since they have so much in common. They have a number of antithetical verses. As a reminder “antithetical parallelism” is a form of Hebrew poetry. They are verses of contrast in which the second line is introduced by “but.” Eighteen verses of contrast are in chapter 28, and 12 are in chapter 29. Rulers, kings, and other people in power are mentioned frequently. Five of the six references in Proverbs to the Law are in these two chapters. Other frequent subjects are the poor and poverty, and the wicked contrasted with the righteous.

REFLECTION on Proverbs 28:13

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.

I had a group of guy friends who met every week for two years in their early twenties to confess every sin they had committed the previous week. Now that is radical accountability. Needless to say, they are all in their fifties now and are still a very close knit group who has stayed close to the Lord too.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, they tried to hide from God. We often try to do that too, but hiding sin does not pay off. Solomon’s own father, David, was a living example of someone who tried to hide his sin after he slept with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12, Psalm 51). Sin sapped David of all strength (Psalm 32:3-4), and it drains us too!

Confession is a far better way to deal with sin. It is good for the entire person: body, soul, and spirit. It results in God’s mercy and forgiveness (Psalms 34:5; 51:1-12). We prosper when we are pardoned! We experience true peace! We add even more to the blessing when we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16) because they can pray for us! We can also experience love and compassion from others who can bear our burdens (Galatians 6:2, Colossians 3:13), and sharpen us toward maturity in Christ by holding us accountable (Proverbs 27:17).

Remember . . .

Confession of sin is a win-win!

APPLICATION

Confession is a very important part of any personal prayer time. I pray regularly through a series of Morning Affirmations in the book Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa. I love the “Examination” and “Identity in Christ” sections of those affirmations. God’s love and forgiveness does free us! I will close in our prayer time with those sections from the book.

Also, if you have never tried it, maybe that friend we talked about in yesterday’s application would be willing to try a radical accountability experiment like my guy friends did back in their twenties. It is never too late to start!

PRAYER

Try reading this prayer from Face to Face: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship (pp. 4-5) out loud as a verbal affirmation:

Examination

Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal to me any unconfessed sin you find in me:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;Test me and know my anxious thoughts.See if there is any offensive way in me,And lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Lord, I thank you for the forgiveness you promised when you said:

Come now, let us reason together:Though your sins are like scarlet,They shall be as white as snow;Though they are red as crimson,They shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

My Identity in Christ

I rejoice, Lord Jesus, in the identity I have in You:

I have been crucified with You and it is no longer I who live, but You who live in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in You, the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Yourself up for me. (Galatians 2:20)

I have forgiveness from the penalty of sin because You died for me:

But You, O God, demonstrate Your own love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

I have freedom from the power of sin because I died with You:

In You, O Christ, I was circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by Your circumcision, having been buried with You in baptism and raise with You through faith in the working of God, who raise You from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)

I have fulfillment for this day because You live in me:

I eagerly expect and hope that I will no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always You, Jesus Christ, will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is You, Jesus Christ, means everything and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:20-21)

By faith, I will allow You, O Christ, to manifest Your life through me:

Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in You and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of You. (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Proverbs 27 - On Relating and True Friendship

2011-12-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 27

BACKGROUND

This chapter is a continuation of the more than 100 proverbs of Solomon collected by Hezekiah’s men 250 years after Solomon wrote them. Sixteen out of 27 verses deal with relationships with people. It contains sage advice against boasting, not being provoked by a fool, genuinely loving and challenging our friends toward growth, attitude toward material possessions, commitment to family, being a quarrelsome wife, working well at one’s job, the true heart reflected in our words, accepting praise modestly, foolishness, and the importance of caring for one’s resources and working hard. The warning about uncertainty in verse 1 is repeated in James 4:13-16.

This chapter contains many “Homilies in Similes” which are mini-sermons and the form of a comparison using the words like and as. This is called “emblematic parallelism.” The Hebrew word for proverb comes from a root meaning “to be like.”

Also, verse 5 is one of only 19 “better . . . than” verses in the entire book of Proverbs.

Some of the verses are “antithetical parallelism” where one line is the opposite or contrasts the other and often uses the word “but.” Most of the antithetical parallelism occurs in chapters 10-15, but there are a few in this and upcoming chapters.

REFLECTIONS on Friendship

I love this chapter because 16 out of 27 of the verses are about relating with people, and I love to relate with people! Often, I fall so short in this area, and Proverbs has been a constant reminder to continue to depend on God as I relate to others.

I particularly love the verses that relate to friendship:

Better is open rebukeThan love that is concealedFaithful are the wounds of a friendBut deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. (5-6)

Oil and perfume make the heart glad,So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend. (9)

These two verses get to the heart of friendship: honesty even when it hurts and sweet counsel. Rebuke is mentioned frequently in Proverbs as a helpful kind of verbal correction (vv. 23, 25, 30; 3:11; 9:8 [twice]; 13:1; 15:31; 17:10; 19:25; 25:12; 27:5; 30:6). So God approves of it! Sadly, I don’t think we practice it enough in our friendships. I think we feel like it is our role to always make our friends “feel better” about themselves and not interfere in their “stuff.” Sometimes God does call us to just listen and bear their burdens, but sometimes true friendship involves rebuke! Rebuke can feel like an enemy is wounding us, but they really are a genuine expression of true friendship because it shows that our friend cares about us and our growth toward Christ-likeness. It is a way that God uses friends to sharpen us:

Iron sharpens iron,
So one man sharpens another (17)

When iron is rubbed against another piece of iron it shapes and sharpens it. Similarly people can help each other improve by their discussions, criticisms, suggestions, and ideas. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary)

I am grateful that I have friends who love me enough to speak truth into my life, even when that truth hurts, because they want to see me grow and mature. I have walked almost thirty years through the deep waters of life with two of my dearest friends, Patty and Debbie. They are the two of the first people I call when I am going through tough things and need prayerful, honest counsel about tough situations. Sometimes, their honesty has hurt, but I know that they love me and will pray for me so that I might grow to be more like Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION

Do you have honest and open friends who help you to become more like Jesus? If you do not, begin to pray that He will lead you to this kind of relationship.

Here are a few timeless principles from Many Aspire, Few Attain by Walt Henrichsen:

11. Accept rebuke
“For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Heb. 12:6).

Some people never make it because they can't take rebuke; they aren’t
teachable. I don’t mind God rebuking me, but the fact of the matter is that God uses other people in his correction of me. Solomon said, “He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul” (Prov. 15:32). If you refuse to take instruction, you are despising and destroying yourself. Why? Because the rebuke God brings into your life is for your own good.

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; rebuke a wise man, and he
will love thee” (Prov 9:8). Don't rebuke the foolish because not only is it a waste of time, but they will hate you for it. But if you rebuke the wise, they will love you.

When was the last time someone rebuked you? When was the last time
someone sat you down to help point you in the right direction? If it hasn’t been recently, it’s because people don’t consider you to be wise. They think you are a scorner, and they are afraid that if they rebuke you, you won't be able to take it. Don’t deceive yourself into believing that you haven't been rebuked lately because you haven’t needed it. You need it. The question is, are you getting it? You can tell whether or not people think you are wise by how often they rebuke you. Therefore, invite them into your life and thank them when they confront you.

Once, when a buddy and I were doing Bible study together, his
application was to pray that God would send someone into his life to rebuke him at least once a week. What a challenge! How do you feel about praying this for your own life? Remember, the older you get, the harder this will be to accept.

If you are still not convinced that rebuke is a good thing, I heartily recommend the book
Caring Enough to Confront by David Augsburger

PRAYER

Lord, would You please provide us with faithful friends who can sharpen us to be more like Jesus? We ask this in His name, amen.

Proverbs 25 & 26 - Wisdom and Warnings

2011-12-03T00:30:00.000-08:00

Read over the next two days:

December 3: Proverbs 25

December 4: Proverbs 26

BACKGROUND

The proverbs between chapters 25-29 were proverbs of Solomon collected by Hezekiah's men 250 years after Solomon wrote them (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32; and Isaiah 36-39). How timeless they are!

Many verses in chapters 25-26 make comparisons using "like" or "as". Chapter 25 contains 12 and chapter 26 contains 13. They are "Homilies (mini-sermons) in Similes."

Many of the sayings in chapter 25 are particularly applicable to leaders. Chapter 26 deals with fools, sluggards, and lips!

REFLECTION and APPLICATION

I see a key repeated word throughout proverbs -- heart! It is mentioned 69 times! Wisdom begins in the heart and ends with actions from the heart.

Is your relationship with God a relationship of the heart or one of duty, going through the motions, or just going with the flow of Christian culture? I have seen many who I knew when I was young who didn't settled their issues of the heart, and in middle age, they have burned out, become bitter, and bagged their faith.

Go in for voluntary heart surgery today! Talk with God and get to the heart of the matter with Him.

PRAYER

Lord, draw our hearts to You and help us to guard our hearts with all diligence so that our lives will overflow for You and Your glory. Amen.

Proverbs 23 & 24 - Thirty Sayings of the Wise and Alcoholism

2011-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINKs:

December 1: Proverbs 23

December 2: Proverbs 24

BACKGROUND

I am doing the background for two chapters today because they are part of a section from Proverbs 22:17 - 24:22 called "thirty sayings of the wise." This section is different in style from the section from 10:1-22:16 in that there are at least 20 instances in which two verses express a complete thought, rather than one (22:17-18, 20-21; 23:1-2). Seven verses have three lines rather than the normal two lines (22:29; 23:5, 29, 31; 24:14, 27, 31), and two verses each have four lines (23:7; 24:12). You will also notice "my son" occurs five times (13:15, 19, 26; 24:13, 21) whereas it occurs only once in 10:1-22:16.

Many of the sayings start with the warning "do not" (22:22, 24, 26, 28; 23:3-4, 6, 9-10, 13, 17, 20, 22-23, 31, 24:1, 15, 17, 19, 21, 28-29). Also, each of the 30 sayings in this section includes a reason for the warning or other advice.

It is thought that this section was written by other wise men and not Solomon, perhaps compiled in his lifetime or later.

In the "sayings of the wise" in chapters 23:1 - 24:22, there are warnings about gluttony, materialism, stealing, sluggards, envy of sinners, wickedness, drunkenness and conduct around stingy, foolish, drunken, or gluttonous men. They also include instruction on discipline of children, obedience to and honoring parents, wisdom, and defense of the persecuted.

Proverbs 24:23-34 includes six "additional sayings of the wise." These discuss justice and injustice in courts, honesty, priorities, false witnessing, revenge, and laziness (24:30-34 is similar to 6:6-11).

REFLECTION on Proverbs 23:29-35 (written in 2009)

Who has trouble? Who has misery? Who has quarrels? Who has a complaint? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes?

Those who drink glass after glass of wine and mix it with everything.

Do not look at wine because it is red, because it sparkles in the cup,
because it goes down smoothly.

Later it bites like a snake and strikes like a poisonous snake.

Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mouth will say
embarrassing things.

You will be like someone lying down in the middle of the
sea or like someone lying down on top of a ship's mast,

saying, "They strike me, but I feel no pain. They beat me, but I'm not aware of it. Whenever I wake up, I'm going to look for another drink." (God's Word Translation)

I read these words with such an ache in my heart. It comes at the end of a week where I have reflected somberly on my brother's untimely, alcohol-related death last July. His memorial service was held on the same day the U.S. Olympic Volleyball Team won Olympic Gold in Beijing. Since he once played on the US team, there was a special message from the team on the sad occasion of his memorial. My brother travelled the world, shook the hands of many foreign dignitaries, made it to the pinnacle of his sport, yet his life ended married to the bottle and all alone.

I have reflected upon his death because of the many reminders of alcohol's ravaging effects throughout this past week:

SUNDAY: Dennis Rodman, former NBA All-Star, was confronted by his teammates on show, Celebrity Apprentice, about his drinking problem after drinking glass after glass of vodka cranberry throughout the challenge and behaving very badly. Apparently, it is the second time he has been confronted about it on national television.

WEDNESDAY: I read Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era about Ulysses S. Grant. He was a great general who rose to become the President of the United States but had a binge drinking problem.

THURSDAY: I read about Edgar Allen Poe in American Literature class. He was found in a gutter with alcohol on his breath and died four days later, utterly alone at the age of 40. Apparently, he struggled with alcohol throughout his life.

All four of these men excelled in their fields of volleyball, basketball, the military, and literature; but each of them had a problem with alcohol that marred their potential as human beings. How very tragic!

Alcohol abuse is so rampant, and few of us are left untouched by its ravaging effects. This proverb speaks truth about its dangers.

APPLICATION

Maybe you or someone you know has a problem with alcohol. I have one family member who has been greatly helped through Alcoholics Anonymous. Go to their website to find out how to get help or how to help someone else struggling with alcoholism.

Alcoholics Anonymous
Is There An Alcoholic in Your Life? pamphlet

PRAYER

Lord, help us to be a light to someone who struggles with this terrible addiction. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Proverbs 22 - Are You a Slave to Your Lender?

2011-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 22

BACKGROUND

This chapter continues with more proverbs about:

A good reputation (1)
Money: attitude and actions toward the poor (2, 7, 9. 16, 22) Side note: Did you know that a generous man is literally "A good eye" while a stingy man is "an evil eye"?
Contrast between the prudent ("shrewd in a good sense") and naive (3, 27:12, 14:16)
Fear of the LORD (4)
Wickedness (5, 8)
Child Training (6, 15)
Mocking and strife (10)
Speech (11, 12)
Laziness (13)
Adultery (14)

Enjoy the wisdom of Proverbs today!

REFLECTION on Proverbs 22:7 (written in 2008)

"A rich person rules poor people, and a borrower is a slave to a lender"

We live in tenuous financial times. We have seen a slew of foreclosures and bankruptcies with this latest economic downturn. My state, Oregon, is ranked number 9 of all the states in foreclosures. People are losing their jobs, and they can't make their house payments. Times are very hard. See where you state ranks HERE.

Regarding debt:

In 2007, the average balance for those carrying a balance rose 30.4 percent, to
$7,300. Meanwhile, the median balance -- meaning half owe more and half owe less -- for those carrying a balance rose 25.0 percent, to $3,000. These increases followed slower changes over the preceding three years, when the median increased 9.1 percent and the average climbed 16.7 percent. (Source: Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, February 2009)

The average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt, excluding mortgages, according to Experian. (Source: U.S. News and World Report, "The End of Credit Card Consumerism," August 2008)

It used to be a Christian principle to stay out of debt (with the exception of a mortgage), but we, as believers, have gone far from this Biblical principle. Many of us have become the lender's slave.

(Before I go on though, let me preface my remarks by saying that medical problems can send ANYONE into a sea of unavoidable debt. I worked in hospital admitting for several years, and I saw families wiped out because of a single accident or illness. My father spent 61 days in intensive care in 1985 and racked up a $350,000 bill. My parents had insurance that covered 100% of it, but many do not have insurance by no fault of their own. I did learn a valuable lesson: always carry insurance if you can!)

What I am talking about here is buying things you cannot afford and putting them on credit. The following skit illustrates this. It is funny but sadly true of many people:

While this skit speaks about consumer debt, we can also be enslaved to our mortgage when we buy a house that is outside of our price range. The bank often qualifies people far beyond what they can REALLY afford.

When we are in debt, we are enslaved and are not living in freedom.

Thankfully, I have seen many friends come out of this kind of bondage into financial freedom. Most have used Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. Others have gone to non-profit foundations that helped them get out of debt. I cannot begin to describe how much less stressed and FREE they feel after taking this brave step.

Do you need to take a step out of bondage into freedom?

APPLICATION

If you have become a lender's slave, check out the Total Money Makeover.

If you want to teach your kids how to manage their money before you release them into the world. Go to the above link and click on the "Kids, Teens, and Money" link on the left side. I did Dave Ramsey's high school curriculum in my home with a group of middle and high school students, and it was excellent!

PRAYER

Lord, teach us to walk wisely with our money. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Interesting notes on Child Training: Proverbs 22:6

While not part of my main reflection this morning, I thought this commentary on child training might be interesting for some of you:

This is perhaps the best-known verse in Proverbs on child training. The other
verses on child-rearing (13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:17) are all on
discipline. The Hebrew word for train (ḥānaḵ) means to dedicate. It is used of
dedicating a house (Deut. 20:5), the temple (1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chron. 7:5), and an image (Dan. 3:2). The noun ḥănukkâh speaks of the dedication of an altar (Num.7:10; 2 Chron. 7:9) and of the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 12:27). Only in Proverbs 22:6 is the verb translated “train.” Ḥānaḵ seems to include the idea of setting aside, narrowing, or hedging in. The word is sometimes used in the sense of “start.” Child-training involves “narrowing” a child’s conduct away from evil and toward godliness and starting him in the right direction. Gleason L. Archer points out that this Hebrew verb is similar to the Egyptian ḥ-n-k, which means “to give to the gods” or “to set up something for divine service.” He suggests that in verse 6 this gives “the following range of possible meanings: ‘Dedicate the child to God, ’ ‘Prepare the child for his future responsibilities, ’ ‘Exercise or train the child for adulthood’” (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1982, p. 252).

Proverbs 21 - What's Your Hurry?

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 21

BACKGROUND

Proverbs 21 begins and ends with references to the Lord. The king's life (and, by extension, our lives) is in His hands(1-2), and it is useless to fight against Him (30). In between, the wicked are referred to eight times (4, 7, 10, 12 [twice], 18, 27, 29) and described as arrogant, prideful, desiring evil, unjust, hypocritical, violent, lying, and devious. Also, diligence associated with wealth is contrasted with laziness associated with poverty (5, 25-26). There are also two "better . . . than" references to a quarrelsome wife who makes a home unpleasant in verses 9 and 19. It is full of wonderful verses to ponder and apply. I hope you can linger long and slowly over them today.

REFLECTION on Proverbs 21:5

"The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity,

but everyone who is [always] in a hurry ends up in poverty"

Just yesterday, I wrote on a card:

God's Word for today: SLOW

I felt like He was telling me to do everything more slowly and deliberately. So, I forced myself to slow down. At the end of it, I felt rested and very connected with Him. It has carried over into today. I think I want to make this my word for life!

Today's verse and yesterday's word reminded me of a Contemplative Advent Retreat I attended before in early December 2005 called "Making Room for the Beloved." In the introductory session, our leader, Esther Elizabeth, spoke of her addiction to running. She went for some time making us think she was the "shoe to pavement" kind of runner, but we quickly learned she was a "runner whose mind never stops thinking; whose body seldom stops moving . . . the kind who multitasks throughout the day . . . a rat on a wheel kind of runner."

She then went on to discuss how running is an epidemic in our culture. This retreat was a Pre-Christmas protest against that kind of running and said NO to the craziness of the Season as we stopped and reflected upon our Beloved in order to make room for Him much like Mary made room in her womb for the coming of the Christ child.

During our three days, we were even encouraged to walk slowly, and this was hard! Before this, I never realized how much I hurried when I walked.

In the midst of this realization, God led me to Proverbs 19:2a which is very similar to Proverbs 21:5:

"It is not good for a person to be without knowledge,

And he who hurries with his footsteps sins"

GOD'S WORD translates:

"A person without knowledge is no good. A person in a hurry makes mistakes."

And I was making so many mistakes as the stress in my life got out of control. I was suffering, and my family was suffering. My life had become too hurried in the previous six months. Prior to that, I had a pretty balanced life, but outside pressures had made me slip out of that balance. I had been pushed into impossible deadlines for a leadership curriculum I was writing. Instead of saying no to the insane pace, I caved (because my other sin of choice is people-pleasing) and worked fifteen hour days to get it done and almost that many in implementing the leadership class. It was crazy. It was running. I was dying. It was not the SLOW and easy pace of hearing God's voice and responding to it. I was reacting to everything.

During that retreat, God revealed to me that it was sin and foolishness to live this kind of hurried life, and it was leaving me in poverty, not materially, but spiritually. So, a few months later, after my obligations were concluded, I left the hurried ministry behind, and I haven't looked back! Now, I don't have the outside pressure of impossible deadlines and more work than I can handle. It is much less hurried these days.

APPLICATION

Are you always in a hurry? Most of us are trying to squeeze more out of our day by doing things just a little bit faster. Try to be more deliberate in your day today by slowing down and hearing God's "still, small voice" whisper to You as you go along with your daily tasks.
Here is also an article that I love called TYRANNY OF THE URGENT

This post couldn't be more perfectly timed as we prepare this Advent season "Make Room for the Beloved" Christ child.this Advent season. Let's make it one where we stop long enough to hear God's voice!

PRAYER

Lord, teach us not to hurry but to follow the example of Jesus who lived deliberately throughout all His days here on earth. It is in His name we pray, amen.

Proverbs 20 - More Wise Sayings

2011-11-28T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 20

BACKGROUND

Remember that 16:1 - 22:16 are comparisons (synonymous parallelism) or completions (synthetic parallelism) with only a few contrasts (antithetic parallelism characterized by the word but) on a variety of subjects.

REFLECTION

Random thoughts on a few verses:

"Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome --

a staggering drunk is not much fun"

(Proverbs 20:1, The Message).

And tequila must make you downright scary! I was in Mexico last week, on our way back from dinner one night, we passed a woman who was so drunk she threatened others with murder! They were so scared that they made sure they locked the door when they got back to their room! This woman was funny when she was sober. She was mean when she was drunk. So sad. :( Thankfully the women she threatened were wise enough to not get in a quarrel with her (20:3). For mor about drunkennes, see 23:20-21, 29-35; 31:4-5.

"Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart,

I am pure from my sin'?"

(Proverbs 20:9, NASB95)

There is nothing that separates me from the woman I am describing above and myself. That is why I can have compassion and love for her and can keep myself from feeling superior to her or prideful. We are all in the same boat when it comes to sin. Hers may be drukkenness, and mine are a host of other things! This is never far from my mind when encountering other people (Romans 3:9-12, 23; 1 Kings 8:46; Ecc. 7:20).

"A wise king winnows out the wicked [from among the good]

and brings the threshing wheel over them [to separate the chaff from the grain]" (Proverbs 20:26, The Amplified Bible)

"After careful scrutiny, a wise leader
makes a clean sweep of rebels and dolts"

(Proverbs 20:26, The Message)

The Message says "leader" in place of king. That makes it more relatable since we don't have kings or queens in America. We are all called to be leaders at some point in our lives. I have been in leadership for quite a while, but it was only in the last five years that I have learned that I can be selective in who I lead! I can set standards (but not legalistic ones) to challenge the group; and if they don't want to have that kind of challenge (and some people are not in a place for it, and that is not a bad thing), they can find another group that is more fitting to what they are looking for. I'm done trying to conform to others when God has given me a clear calling (again not being rigid or legalistic with it though). I used to be too flexible of a leader. I would bend myself like a pretzel to make everyone happy resulting in no one being happy and me being stressed out.

A few years ago, I had a woman who didn't like that I had a study where people prepared beforehand. The other women in the study had been with me for three years at that point, and that is why they were there. So, I wasn't going to change it so this other woman could feel better. I told her that she could find another study then, and she was shocked. She ended up staying and ended up loving the rich discussion that resulted from everyone coming prepared.

Recently, we knew that a person we were leading was not ready to be led in the direction we were going. Instead of getting frustrated, we were proactive and loving and let the person go. They weren't necessarily a "wicked" person like the ones described in Proverb 20:26, just not ready to go where we were going. That person needed some personal care and healing, and that is what is happening for them now. No sense in asking a person with a major injury to run a marathon, right? It was a win-win to deal with this situation before we were too far in, and the group we are leading noticed an immediate difference without their presence.

APPLICATION

Journal about the proverbs that are hitting your heart today! I had fun doing that in this post.

PRAYER

Thank You for teaching us through Proverbs. In Jesus' name, amen.

Proverbs 16-19: Walking Wisely

2011-11-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINKS:

November 24: Proverbs 16

November 25: Proverbs 17

November 26: Proverbs 18

November 27: Proverbs 19

BACKGROUND

Solomon wrote 3,000 verses (1 Kings 4:32). The book of Proverbs is only a small number of them.

Note that the word "LORD" (Yahweh) is used eleven times in chapter 16. In fact, this word is used more than 75 times in the entire book, as opposed to the word translated as "God" that appears only seven times. Yahweh is the Hebrew word for God when referring to his dealings with His chosen people whereas "God" is used more in His dealings with mankind in general. Yahweh is more intimate. Proverbs was written primarily for the family of God. Proverbs 16:1 -22:16 contain counsel for God's people to live godly and righteous lives in an ungodly world. Intimacy with Yahweh is the key to all righteous living.

Most of the verses in this section are either

* Comparisons in synonymous parallelism meaning a line strengthens, develops, reinforces or repeats the line before it

OR

* Completions in synthetic parallelism meaning a line goes further than just repeating or reinforcing but by providing more information on the line before it

As opposed to the more common lines found in other parts of Proverbs known as

* Contrasts in antithetic parallelism meaning a line contrasts the message or the point of the line before it. (See Proverbs 10:1)

REFLECTION and APPLICATION

In these proverbs Solomon gives us God's perspective on a variety of subjects such as our heart, home, speech, conduct, money, relationships, etc. Meditate deeply on them over the next few days and ask God to help you to walk in wisdom especially as you head into the holidays! We all could use more wisdom during this time of year!

PRAYER

LORD, help us to be careful how we walk, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of our time, because the days are evil. LORD, teach us not to be foolish, but to understand what Your will is for us (Ephesians 5:15-17). In Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Proverbs 15 - Cause and Effect

2011-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 15

BACKGROUND (written in 2008)

I was listening in on my kids' co-op class today while I was meditating on Proverbs 15. The instructor was teaching cause and effect, and I looked down at this chapter, and it was practically all about cause and effect!!! I made a list of good causes/effects versus bad causes/effects. It was interesting to look at it this way.

CAUSE...........................................................................................EFFECT

Gentle answer......................................................................Turns away wrath
but
Harsh word..............................................................................Stirs up anger

Foolish mouth.............................................................................Gushes folly
but
Wise tongue...................................................................Commends knowledge

Deceitful tongue...................................................................Crushes the spirit
but
Healing tongue...........................................................................Tree of life

Prudent...............................................................................Heeds correction

but

Fool..........................................................................Spurns father's discipline

Righteous house.......................................................................Great treasure

but

Wicked house..................................................................Income brings trouble

Wise lips...........................................................................Spreads knowledge
but
Fools heart..............................................................Does not spread knowledge

You get the idea. You see the pattern. Which pattern do you choose?

APPLICATION

Make a list for the rest of the chapter (vv. 8 - 33). Pray about any patterns of behavior that are not pleasing to God.

PRAYER

Lord, please make us be wise and prudent in the the path we take. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.

Proverbs 14 - Are You FAT?

2011-11-22T00:30:00.000-08:00

LINK: Proverbs 14

BACKGROUND

These proverbs of Solomon are in the section (10-22) comprised mainly of "authentic" proverbs -- proverbs where there is a contrast introduced by the word but. They are written in short couplets and give wisdom for living on a wide variety of topics.

I did a study on the word "scoffer" this morning (In fact, I got carried away.):

"A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none,

But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding"

Proverbs 14:6

Here is an excellent summary of this word:

Fools scorn and mock at sin (Prov 14:9) and judgment (Prov 19:28). The scorner (Qal participial form) himself may be described as proud and haughty (Prov 21:24), incorrigible (Prov 9:7), resistant to all reproof (Prov 9:8; 15:12), and hating any rebuke (Prov 13:1). Wisdom and knowledge easily elude him
(Prov 14:6).

So despicable is the scorner that he may be labelled as odious to
all men (Prov 24:9). Therefore he must be avoided (Ps 1:1) by all who would live godly lives. . .One good way to remove contention from a group is to eject the scorner, and then “strife and reproach will cease” (Prov 22:10). A prepared judgment awaits all such scorners (Prov 19:29), for their trademark of life has been “to delight” in their scorning (Prov 1:22). They shall be brought to nothing and consumed (Isa 29:20).

That the particular type of wickedness of the scorner is pride is suggested by Prov 3:34. Here the scorner is contrasted with the humble. In this verse the LXX (The Septuagint is Greek version of the Old Testament) renders “scorner” by “proud” which is followed in the NT Jas 4:6 and I Pet 5:5. Cf. Prov 21:24. Dahood points out a parallel of this word with “evil” in the Karatepe I inscription (Psalms, I, in Anchor Bible, p. 2).

Among the various mockers and scorners are wine (Prov 20:1), the proud (Ps 119:51), the king of Samaria’s henchmen (Hos 7:5), and Job’s friends (16:20).

(From the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed.) [479])
.

Side note: Isn't it interesting that Job calls his friends scoffers?

REFLECTION

We read quite a bit about scoffers in Proverbs. A scoffer is one who refuses to listen to and profit from a rebuke (13:1). They may seek it, but it may be in the wrong place or once they seek it, they don't listen to it. Contrasted with this, we have a person who has understanding (discerning). This person acquires knowledge easily because he or she is teachable and open to rebuke. They seek out the wise in order to grow in wisdom and understanding.

One thing I look for when discipling is a F.A.T. woman:

Faithful

Available

Teachable

The teachability component is what we are getting at in this scoffer verse. Many women say they want to grow, but I find some who aren't really willing to be open to changing and growing in an "iron sharpening iron" sort of way (Proverbs 27:17). I'm not necessarily talking about open rebuke or confrontation either! I'm also talking about me being challenged the other way too (my concept of discipleship is a "walking alongside" not an "over and above" sort of approach).

I found a gem in a dear friend I have been meeting with since 2001. She is so teachable! Very early on in our discipling relationship, she called me up and said, "You know, I called up a woman and made peace with her because of what you said."

I replied, "Did I confront you on that? Did I say something to you about it? I don't remember saying anything."

She said, "Oh no, I just felt convicted as you spoke about a situation you were going through, and I needed to do something about it, and I did. Thank you."

WOW! I had no idea she was even having a problem, but "knowledge comes easily to the discerning" (Proverbs 14:6 NIV), and she was open to the Holy Spirit's prompting and acted upon that prompting to make things right with another woman.

This friend is a FAT woman!!!!!

.
Sadly though, I think most of us (myself included) have a bit of the scoffer inside of us. Pride is a nasty disease!

But don't you want to be FAT???????

I sure do! I want to be open to wisdom and not scoff at it. I want to surround myself with wise people who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength rather than those who "play the Christian game" and aren't authentic seekers of truth (Proverbs would call them "fools."). I have that in my dear friends and mentors, Ginny and Lorraine, both at 80+ years young, they are a wealth of wisdom to me, and I want to be open to what they say and grow by spending time with them!

What about you?

APPLICATION

Evaluate yourself on the scoffer to teachable continuum. Talk to God about it. Surround yourself with wise people and respond to the "iron sharpening iron" effect they have on your life! Be teachable. Pray against the stronghold of pride.

PRAYER

Lord, make us wise and discerning. Give us godly, truth-seeking friends and mentors. We ask this in Jesus' name, amen.