"I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted." (Job 42:2) God is an unstoppable, and there is nothing that you or I can do to get in His way or to keep Him from accomplishing His purposes here on earth. The encouraging thing is that that there is nothing the Enemy can do to thwart God's plans, either. The account of Job began with Satan ... [Continue Reading]
God’s Point of View (Job 38-39)
"Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone—while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" (Job 38:4-7) Perspective is awfully important in life, isn't it? ... [Continue Reading]
What Goes Around Comes Around (Job 35-37)
But if people are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, [God] tells them what they have done—that they have sinned arrogantly. He makes them listen to correction and commands them to repent of their evil. If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But if they do not listen, they will ... [Continue Reading]
The Hound of Heaven (Job 32-34)
God does all these things to a person—twice, even three times—to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them. (Job 33:29-30) In the midst of his ignorant comments to Job, Elihu did happen upon a few profound truths. One of those truths is the idea that God doesn't merely allow us to run away from Him. There is a sense in which God pursues us ... [Continue Reading]
The Difference of a Day (Job 29-31)
Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God’s intimate friendship blessed my house, when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, when my path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out for me streams of olive oil. (Job 29:4-6) It's amazing what a difference 24 hours can make, isn't it? Whether it's the birth of a child or the loss of a ... [Continue Reading]
True Wisdom (Job 24-28)
“The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28b) Do you search for wisdom? There are those who spend their entire lives chasing after it and striving to find out what it truly means to be wise. Three times in the Old Testament we are told from whence it comes: true wisdom both fears the Lord and shuns evil. To fear the Lord ... [Continue Reading]
Where is Justice? (Job 21-23)
Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? (Job 21:7) Job's friends argued with him that the suffering he was dealing with was as a result of his sin. If he simply removed the sin, his life would suddenly be all roses. Job wasn't too pleased with their perspective because he understood a deeper truth: good behavior doesn't always lead to the ... [Continue Reading]
Holding Onto Hope (Job 17-20)
I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27) Within the confines of this Old Testament book of wisdom literature is a statement that is incredibly profound. Job ... [Continue Reading]
The Other Side of a Story (Job 14-16)
I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. (Job 16:4-5) We live in a culture that applauds the armchair critics. Everyone has a platform to speak his or her mind on the issues of the day without fear, behind the ... [Continue Reading]
When Less is More (Job 10-13)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. (Job 13:5) One of the prayers that I have regularly prayed over the last decade or so has been a prayer for wisdom. I want to make wise choices, I want to say wise things, and I want to live my life wisely. The thing about wisdom, though, is that it knows when to keep silent. The fool blathers on ... [Continue Reading]
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