Meditations on the Psalms

Ladies, I have to admit that I have had a hard time deciding how to post on the Psalms! I thought it would be "easy." But I'm finding that it is more difficult for me than the history of the children of Israel or even the book of Job! Should I take each Psalm assigned for my day and go through them one by one; should I pick out one Psalm and relate it to everyday usage - how should I go about posting on these beautiful hymns and thoughts of wisdom?

I love the Psalms - they display every emotion you can think of - praise, worship, thanksgiving, awe, and on the other side - worry, guilt, sin, trouble, complaints. Where do we begin? So, I've decided to pick the lines from each Psalm that stood out and spoke to me as I read them. Maybe this will be different for each of you - and if so, please be sure and let us know what is on your heart today. I'm hoping that some verse will touch you today - you are more than welcome to jump right in with me.

Psalm 9 - The Lord . . . is a stronghold in the times of trouble. What a verse to hang your hat on! We all have "times of trouble" and what a blessing to remember that the Lord is our stronghold. I looked up the word "stronghold" in the Strong's Concordance - the meaning - a high cliff, a refuge, a tower. In other words a place to run to and a place of great safety.

Psalm 10 - But you, O God, do see trouble and grief, you consider it to take it in hand. Another verse to remember when grief and trouble come into our lives. Remember the title to that old song - Nobody knows the trouble I've seen? Well, God does. Sometimes we may feel like God is hidden, but be assured that God does see and knows all about what you are going through. He never leaves us nor forsakes us as is promised in the scriptures.

Psalm 11 - The Lord is in his holy temple. God has not moved. He is still in control. Nothing surprises him. What assurance that God is always there - waiting and watching and loving us. When you feel like running - run to God.

Psalm 12 - Because of the oppression of the weak . . . I will now arise, says the Lord. The weak and poor we will always have with us. All you have to do is look around, even in Griffin, GA. We are Christ's hands and feet, and so we have work to do. Help the homeless and downtrodden, feed the poor, comfort the weak, and clothe the naked. He's waiting on us to do His will. As Pastor Chris talked about this past Sunday, we are saved to serve.

Psalm 13 - I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me. Each one of us can say that with thankfulness and joy. Maybe we don't have a beautiful solo voice (like Amy), but we can at least "sing" in our hearts and in our prayers to God for his blessings - for His grace and mercy and our salvation. I can hear your songs already - sounds beautiful to me!!

Psalm 14 - The fool has said in his heart, there is no God. What a sad sentence. How disturbing. I wonder "why?" Can they not see God in every part of creation, the birds that sing, a beautiful rainbow, the waves of the ocean, the misty mountains, or a newborn baby? Creation cries out that there is a Maker. We have talked about "wisdom" from the book of Job - the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Let's start there.

Psalm 15 - Who shall dwell in your holy hill? I think I memorized this Psalm in 4th grade. (And, yes, we memorized scripture in public school "back then." Can you imagine??) This Psalm goes on to tell us "how to live" pleasing to God - walk uprightly, speak the truth, do not slander, shun evil, fear the Lord, do not take bribes. Good reminders and thoughts on daily living.

Psalm 16 - You will show me the path of life, in Your presence is fullness of joy. At your right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Joy is different from happiness. In this life we will have trials, sickness, trouble, but if we rely on God and put our trust in Him, the joy of the Lord will always be there inside of us - a peace - a comfort - a presence.

Peter quoted portions of this Psalm in Acts 2:25-31 and interpreted it to Jesus' resurrection. Jesus Christ was not deserted in death and his body did not decay, but God raised him up on the third day. And as the song testifies, because He lives, I can face tomorrow.

The heart of us.

So, we leave Job behind and dive head first into the Psalms. I love that, after reading a book that lead so many of us to ask and wrestle with so many questions, we start a book that records cries of the heart to God. They are cries for help, cries of worship, cries for forgiveness and mercy, and cries of thanksgiving. They are all intensely personal. I have prayer journals going back to my teenage years. I didn't write in them every day, but I did write in them when I had something intensely personal that I needed to communicate to God. It helped me to organize and work through my thoughts and emotions. The times I have gone back to read over those journals have blessed me immensely. I have seen what I have learned, how God answered prayers I forgot I prayed, and remembered how God always met me where I needed Him. There is a reason the Psalms are some of the most read books of the Bible. They convey many of those same things on a universal scale. We relate to the struggles and honest expressions of emotion the authors convey- from centuries before- to God.

In Psalm 1, we are encouraged to continue down the path of righteousness. "Blessed is the man who...delight[s] in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." Which of us hasen't struggled to keep walking the straight and narrow?

In Psalm 2, we are reminded that God has the ultimate power and authority, both in heaven and on earth. "Blessed are all who take refuge in him." Which of us hasn't faced fear over things beyond our control- perhaps even on a world scale?

In Psalm 3, we are reminded to trust God for protection and look to him for peace. "But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head....From the Lord comes deliverance." Which of us hasn't felt persecuted or unfairly accused at the hands of men (or women) trying to advance their own agenda?

In Psalm 4, we are reminded that God hears us when we call to him. "Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him." Who hasn't felt like their prayers were bouncing off the ceiling at times?

In Psalm 5, 6, and 7 we are reminded to look to God for justice and deliverance from trouble. "For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favors as with a shield." "Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love." "I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." Who hasn't wanted to take revenge or justice into their own hands? Or perhaps felt like that was the only option?

In Psalm 8, we are reminded that God loves us and values us as his creation. "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" Who hasn't needed to feel like you were valuable?

Do any of those speak to your heart today? Do you need to be encouraged to keep the faith? Do you need to remember that God is the ultimate source of protection and peace? That God does hear us when we call to him? That He is a just God, who will deliver His people? That God loves you and values you- for no other reason than just that you are YOU??

It's fun to read the history stories, dig into theology, and get into all the intellectual details of the Bible- or even Christianity. I love it as much as the next person, and I firmly believe that God wants us to use our brains, bodies and spirits as much as our hearts to serve him. He is great and good enough to emphasize all of those points in His word. But, we serve and love a personal God. It's what makes Him different from any other god humanity has tried to create. And in a world where we increasingly "know" people on a surface level, based on their facebook posts or tweets or latest blog entry, it's nice to know that we have a God who truly gets to the heart of us, and wants us to share the deepest pieces of our souls with Him. More than that- He is enough to fill even the most gaping voids in our lives, if we will simply come to him honestly with it.

My Ears Had Heard of You But Now My Eyes Have Seen You.

Job chose to be silent after all the time wanting to have a chance to plead his innocence before God, but after seeing God Job decided he no longer needed to say anything. He could then see how limited he was as a human. He became humbled. When Job saw the greatness of God, he had no more complaint. As God revealed Himself to Job, all he could do is repent.

Now we come to the conclusion of the book of Job. Some may feel a little disappointed not to learn the reasons that bad things happen to good people. God does not explain Job’s suffering and instead of argument He gives interrogation. Job was not meant to have his suffering explained. We, like Job, are meant to learn the lesson that God can not explain our suffering without nullifying the purpose for the suffering. It all comes down to Faith - complete trust or confidence in God!

Job 42:1-6
Then Job replied to the LORD: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”

Then, in the end, something wonderful happened. Verse twelve of chapter 42 says that “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part.” That gives us some sort of relief after imagining Job’s suffering. However we are not promised our reward for endurance will be on this side of Heaven. In faith we must allow God to work in our lives the way He wants. We should strive to learn who He is instead of why He does things. To know God is all one needs to know.

I want to have a little fun with some of what we read today. Have you ever wondered where all the stories about dragons really come from? Have you ever wondered if there was some truth to those legends of fire-breathing dragons? What do you think about today’s reading? My study notes suggest that the text is describing a crocodile, but wouldn’t it have to be a very large croc to match up with the details given? I think it would have to be very large like that of a “dinosaur.” Hey but wait a minute? Did dinosaurs live during the same time as man? I believe they did because God created our world in six days and man was created on the sixth day, just one day after all the living creatures. There is something very significant about this text.

Some explain away some of the details of these animals described as being mythological. Of course it is hard to imagine a fire-breathing dragon could be real but the Word is clearly explaining something other than the ordinary crocodile or alligator. If a fire-breathing creature is difficult to believe in then look up the bombardier beetle. This beetle is a native of Central America, and has a nozzle in its hind end that acts like a little flame thrower.

I bring out this point about the leviathan simply because of what I was taught growing up. I was taught at church that God created the whole universe in six days and then went to school and was taught that life on earth evolved over millions of years. I wonder how many young lives have been steered in the wrong direction because of this. As christian parents, we want to bring up our children in the"nuture and admonition of the Lord..." The very first concept taught in the Bible, that we must pass on to our children, is "In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1) Then we come to the book of Job and read more about God through His creation. "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundations?" Job 38:4

Have you? Do you? Can you? Will you?

Have you ever been involved in a one-sided conversation that went on and on and on? As if the other person did not know (or care) that you were there? There are several choices we have in a situation like that. We can choose to believe it is not worth our time and walk away. We can get angry and raise our voices in attempt to make a point. We can bide our time and just listen and hope we get a turn in a few minutes (or hours).

After reading 37 chapters of Job, I feel like we've been watching a one sided conversation between Job (and his friends) and God. Job and his friends had plenty to say. Job even talked to God at various points through his dissertations. As Jaybrena mentioned, I too believe that God showed incredible patience when listening to these five men carry on their conversations and debate.

Well, now it's God's turn! Finally...

God announces Himself to job, immediately conveys his position of authority, and lets Job know what is expected of him. God clearly tells Job that He will ask the questions and Job has to answer (not the other way around). It was actually quite refreshing to me to finally hear God's words instead of the counselors. I have to be honest and say that while reading many of these chapters, I often questioned whether what was being spoken was truth, falsehoods, sarcasm, or something else all together. I'm thankful that we can trust in God's Word to be truth!

God's message in chapters 38 and 39 clearly tell us that He is in control of all things at all times. The form of His questions infer that Job was not (and we are not) in control. These are some of my favorite passages about God's omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. I also appreciate the details God provides and the way He communicates so that Job (and we) can understand. These are some of my favorite questions:

• 38:8-11 Who shut the sea behind doors... when I said, "This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt"? God is in control of where each wave stops on all of the beaches in the world. I hope I remember to praise God for that the next time my toes are in the sand.
  
• 38:22 Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of the hail? I love the visual image of this question. Storehouses are something our finite minds can grasp.
• 39:1-3 Do you know when the mountain goats give birth?... Do you count the months till they bear? God is there when ALL creatures are conceived and are born. He is in complete control of that amazing process!

As I read of God silencing Job and his four "friends", I am challenged to be still and listen for God's voice. We know that God was there listening to Job's cries for help and to the "interesting" conversations. I can't help but think that the constant human conversation hindered all of them from seeking and hearing God's voice.

Lord teach us to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19) We praise you Father for your creation and sovereignty!

God is Great

As we resume our story of Job in Chapter 35, Elihu is still talking. He has waited until they all had spoken because they were older than he. His anger was kindled against Job because he justified himself rather than God and also against the three men because they had no answers. He is talking to both Job and his friends when he ask them if they think their righteousness is more than God's.

He is telling them the greatness of God and in Chapter 36:11-12 he says; "If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasure but if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword and they shall die without knowledge." We read these words and may think that although we serve God we do not live in prosperity. We are thinking of material things; a nice house, a big car, lots of money in the bank, etc. We may not have riches here on earth but we are heirs to the King who owns it all who is preparing for us a mansion in glory. So, yes, I am rich indeed.

In Chapter 37 Elihu tells Job to consider the wondrous works of God. Everything on this earth was made by God and God controls everything. God even controls the drops of rain that fall to the earth and their size. Elihu ask them question after question of do they not know how great God is and the work he does. Sometimes we tend to forget God's greatness when all we have to do is step outside to see God's greatness all around us. I love to go outside and smell the grass and the flowers, to hear the birds sing, or to see the stars shine in the dark of night. All these things was given to us by God to enjoy yet sometimes we fail to even notice them.

I know that I need to quit thinking about all the "have nots" and start thinking more of the "haves." I have been blessed my God. I have a Savior that loves me so much that He died for me and has made a place for me with Him for all eternity. While I am here on this earth I have a wonderful family who I dearly love and they love me. I belong to the family of God and enjoy being with them. I have a roof over my head and food to eat and clothes to wear. Could I ask for more? Oh no, I am blessed beyond measure. I may go through hard times and things may look bad as I am sure they did to Job but I know that God will always be there for me.

In these verses, we might be tempted to say Elihu is right, but in all these things God is trying to show not just Job, his friends and Elihu, but us as well who He is. He is not bound by our thinking. He is not bound by our doctrine. Elihu and Job's friends had the idea that since Job was suffering, he must have sinned. Suffering is not always the result of sin, just as Jesus pointed out to His disciples in John 9:1-3. Just as then, we are always tempted to see our negative circumstances as absence of God's blessings. It is not always the case, so times it is simply that we may glorify Him.

Who is this Elihu guy?

This picture poses two EXCELLENT questions that are exhaustively discussed and argued in the book of Job, as we have all clearly read. I think one of the MOST frustrating things about life is when we see the wicked, the mean, and the evil in this world prosper while in MANY cases the righteous and the obedient suffer over and over in this life. But I think there are a few things to consider here...by what standard are we measuring "prosper" or "success" and how long do the things of this world last in light of eternity? As has been so eloquently stated in the last few posts, the book of James states that we should consider it "pure joy" when we face trials. Why? Because God loves us too much to leave us the way we are! His goal is to make us more and more like Jesus. And so this is where faith comes in. Isn't there some other way to make us more like Jesus other than suffering here on this earth? So we have to have faith in the Lord that He always has what is best for us in mind and that what happens to us during suffering is the "best" way to bring us to that goal. After all, how did Jesus accomplish His ultimate goal while here on earth of providing us with salvation so that we could spend eternity with Him...THROUGH HIS SUFFERING!!! If Jesus Himself was NOT exempt from suffering, than why should we be exempt from it as mere sinful humans? And is our faith dependent on what we can get from God in return (rewards)? An interesting question to ponder because we really need to think about why we have faith in the Lord. Is it because He can do something for us or give us something or is it because of WHO He is and His past actions of what He has done to display WHO He is? These are some VERY important questions you should be asking yourselves throughout this book and wrestling with God over!!!

So here we have come to the second half of the book of Job and all of us are saying to ourselves and to each other, "Wow...this book is super long! Are these men ever going to stop talking?" And lo and behold the first three buddies stop talking and suddenly in jumps this Elihu dude. Where did he come from? He has not been mentioned at all this whole time and now we have to listen to ANOTHER pompous windbag...REALLY?!?!? Take a look at the two questions regarding windbags in this picture. :) Well, I did a little research on Elihu and here are some interesting tidbits I found out. The view of many scholars is that the four speeches of Elihu were added as a later addition to the book of Job. Elihu's speeches can be offered as a human middle ground between the positions of Job and his friends. Elihu is younger than Job and his other three friends and out of respect remains silent until this point in time when the older three friends are done speaking.

But chapter 32 verse 18 says, "For I am full of words, and the spirit within me compels me." This is like a Christian when he or she is full of the Holy Spirit...we are ready to BURST with the Good News of the Gospel just as Elihu was ready to burst with speech from keeping quiet! If we do not worship the Lord, the stones will cry out!! (Luke 19:40) Have you ever felt like you were about to explode because you were so full of the Holy Spirit? It is an AWESOME feeling and one that I hope each of you will experience at least once in your lifetime!

I also love the way in Chapter 33 verse 4 that Elihu acknowledges where life comes from. So simply profound and yet so true against all the world views that say evolution or the "big bang" are the reasons for the existence of life. And also in Chapter 33 verses 23-28 is the plan of salvation all the way back here in possibly the oldest of all the books in the Bible. Do you see how all of these key and foundational concepts are woven all throughout the Bible? It is just so consistent throughout the whole Scriptures which lends so much to its validity and truth.

So are you ready to finally hear the Lord's response and rebuke to all of this talking and arguing? Hang on...it starts in chapter 38 and it is powerful! So...are you ready? READ ON!!!

I Brought You In This World...

At this point in the story, we have read exactly 9 places where Job answered the counsel of his "friends" and didn't speak a negative word about God. The chapters we read today begin with Job remembering "the good ole days" when everything was going well .....here we also have his closing statements, where he actually asks God to explain "the cause of his great distress". Note that he didn't ask to be rescued from it, but just to know why he was enduring it. I often think this way myself. If I just knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel, if I just knew why it had to happen this way, if I just knew that some great thing would be accomplished for my suffering, then I could handle it better! Right? Well, maybe. But, hasn't God already promised to complete a good work in me? Hasn't He already told me that He will work all things to my good because I revere Him? How He chooses to accomplish this work is up to Him.

He was chosen. The thing that intrigues me about the story of Job is that he didn't choose to be the living example for all of us to see the unconditional love he had for His God, he was chosen. Remember that? To be chosen is a glorious thing! Job knew he had no unconfessed sin, but he attempted to cover all the bases just in case when he went through that long list of IF I HAVE done this, or that.... I imagine that Job questioned God's reasoning for allowing this pain, without questioning His authority to allow it. God shows great patience and love that He didn't just smote Job for asking! I have these days as a parent. When that child's mouth crosses the line, it's all I can do not to go ballistic on them, reminding them of the 9 months of sacrificial giving of my cute figure and my own physical comfort to grow them to a healthy weight!.... and OH! the hours of labor! ...oh and the sleepless nights! ...and don't forget the sicknesses! blah, blah, blah.....ending with the famous Bill Cosby line, "I brought you IN this world, I'll take you OUT!!!!" Let's ask a question: Which bears more fruit for eternity when your child is out of line...... Grounding him until the age of 21? OR Discussing his behavior and how he can learn from it? God chose to enter a dialogue with Job that amazes me every time I read it. But we'll get to that soon....

One thing I hope our children know, is that we've got their back, that we love them unconditionally, and that we have a plan for their good. I hope they know that we don't lay awake at night thinking of creative ways to make their lives miserable! (Oh they may THINK that we've decided not to love them sometimes....anybody ever been asked by the nurse to hold a child's arms while the shots are given??? I'm sure the child thinks we've turned on him and forsaken him forever!!) Job seemed to know this about his Heavenly Father. Job seemed to understand that God had a purpose. He definitely believed that God was sovereign because he never asked his wife for answers, or his friends, or his neighbors, but he only asked His God. I want to live the kind of life that reflects what I really believe about God. I want to love Him even in the bad times. I want to have patience with well-meaning friends who may give bad counsel. I want to have faith that remains constant when life seems to be falling apart. I'm so thankful for Job's example. I love that he reminded me that I willingly take the good from God, and that I should accept the bad, too. I wonder if I can ask him about all this when I meet him one day? But, you know what?? Something tells me it just won't matter anymore.......

Wisdom - Where Shall We Find It?

Poor Job, he has talked and argued and discussed and listened, but is getting no where with these "friends" of his. I think he finally cut Bildad off, don't you? He was tired of listening to all of them rant and rave and decided "enough is enough." He doesn't need any more of their advice. It didn't help anyway. I don't blame him. He has nothing more to say to them.

They are still inferring that he has some secret and "heinous" sin that he is hiding and that is why he is in such a fix - as Terry pointed out - physically, mentally, materially, and spiritually. Job declares he will never confess a sin that he has not committed. None of us are sinless, but because of the Lord's mercy, He provides a way for us to confess our sins, and He is faithful and just to forgive them.

Job's Integrity - Job says in Chapter 27 that he will not deny his integrity. Who do you know that has integrity and holds fast to it? Who do you picture in your mind? What are they like? I like that word integrity - and I admire people that cling to it. No matter how they are tempted or what trials come into their lives, they don't lose their perspective. They hold firm to a code of moral conduct and ethics. They shun evil. My father was a man of integrity, and I greatly admired him.

Job's Question - Now we get to the heart of the matter. Where can wisdom be found? asks Job. He declares the power of God in creation and talks about the deep secrets hidden in the earth of precious stones, silver, and gold. Wisdom is of the highest value, but we cannot purchase it. Though we can tunnel through the earth and reap great riches and wealth, nowhere can true wisdom be found. Can we find wisdom by observing and experiencing life? Can we inherit wisdom from our families? Or purchase it from some great storehouse?

In verse Job 28:24 we find the answer. God understands the way to it, and he alone knows where it dwells . . . He said to man, 'the fear of the Lord - that is wisdom and to shun evil is understanding.' We must know good from evil and live accordingly. If you are in awe of God and reverence Him, will you not try and live a life that is pleasing to him? James 3:13-18 says But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Proverbs 1:7 reminds us that The fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Here are the rays of light that reflect outwardly from a life wherein

God is truly feared. Honor, wonder and worship, radical obedience,

passionate pursuit, righteous living - all are attributes of a heart

who truly fears God. (Larry Kennedy)

Would someone recognize that you "fear God" from observing your life? May the rays from our lives reflect His light - and that light is Jesus, the Light of the world.

It's not the What, but the Who.

Everyone loves a mystery right? As long as it doesn't involve us directly. We want to try and solve it from the outside looking in. As a little girl I loved the game "Clue." Mrs. Peacock, with the wrench in the conservatory!

When we have a little mystery in our own lives, the process of solving it isn't always so much fun. We often focus on the "what's" of our situation. What did I do to make this happen? What is the sum of the damage? And then the all-important, "What can I do to fix this?" Job's friends focused a lot on this side of things. They told him over and over again WHAT he had done wrong and WHAT he needed to do to fix things.

In chapter 23, Job finds some refuge with the WHO in the situation.

If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!

There an upright man could present his case before him,

and I would be delivered from my judge.

But if I go to the east, he is not there;

if I go to the west, I do not find him.

When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;

when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me I will come forth as gold.

My feet have closely followed his steps;

I have kept to his way without turning aside.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

Job 23:3, 7-12

In the mysteries of our lives, Satan would like to force us to take on the guilt of them. To weigh us down with judgement. To make us feel like we failed somehow, or that God has judged us, found us wanting, and cast us out. Job correctly realized that God was going to be the only righteous judge. The only one WHO knew the truth of his heart, and could judge him accordingly. He knew he would not be condemned. We have a who as well, Christ Jesus, WHO made sure by his death on the cross that we would not be condemned. Don't let Satan convince you otherwise!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2-4

"when he has tested me I will come forth as gold."

...he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phil 1:6

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Heb 11:1

It's WHO we have faith in to complete the good work in us. Do you have faith in God, through Jesus, or yourself? Are you certain that God can use your trials to bring you what you hope for, perhaps can't even see now? Do you believe that He will finish the work He started in you? Even if you can't or don't, do like Job did and closely follow His steps. Keep to His way without turning aside. Trust in Him. Keep searching for Him.

My Redeemer Lives

“My spirit is broken, my days are cut short, the grave awaits me.” Job 17:1 Chapter 17 is the continued part of Job’s fifth reply to his “miserable comforters.” In this text we see Job getting to a real place of brokenness.
Job was giving up hope on his life but not on his God. The faith of this man amazes me. Through all the attacks of his own friends he still believes in a just and faithful God. He gives good argument with his friends. His friends were trying to convince him that he had brought this on himself. Bildad and Zophar are like so many of us. Doesn’t it make sense that when you sin you get punished and when you do good you get rewarded? When will we learn that it is not our actions that save us but only through the blood of Jesus Christ can we be saved? When will we learn that sometimes our suffering is to purify our hearts, to make us more like Him? Be careful when someone is suffering not to assume the cause.

In the midst of his plea for pity from his friends Job affirms his confidence in his God. “I know my redeemer lives...” He expected just judgement from God and he expected to see God even if it took a miracle. His so-called friends had passed judgement on him but he knew that their judgement meant nothing compared to the judgement of God. Job was confident that God is merciful and he believed his redeemer was alive and in control.

You have worn me out!

I love Job's honesty! What did he have to lose? In chapter 16, he first tells his "friends" that they are "miserable comforters". Then, he tells God, "You have worn me out" (16:7). Job was broken, broken, broken.

Job was worn out emotionally and mentally. To his friends who had given their honest assessment of the situation, he said, "Will your long-winded speeches never end?" His human losses were still very fresh and raw in his mind. He had been grieving for at least a week and was now engaged in intense conversation and debate with his so-called friends.

Job was worn out physically. He had physical ailments that would have been enough for any of us to deal with. Add grief on top of that and I'm surprised he was able to have coherent conversations at all!

Job was worn out materially. More like wiped out. We know that Job had lost everything he had. He tells God, "you have devastated my entire household."

Job was worn out spiritually. Job states, "God has turned me over to evil men and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked... he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target." Wow! That is honesty and Job believed he was at rock bottom.

Even in Job's broken state, his faith in God is evident to me. Job poured out his raw thoughts and emotions to God. He continued to direct his thoughts and pleas to God. Through is prayers, he acknowledged God was there and in control of all things. God gave Job the energy and mental astuteness for what must have been a very intense and lively debate. I think it's interesting that Job would first respond to his friends and then transition to direct his statements to God in prayer. Whether they knew it or not, that was an incredible testimony to those men!

In Matthew 5, Jesus promises rewards in heaven for those who are persecuted because of righteousness. I wish Job could have heard (or read) these promises as he was going through his trials. Praise God that Job left us a legacy and that we can learn from today!

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

~ Matthew 5:3-12

WHO CAN KNOW GOD?

Zophar, the Naomathite, is asking many questions of Job. Should not your words be answered?, should his talk be justified?, Who can know God or where He is? Zophar was one of three friends who came to mourn with Job and to comfort him. I don't believe I would want these three to comfort me. Would you?

Job answered him: He lets them know that he also has an understanding and that he is not inferior to him. Job says that he is "laughed to scorn" for calling upon God. He tells them to ask the beasts, the fowls of the air, the earth, or the fishes of the sea and they shall teach them and tell them. God has made and controls ALL things. God can make a leader mighty or He can strike him down. He can increase the might of a nation or destroy it.

Job goes on to tell them they are forgers of lies and physicians of no value. He tells them to leave him alone for no matter what happens, he will continue to put his trust in God. He tells them that God is his salvation and no hypocrite can come before Him.

How many times have we heard somebody say, "He has the patience of Job." I wonder if I was to go through all that Job went through would I remain faithful and still continue to serve and praise Him. I would hope so for my strength cometh from the Lord.

Zophar asked the question, "Who can know God?" Aren't you glad that we can answer, "We can." God makes it so easy to know Him. He wants to walk and fellowship with us. All we have to do is call upon His name and He will hear us and come into our hearts. He will be with us in the bad times as well as the good for "The God of the mountain is still God in the valley." He will never leave us nor forsake us. No matter how dark things may seem for you now continue to worship and praise Him. He is always there for us. "What a mighty God we serve"

With friends like this who needs enemies?

Ladies - I know I sound like a broken record (for those of you who are old enough to know what a record is!), but I just must say again how incredibly blessed I have been by all of your amazing insights, your candid thoughts, and your heartfelt comments. As we are VERY close to reaching the half way mark, let me just say that you are to be commended for your perseverance (there's that word again!), your steadfast devotion, and your unwavering commitment to the Word of God. I hope that you have been blessed beyond measure by your devotion to this very SPECIAL endeavor!

Let me just say that I think Job's friends were doing just fine until they opened their mouths. I am really surprised they were able to keep their mouths shut for seven days. It seems as though they were building things up in their minds for all those days because when those seven days were up, they were ready to unload what was on their minds! We have already seen the first speech that Eliphaz said in chapters 4 and 5 and Job's response to that in chapter 6. Then in chapter 8 we see his second friend, Bildad, start his "case" against Job. His basic argument against Job and the reason for all of this suffering was that whatever had come upon Job or his children has to be right because God does not pervert justice. IF Job will just simply heed his advice, he will remember that the wicked and evil do not endure and that God will restore Job. IF he is truly blameless, God will surely restore Job (ESV study notes). The reasoning against Job by his friends is just so self-righteous and cold. IF what they are saying against Job is true, then why is none of what is happening to Job happening to them? After all, God specifically "suggested" to Satan His servant Job who was "a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil." God did NOT suggest any of his friends for Satan to attack, but Job himself. So, ironically, what the friends are saying to Job applies more to themselves than to Job!

I think we can learn just as much from Job's friends about what we are NOT to do as we can from Job about what we ARE to do! As has been stated in previous posts on this book, sitting in silence with a friend who is suffering can be the most comforting and loving thing we can do. NOT trying to give "pat" answers to those who are hurting and NOT trying to make them feel better is most of the time the best form of comfort we can give them! Let me also add that trying to pretend like the tragedy did NOT happen is also a mistake for those who are in pain. NOT saying something thinking that if we do not say anything the person will not start hurting because we won't be bringing it up is a mistake too. It is on that person's mind all the time! Especially if the tragic event has recently occurred! Letting them know you have not forgotten what has happened to them is so refreshing to that hurting person because they will know that you have not just moved on and put behind you all that happened to them. I cannot tell you how many of my friends have said thank you to me for asking them about how they are doing and for NOT pretending as though everything is just fine. I think Job's friends would have done well to remember the statement in the above picture! So, the next time we find ourselves trying to comfort a loved one that is hurting, let's remember the GOOD example Job set and the NOT SO GOOD example Job's friends set!

Asking God Questions, Without Questioning God

Which is true? God is all-powerful but doesn't care about us, or God cares about us but isn't all-powerful? This is the question the world asks of Christians when horrific things happen like natural disasters, scandals or diseases. Why do good guys finish last? Why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? Is it true that only the good die young? Why DO bad things happen to good people? Why do GOOD things happen to BAD people?

I have often wondered what I would think of the story of Job, if not for the benefit of chapters 1 and 2. You and I have agreed time and again while reading through the OT, that we don't quite "get it"....it just seems like we don't have the whole story or something? It's during those times, when we can't understand, we can't see the plan, and we can't trace His hand, we must choose to trust His heart. This was Job's circumstance. By the way, I believe that every detail we need is in His word....nothing more, nothing less. As hard as it is to imagine how God could allow these awful things to happen to a good man, at least we know a little bit of the "why".....Job didn't. And that's why he amazes me.

Which shows greater faith? When you have nothing to eat, you pray, and miraculously food is provided.....OR when you have nothing to eat, you pray, and no food is provided, but you still trust God (like Job)? The glimpses into the life of Dr. Samuel Thomas was life-changing for me! He has been through some tough times, ladies!!! What about his father was starting a work for the Lord and God wouldn't give him a few cents to ride rather than walk for 53 days??? Which shows greater faith? Putting one foot in front of the other for 500 miles, or hopping a train with the spare change in your pocket? The story of Job is not for the faint of heart! How easily my heart can become discouraged and I can begin to entertain thoughts that God doesn't love me as much as I think He does! How many times have you heard a well-meaning woman say, "Well, honey, just follow your heart and it'll never steer you wrong." ??? (please insert shocked facial expression here) What is THAT?!?!?! My Bible says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and no one can understand it! Listen, for a girl whose love language is "acts of service" I want God to show me love by DOING stuff for me! (Joke...laugh.) Solomon said I have to guard my heart with diligence, for out of it flows the well-spring of life. I've got to work hard not to let my heart convince my mind of untruth. I must fill my heart and mind with Truth daily, so that I can stay the course. (And, boy can I tell the days I don't.) You know what? Maybe God knows what takes more faith, and maybe it's different for each of us.

When are you more like Jesus? When your husband and children are doing everything you ask them to do, there's plenty of money in the bank, the extended family lives in harmony, your boss thinks you walk on water, your church is seeing kingdom growth, life is going well and everyone is smiling.....OR when you are having to hit your knees every night for that wayward child, choosing to serve that ungrateful husband, deciding if we can go one more day without milk this week, choosing to be kind to that unfair boss, biting your tongue when that family member visits, praying your church can overcome moral failure, when life stinks and no one is smiling??? When are you more like Him? When do you lean on Him more?

I feel like today I've asked more questions than I've answered. Can I say that I'm not sure of any of these answers??? I'm glad I don't know everything, and the book of Job certainly reminds us of that. Usually I attempt to explain a few verses as they are revealed to me, personally. I just shared what was on my mind today, after reading the story of Job again. Maybe you can forgive my ponderings and my candidness, as I remind myself to place all of this at the foot of the cross? I can rest tonight knowing that my Savior lived to die for me, that He is alive now interceding for me in my time of need, and that He is coming again, oh glorious day!

Have You Considered My Servant Job?

My servant, Job: God knew Job's name - that Job was blameless and upright - that he feared God and shunned evil. He knows our names as well. What a comforting thought! He knows all about us and even knows the number of hairs on our heads (for me with thick hair, that's a lot - for my husband, not so much!)

Chapter 1 - Even by today's standards, Job "had it all." 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen and donkeys - and many servants to work for him and care for all of his possessions. Seven sons and three daughters - a big family. Satan (the accuser) comes before God and claims that Job trusts God only because things are going well and God has put a hedge around him. His life is easy. Take this away from Job and watch him curse God says Satan.

So, in the blink of an eye, all his possessions are gone - the herds are raided by nomadic tribes and servants are killed. Lighting strikes and kills the rest of his animals and servants. While this is happening, his children are all killed by a mighty wind (tornado?). All is wiped out. Can you imagine? (Reminded me of the tornadoes that ripped through the Sunnyside and Vaughn Communities and Missouri a few weeks ago. The destruction was devastating.) Not even his children were there to comfort him. Yet in all of this, Job fell to the ground in worship.

Chapter 2: Again Satan comes before God. Skin for skin says Satan - strike Job's health and he will curse you. God limits Satan - but you must spare his life. Job was afflicted with sores over his whole body. Still Job, even when confronted by his wife, does not turn against God. In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.

While we are able to see the scenes in heaven, remember that Job only knows what is happening in the here and now. He's not privy to the conversations between God and Satan. He's experiencing horrific losses and physical pain. I'm so thankful that I have never had to experience losses like these - a tornado ripping through my home, floods like New Orleans experienced, the loss of a child, a horrific automobile accident. Loss of job, sickness of family and friends, death of parents, disappointments, heartaches, yes - but nothing like described in these chapters.

Learning of Job's difficulties, three friends come from afar to comfort and sympathize with him. They sit with Job quietly for seven days and nights. (According to Jewish traditions, mourners rip their clothing over their hearts, observe a period of seven days of grief, and people who come to comfort them should not speak until the mourner speaks.) Maybe we should take a hint from these traditions. I've learned over the years that sometimes the best thing we can do for a grieving friend is to just "be there." You don't have to speak "comforting words" or say something "spiritual." You can bake a cake or fix a casserole. Bring ice or paper plates. Hugs speak volumes and just your mere presence expresses your great concern and care.

Chapter 3: Job finally opens his mouth and speaks. BUT he does not curse God - instead he curses the day he was born. He wonders why he was permitted to live and not die at birth. You can hear the anguish in his words and your hearts breaks for him. Often we wonder why. Why has God allowed something in our lives or something to happen to those we love, and we question Him and doubt his goodness - but we don't see the full picture. Maybe we never will here on earth. Has it sometimes been hard for you to trust God and you shout why too? Psalm 18:30 says as for God, His way is perfect. If God is perfect, then we CAN trust that whatever He allows in our lives is also perfect. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8.

Chapter 4: His friend, Eliphaz speaks now. First he compliments Job - telling him that over the years he has instructed and helped many. He has supported those who stumbled and strengthened faltering knees. Job must have been well known and well thought of throughout his community. Remember these men came from some distance away to comfort him. But now, here is the hint of an accusation - who being innocent, has ever perished? . . . those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it. Eliphaz did not understand God's greater purpose in the trials of Job. Oftentimes we do not understand God's purpose for the trials we experience. In those trials, we must trust the hand of God and know that He knows our name. But, as David understood in II Samuel 24:14 - Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great, but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

Stay tuned for more on the age-old question - WHY???

How God works

Every little girl loves a Cinderella story. We wrestle with this though don't we? As much as we want to believe that we are princesses to God, chosen by him to be in the service of a great King, life gets in the way doesn't it? It's difficult to feel like a princess doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, standing in long check-out lines, not being able to find a parking space, and cleaning up after everyone else in the house. Sometimes those situations cause us to act very un-princess like as well. Then we REALLY don't feel like princesses. We feel worse. Unworthy to even strive for it. That magic wands, princes and fairy-godmothers are reserved for people much more worthy than us. Sometimes, I wager...we feel like the ugly step-sister. (Maybe the wicked step-mother?)

Thankfully, God is more than a fairy godmother. And, while Esther's story may seem far removed from the day to day struggles we have with laundry, dishes and lines it really isn't. We've already established that the name "God" is never actually mentioned in the book. Nor do we see Him directly speak to anyone. We do, however, see him work. Every person I've talked to, Christian or not, wrestles with how God works in the world - and how we fit into that. We want to be a part of the story, we want to do great things for Him, but we struggle when we still find ourselves stuck mopping the perpetual floor.

God created the world. In creating it, he set up a "natural order" of things. He determined the way the stars are aligned, how our bodies work, what we look like, etc. He also gave each of us a conscience and His word to help us know His expectations of us. We see God using this in the book of Esther. He is the one who gave Esther her beauty after all. Moreover, she made plans based on the law of God AND used the wisdom she had about the king from his advisors and what she knew of her own dealings with him. She planned and perfectly executed the way she delivered the news to King Xerxes about her nationality and Haman's evil plot. God still works in those same ways in our lives. There is a natural order- and laws God has set for us to honor and obey. We can make plans based on what we know God commands for us and the knowledge he gives us about the world and how it works. Or, we can choose to break God's laws and try to "rewrite" the natural order of things. Play God, so to speak. Be a "Haman" or "evil stepmother." Based on this story, I'm going to suggest that that is not the best option.

Because God created the world, and the natural order of things, He gets the privilege of breaking it sometimes. We call this a miracle. God allowed Esther to speak to the King- and be spared. The timing of King Xerxes being unable to sleep and learning about how Mordecai had saved his life was also miraculous to me. God is certainly in control. This part of the story really was in no ones hands but God's alone. The jews, Esther, Mordecai, all fasted and prayed. We can pray. Just like Jaybrena said in a previous post, who knows what we have missed out on because we simply didn't ask? God is still in the business of miracles. The key, is realizing that when we pray for miracles, the outcome is still in God's hands. He has knowledge and perspective that we don't, and we can't expect God to be our personal "genie in a bottle."

Finally, we see what is called Providence. This is somewhere between the natural order and miracles. Think of it sort of as the natural order working miraculously. God sort of hands us a situation and says- "ok, now, what are you going to do with it?" An example is when Mordecai overhears the plot to assassinate the king. He could have ignored it, but he didn't. God put Mordecai in that situation on purpose, just like he put Esther in the place of the queen. Providence. Sort of a miracle of positioning. We can trust that God is in control even when the circumstances may not seem like He is. Or, we can assume that God doesn't care, doesn't answer prayers, and live as though there is nothing but the natural order. Let me tell you- if you live that way you are missing out. Seriously. Not just in this lifetime, but for eternity. Who would have guessed that Haman's evil plot to destroy an entire nationality of people would have been able to be used to bring God glory? The jews were able to defeat their enemies! "And, many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them." It wasn't the people they were afraid of...it was the God behind the people. Again, God showing himself to the world!

God still works in these same ways. What is our part? We plan and prepare and execute those plans to the best of our ability. We pray for miracles. We trust and obey. And, we celebrate God's work in our lives. Sounds easy enough right?

It's easy to forget, in a Cinderella story like this, that the main characters didn't see the happy ending while they were living it out. They didn't know the end...and it wasn't written for them just a few pages away. Mordecai and Esther had some dark days, I'm sure. Days where they couldn't believe they were doing something as mundane as eating a meal or getting dressed. The end of the story IS written for us. It ends with the triumph of a King...a new kingdom...a great feast and some celebrating like we have never seen before. And ladies, in that kingdom, we are all princesses to a far better King than Xerxes or even Prince Charming. The question to ask yourself is, who are you serving NOW, while you do the dishes, wait in line, or clean the bathroom??

But seek first His kingdom and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

For Such A Time As This

Ah, Esther, another one of my favorite stories to read about. This story is filled with excitement, drama and romance like that of a best-selling novel. Well, it is actually part of a best-selling book - the Bible! Although the book of Esther has no direct mention of God, His presence, guidance, and providence is evident throughout.

This story begins with a great banquet/party that lasted 180 days. The King of Persia, Xerxes, displayed his great wealth and power to all the people by throwing this lavish party. His power came to question when he decided to display his beautiful wife, the Queen Vashti. After she refused his request for her to come to his party King Xerxes was advised to banish her and find a new Queen. After all he must keep his image as the most powerful person in the kingdom.

Not long after the party was over, when the king was no longer angry about his now ex-wife's disobedience, he thought about her and all that had happened. Maybe he felt lonely. So, his attendants came up with a plan. In this plan the king sent out a decree to bring all the beautiful young virgins into the empire to choose a new queen.

Esther, a young Jewish girl was chosen as one of the beautiful candidates for queen. Esther was an orphan raised by her cousin Mordecai. Mordecai advised Esther not to reveal her nationality so that she would have a fair chance to be the queen. She was not only a beautiful girl but also a smart and careful planner. She won the favor of everyone who met her. And most importantly she won the king's favor. Esther became the queen of Persia and just in time, as we will soon see.

Mordecai as a government official was able to overhear a plot to assassinate the king. He informed Esther and she went to her husband, the king to give warning. This created an opportunity to have Mordecai's name recorded which is also in perfect time. After Haman, the Agagite, was made second in command, Mordecai's life and the lives of all the Jews were in danger.

Backing up a bit, let's see who this Haman really is and why he hates the Jews. Think with me back to 1 Samuel when God ordered Saul to totally annihilate the Amalekites. Do you remember what happened? Saul in his pride brought back the King Agag alive. They did not kill them all like God had commanded. Haman is the descendant of the King Agag. Haman became furious when Mordecai would not bow down to him and from that he set out to destroy Mordecai and all the Jews. Haman decieved the king into issuing an edict condemning the Jews to death. Learning of this Mordecai tore his clothes, put on sack cloth and ashes and wailed in the streets. Mordecai told Esther that she must do something. Mordecai's message to Esther held much urgency and wisdom. “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

Esther realized the lives of all the Jews were in her hands. She ordered a three day fast and on the third day she went to see the king, risking her life. The king extended his scepter to her and allowed her to make her request. She requested that he and Haman come to a banquet that she would prepare for them. At this banquet they dined and the King Xerxes asked for her request and she simply asked for them to return to another banquet and then she would tell him what she wanted. Haman left the banquet feeling mighty fine until he saw Mordecai at the gate. After boasting of his power and success to his wife and friends he still was not satisfied. He wanted Mordecai dead. So that day he had the gallows built to have Mordecai hanged. I have to stop here for today. Do you feel the excitement? This is the part of the movie that would have the words "to be continued..." come across the screen.

Do you ever question your circumstances and wonder why God has placed you where you are in life? We must trust Him and be assured that He is in control and He has placed you where you are for "such a time as this."

Lasting Impact

Do you think about what legacy or impact you are going to leave with people? Maybe it's because I'm getting older, maybe because we have been reading about these patriarchs of the Bible, maybe because my husband and I are raising our son... but I have been thinking more and more about this lately. Leaving a legacy can mean so many different things - positive, negative, and everywhere in between. In terms of leaving a spiritual legacy, this can be a life changing, eternal impact on someone's life. What a huge responsibility and privilege we have!

Nehemiah's prayer was to "Remember me for this.... Remember me with favor." What a wonderful example for us of a sincere, humble, heart-felt prayer! Nehemiah left a legacy for the Israelites and for us today. He believed he was doing the right things and was praying that his actions would be glorifying to God. Nehemiah was an honorable man who had credibility with those around him, who sought God, obeyed God, and held others accountable to do the same.

Nehemiah's leadership clearly impacted the lives of the Israelites at that time and for MANY years to come. Proof is evident today as we are studying his life and learning from him. Nehemiah spent countless hours and days leading others to rebuild the wall and orchestrate a dedication ceremony so the Israelites could honor God and celebrate. He then left for a period of time and returned to his cup-bearer job with King Artaxerxes. However, his heart was not far from Jerusalem. He later returned to Jerusalem to straighten out some things. He rebuked the officials for poor behavior and bad decisions and again worked to restore the house of God.

As I was reading these chapters, I was struck at how many of the historical "practices" we still have today:

• Documentation of family history and lineage
  
• Dedication ceremonies for new buildings
• Responsive reading in worship (I'm reminded of my Methodist heritage)
• Worship services with specific order and structure
  
• Management and responsibility for resources of the house of God
• Leadership holding people accountable for godly behavior
  
• Choirs, songs of thanksgiving, and musical instruments
  

As difficult as this is to remember on a daily basis, our seemingly small decisions impact the legacy we will leave on those around us. I pray I am conscious and faithful to make godly decisions that will draw those around me closer to God!

Responsive Reading - From Psalm 139

Leader: O LORD, You have searched me and know me.
Response: You know my sitting down and my rising up.
Leader: You understand my deepest thoughts.
Response: You know where I play and where I rest.
Leader: You have full knowledge of what I like and dislike.
Response: I cannot even speak a word without You knowing it before it comes out of my mouth.
Leader: You have place a guard to protect me on all sides.
Unison: Your love for me is more than I can understand!

Heal our Land

The people entered into an oath to walk in God's law as given to Moses and do all the commandments of the Lord, our Lord and his judgments and statues. (10:29) They also agreed not to allow their children to marry outside of their beliefs, not to buy or sell on the sabbath, to bring their offerings to the Lord, to tithe, and not to forsake God or His house. Each was given an assignment on where they was to live and what they was to do.

As I read these chapters, I ask God to let me know how these words relate to us today. Some people will say that we live under grace today and not the law so these chapters in the Old Testament do not apply to us. Yes, we live under grace but if God didn't expect us to learn from these chapters, He would not have given them to us. We need to remember the statement; "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it."

When the Israelites lived as a nation for the Lord, He blessed them. When they strayed and served other gods, then they faced the consequences. Our nation is like that today. God has blessed us when we followed Him and we to have suffered the consequences when we turn away from Him.

There are those today who would have you believe that our nation was not founded because the people was searching for a way of life in which they could worship God. They want to rewrite history and tell us God didn't enter into the picture. This simply is not so. God has ALWAYS been a part of our Country. Our fore fathers fought and died for the right to serve God. God is mentioned in our Declaration of Independence, in our Constitution, and on our buildings in Washington. He is on our money, in our pledge to the flag, as well as our national anthem. Congress always began each session with prayer. Our country's roots are deep in serving God.

As towns were started, two of the main buildings to be constructed as soon as possible was the church and the school. Often they would be the same building. Just about everybody in the town would be at church on Sundays serving God.

I can still remember when the stores would close on Sundays so people could go to church. (God's instruction to the people in Chapter 10 was neither to buy or sell on the sabbath.) Then one day, a major chain decided to open on Sunday. Soon other stores followed them to stay in the competition. Yet, Truitt Cathy has never gave in and closes on Sunday and God has blessed him for it. I know I am guilty of shopping on Sundays. The grocery store is on the way home and it is so convenient to stop. I do it without even thinking if it pleases God or not.

The thing is we are allowing others to tell us it is OK to do the things in direct opposition to what God tells us. God is no longer blessing our land. He has not completely turned His back on us. I believe it is because there are Christians who pray everyday for our country.

We have a leader that says we are no longer a Christian nation. The fact that he would say that, gives credence to the fact that we were founded as a Christian nation. This is very scary to me. It is also something I take great offense to. Lord, let not this ever happen. As we are coming up on the 4th of July, our nation's birthday, let us turn back to God as the Israelies did and ask Him to heal our land.

Looking at the Past...Helpful or Harmful?

I have REALLY been enjoying the book of Nehemiah! There are so many treasures that can be gleaned from this amazing book!!! You ladies have done such an incredible job with your insights from this book in both the posts and the comments and I cannot thank you enough for sharing them with all of us!!!

The question I want to look at today that is begging to be asked from these two chapters is this: Is looking at our past harmful or helpful? This is a difficult question to answer, but I believe that looking at this question in the context of these two chapters will help us to understand the answer. Hang with me here as you may be thinking to yourself, "Ugh...talking about my past again!".

Chapter 8: In this chapter we see Ezra reading from The Book of the Law of Moses in the presence of "all the people" (verse 1). This "Book" was not really a "book" as we know its meaning today, rather the Hebrew wording really means that Ezra unrolled the scroll to read from it. Note that as he was reading from this scroll, all the people STOOD UP in reverence and respect for God's Law. Then as soon as they stood up, the Holy Spirit got a hold of Ezra and he started praising God and then all of the people fell face down and worshipped the Lord. The posture of our bodies is VERY important when we are praising and worshiping! It says A LOT about how strongly we feel about God and it is a reflection of the state of our heart. I don't think that this is something that Western culture really understands the impact of all that well. I think we think as westerners that this is not all that important and it is no big deal. Try it yourself in the privacy of your own home and find out. When you are praying kneel down, when the Spirit moves you, lay on your face on the floor before the Lord and see how this changes the state of your heart! The reading of God's Law was a review from the past for the Israelites of what God expected of them that had been given to them in the past (to Moses). Notice their reaction when hearing this Law that they knew they had been violating for MANY years. Verse 9 tells us that the people were weeping as they heard the Law being read to them. Why? Why were they weeping? Because hearing God's Law reminded them afresh how disobedient they had been to this Law in the past and it brought about great sadness of heart because of their disobedient behavior. But look at what Ezra tells them in verse 10. He says, "Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your stronghold." (HCSB) I LOVE that!!! He is trying to get them to understand that yes, they had really messed up big time in the past, but do not be sad about it because the Joy of the Lord is our strength! Aha!!! Lesson learned!!! Notice also that the Festival of Booths as they observed it at this time had not been done like this since the time of Joshua...Joshua!!! That is a LONG time ago! Another big time mess up by the Israelites!

Chapter 9: This chapter is a concise summary of the Israelites past history back to the time of Abraham. And it is a summary that shows how they were disobedient and messed up time and time again. BUT, God was faithful and DID NOT give up on them! Aha!!! Lesson learned!!! I don't know about you, but it makes me VERY NERVOUS to think of having a summary of my past failures laid out like that! Let me just assure you my past it just as ugly, disobedient, rebellious, sinful, mistake-ridden, and ungodly just like this summary of the Israelites was. Did God give up on them? NO!!! And he STILL has not given up on them and He will NOT ever give up on them...OR ON US!!!

So...back to our question from the beginning: Is looking at your past helpful or harmful? Based on what we have learned from these two chapters and based on what we know about the attributes and character of our loving and amazing Lord, whether or not it is helpful or harmful is simply up to you. GOD does NOT want it to be harmful! He can take what you have been through or messed up with in the past and use it for His glory and for His purposes in so many different ways! That is one of the greatest things about our "Abba", He can take what Satan meant for harm and turn it into something good and amazing and wonderful! Dwelling on your past and letting it keep you from moving forward is nothing but Satan at work. If he can keep you buried in your past mistakes and enslaved to your past mess ups, then he can keep you from being effective for the Kingdom of God in the present and the future. DON'T BUY INTO THAT LIE OF SATAN!!! Jesus died for all of those failures you know...don't belittle His sacrifice by letting your past keep you in a self-built prison!!! BREAK FREE through Jesus and do NOT be in great distress as the Israelites were at the end of chapter 9! Jesus paid too high a price for that...AMEN AND AMEN!!!

What It Is To Me....

When you hear of divorce, death, destruction, disease.....how do you react? Sometimes terrible news comes as a shock to us at first, but when the news settles in our hearts and minds, what is our first action? Our heart should break for such things, first and foremost....these things entered the world right along with sin. Sure, there are times when we "have to be tough" and fight the battle around us for a time. Eventually, though we put our heavy swords down....and run to Daddy, after all the warrior is still a child. Nehemiah received heart-breaking news.....

It's interesting to me that the name Nehemiah means, "The LORD has compassion." When Nehemiah asked his brother, Hanani, about the Israelites who had been released from captivity and returned to Jerusalem, he received a grave report. His people were living in despair and among destruction in the ruins of their once great city, and his heart broke for the circumstance. It is here that Nehemiah reminds me of our man Ezra when he heard of the intermarrying issues with the priests, they both took their overwhelming grief to the Lord in prayer and fasting on behalf of their people. Nehemiah pleads with God, based on His lovingkindness and asks for His mercy. He confesses the sins of the people (lumping himself right in there with them) and agrees with the justice of the God they serve. What a leader!

It's evident to me that the work continues even after the victory is won. I thought the specific order for the city gates to remain closed until later in the day (rather than opening at sunrise) must have been because of the constant threat of enemy attack. This is also evidenced by the order for guards to be placed along the walls and in front of individual homes. Everyone had a job to do while they were rebuilding the walls, and even when it was done there was also work to be done in protecting the walls. There's a sermon in that, ladies!!! How often do we achieve our goal and just quit working? I'm not just talking about weight-loss either, hahahaaa! We become complacent and forget that the work continues, losing the precious ground we have worked so hard to gain.

It's remarkable to me how the people of God are asked over and again to record their names and genealogy. He has a promise to keep, you know! Apparently there were some issues with the priests being accounted for more than once in this story. And, there were also issues of people claiming Israelite priesthood heritage, but their claims were un-founded and could not be proven. How sad. God went to great lengths to record the birth-lines of Christ, and at first glance it seems monotonous and boring but I think we can all say we have learned from the "boring" verses, too. They are just as God-breathed as our favorites.

It's neat to me how the book of Nehemiah begins with the Hanani report, and the rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem, and we find in this chapter that Hanani is asked to rule within those very walls which were rebuilt. Things in life tend to come full circle, don't they?

Press on.

Opposition, Prayer and Determination

Walls: What comes to mind when the word "wall" is mentioned? The Great Wall of China, the Vietnam Memorial Wall (which was in Griffin recently and very moving), a wall of water, a wall of silence, a brick wall? Perhaps you think of a wall for security, or a wall to separate you from something, or a wall to set up a boundary or to keep something in - like cattle or horses. In these chapters we see Nehemiah leading and joining the people of Judah in the work of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.
Opposition: Sanballat and Tobiah were in a great rage when they heard that the walls were being rebuilt, and they did everything they could to ridicule and taunt the Jews, their efforts, and their work. As their leader, what was Nehemiah's response? Prayer, preparation, and planning.
Prayer: First line of defense - he prayed to God. He reminded the people to remember the Lord your God who is great and awesome. What were these mere men in comparison to their great God? God would stand for them and "fight their battles" as He will for us. How often do we make prayer our last line of defense instead of our first?
Determination: The people set their minds and hearts to do the work. They worked with all their heart, and they worked together at the task at hand. They didn't whine. They didn't give up or give out. They didn't quit because of ridicule or because it was difficult. With a shovel in one hand and a sword in the other, they kept on keeping on. What a lesson for us in our daily lives and in the life of our church. We must be determined to keep the faith and keep working for the Lord, doing whatever we know He has called us to and what is right. Perseverance - (here is Natalie's word again)!

With the walls near completion, let's try one final intimidation tactic said their enemies. They sent invitations to Nehemiah to try and pull him away from the work. They started rumors that Nehemiah was planning to become "king" of Judah, and then they tried to scare him with talk of an assassination. Nehemiah saw these plots for what they were, ignored them, and again prayed to God. Others said it "couldn't be done." The task was too difficult and too hard, but because of Nehemiah's faithfulness and God's protection and help, the people of Israel completed the wall - and in record time - 52 days! What an accomplishment.
Now, back to the word wall. Do we need boundaries and walls in our lives? I believe so. We need protection from Satan's attacks, which can take many forms: worldly views, distractions, temptations, ridicule, rejection, some forms of entertainment on TV and the Internet. We need God's protective wall around us, around our children, and our churches. We need to insulate ourselves from Satan's flaming darts. What do we do and how do we build these walls? Prayer can be that wall. Reading and memorizing God's word can be that wall. Christian friends who hold us accountable can be that wall. Our church family can be that wall. God Is Our Wall.

In Psalm 71, David prayed, O Lord, be my rock of refuge to which I can always go . . . for you are my rock and my fortress. And in Psalm 18:2 - the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock in whom I take refuge. Oh Lord, let this be our constant reminder and prayer as well.