JOB MOMENT – (05JUN19) Job spoke in great details about
death and how we are only here for just a short time. God knows when we will
take our first breath and when it will be our last. He has already determined
how long our days on earth will be, but sometimes, we can rush things if we
live certain lifestyles that are reckless. Yet, we know that with the case of
Hezekiah, God extended his life by fifteen years. Was it that God did not know
in advance that He was going to extend Hezekiah’s life? No! God was giving
Hezekiah a chance to come to Him in humility to ask for more time. Sometimes,
God will allow a person to have more time, and other times, He may take a
person early to save their soul, or in the case of King Joash, to prevent them
from seeing certain events to befall a nation. This is God’s mercy either way.
Job also stated that when a man dies, he does not rise again
until the heavens are no more. In the case of Lazarus, Dorcas, and some others
in the Bible, God allowed for them to be raised back to life, but Job is speaking
of those who go to the grave and whose body will remain there until Jesus
return. They will be raised to eternal life if they were saved, for their
spirits will be with Him. We only live this life one time and once we die, we
do not get a chance to come back and have a retake. That is why it is important
to accept Christ and live right while here on earth. There are some religions
who teach that people are reincarnated, but the Bible says that we are appointed
to die once and then the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Job knew that even if he
died, he would rise again at the call of the Lord. The Bible
says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God, and
the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. After that,
we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians
4:16-17). Job also knew that his offenses would
not be counted against him and his sins would be covered. We know this because
Jesus died for our sins that we may have life. Therefore, when we confess our
sins and repent, we can know that should we leave this earth, we will be ready
to see the Lord. These are things to hold on to and be encouraged during the
loss of a loved one and/or for someone we know. Something to ponder…
QUESTION OF THE DAY – (05JUN19) Does God listen to us when
we bring our complaints to Him during times that we lack understanding? Of
course, He does. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to
you.” God will give us wisdom concerning the matters of the heart, but the
answers we get may not be exactly what we want to receive. Job wanted answers
from God, but he was not getting the answers that He desired. Therefore, we
must be like Jesus that when He asked for the Father to take the cup of trial
from him, He also included – not as his will, but God’s will be done (Matthew
26:39). We can indeed take all of our feelings, emotions, hurts, wants, and
needs to the Father, but we must be of the mindset that it is His will that is
to outweigh ours. God understands us better than we understand ourselves, and
He knows what His will is for our lives. We are to just accept what that will
is and humbly submit ourselves to Him for He cares for us. Something to ponder…
JOB MOMENT – (05JUN19) Job said that his face was red from
crying and circles surrounded his eyes. No one knows the exact time frame that
Job went through his troubles, but even a short period can seem like an eternity
when a person is going through life’s challenges. Job was in pain day and
night. His tears may have been more from the feelings of abandonment by God
than the illness that afflicted him. Sorrow compounded with insomnia had to
have weighed heavily on him because at no time was, he able to be at peace.
People jeered at him and even his friends, while they were present in body, were
absent in spirit. His spirit and theirs were incompatible because they were
viewing things from a religious perspective rather than a relational attack of his
spirit man. They were looking at the do’s and don’ts, rather than the trial and
test. Job found himself alone even amongst friends.
Many of us have experienced being alone in the spirit even
if not in the natural. When you are going through a trial, although people may
be there with you, they cannot walk through the trial for you. You are left to
face the battle alone with the help of God. David found himself in a similar
situation and had to encourage himself in the Lord. He too was surrounded by people
and yet, was still alone with the exception of God. Nevertheless, when we get
to a place that we rely totally on God in both the good and bad times, we will
become more efficient at it. Instead of panicking, we will pray. Instead of
worrying, we will pray. Instead of doubting, we will pray. When we walk in
faith, we’ve learned to pray. Something to ponder…
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