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A Limited Perspective

Reflect:
Job 4:4-5

Then Eliphaz the Temanite responded to Job: “…Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees. But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged; it strikes you, and you are dismayed.”

The book of Job can be simply outlined as follows:

I.    Introduction To Job’s Suffering—The Historical Setting
II.   Interaction Between Job and His Friends—The Human Perspective
III.  Interruption of God—The Heavenly Perspective
IV.  Epilogue—The Restoration of Job

The Interaction between Job and his friends is the longest section of the book. This is the back-and-forth conversation that takes place between the devastated Job and his so called “comforters.”  As you read these interactions, keep in mind that you are listening to their analysis of life from a human point of view.  Their perspective is not necessarily right, nor is it necessarily wrong; it’s just human.

Eliphaz, the first of Job’s friends to speak, immediately points out to this suffering man that it is much easier to talk about suffering than to go through it. Point well taken. For the most part, that is an accurate perspective on suffering.  Eliphaz acknowledges that Job has in the past been a comfort and an encouragement to so many others who have gone through challenges in life, but now that the shoe is on the other foot, now that suffering has touched him, it is a whole different matter.

How true that is. We should have a theological framework for pain and suffering, and that enables us to compassionately discharge our calling as God’s children to comfort and encourage others who are going through suffering. But how rare it is to find the person who ministers to the pain of others who himself doesn’t become discouraged, who doesn’t question God’s goodness and who doesn’t feel like giving up when immense suffering touches his own life.

Another common human perspective from Job, again, perhaps true, but maybe false, is that it is the sufferer’s sin that has opened the door to the pain and devastation he is now forced to endure. Eliphaz says to Job, “As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” (Job 4:8)

Of course, sin is at the heart of suffering.  But to assume that it is the result of the sufferer’s sin is to tread on dangerous ground.  It could be true, but it also could be true that suffering has touched him simply because he, like you and I, are living in a world broken by human sin, and as a result, there is sickness, loss and death.

Then yet another human perspective is that our suffering is meaningless and hopeless. Of course, we don’t think that theoretically about suffering. But in practice, in the blast furnace of affliction, we steer into that mindset. Job thought that:  “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?”  (Job 6:11)

see.thru.glass.darklySo what is the lesson here?  Simply keep in mind that when either we, or the people we love, are suffering, our perspectives on that suffering are human. We see our trials as through a glass darkly. Therefore don’t be quick to assign that misfortune to specific sin or a lack of faith—it is very likely that the suffering is just part and parcel of a world system that is still waiting to be redeemed.

Likewise, in the midst of doubt, discouragement and the temptation to give up on God, don’t! Offer him your trust.

In the midst of doubt, discouragement and the temptation to give up on God, don’t! Offer him your trust. In the end, God’s ways are always wise and loving—always!

Even when you can’t see the end from the beginning, you’ve read stories like Job, and what you know is that in the end, God’s ways are always wise and loving—always.  And that would be true of your suffering, too.

Prayer… Father, you created it all, you own it all and you have the right to rule it all—including my life. Therefore, in good times and in bad, I will honor you, offer my life as living proof of your love and lift my response to life as an offering of praise to your righteous Name. You are a ruthlessly faithful God and I will be your ruthlessly faithful child.

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Ruthlessly Faithful

Reflect:
Job 1:21

“The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

When you read the Bible as it happened chronologically, you quickly run into Job, a man who lived at the time of the Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And when you run into Job, you run into a bunch of theological questions that have perplexed mankind ever since. Questions like, “why do the righteous suffer?” Or, “how could a good God allow such evil?” Or, “what in the world is God doing playing a chess match with Satan using Job as a pawn?”

Unfortunately, in a sense, Job wasn’t the only human being who bore the brunt of such inexplicable and devastating hardship. Rather, he has become the emotional father of a long line of human beings whose lives have been brutally interrupted by pain, loss and inconsolable grief.  But fortunately, in a sense, since we all suffer, Job has also become the spiritual father for righteously and obediently trudging the path of grief to find at its end a God who is, through it all, loving and good, and who unfailingly works out his purposes for his own glory and for our good.

imagesThe book of Job starts off in the first verse of chapter 2 by telling us, “There lived in the land of Uz a man named Job—a good man who feared God and stayed away from evil.” (Job 1:1) He was a very wealthy man with a big family and a sterling reputation—but he lost it all.  Yet in all this, as the last verse of chapter 1 says, “Job did not sin or revile God.” (Job 1:22)

By the time you get to the end of this book—a tough journey with lots of perplexing questions, in my opinion—rather than getting your “why”, “how” and “what” questions answered, the only answer you will find is “Who!” The book of Job starts with the suffering of a righteous man, but it ends with the glory of a righteous God, a God who created it all, owns it all and has a right to rule over it all just as he pleases. In fact, at the end of this book, in one of the most powerful statements in all of Scripture, God himself says to Job and his friends—and to you and me by extension,

“I owe no one anything. Everything under the heaven is mine.” (Job 41:11)

You will need to keep that in mind as you read Job and are confronted with these harsh and inexplicable episodes of suffering. Keep also in mind that as Job, in his need to find meaning in his pain—and his “comforters”, in their “need” to explain the reason for his pain—are speaking out of brutal honesty from a limited human perspective rather than theological accuracy.  For that reason, we must be very careful in trying to construct specific theologies from their words.

Yet at the end of the day, there are some immutable truths we can hang onto as we journey the inevitable path of loss, pain and grief from which no human being gets a pass:

God created it all, owns it all, and has a right to rule over it in anyway he sees fit.  And since God is immutably good, wise and powerful, he will see to it, in this life or the next, that his faithful ones will experience the never-ending satisfaction of his glory and grace.

Since that is true, we would do well then, as Job did, to steadfastly submit to the will of God, come what may, stubbornly trust in the goodness of God, even when there seems little reason for trust, unceasingly practice patience with the sovereignty of God, who has promised to work out all things for his glory and our good and therefore joyfully—yes joyfully—offer our grateful worship before the eternal God. This is a hard truth, but I agree: “We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is good, because it is good; if bad, because it works in us patience, humility, contempt of this world and the hope of our eternal country.” (C.S. Lewis)

Obviously, that requires ruthless faithfulness to the Creator. But what is the alternative? And what better, more pleasing offering of worship can you give to the God who created it all, owns it all and rules it all than your submission, trust and patient endurance? There is no greater worship!

Prayer… Father, you created it all, you own it all and you have the right to rule it all—including my life. Therefore, in good times and in bad, I will honor you, offer my life as living proof of your love and lift my response to life as an offering of praise to your righteous Name. You are a ruthlessly faithful God and I will be your ruthlessly faithful child.

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Man’s Good Vs. God’s Best

Reflect:
Genesis 11:4

Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

You might read this story about the Tower of Babel and wonder, like I did, what’s so bad about Babel? I mean, was God just having a bad day or something? After all, it’s not often you see unity of purpose and effort achieved among human beings like this. The United Nations could learn a lesson here!

So why did God look upon what these folks were doing and say, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” (Genesis 11:6-7) And with that, he put an end to their efforts, confused their language, and scattered them across the face of the earth. (Genesis 11:8-9)

UnknownThe problem was not the tower they were trying to build, nor their effort to achieve unity among the nations. In large part, public work projects and united efforts are a good thing. But in this case, good was the enemy of best. You see, after the great flood of Genesis 7-8, God had told these nations to scatter across the earth, repopulate it and establish human civilization wherever they went. (Genesis 9:1,7) In fact, this was a critical piece of the covenant God made with Noah and his descendants (Genesis 9:8-9), and was likely the reestablishment of the original covenant God had made with but had been forfeited by Adam. (Genesis 1:26-30)

What was wrong with Babel? Simply this: Disobedience, pride and independence from God. Instead of fully devoting themselves to God’s command, they thought they could do it better. They chose to go it alone. And God put a stop to it!

Babel represents any good of humankind divorced from obedience, humility and dependence upon God!

That’s always the problem with human beings, including you and me, isn’t it? Every single day, we wrestle with who is going to be God in our lives. Rather than seeking and doing what God says, we seek and do what we want to do. Of course, we acknowledge God to a degree, but then we pursue what we want. With regularity, we twist Jesus’ well known prayer of submission into, “God, not your will but mine be done!”

Stop and think about that today. Is there a Tower of Babel in your life—something that seems so good; something that makes sense to those around you; something that would advance your comfort, security and name? Remember, what looks good to you may in fact be the enemy of God’s best for you! Maybe it’s a purchase you are considering, a plan you are making, a relationship you are considering, or…you fill in the blanks.

Peter Marshall, the venerable Chaplain of the U.S. Senate in the mid-twentieth century, once prayed, “Save Thy servants from the tyranny of the nonessential. Give them the courage to say ‘No’ to everything that makes it more difficult to say ‘Yes’ to Thee.”

Revolt from the tyranny of the nonessential. Have the courage to say ‘No’ to everything that makes it more difficult to say ‘Yes’ to God!

That’s a great prayer: saying no to the good and yes to the Best!  Why don’t you join me in praying that prayer all this week?

Prayer: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen!”  

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You Must Master It

Reflect: Genesis 4:6-7

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

There are occasions, of course, when anger is appropriate.  But let’s be honest, that’s not very often.  Benjamin Franklin once said, “Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one.”

Proverbs 29:11 says that only “a fool gives full vent to his anger.”  How many times have you proven that platitude to be true?  If you’re like me, at least once, probably more!

The truth is, it is next to impossible to be angry and intelligent at the same time.  To be sure, some anger is good. Channeled anger has been the motivation for much of the justice and societal change that has benefited the human family over time.  Even the Bible indicates the appropriateness of righteous anger.  But—and this is a big one—only if the anger is wrapped in intelligent thought!

So the question is, how do we win out over anger, rid ourselves of it before it either corrodes or destroys our most significant relationships, and turn it into an emotion that propels us toward positive personal growth?

AngerThe story of Cain here in Genesis 4:1-14 is a great case study. Unfortunately for Cain (and for Abel!), anger was not brought under control. But from Cain’s failure comes several anger management principles we would be wise to embrace.

To begin with, from Cain we learn that our very first response to the emotion of anger ought to be self-analysis. In other words, whenever I find myself getting upset, I ought to stop and say, “What does this say about me?”  You will notice in the story how God attempts to get Cain to look within himself at the source of his anger:  “Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast?” (Genesis 4:6)

In essence, God is telling Cain that before he reacts, he ought to reflect.

Our first and best response to anger is simply to think about it. That simple action would keep us from so much of the hardship that results from our uncontrolled anger. William Penn wrote, “It is he who is in the wrong who first gets angry.” In reality, anger reveals what kind of person I am—what is really in my heart, my true character. C.S. Lewis said,

“Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of man he is. If there are rats in a cellar, you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, the suddenness of the provocation does not make me ill-tempered; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.”

So if you find yourself reacting in anger, ask yourself what the presence of anger is saying about your spirit or your character. Practice “slowing” … what James 1:19-20 says is being, “Quick to listen…slow to speak…slow to anger!”

Develop the discipline of stopping to think it through!

Another crucial lesson this story teaches is that our response is more important than the circumstances that cause the anger. The truth is, what happens to me is never as important as what happens in me. That what God is saying to Cain: “If you do what is right, you’ll be accepted…”  (Genesis 4:7) God doesn’t address the fairness or unfairness of what’s happened; he just says, “Cain, do the right thing!”

When situations arise that disappoints me, I can either unleash an emotional reaction or I can offer an intelligent response that honors my walk with God and releases his blessings in my life.

Finally, Cain’s story teaches us that we are accountable to God for our anger. When Cain fails to do the right thing and instead, murders his brother, God calls to him to account: “Where is your brother?” (Genesis 4:9-12)

What we must remember is that one day we will stand before God and give account for our lives, including the inappropriate display of our anger. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 that on judgment day, we’ll be answerable even for every idle word we speak. We won’t be able to say on that day, “My wife made me do it…my husband pushed me too far…my kids drove me nuts…the devil made me do it…I was genetically predisposed to anger…” If we try that excuse, God will look at us and say, “I expected you to master it, and you didn’t.”

We’re accountable for anger!

Angry feelings are inevitable. We can’t escape them, but our anger doesn’t have to destroy the people we love—and in the process, cause our own spirits to shrivel. If we do the right thing with our anger, God says to us just as he said to Cain, “you will be blessed!”

Prayer… Father, thank you for making me response-able.  With your help, I will give diligent effort to master the emotion of anger and the sin that is crouching behind it so that I can turn it into a response that glorifies you and makes me blessable before you.  

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It All Starts With God

Reflect: Genesis 1:1

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

If you accept the Bible to be true, that it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it is the authoritative Word of God, then this opening sentence in Genesis 1:1 is nothing less than explosive—the most important statement ever uttered in human language! Think about it:

“In the beginning, God created…”

That is more than just a good opening line to a great novel. It is the fulcrum by which everything moves in your life.  Or at least it should be!

god-creates-man-sistine-chapelWhat do those words tell us? Simply, yet profoundly, this: It all starts with God (by the way, go to the end of the book and you will see that it all ends with God too!) He created everything that exists—all the planets, all the systems that bring order to the universe, all the life that exists in the created order. He designed it, built it, owns it, sustains it (a fact invisible to all but the spiritually aware) and therefore—get this—has a right to rule over it as he chooses.

The Creator gets to set the rules—it is his work, after all! And that includes ruling over you. Your very existence, every breath, abilities, accomplishments and aspirations for the future are from him and therefore should be for him. Remember, he is the Creator.

So the question every person, including you, must ask is, “does he truly own me? Am I living for him—which is only fair, since he created both me and everything at my disposal—or am I living for my own pleasure and to accomplish my own purposes?”

Remember, if you accept the fact that it all starts with God, there is no other logical conclusion than to recognize his total rulership over all the details of your life. If you don’t recognize his ownership of you, then you can go your own way—the Creator made you with that choice. But that does not lessen the truth that he is the Creator and still has right of rule over you (a reality that will come home to roost some day).

Now if you accept God’s rulership, then here is something else you would do well to remember; it is repeated throughout Genesis 1: What he created, including what he had in mind when he created you, is “good.”

“And God saw that it was good.”

And what you can conclude from that oft repeated analysis is that his plans for those who honor his right to rule will also experience his good rule over their existence—present and future.

The Creator owns you—and that is good!  So honor his right to lovingly rule your life, and let the good times roll.

Prayer… Creator God, you rule. You rule over this world and you rule over my life. Forgive me when I live in ignorance of, or even in complete disregard of that truth. Today, I acknowledge and surrender control to you and your purposes. Fulfill your good plan through me, I pray.

 

 

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Forever!

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 22
Meditation: Revelation 22:5

“And they will reign forever and ever.”

Shift Your Focus… Today we come to the end of the Bible, and in this chapter, the description of the beginning of the rest of eternity. As beautifully alluring as John’s words are, they certainly cannot capture what it will be like in God’s presence for all eternity.

But we do know that no longer will there be the taint of sin’s curse:  “No longer will there be any curse.”  (verse 3).

We know that evil will no longer be permitted in God’s recreated world: “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” (verse 15).

We know that God himself will physically be among us: “The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” (verses 3-5).

We know that God will assign us to eternally rule over his boundless creation, universe beyond universe, as his partners in Divine love, grace and justice: “And they will reign for ever and ever.” (verse 5)

We know that in God’s eternity, we are invited to experience the full satisfaction of our beings that only God can supply: “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” (verse 17).

And we know that even though time no longer exists there, we will be no closer to exhausting God’s love and grace a billion years into eternity than when we first begun.

The end will just be the beginning of dwelling with God himself in the perfection of his glorious presence.

And all we can say is what John said, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (verse 20)

“One should go to sleep as homesick passengers do, saying, ‘Perhaps in the morning we shall see the shore.’” ~Henry Ward Beecher

Prayer… Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

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It Is Finished—Finally

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Revelation 21
Meditation: revelation 21:6

“It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End.”

Shift Your Focus… The Great Finisher—that’s who God is.  What he begins, he finishes, and what he finishes he finishes well.

It Is Finished—Part I: In Genesis 2:2 we read that “on the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.” For six days, God had created the universe, and after he had finished each day’s work, he pronounced, “It is good.”

Especially good was God’s divine artistry with the earth itself. It was the perfect environment for the highest of his creation, man. It was a place so amazing that God himself physically strolled with man and woman every day in the wonder and beauty of the divine creation. But then the human couple messed it up by rebelling against God, choosing to sin instead of trusting their Creator.

It Is Finished—Part II: Fast-forward thousands of years to Christ, when in the fullness of time, God stepped back into his creation to recreate what man had corrupted. The Bible calls Jesus “the second Adam.” The second member of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, became a man, lived a sinless life, and died the perfect sacrifice to redeem what man had lost in Eden—a right relationship with Creator God.

When Jesus hung on the cross, paying the awful price for the sin of the world, he breathed his last breath and said, “It is finished.” He had fully transacted the work of redemption, and as indescribably painful, physically, emotionally and spiritually as that was, it, too, was good.

It Is Finished—Part III: But that’s not all—fast-forward at least two thousand years into the future to a date not yet set but quickly drawing near.

After Christ’s sacrifice, there was still a world with whom this Good News needed to be shared. Opportunity still had to be given for sinful man to repent, experience redemption and be brought back into that perfect place God had originally intended in the Garden.

Sadly, much of the world would stubbornly reject this great redemptive “do-over”. Satan, the god of this world, had blinded the eyes of sinful man. So after the appropriate time had been given for repentance, God brought judgment upon sin, Satan, and stubborn humanity. Everything that had stood in rebellion against this gracious, patient God was cast into eternal punishment. And the sin-corrupted earth—what was once God’s most perfect creation—was destroyed by God’s holy fire.

Then the God, who always finishes what he begins, said once again, “it is finished.” And what is revealed next is so good that it defies description: a new earth. Read John’s description slowly, and as best you can, picture in your mind what God has in store for his redeemed—which includes you and me:

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” (Revelation 21:1-3)

Best of all, once again, you and I will walk personally and physically with God himself. As Adam and Eve once enjoyed unhindered, uninterrupted fellowship with their Father Creator, so shall we.

And if you have any doubts about the truth of this promise, hear the words of the Great Finisher himself,

“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:5)

Blessed is the one who hears God say, “it is finished” for the third time, for it too, will be “good!”

“If our Creator has so bountifully provided for our existence here, which is but momentary, and for our temporal wants, which will soon be forgotten, how much more must He have done for our enjoyment in the everlasting world!” ~Hosea Ballou

Prayer… Father God, I can only imagine what my future home will be like. And best of all, I will be able to commune in perfect fellowship with you, just as Adam once did. Until that day, I will faithfully love, serve and obey you, and long for your appearing.