Job 1:13-22; 2:1-10

For the sake of time and space, I ask that you read the text verses so that you can follow what I am saying, and it will have a greater impact upon you and benefit you.  In considering the trials of Job it is important that we realize that none of us are exempt from trials.  Job’s name means persecuted.

In a unique manner Job’s trials makes him the prototype of Jesus.  Every upright man will have his Eden to enjoy, his Isaac to sacrifice, and his wilderness to go through.  There will be a time of testing.  It is through much tribulation that we enter into the Kingdom of God’s greater fullness and power.  We do well to remember that no affliction, for the present, seems joyous, but grievous.  Nevertheless, afterward, it will yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

I must ask, “Was there ever a man more taught through his experiences than Job?”  With that statement, I ask that we take a journey through the trials of Job and see if we can clean anything beneficial.

First, we need to look at the Purpose of Job’s Trials.  There is a two-fold cross purpose at the center of Job’s experience.  One is divine and the other satanic.  Satan challenged God in Job 1:9-11 – “Does Job fear God for nothing?”  He charged that God had built a hedge around Job and blessed him, therefore if God took away or allowed Job’s possessions to be taken away, Job would curse God.

The devil did not believe and does not believe that any mortal man will remain true to God in the face of adversity.  He values material possessions so highly and believes that we do that he cannot fathom any man losing everything and remaining true to God.  Even if Job staggered at his test, Jesus did not.  Jesus said that He had nowhere to lay his head and the Bible tells us He was a man of sorrows.  Yet, He remained totally faithful and committed to the Father and God’s purposes.

The reality is Job was totally unconscious of his being used in this fashion.  He viewed it as a severe test and one undeserved.  The devil knows that he must strip man of his faith if he is to be able to defeat man.  Job remained true to God in the face of the loss of everything.

Second, we need to consider the nature of Job’s Trials.  This is about as bad as one can imagine.  He lost property, which is bad enough, but he also lost his children, all of them at one time.  There were no half measures in Job’s trials, they were the full brunt of a satanic attack.  He lost 7 thousand sheep, 3 thousand camels, and 5 hundred oxen. The richest man in the East had suddenly become bankrupt. 

He lost his family; seven sons and three daughters were taken from him on the same day and at the same time.  Then he lost his health. (Job 2:7).  Covered with boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.

Job lost his position in the community.  He went from being the most respected in the East to a loathsome individual to be pitied.  Then to make matters worse, he lost all empathy and sympathy of those around him.  His wife told him to curse God and die.  That must have been a bitter pill in the heart and mind of Job.  Yet, he maintained his integrity and confidence in God.

Thirdly, we must consider the Effect of Job’s Trials.  The immediate result was he was stripped naked of every earthly possession.  Every earthly comfort had been taken from him very quickly.  He fell to the ground and worshipped God saying, “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the Name of the Lord.”

It is amazing, but Job saw God in his suffering.  He said, “What shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?”  Job’s theology was a bit skewed in that statement, but the overriding declaration is – that God is to be trusted and we must remain grateful. 

Job realized what we need to realize is that there is a life that does not consist of the things we possess.  Life is more than food or clothing.  It is more than money or fame.  It is more than status.  It is found in the declaration of Matthew 6:33 – “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added…”  Complete surrender to God and complete Trust is required if we are to learn from life’s trials and move into that place of Abundant Life Jesus came to bring.

Therefore, no matter what happens, let’s hold to our confidence in God and maintain our trust in Him.  He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will never fail.

God bless you as you go through this day in Him!

Judges 7

Great things are wrought when people hear and obey God’s direction.  When things reach the state of impossible with men, they are yet a minor task for God.  The only hindrance to the hand of God moving on our behalf is disobedient and rebellious hearts and minds.  God is not concerned about the way things appear in the natural.  We are!  He knows the end from the beginning, but we look at the beginning from the end.  We are temporal and He is eternal.  We are limited, but He is unlimited!

God is always more concerned about our obedience than the problem!  God is always looking for those who will risk everything in dependence upon Him and obedience.  He is looking for those who will dare to believe. 

This is an incredible account of the miraculous intervention of God in a national problem.  It can be applied to our individual lives, our family, or the nation.  God is God and will always be God and when He finds those who will trust Him and obey, He is anxious to manifest His Glory.

The Midianite army was massive and 32,000 had responded to Gideon’s call.  God did an amazing thing and said, “Sorry, Gideon, you have too many with you.”  What?  Too many?  LORD, do not you see the size of the Midianite army.  We are severely outnumbered as it is, what do you mean too many?  God said, “Tell those that are afraid to go home.”  If the rest were not afraid, what were they feeling when 22,000 packed up and left.  Now it is 10,000 against thousands upon thousands. 

God then says, “Sorry, Gideon, there are still too many!”  I can imagine what was going on in the minds of the 10,000.  They were probably thinking, God must be crazy, or Gideon has lost his mind.  Out of the 10,000, God’s instructions reduced Gideon’s army (if you can call it that) to three hundred.  God’s instructions could be translated, choose the ready, the watchful, and watch Me do my thing. 

If the battle is the LORD’s, then, trust must be at its zenith.  God reduced the number to the point that it would be impossible in the natural and there would be no way Gideon or anyone could take credit for the victory.  This is God’s Pattern!

It is always vital that we follow God’s orders exactly.  God had chosen a man to lead a group of people into a battle that when it was over, only God could get the credit.  He gave Gideon the plan and Gideon followed His orders precisely.  God then performed what only God could do and gave them an undeniable miracle. 

The message for us is, do not look at the immensity of the problem or the impossibility.  Obey the directive of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the voice of God.  Never mind the popularity of the action or the unpopularity, be obedient to God’s directive.  Public opinion does not win victories it may make us palatable to the crowd, but lasting victory is won in obedience to God.

If God is in it, it will not fail.  Obedience to the LORD is the only pathway to victory!  My question is, What has God directed you to do, that seems impossible?  Will you trust Him and follow His plan?  If you will, the Victory is assured.  It may not be easy, but God never fails.

Have a fantastic day in Jesus!

Exodus 5:2 – “But Pharaoh said, “Who is Adonai, that I should listen to His voice and let Israel go? I do not know Adonai, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”

The question of the Pharoah brings to light an especially important and interesting question.  Who is the LORD?  Another way of asking that would be “Who Is He In Our Lives?”  “Who Is He In Our World?”  Psalms 14:1 declares, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.”  I find it impossible to look at creation and not believe there must be a creator.  The design of this world demands the existence of a designer.

Pharoah’s question suggests that there is no God.  He was the epitome of Psalms 14:1 because if we look with our eyes, we see the evidence of God everywhere.  We see Him in nature.  We see Him in the universe, the intricate detail and necessity of order scream there is a God who created everything.  When we consider the design of the human body and the world itself, we are at a loss to explain other than God.

There is a clock in Strasbourg, Germany that in addition to its regular features has a combination of moons and planets moving through the days and months coinciding with the heavenly bodies with amazing accuracy.  To say that it just happened would be an insult to the creator of the clock and intelligence.

The book Pilgrim’s Progress is an amazing work of literature.  No one would suggest that the author took a railroad car full of printers type and a shovel and began to heave the type in the air and this book just happened.  That would be so utterly ridiculous that the one suggesting it would be laughed to scorn.

If we consider the insect world, the Staghorn Beetle we discover something amazing.  The male has a horn twice the length of its body and the female has no horn.  As grubs, there is no difference between the two, but the male will dig a hole twice as deep as the female.  Why?  Where did he get his wisdom and instinct to do that? 

So, to Pharoah’s question, if God exists then, “Who Is The LORD?”  The biblical view gives us a valuable reality and understanding.  God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.  A cursory review of the Names of God will lend a powerful understanding.

He is Elohim (God).  It is used wherever the creative power and Omnipotence of God are described or implied.  He is the Creator God.  The plural signifies the fullness of the power of the Trinity.   He is Jehovah (LORD).  It comes from the verb ‘to be’ and includes all three tenses of the verb (past, present, and future.)  Since Jehovah is the God who reveals Himself to man, the name means – I have manifested, do manifest, and will continue to manifest Myself.

God’s relationship with the nation of Israel is expressed in His Covenant Names. 

• Jehovah-Rapha – (Exodus 15:26) – “The LORD that heals.”
• Jehovah-Nissi – (Exodus 17:8-15) – “The LORD our banner.”
• Jehovah-Shalom – (Judges 6:24) – “The LORD our Peace.”
• Jehovah-Ra’ah – (Psalm 23) – “The LORD my Shepherd.”
• Jehovah-Tsidkenu – (Jeremiah 23:6) – “The LORD our Righteousness.”
• Jehovah–Jireh – (Genesis 22:14) – “The LORD who Provides.”
• Jehovah-Shammah – (Ezekiel 48:35) – “The LORD is there.”

We have the combination names of God “El” (God).  He is El-Elyon (Genesis 21:33) – “The Most High God!’  He is El-Shaddi (Exodus 6:3) – “The God Who is Sufficient For the Needs of His People.”  He is El-Olam (Genesis 21:33) – “The Everlasting God.”

Back to the question, “Who Is God or Who is the LORD?”

He is Adonai – “The LORD and Master.”  He is Father – “The producer of all things! And the creator of man!”

Who is the LORD?  My question is “Who is He to You?”  To me, he is the one who is sufficient to supply every need and solve every problem.  He is the I AM THAT I AM!   He is my all in all!

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day God has given us to live!

Genesis 2:24 – “This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife; and they become one flesh.”

Ephesians 5:31 – “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

In today’s modern society there are a host of so-called authorities on every subject that is discussed.  The tragedy is that too many times these authorities do not consider the greatest source of information there has ever been or will ever be – God’s Word, the Bible.

There are authorities on things they have first-hand knowledge of and those who have only theoretical knowledge.  If one is an authority with first-hand knowledge, then their resource materials must be of the highest possible quality and flawless if possible.

The subject of Marriage, it seems, is one of those topics that there are as many authorities as there are people.  Some of them have experienced failed marriages. Some have never experienced marriage and write about it out of their opinion rather than experience.  Some are wonderfully married and write according to their experience and preferences.  Those all may have some value, but they are not the Ultimate Authority on the subject.

The Bible, God’s Words speaks about marriage from the viewpoint of the one who instituted the institution.  That would be God Himself.  The Bible’s instructions are completely accurate, totally fair, impeccably honest, and above reproach.  The Bible informs us that “God is Love!”  So, who would be in a better position to give guidelines for a union of love that is to be for Life than the one who is Love?

If we view marriage based on the Word of God and conduct ourselves according to His pattern, we will enjoy the most wonderful union known to man outside our union with Him.

In Genesis 2:21-24 we discover some unique things worthy of consideration:

God made Eve from Adam’s Rib.  She was not taken from man’s head to be lorded over by him.  She was not taken from his feet, to be trampled on by him.  She was taken from his side, to be equal with him, from under his arm to be protected by him, and from near his heart to be loved by him.

God prepared the woman to be a helper to complete the man and that the marriage of one man and one woman would result in the two becoming one flesh, one unit, one in the union.  Both maintain their distinct personalities and abilities but now function as one family unit.

Adam referred to Eve as ‘bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.’  They had become One!

In the writings of the apostle Paul in his discourse in Ephesians 5:28-31, he gave these instructions:  Men were to love their wives as their own bodies.  He taught that if a man genuinely loves his wife, he loves himself also.  Because the two have become one, then a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife.  He concluded with the great insight that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and gave Himself for her.

In Genesis 2 the language is stronger than that of Ephesians.  The man is to leave and cleave.  He is to step out from under the tutelage and governance of his parents and assume the responsibilities of adulthood.  He is to cleave to his wife indicating that the marriage vows are sacred and that this union unites a man and a woman into one single unit.  They become one working together in their pursuit of life.

We have allowed a dilution of this God-given directive and that has opened the door for man marital problems and divorce.  We have forgotten that the two are to be One.  We have lost sight of that oneness and allowed the condition where the two pull against each other in selfishness and misguided application of some biblical principles, to be the accepted norm.

If a man and a woman who love each other understand their new relationship in marriage, their responsibilities, their privileges, and their priorities, the marriage will have heaven’s blessings.  Their union establishes a new family unit.

When difficulties arise and they will, because we are all human and flawed vessels, those difficulties must be addressed with Love, Prayer, and a willingness to listen and surrender to God.  The Bible in 1 Corinthians 7, Proverbs 30, and Titus give powerful information about how marriage should be.

I know what becoming one is because my late wife, Bonnie, and I had become one in Christ and joined each other inseparably.  We each sought the highest good of the other.  We would each, at times, set our preferences aside to bring to the other their greatest joy.  We choose to agree with God not with the flesh and from a foundation of Love we had a wonderful marriage based on biblical principles and enjoyed God’s blessings upon that union.

God bless you as you enjoy this day in Him!

Genesis 1:26-28 – “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness! Let them rule over the fish of the sea, over the flying creatures of the sky, over the livestock, over the whole earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the land.” ²⁷ God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. ^[c] 28 God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land.”

I want to make a statement at the outset and proceed from there in our consideration of man the human creature.  Man was created good and upright, made in the image of God.  However, man by voluntary transgression and rebellion fell and thereby brought not only physical death to the race but also spiritual death and separation from God.

In considering the Rise and Fall of Man we must go back to the beginning and consider the origin and nature of man.  The Bible clearly teaches the doctrine of special creation meaning that God made every creature after its kind.  But God made a distinction between man (humans) and the lower creatures.

• Man Was Created in the Image and Likeness of God.

He was given intelligence, conscience, and will, which enabled him to perform two-fold in holding dominion over all living things on the earth and exercising free choice.

• Man Was Given Intelligence That Lifted Him Far Above the Animal Creation.

He has the power to choose between good and evil, which includes the possibility of disobedience.  His intelligence made him fully responsible for all his acts.  (Luke 12:47-48).

THE NATURE OF MAN.

• Man is a Tri-unity.

Genesis 2:7 – Tells us that man is composed of two substances, a material body, and an immortal soul.  The word Living Soul indicates both soul and spirit. The soul gives life to the body.

Hebrews 4:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 – Tell us that man is composed of three substances – (Body, Soul, and Spirit).  The spirit and soul represent man’s non-material life and the body represents the material aspect of man.  The soul of man distinguishes him from all other forms of life on the planet.

MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.

That means he was created God-like.  It does not mean that he is God, but he is like God in his original character and personality.  The standard of Scripture is that man is to be like God.  Leviticus 19:2 commands us to be holy as God is holy.  Matthew 5:48 instructs us that God’s desire is for us to be perfect as God is perfect.

That is a problem of epic proportions!  Not that the translation is incorrect but the reality that mortal man achieving sinless perfection is beyond comprehension.  In Leviticus 19:2, the word translated holy could be translated as ‘devoted’ and that involves complete surrender and obedience.  We are to be completely devoted to God, totally surrendered, and fully obedient in all things and at all times.  It is not sinless perfection but complete surrender that God is looking for.  This is the idea of Ephesians 5:1 – “Be therefore followers of God, as dear children.”

By or through creation we are the children of God, but that image has been marred by sin and therefore we must be ‘born-again.’  We were created with a moral compass, reason, capacity for immorality, and given dominion over the earth.

SIN IS AN UNDENIABLE FACT.

Man has created theories to either deny, misconceive, or minimize sin.  Atheism denies God, therefore, denies sin or its penalty.  Determinism says free will is a delusion, not a reality.  Some theoretical concepts of Christianity and Religion deny the reality of sin and insist that a Loving Father could never punish His children with eternal punishment. 

THE ORIGIN OF SIN.

In the Garden of Eden, the devil raised doubt in Eve’s mind about what God said and the character of God.  The Fall of Man opened the floodgate for sin, sorrow, sickness, and death to come upon the human family.  (Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21).

THE DEPRAVITY OF MAN.

Man’s moral, mental, and spiritual natures were perverted and distorted in the Fall.  Instead of loving holiness and purity man became bent toward evil immorality and pleasure.  To only remedy is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

The Bible reveals that Jesus was tempted in all points as we are and yet without sin thereby providing for us through His blood the perfect sinless sacrifice for the sin of man.

We were created in the image and likeness of God, pure and holy but became bent, twisted, and depraved through the Rebellion of Adam and Eve.  We are restored to the rightful condition through the Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.   1 John 1:9 gives us the answer – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Ephesians 2:8 gives us beautiful hope, “For by grace you have been saved.  And this is not from yourselves – it is the gift of God.”

I apologize for the length of this devotional but if you have not received Jesus as your Savior, I urge you to do so.  If you have, then I urge you to realize and declare that you are not the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and submit to God and resist the devil.  Begin to live the Victorious Life that Jesus came to bring.

God bless you as you enjoy this day He has made!

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 – “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”  NKJV

I am fully aware of the directive and declaration of Hebrews 6 that we are to move beyond discussing the “elementary principles of Christ” and move on to spiritual maturity.  It is clear that believers are to “grow in grace” and move from spiritual infancy through adolescence into maturity.  I fully agree.  However, if we omit one of if not the central message of the church, “The Cross” we err. 

We cannot grow in grace until we are in grace!  The apostle Paul nor the other apostles and disciples ever forgot the central message of the gospel.  They continually returned to the preaching of the Cross.  In fact, Paul declared in Romans 10, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  And how shall they preach unless they are sent…” (10:14-15). Paul reminded us in 1 Corinthians 1:18 that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those who are saved, it is the power of God.

 I love seeing things I have not seen before, in Scripture.  I love when I am meditating on the Word of God or in prayer to have the Holy Spirit pull back the veil and allow me to see that which is beyond what I have seen.  I love it when I move beyond the “milk” into the “meat” of God’s word.  I love it when I am in a time of praise and worship and the heavens come down and glory fills the place.  I love it when I sense the divine presence of God so powerfully that I feel I could hold it in my hands.  Yet, if the angels in heaven are overcome with joy when one sinner repents how can I have less a response and desire to see people come to the foot of the Cross and receive the Lord Jesus as their personal savior?

 When I traveled in evangelistic meetings and talked about the Cross as being the central message of the Church some would say, “You evangelists are all the same.  Salvation, salvation, salvation.  That’s all you think or know.”  Thank you but the message God has burned in my heart is not a singular message of salvation, but salvation is a part of what I preach. 

If Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and the significant charge He gave to the disciples was to “go into all the world and preach” should it not be our message too?  If Jesus is the Door to salvation, should we not be attempting to bring people to the door?  Of course, we should seek to equip and train believers for the work of ministry, but it is like fishing I don’t clean fish before I catch them. 

I have been in some churches multiple times and have yet to hear them present the message of the Cross.  I have been in others, and they never present anything else.  I once was lost in sin, but Jesus took me in and as Paul on the Road to Damascus, a light shined in my heart.  I knew that I knew that I knew my sins were forgiven.  I met Jesus at the foot of Calvary and thank God, he drew me to Him and when I called out to Him, He came to me in Grace, forgiving my sins and washing me whiter than snow.

Never be afraid or ashamed to share your faith.  Never be ashamed of the Cross.  You may never have a great revelation that awes people but if you have been to the Cross and met Jesus there, you have experienced the most important part of your Christian walk.  I am less concerned with impressing people on earth than I am about introducing people to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

God bless you as you go through this wonderful day in Jesus!