Job-like Faith

Job 14-16

I know normally I start off with what was Rhema to me, then I interpret it, Commit to it, and Exalt. This time, while reading Job 14-16, something hit me...Rhema of the character of Job. I've been reading Job for the past few days, and this man was in agony. Here is a man covered in sores, just lost his family, his servants, and his animals..crying out to God, "why?!?". As he is crying out to God, God doesn't answer him. Instead Job has 3 men giving him lengthy explanations as to why this is happening to him. They are almost convince Job has committed some sort of sin to bring this upon himself. However Job is "blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1 and Job 1:8). He committed to God wholeheartedly.

Yet here he was, feeling abandoned, confused, and heartache. What did Job do to deserve this? Job questions the reason behind his suffering, all awhile remaining faithful to God, not cursing His name, as Satan said he would in Job 1:11 and 2:5.

Reading his story bring me close to tears, I don't know what I would have done if I felt his pain, his agony, his confusion. It made me realize I need Job-like faith. I WANT to have Job-like faith. Job praised God in times of personal darkness. Through everything he went through his love for God, his fear of God, his faith in God never wavered.

Lord God,
First and foremost, thank You for sending Your son to earth to become that mediator, that arbitrator and connecting bridge between You and I. I also want to thank You for sending your Holy Spirit to us, so that we have a Comforter in times of personal darkness. Lord, I pray that continuously remind me of Job's faith. His faith was sooo strong, even when he was emotionally and physically weak. Teach me Lord to have that type of faith.

Amen

Why I sing

Someone asked the question
Why do we sing?
When we lift our hands to Jesus
What do we really mean?

Someone may be wondering
When we sing our song
At times we maybe crying.
And nothings even wrong

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free
His eye is on the sparrow
That's the reason why I sing

Glory
Hallelujah
You're the reason why I sing

Glory
Hallelujah
I give the praises to You

Glory
Hallelujah
You're the reason why I sing

And when the song is over
We've all said
Amen
In your heart just keep on singing
And the song will never end

And if somebody asks you
Was it just a show
Lift your hands and be a witness
And tell the whole world
No

And when we cross that river
To study war no more
We will sing our songs to Jesus
The one that we adore

Arbitrator

Job 6-9

Job 9:33

If only there were someone to arbitrate between us,
to lay his hand upon us both,

34 someone to remove God's rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.

35 Then I would speak up without fear of him,
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.

Job felt he was being punished by God and was seeking someone to arbitrate/mediate between him and God. He needed someone to bring lay a hand on him and God and bring them together. He knew that the mediator would be bale to remove God's rod from him, allowing him to speak to God freely.

Jesus is the Mediator. Jesus proved to be the Arbitrator by dying for us, renewing our fellowship with God. The relationship Adam and Eve had in the garden.

Lord Jesus,
By dying and resurrecting for us, you became the connecting bridge between us and God. Thank You for that. Job knew how much he needed an arbitrator, I pray that those that don't know it yet, soon learn that they need You to mend their relationship with God.

In Your gracious name,
Amen

Fall to the ground in worship

Job 1-Job 5

Job 1:20

Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

Job 2:9

His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

10 He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?"

Job just had his oxen, sheep, servants, camels AND his 7 sons and 3 daughters taken away from him. Instead of cursing God, Job fell on his knees and praised God. When his wife told him to curse God, job knew that we should not only accept good from God, but also all the bad. Job knew that what had happened was because God allowed it to happen. He knew to accept what God had allowed to happen by praising Him.

It is so easy for us to BLAME God for all the bad things that happen. We only choose to praise God when "good" things happen in our lives. We must remember to rejoice God in good times and bad. God has plans for us, and He allows things to happen for a reason, although it might seem tragic.

Lord,
Teach me to give You praise..not only when things are going good in my life, but to praise You as Job did when times got rough. I am sorry for the times I got angry at You for the times of darkness in my life. Thank You for allowing me to go through times of trials and tribulations. Although at the time, all I could ask was "why"; I now know that it was to build me up, make me stronger, and I thank You for that.

In Your name,
Amen

Rainbow

Genesis 8-Genesis 11

Genesis 9:12

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

After Noah and his family spent 150 days in the ark, God made a covenant between Himself, every living creature on the ark and the generations to come [us]. He said He will never destroy the earth again by the floods of water. God used a rainbow as a sign of His covenant with us.

Every time we see a rainbow peak its way through the clouds, we should remember this covenant. We should rejoice in the mercy God has given us, by creating this covenant. I will rejoice in the mercy God has given me.

Dear Father,
I want to thank You for continuously showing me Your mercy. I pray that I am reminded of this covenant you made with Noah everytime I see a rainbow in the sky. I pray that I don't think of it as an effect of light shining through water in the air, but as a reminder of Your merciful and faithful heart. Thank You

In Your merciful and mighty name,
Amen