A man of incredible faith

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD. Job 1:8‭-‬12 KJV

Although this passage of scripture is rather startling, to see Satan challenging God about the uprightness of Job, it’s an incredible testimony.

God knew Job’s heart and Satan did not.

Thus, when Satan challenges Job’s faithfulness, God allows the test.

Satan is given all of Job’s possessions and the ability to kill his children, but isn’t to lay a finger on Job.

Job’s response proves God’s words concerning him.

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, and said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job 1:20‭-‬22 KJV

Even in this, Satan shows his unwillingness to yield to God’s truth.

And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
Job 2:4‭-‬6 KJV

So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job 2:7‭-‬10 KJV

Job didn’t know why all these things were happening to him, and he’s completely heartbroken, yet he doesn’t sin again the Lord.

Job’s integrity inspires me.

When, the circumstances of life bring loss and sorrow and deep pain, I want to fall upon my knees and worship God.

I want a faith which accepts trials and tribulations as much as blessings and seasons of plenty, for can it be called faith if it withers and died when the storm rolls over it?

No.

How did Job come to have such great faith?

And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job 1:5 KJV

He was diligent in serving God, both for himself and for his family, even when things were good.

Faithfulness was built by continually doing what was right.

What a wonderful truth and something we can apply today.

Whether we’ve done well or poorly in the past doesn’t eliminate our opportunity in the now.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for this story of Job, which never ceases to inspire my heart and encourage my mind. Lord, please speak clearly through Your Word into our today. Help each one of us to walk with You in faith, choosing to do what is right and following after You. Lord, You are sinless, even when You walked this Earth. I know sin and my flesh are constantly waiting to trip me up, please help me to be self-controlled, centered on Your Word, and a person of righteousness. Lord, on my own, I’m weak, but You make me strong. Lord, please renew our minds, if there’s anything the enemy has fed us which is marring our perspective, please reveal the truth. Lord, if there’s anything that has been taught to us, which does not align with Your Word, please reveal it and correct the error. Lord Jesus, please break up the fallow ground and replant it with Your Word. Let us not waste the gifts You have given, but instead teach us how to live. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Inspiring

I saw this as I was walking down the driveway.

I had to stop and take a picture.

This sweet little lawn daisy is growing surrounded by pavement.

Obviously, not the best conditions.

God used it to inspire me.

I’ve been reading through the prophets in scripture.

First, Jeremiah and now Ezekiel.

Neither of them are what you might call warm and fuzzy.

Jeremiah 1:15-17 NKJV — “For behold, I am calling All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD; “They shall come and each one set his throne At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, Against all its walls all around, And against all the cities of Judah. I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands. Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them.”

Wow!

That’s heavy.

Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel did exactly as God commanded.

They were faithful to the Lord and in the most difficult of times, when many all around them were not.

Jeremiah 6:10 NKJV — To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.

Being a prophet of God was a serious and difficult calling.

Ezekiel 2:3 NKJV — And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day.”

These men were living unto the Lord, no matter how difficult.

The lawn daisy blooming in the stubborn and unyielding concrete reminds me of these men who spoke God’s Word to a stubborn and unyielding people.

Those who persevere for Christ should inspire all of us to do the same.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your prophets and the people of the Bible. Their stories inspire and encourage. Thank You for showing how great You are through these people. Please continue to help me to be reminded of Your Word and Your truth. Lord, each day is a new opportunity to live for You. Thank You. Amen.

Perfect timing

The Lord’s timing is perfect.

As a young adult I often wondered why God waited on things.

My thought was, “I prayed, where is the answer? What are You waiting for?”

It’s only in looking backwards that I can see the reasons He did things.

And very often He did answer, it just didn’t look like what I expected, so I didn’t recognize it for what it was.

So, I’ve learned and I’m still learning about God’s timing.

As I prepared for bed last night, I wanted something to read, something to take my mind off the circumstances our family is in right now.

Our hearts have been heavy with concern for two family members who are dealing with health issues and we’ve also been seeking God for some other family members and the future God has for them.

We know the Lord is in charge and He will see them all through, but I’d be lieing if I didn’t admit we are all pretty emotional and rather spent.

So, I was asking the Lord what I should read.

What about My Word?

Perfect!

Wish I’d thought of that myself, but yes, I will right after I brush my teeth.

While in the other room I noticed a Voice of the Martyr’s Magazine.

My curiosity caused me to flip to the inside and read about a little girl.

She was 7 when a suicide bomber set off a bomb in the courtyard of her church on Easter Sunday in 2019.

Both her parents died and she became blind.

The incredible part of the story is how this has affected her.

She’s a devout Christian and, although she misses her parents,is secure she will be with them again in heaven.

The article mentioned more that her attitude on life is encouraging to others.

After reading this uplifting story, I got in bed and read the book of Ruth.

It’s where I was in my Bible plan and it was perfect.

I wanted to read something to escape, but instead God gave me something to inspire.

Both Ruth and this little girl had experienced great loss.

Both chose to respond by clinging to God.

Both have been rewarded, their lives are testifying to the goodness of God.

How can I say that when the little girl is blind and an orphan?

Because it’s not about her circumstances, it’s about her soul and after reading the article it is clear her soul is safe with Jesus.

It is with renewed vigor that I begin today.

No, our family circumstances have not really changed nor has healing visited those who are hurting, but I know God is faithful.

He sees all that each one is going through and He has a perfect plan for it all.

His timing is perfect.

And I can trust that He is answering our prayers.

I’m looking forward to seeing what He shall do in and through all these things.

And while I’m waiting, I’m going to praise Him.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for leading me to read those two stories. How encouraging it is to see others follow You no matter the cost! What joy to see You working in the lives of others. How great and mighty You are! Your ways are so much higher than our ways and Your thoughts higher than our thoughts. Lord, thank You for being so loving and compassionate. Thank You for carrying us through no matter the circumstance. Thank You for turning what the enemy meant for evil into good. How I long for the day when evil shall be dealt with, but I know it is your great mercy which stays Your hand and I love that. Lord Jesus, I want people to know You. I want people to be saved and I know You want that even more than I. Thank You for being so merciful, so faithful. Amen.