January 13, 2012 … Seeking and Knowing Truth

Passage of the Day: Chapter/Verse Reference: Job, Chapters 35-37 … To study these chapters, go to this link -

Job 35: … [Elihu continues his argument before Job and “friends”]
1 Then Elihu said: 2 "Do you think this is just? You say, 'I am in the right, not God.'
3 Yet you ask him, 'What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?' >>>
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9 “People cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. >>>
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12 He [God] does not answer when people cry out because of the arrogance of the wicked. >>>
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16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; without knowledge he multiplies words.”

Job 36: … [Elihu continues]
1 Elihu continued: 2 [To Job] “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf. 3 I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
4 Be assured that my words are not false; One who has perfect knowledge is with you. >>>
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26 How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of his years is past finding out.

Job 37: … [Elihu’s conclusions]
19 “Tell us what we should say to Him [God];
we cannot draw up our case because of our darkness. >>>
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23 The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.
24 Therefore, people revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?[k]”


My Journal for Today: Well, if you were with me yesterday as I’m here trudging through Job in my chronological read through the Bible, … day 12 saw the introduction of a new, younger critic of Job, who has been crying out to God in his [Job’s] tribulations. And this younger “friend” demonstrates what happens when people see life unfolding and think they (in this case young ELIHU) have a corner on knowing what is going on.

I think it is quite interesting that the younger critic, Elihu, actually criticizes Job for the arrogance to cry out to God, not trusting that God is in control and knows all about Job’s condition. Yet, Elihu openly, and very arrogantly, declares that he, himself, has the inside track of knowledge on the nature of God (see Job 36: 1-4 copied above). And isn’t that the way we are many times, thinking – and even speaking – like we’ve got the answers to the problems of others.

Now it turns out that Elihu does, in fact, speak much truth to Job about the nature of God; and this young man does show a lot of faith in God’s sovereignty and the Lord’s promises to be there – ALWAYS – when we get into circumstances we cannot explain, as did Job find himself. But we must take care in counseling others that we don’t think that we completely understand or speak for God.

As I sit here, writing this journal entry – as I do on so many days – I feel that God does give me insight into life from His word; but I have to take care, as I would hope you do in seeking after God’s truth, that I don’t arrogantly think I’ve got the answers or that I can, with great confidence, interpret God’s word in my trek to understand His will for my life. That’s why, as I study God’s word, I very often use God’s word itself to try to interpret or understand His written truth (i.e., The Bible). In studying the Book of Job, for instance, I’m led by good study Bibles to many other books of the Bible and other passages of Scripture to understand what is going on in the life of Job as he seeks for understanding into his very painful human dilemma.

And above all, I have to avoid letting my VERY HUMAN feelings get in the way of my search for and my understanding of God’s truth. As I read through the Bible this year, I will be on my guard to do exactly what Elihu, Job’s young critic, is saying today. I will be going to God (in my case through His written word) to understand my LORD rather than relying on my own internal compass of understanding. But I know from God’s own word and promises (see Isaiah 55: 11, Lamentations 23: 19, or 2nd Timothy 3: 16-17) that I can trust, with the help of Spirit-led enlightenment, what God gives me in and through His word (i.e., the Bible), using it as my guide to understanding life. And thankfully, I have so much more of His truth in His word than did Job.

However, I cannot or will not be able to tap into this vast and perfectly accurate source of truth unless, as Job wrote about in Chapter 28 of the Book of Job, I did deeply into the minefield of God’s mind by going deep into His word, which is my minefield full of nuggets of pure truth. And so, I will continue to mine for God’s truth daily in this place. And if you come here to dig with me, you’re going to have to pick up your pick and shovel of motivation and dig out the gems of truth from our trek chronologically through the Bible this year; … and so, we move on!

My Prayer Today: … Lord, thank You for offering up Your gems of truth as I dig into Your minefield of infinite knowledge. Amen

2010 – September 1 – Entertained, Not Pained

Blogger’s Note: Continuing on with my journal/blog entries for September, 2010 in my commitment to read through the Bible this year, using The Daily Bible in Chronological Order, edited by Dr. F. LaGard Smith, who also wrote the companion book, The Daily Bible Devotional, from which I’ll be extracting all my 2010 devotionals, including these for September.

Study from God’s Word… Ezekiel 33: 21 – Ezek 36: 38 … Passage for Reflection: Ezekiel 33: 32 … NIV 31 [God to Ezekiel] My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. 33 "When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

My Journal for Today: Ezekiel must’ve felt like a rejected shepherd at times, coming to the people and declaring God’s prophesies. Sometimes the leaders of God’s people would even come to Ezekiel to hear him espouse God’s truth; and then they would go away and do nothing to honor or obey their God.

There’s a lot of that going on today, with people who sit in the pews Sunday after Sunday and God’s ordained messengers, the Spirit-anointed preachers of the day, preach the truth; but then the flock, hearing God’s messages, seem to desire only entertainment from their Sundays in church; and they go away, not having really listened and taking in none of the pleas of their Pastor, … applying none of his preaching for obedience and Godly action. How exasperating it must be to cry out to God’s flock, calling them to action, and have them then go away and continue to live selfish, flesh-driven lives.

But then there are those preachers who preach messages of entertainment, tickling the ears of the flock with entertaining messages of self-power and selfish gain for their internally directed “faith.” And I think you know about whom I refer. They are the Oprahs, the Osteens, and the like, who come to draw in the masses and give them syrupy entertainment rather than truth from God’s word, which often can be painful. And let’s face it; … who wants pain when they can be entertained?

Dr. Smith, in his devotional for today, asks the tough application question of his readers (i.e., me): ”How many sermons, speaking directly to me, have I managed to conveniently ignore?”

You, my friends who read here with me, must answer that one for yourself as I have to for myself. And the most important question is, “Do I seek entertainment or truth when I go to worship and hear God’s messenger?” Or maybe I could also ask, “Is my Pastor challenging me onward as a Christian soldier; or is he just entertaining me to make me feel good?” Answering those questions could tell us a lot about our own hearts – as Christians – as well as about the calling of our spiritual Shepherds. And they are certainly questions we must not ignore.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to seriously seek Your truth! Amen