Passage of the Day: Job 3: 1 - 26 … Linked for study ...
My Journal for Today: Okay, one last go around with Job, Chapter 3. And I have to admit, I think I’ve had enough with Job’s lament; and I want to move on to see how Job – and I – need to march forward after life cascades downward to the point where I’m confused or depressed. I get the idea that Satan had brought our hero to a place of utter despair. And I can see that he has admitted that he doesn’t even know why God let him be born. But Swindoll wants to make one more sweep through this topic to drill home the reality that we understand that God is not under any obligation of promise to insure that we understand His plan or His purpose for our lives. And I can see that it’s an important point!
God’s desire is simple; and it’s all wrapped up in the words, “Trust ME!” And we simply must grasp – while we can - the foundational truth that faith has no meaning if we’re always able to understand all that God will allow into our lives to help us become more like His Son. But the one thing I can fully bank on … eternally; and that is the ultimate promise which is found in our Lord’s death for us on the cross. We can bank everything on that one … that God sent His Son to live, die, and be raised again for our sin. We can trust that … and really that’s about all we can trust.
My wife’s favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3: 5-6, which I hope you can just rattle off responsively from your memory. You know it, … “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understand. In ALL your ways acknowledge Him; and He shall direct your paths (or “will make your paths straight).”
Do you really believe that, friend? Do you live it, … especially when devastating circumstances befall you? You know … that passage in Prov. 3 makes all kind of sense now; but I don’t know that my attitude would be any different from Job’s in Chapter 3 if I had lost my whole family and everything temporal in my life and I was sitting there covered in painful boils. So, right now, while I can discern the truth, in my castle of safety and security, I need to declare – for the record – AGAIN – that God is God and I am not! And I need to say to you that He will always be in control and He always knows what is best for me. And now that I’m safe to say this, I declare to anyone here that whatever my God chooses to do for or with His church – and yes, with me – is for the best. Did you get that? Do you believe it?
I just pray that when push comes to shove, I will be able to declare that truth again and live in the faith of God’s promise of eternity in heaven. My hope is in Christ … and really nothing else. Oh, may I live that out for the rest of my life.
My Prayer for Today: Lord, hold me in your graceful arms, especially when I’m shrugging “Why?” Amen
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