"Grace," Not Reason, "Will Lead Me Home"

"I make this vow by the living God, who has taken away my rights, by the Almighty who has embittered my soul.  As long as I live, while I have breath from God, my lips will speak no evil, and my tongue will speak no lies."  (Job 27:2-4, NLT)

 

Chapters 27-31 of Job are entitled in the New Living Translation as, "Job's Final Speech."  Job is obviously weary of the reasoning of his three friends.  Even when Elilu shows up, it is just a continuation of the blame game.  Chambers says of the scenario playing out in Job, "The predestiny of human wisdom is rationalism.  Any number of things happen which are not reasonable, and human discretion is apt to say that the man who suffers unreasonably is to blame."  Rationalism has been defined as, "unbounded confidence in man's capacity to think, will, and act in virtue of his own inner power." 

 

The great temptation to submit to rationalism may not come in the day to day life of most.  But when we face the deepest disappointments, the deep sorrows, fears, and uncertainties of life, when it seems as though God, "has taken away my rights," and, "embittered my soul," it is then the soul tends to depart from Jesus Christ and attempt to "sail the wide seas" on its own.  But if you surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, if the Word of God rules in you, if the Holy Spirit is as the song says, "the air I breath," then you will not succumb to that reasoning, that "rational" thought which will lead to perdition.  You will embrace Him Whose "grace will lead me home."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to see that if you do take away my rights, it is only because my rights were taking me away from You.  Amen.

********************************************

New Prophetic News Posts:

    www.apf327.blogspot.com

    www.apfjw.blogspot.com

 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Something More Important Than, "My Daily Bread"

"I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread" (NIV)
"my necessary food" (NASB)-- (Job 23:12)

And thus, my friend, is the secret to Job's victory.  Children gone, business gone, sick, body covered with seeping boils, yet, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  You are told so much today as to the "key to victory;" yet, if it is not rooted in the reality, the commitment and obedience of our text, it is all for naught.  Job was as Mary, "....Only one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her." 
I only pray to God it will never, "be taken away from," me!

Repetition is the nature of the Bible.  Someone once described faith as "saying the same things as Scripture."  What we have in Scripture is enough to keep us busy in the pursuit of faith the rest of our sojourn on this planet.  We eat every day, yet, "my necessary food," only keeps my body alive in this time-space world.  The Word of God, however, "what is best," keeps me alive in Him eternally.

What I have, "treasured," I mean really, "treasured," will be the extent of my help, my survival, my victory.  Thousands of years later, an Apostle of Jesus would remind people, "You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about."  As you and I persevere in Jesus Christ, treasuring His Words, we too will see, "what the Lord finally [brings] about."

Father, in Jesus' Name, though at times I fail, I thank You that at a point in my life, desperate, a lonely creature in the universe, You proved to me the lifesaving reality of, "I have treasured the words of [Your] mouth more than my daily bread."  Amen.
***************************************
New Articles on Blogs:
www.apf327.blogspot.com
www.apfjw.blogspot.com

When, Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

There is Always a, "Therefore," in Life

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him." (1 John 3:1)

 

We rejoice in our "position" as, "children of God!"  But along with this comes, "Therefore," the rejection from those who do, "not know Him."  The word, "know," has the idea of "acknowledge, respect, love, or approve of us."  It is also translated elsewhere as, "understand," or, "can speak."  Some may say it is presumptuous to identify with the Living Triune God in such language.  But John had no problem with this.  His assertion is quite simple--- the world does not know us because they do not know Him.  They won't acknowledge us, respect us, love us, approve of us, understand us, or speak to us, and all because we know Jesus Christ, and they don't.  Some may question this, but I have no doubt that this applies to Believers and nonbelievers alike. 

 

Over the years I have had people who do not "acknowledge, respect, love, approve of, understand," or who can speak to me.  Okay, according to our text, this is understandable.  Yet I have also experienced this in the Church, and it is a battle to discern who was missing God, the one who was not walking in Jesus Christ, not walking in the Holy Spirit.  It is always good to pray, "Search me, O God, and know my heart...."  But our text gives new encouragement today.  Do not walk in condemnation when people do not "acknowledge, respect, love, approve, understand," or won't speak to you.  We all need to, "examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith," but anyone, "in the faith," in Jesus Christ, will not treat you as the world described in our text.  They will talk with you, share with you.  They will heed the command, "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without which no one will see the Lord."  Holiness is manifested in making, "every effort."  

 

I encourage you today, however, to not let the latter part of our text rob you of the joy of the former part.  Just continue to, "SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God!  And so we are!"--- and so I am!------ and so you are!

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for a "devout and holy life" to be, "in the faith," approved of You, regardless of any other approbation.  Amen.

**************************************************

If you do not read the Blogs daily, you are missing some great prophetic news:        www.apf327.blogspot.com

    

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

Got Immovability?

"Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever." (Psalm 125:1)

The Enemy of mankind has been trying to "move" us from absolute trust in Jesus Christ to absolute trust in our, "own understanding," since the Garden.  This same choice is continually before us.  Our immovability depends on our choice.

Some time ago a person who had never read the Bible, but tried to give it a go, said to me, "But all those names and places, I just couldn't make any sense out of it."  I said, "I don't read the Bible to make sense of it.  I read it to get His Sense into me."  How much "stuff" in life really makes "sense" to us anyway?  Going through the Historic Books especially, one encounters one war after another, battles, people fighting for revenge, territory, etc.  Then there are the prophets, comforting, relating the glorious promises of the Holy Trinity, but also issuing some of the sternest rebukes and judgments imaginable. 

You and I have a very simple choice today.  We can give up on the Bible for the same or similar reasons given by the person mentioned above, or stay in Him, yes, Him, The Word of God, Jesus Christ.  The slave does not question the Master.  If he does, the slave is no longer a slave, and the Master is no longer his Master.  "Blind obedience?"  Call it what you must. 

40 years ago next month, my life was in the lowest depths, depths which I could not then, nor yet even today imagine.  I just started reading the same Bible, yes, with all the names, places, battles, intrigue, adultery, murder, scandal, "back room" deals, etc., which everyone else encounters in the same pages.  The reason I survived that very, very deep valley and still survive to this day is not that I understand any more than our friend; perhaps just more desperate.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I freely confess today that my only hope for immovability is You, and You only.  Amen.
********************************************
Read of America's Great Appeasement Policy @:
     www.apf327.blogspot.com


When, Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"I Humbly Bow to a Supreme Military Genius"

"Your hands have made me, cunningly fashioned and established me; give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments." (Psalm 119:73, Amplified Bible)

The Holy Trinity, "made,..cunningly fashioned,..established me...."  As Psalm 100 says, "and not we ourselves."  Yet people, even Christians, constantly go to other sources for, "understanding, that [they] may learn [His ways]," which in reality is life itself.  Books, pundits, pop religious teachers, friends, family, none of these have really a clue of the "cunning" things of life; they are not the One Who, "established me."  Only Jesus Christ did that, "by Whom the worlds were made"! 

I would venture to say that most people, even of those who will read this devotional today, are in reality searching as they have been always, for that, "understanding," expressed in our text, the understanding which will make some sense of this senseless age.  When we find ourselves in such a state, the Holy Spirit always says, "Come back!  Come back from whatever has replaced the, 'depths of God' (and of you and me also), which can only be understood in Me."

General Patton once prayed and asked God for good weather to do battle.  In some of his prayers he seemed to be confused and could not understand why God was not giving him what he asked for.  Later he prayed this prayer, "Sir, it seems to me that You have been much better informed about the situation than I was, because it was that awful weather which I cursed so much which made it possible for the German army to commit suicide.  That, Sir, was a brilliant military move and I bow humbly to a supreme military genius." 

"May the Lord give you understanding in all things." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I confess, I have no "understanding" apart from You.  Amen.
*************************************
This is not superfluous news:          www.apf327.blogspot.com
                                                            www.apfjw.blogspot.com
                                                           
When, Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2