A "Lesson" Perhaps Hitherto Not Considered

"What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?"  (Job 34:7, 8)

I'm obviously in the Wisdom Literature of my daily readings.  You know by now what I think of the young man, Elihu.  He was presumptuous, egotistical, self-righteous.  When Jesus finally speaks to "the situation," He sums up Job, "....the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.'"  Elihu had the nerve to "take issue" with Jesus' pronouncement concerning Job.  Our text reveals that Elihu saw Job as consorting, "....with the workers of iniquity..," and one who, "walks with wicked men".  God did not see this in Job.  Elihu's words were simply falsehood.  May our Lord Jesus help us all to walk in His Truth, to see others as only He sees them.

Boldness in "the faith" is one thing; arrogance is quite another.  Arrogance is the life which lives by, "no one else has anything of importance to say," or, "no one can raise something which I have never considered," or, and perhaps worse, "No one can teach me anything."  I'm not talking of compromise here.  I'm writing of the Church, "the Body of Christ," of which all who Follow Jesus are, "members one of another."  The, "three friends," and Elihu obviously did not see themselves as, "members one of another," with Job. 

I have shared before of the 85 year old lady I met back in the 60s, who said, "I listen to everything every child of God has to say."  I never forgot that, even though, I must confess that over the years I have criticized, judged, etc., what some have said.  I'm still "working" on that.  Maybe this is a very fundamental "word" which our Lord Jesus Christ has for us as we regularly read through the Book of Job: Instead of always identifying with, "the sufferings of Job," maybe we should also take a warning from the 4 who had life all figured out.  DON'T BE LIKE THEM.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray that any boldness would not be a cover up of presumption/arrogance.  Amen.
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* Please pray with us about the Berlin Mission for this year
* Planning to go to DC next week.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Waxing A Little Sentimental

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!  How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!  See!  Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!'"  (Matthew 23:37-39

I thought of our text this morning when I saw our resident mother duck sitting on her eggs, right between our chimney and our porch!  "Authorities" on such matters claim that they are on the eggs for about a month, and very seldom leave.  Get the picture?!?

As I watched mommy duck sitting there, braving all kinds of weather, even potential predators, I thought of our very familiar text.  Here is Jesus, telling the Jewish People Group that He has longed to be like that mother duck, protecting them, keeping them warm, nurturing, and whatever else goes on when, "....a hen gathers her chicks under her wings."

To you and me:  I don't really have to go on and on, do I?  This is the Living Triune God of the Universe, Who rules that Universe, "....by the Word of His power," likening Himself to, "a hen."  Now maybe the more macho among us resist such imagery.  If so, I feel sorry for them.  We are not the "tough" people too many Christians like to display.  In the grand scheme of life, we are nothing more than those little chicks, needing warmth, protection, comfort and nourishment, and all of which is only in Jesus. 

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that when a person refuses His covering and protection, "Your house is left to you desolate."  Yet there is no desolation to those who live in the power of an ancient promise/covenant, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty....He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge...."  Mrs. duck gave me a great perspective on this today.

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You that You still teach me in parables.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Be Careful What We Gaze Upon

"....if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by (literally, 'walked after') my eyes...."  (Job 31:7, NIV)

What really stood out to me today is that phrase, "....if my heart has been led by my eyes...."  And it will be.

This happens more often than we would like to admit.  Did you ever realize just how much of covetousness/lust has to do with the eyes, what we can literally see, e.g., fashions, cars, houses, church buildings, opposite gender, movies, "Face Time," vacation spots, etc., etc.?  Earlier in chapter 31, Job says, "I made a covenant with my eyes; why then should I look upon a young woman."  And, I can say with absolute certainty that for many women, young and older alike, Elvis' appeal was as much in what they saw as what they heard.

We can be sure from our text that one of the most dominating influences which turn people, "from the path," viz., the "Way," Who is Jesus Christ, is the eyes.  Job lamented the very real possibility that what his eyes beheld was a great, if not the greatest, danger of leading us astray.  I am not underplaying the power of words, but I could write a paper on the overwhelming power of, "my eyes."  We need to renew Job's "covenant."

The great power for "heart-walk[]," is, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus."  No, we do not "see" Jesus with our eyes, but people of "The Book" are those who are most equipped not to be, "turned from the path," because, "Blessed is he who reads (sees?) and those who hear the Words...."  The two main "entrance points" of our lives, our eyes and ears, are protected from, "turned from the path," by the Wonderful, "God-Breathed," Words. 

Daily, you and I are confronted with what our eyes see and what our ears hear.  I have no doubt that if our eyes behold, "the Words of God," and if our ears hear, "the Words of God," no power from the Pit can make us "walk away."

Father, in Jesus' Name, It is just amazing that after all these years, You still speak to me "the first time."  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Truth Is Suppressed By Unrighteousness, Not Words

"For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness (unrighteousness) of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness (unrighteousness)." ((Romans 1:18, NIV)

I read this yesterday and realized again that what I say does not impact as much as who I am. 

Truth is related to, "righteousness," not talk.  The Interlinear says that the concept of, "wickedness/unrighteousness," has the idea of that which deceives.  Frankly, society has place so much emphasis on words that deeds mean little or nothing anymore; hence the deception which follows.  One can say all the 'right" things, teach and preach the "right" things, yet, "though I have faith to remove mountains," if I am not right, which is what, "righteousness," means, then my "faith," good deeds, and talk alike are worthless, or as 1 Corinthians 13 says, "nothing."  1 Corinthians says this; our text says this.  Indeed, all of Sacred Writ proclaims this.  This our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us so plainly.

One of my readings over the weekend also had me in Numbers, 22-24, the passage concerning Balaam.  He has always been an enigma to me.  Here was a guy who anyone would love to have prophesy over him/her.  Consider all the great promises and "declarations" he made over Israel.  But Jesus saw something in Balaam's heart.  Israel too must have perceived this wickedness, because some time later they killed him.  Balaam's name lives on throughout Israel's history as one who carried the curse, i.e., "wickedness," not in his words, but in his heart.  Centuries later, Balaam appears again in one of Peter's Epistles.  Speaking of the wicked, the Holy Spirit says "....They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor who loved the wages of unrighteousness."

There is a great caution sign here.  What is inside me is who I am, not what others hear or see.  Balaam said that he would only say what the Lord God gave him; he apparently did.  We could even say that Balaam apparently "obeyed fully" what the Lord told him to say.  But Balaam was a "wrong," or, "unrighteous[]/wicked[]," person.  Jesus tells us that in, "the last days," this "Balaam spirit" will become more and more prevalent.  Now I am not attempting to make you suspicious, doubting before testing.  Yet whatever, "try the spirits," means, may Our Lord Jesus Christ grant us grace and mercy to so do.

Father, in Jesus' Name, have mercy on me, that I will not just say, but be.  Amen.

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.'"

Hebrews 12:2