Job

Technology...we find ourselves living within the bounds of it, and are often times are strapped by the confines of a downed network... as I have been over the past few days. I even took my computer to the bay when I was meeting workmen...thinking I could use the network there...and it too was down. I could receive emails on my phone but writing would have been too much of a challenge....so I was shoved into a "patient" mode of waiting for repair. I had stories to share but God used that time to reroute my thoughts and I hunkered down and caught up on my reading the Bible in 90 days. We are now half way through....and the word of God has blessed me and transformed my thoughts in ways I could not have imagined.

I always have thought the Old Testament was not too relevant to today's society and today's life applications but I am learning as I read and listen to tapes of Jack Modesett that the Old Testament has every relevance to today. I will hear someone tell a story of despair, or trial or joyful countenance and I immediately compare it to what I am reading for that week. The characters represent the characters of life that we meet today and some of them to my dismay point out through their lives the frailness and weakened will power and lack of trust in God that I deal with everyday.

As an example of an Old Testament lesson: We have just covered the book of JOB. He, unlike me, was a defined man of righteousness....and was declared by God himself to be a man of righteousness. But I was exhausted after reading it...I just wanted it to end. This poor guy! You have heard the stories and when I compare some of my complaints to Job's ...well, they don't even deserve a flicker of contemplation. But this is what I learned:

#1 All books of the bible are given to us to teach us about God...God almighty...the one true God of the universe. They reveal to us who God is...what God does...and How God responds.

#2 Job...thought it appears, at first glance, to be a book about a man who is unjustly punished..it.is really about Faith. Putting into action what you really believe about who God is. Do we believe God is just? Filled with Justice? This story seems to make us question God....and what he is doing? And what he is allowing Satan to do through one of his own

#3 This story is putting God on trial rather than Job. God is putting a huge wager on JOB....he is going to show Satan that we can and do have the ability to love and be faithful in our Almighty God even when all circumstances about us are pulling us into despair. It is a matter of trusting God to be who we believe him to be.

#4 A judge sits on his bench hearing all evidence and then make his final call for justice....God is our judge who see all and hears all that is around us, before us and within us...we are not able to be in that position...we do not see all and know all... so we can not make a judgement based on ultimate wisdom...only God has that authority... We can not question what God does...we can only look to the future and seek out the purpose that God intends to achieve through the crisis, whatever that may be. God always has an ultimate purpose for what he allows to happen.

#5 Job sought an advocate....an intermediary who would speak on his behalf.... if only he had someone who could make his case for righteousness. We have been given that advocate through Christ.

#6 Job was presented with three tests to pass 1) test of overcoming the loss of everything that he had been given, 2) the test of overcoming physical torment and 3) the test of overcoming well meaning friends...(Modesett said that sufferers attract fixers the way that road kill attracts vultures...sometimes our suffering is best left in silence....I liked that because I am one of those "want to be" fixers....and it gave me permission to just be there with someone when they are suffering...without having to find the right words or the right action) Each of these tests could only be passed through the faithfulness and trust that Job had in God. He had to go beyond what the world offers as balm...he had to reach for the heavens to overcome the obstacles that were before him

And how does this relate to me today? Well, Satan could take away all that he did from Job....but he could not control his response...only Job could do that...and he responded in loving faith to the God who he knew and loved....not because of what God had given him but because of his faithfulness and love for God...and his service unto God. My Life is all about my response....how will I respond when a crisis hits...How will I respond when my world is shattered...how will I respond when my knees buckle and my heart grows faint? Well, I have the same cries for help today that Job had then..the cry of pain, the cry of need and the cry of hope.

Job had three heart cry responses:

1) The cry of pain - Job 13:15 - Though he slayed me though I will trust in him...

2) The cry of need - Job 9:33 - If only there was someone who could arbitrate between us..

3) The cry of hope - Job 16:19 - Even now ...my witness is in heaven, my advocate is on high my intercessor is my friend

But the difference between Job and I is that God sent his son to clean my slate..Job did not have Jesus as adversary as I do. God sits today just as he did in yesteryear, on his bench of righteousness in judgment...seeing all and knowing all....and it is Jesus who stands and petitions as my successful adversary. I have to have faith in God's judgment and trust in his wisdom....no matter what the circumstances are that are before me. It is about my response....do I crater under adversity or faithfully stand tall knowing that I am shielded by God's banner of His faithfulness to those who love him? Will I choose to focus on my circumstance or focus on the purpose that God has in the future.

This devotional took a completely different turn that what I had expected to write at the beginning...God must want me to again pay attention to this lesson. It is a good one to keep tucked in my heat no doubt....Thank you Lord. Amen

Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!

cjodeit@gmail.com
www.cathyjodeit.com

The blog link below has all devotionals from the beginning of the year:

http://simplygod-cathy.blogspot.com/