Tag Archives: job

July 18, 2024 · 5:30 AM

We Need To Worship

In Job 1. we read one of the most devastating stories a person could ever go through. In one day, Job lost all his possessions, his servants, his shepherds, his livestock and his children. One bad report came right after the other. In under a minute, he had lost everything. His knees buckled and he fell under the weight of everything. Verse 20 says. “Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship” (NLT). I imagine him face down with his hands raised up in surrender. He didn’t understand why everything was happening, but he did understand that God would care for him. The final verse in the first chapter says he didn’t sin by blaming God.

Every one of us are going to experience hardship that we don’t understand. Every one of us are going to unexpectedly lose things and people that we love with no answer as to why. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 that God causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust just like He causes it to rain on both. We are not exempt from pain, disappointment or loss. Instead, we have an anchor to hold on to when all seems lost. We have hope that others do not have. We can still worship in the middle of a storm we don’t understand. We can still trust God’s plan when our plans are torn from us. We can still look ahead when we’re too weak to move.

Hebrews 12:12-13 says, “So be made strong even in your weakness by lifting up your tired hands in prayer and worship. And strengthen your weak knees, for as you keep walking forward on God’s paths all your stumbling ways will be healed!” (TPT) When we are at our lowest, we need to worship. When we are out of options, we need to worship. When all seems lost, we need to worship. When we are too tired and feel like giving up, we need to worship. Worship regains our perspective. Worship renews our strength. Worship gives us hope. Worship keeps us moving forward when we can’t see the path. We don’t have to understand what God is doing, or even why. Like Job, we have to trust that He sees the bigger picture and knows what He’s doing. When nothing makes sense and you can’t do anything else, worship. He inhabits the praises of His people. He will not abandon you in your greatest time of need.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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May 2, 2024 · 5:30 AM

Your Firm Foundation

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus told the people that people who listen to what He says and applies it is like a wise person who builds their house on a firm and unshakable foundation. Then He said that those who hear His words and doesn’t apply them is like a foolish person who built their house on sand instead of a foundation. When the storms of life come, and it rains day after day, one of those houses will collapse and the other will stand strong no matter what comes against it. Hearing what Jesus says is important, that’s where faith comes from, but it’s not enough. We must apply the godly principles to our lives if we want the blessings that they produce. You can’t get the foundation He was talking about unless you do something with His teachings.

In today’s world, we are watching the rain come down day after day. The wind is blowing against everyone’s houses. Financial markets are crashing across the world. Education systems are under stress trying to figure out how to respond in this time of crisis. Governments across the world are scrambling trying to protect their people and keep their country afloat. The flood waters are rising and the houses that have been built on the sand are crashing down. Fear and panic have taken over the world as people watch what they’ve built get destroyed. Believers are no different. The things they have built are being affected by the storm and floods too, but there is a difference. We have a firm foundation that will remain no matter what comes.

Proverbs 10:25 says, “When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation” (NLT). There is no need to fear or panic as a person who has applied God’s Word to their life. He is still in control and He is still your source. He is your Jehovah Jireh, your provider. No matter how high the waters rise or how long the storm lasts, the godly, the ones who have built their lives on applying God’s Word, have a lasting foundation that is unshakable. You have an anchor of hope that will not let you be moved in this time. Hold onto your faith. Hold onto the promises of God. Rest on your foundation that He has given you. He will be true to His Word. Even Job lost everything, but he held onto his foundation and was able to worship in the storm.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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February 20, 2024 · 5:35 AM

Walking Through Fire

How do you react when you’re going through a difficult season? We all go through periods where we’re under attack and it feels like God has abandoned us. I’ve asked God where He was and if He really cared before. I felt isolated and began to withdraw. I started to think I was going through a period like Job. The difference was that when Job lost everything and he didn’t understand, he worshiped and his prayer life increased. When he was ,et with silence, he kept praying and trusting God. His faith was greater than the season he was in. His prayers may not have been that great, but he didn’t cut off communication with Heaven.

In Judges 6, Israel was living in the Promised Land. However, the generation that had seen God bring them through the wilderness and helped them conquer the land had passed away. They began to be overcome by enemies and God would raise up a judge to be a hero. In this occasion, the Midianites were harassing the people, taking their crops and starving them. Gideon was threshing some grain hidden away so that they wouldn’t steal it when God showed up. He called out to Gideon and said, “Mighty warrior, God is with you.” Gideon replied in verse 13, “If God is with us, why has all this happened?” God tells him to go and rescue Israel to which Gideon says he’s a nobody and not very strong. God then reminds him that He is with him and will give him victory. Gideon them sets Israel free.

In Isaiah 43:2 God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT). God didn’t say, “If you go through deep waters,” He said, “When”. Hard times are going to come for all of us. Seasons where we feel abandoned will happen, but God promises when it feel like we’re drowning or we’re being oppressed and going through the fire, He is with us. Because He is with you, He will give you victory. He will strengthen you. Neither Job nor Gideon felt strong enough for their situations, but God infused them with His grace and His strength and they were able to survive their season and be victorious in the end. If God did it for them, He’ll do it for you. He has not abandoned you. He’s calling a mighty warrior out of you and walking through the fire with you.

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May 15, 2023 · 5:36 AM

Missing Information

Have you ever been sure you were right until you found out you were missing information? I’ve had that happen on more than one occasion. Some told me an injustice that happened to them, so I stood up for them and argued their case. The other person, whom I was going after, said, “Did you know this?” I didn’t. It was a handy piece of information to have. Had I known that, I would have kept my mouth shut. Now I’m standing there with my foot in my mouth feeling kind of small. I had to apologize because I acted on the information I had rather than making sure I had all the information.

Almost all of the book of Job is about him pleading his case with his friends. They’re convinced he’s sinned and God is punishing him. He defends himself, and round and round they go for over 30 chapters. Then he switches his attention to God. He demands God show up so He can be confronted about his injustice. Well, God shows up and asks Job a bunch of questions he doesn’t have the answer to. God’s questions reveal to Job that he doesn’t have all the information. In Job 40:4-5 he answers God, “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers? I will cover my mouth with my hand. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say” (NLT). In that moment Job realized God sees the bigger picture and He was wise enough to be quiet and trust Him.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” I don’t know what you’re going through today. Maybe you feel like Job where everything is being taken away from you unjustly. Maybe you’re blaming God or pleading your case to Him about how you’re being targeted. I want to remind you that in Job 1, it was the devil who requested permission to attack Job. God trusted Job to stay faithful no matter how bad things got. Because he did stay true, God rewarded him. We don’t know why things happen, but we do know God is in control and He has a plan. He sees the whole picture of your life and is working everything out for your good, even when it doesn’t seem good or feel good. Trust His long term plan rather than your current situation. He’s not missing information. We are.

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April 4, 2023 · 5:52 AM

Don’t Run

My son once asked me, “If you had been with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, what would you have done?” I know what he was after and what he was thinking, so I answered, “I would have ran like the rest of them.” He replied, “I would have stayed.” I then explained that it was a nice sentiment, but he would have ran too. I told him that you can’t take today’s knowledge and apply it to what you would have done yesterday. However, I also explained that he can take today’s knowledge and pre-apply it to what he will do tomorrow. There will be plenty of times in his life, and ours, where things look bad, and the opposite of what we hoped would happen will come true. There will be times where we’re tempted to blame God and deny Him, but if we decide now how we will handle it, we improve our chances of staying with Him.

Job is a tough book to read. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to lose everything in a day, including your children. It’s hard to imagine how we might respond when insult is added to injury when we then become too sick to do anything about it. I love that this book pulls back the curtains of what is often happening. Job 1:10-11 has Satan going to God against Job saying, “You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!” (NLT) Satan accuses us by saying we will run from God when bad things happen, but God knows that like Job, if you will predetermine how you will respond, you can endure anything and still worship Him.

Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm” (ESV). We know that troubles don’t come from God, but He allows them and uses them to test us and grow us. Job had to endure a long time with no response from God as to why everything happened. God grew his endurance and his faith in the end because he didn’t run when bad things happened. He stood firm. We must remain in Him and stand firm during the most difficult times. He is our protection, our source of strength and our hope when all is else is lost. The more difficult your situation is, the more your endurance has the ability to grow. Don’t allow today’s circumstances cause you to run. God had a plan and was working things out behind the scenes for Jesus, the disciples and Job. He’s doing the same for you even though you can’t see it. Don’t run.

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December 5, 2022 · 4:36 AM

God Is Good

A friend was telling me about a lady who went to his church. Her son was in his twenties and had started serving the Lord when he passed away unexpectedly. She was devastated over it, but she still tells people how good God is. She was asked, “How can you talk about the goodness of God when you have had such heartache?” She replied, “My circumstances don’t change the goodness of God. Who know what could have happened to my son in the future? Perhaps it was the kindness of the Lord to take him home early.” Her perspective on God is right on and contrary to how so many would feel. Most of us would get bitter towards God or be ad at Him at least. Her story reminds me that o matter what comes my way, God is still good.

Job was a person in the Bible who also experienced great loss. In a matter of minutes he found out that his livestock and animals was stolen taking away his wealth and income. His workers who were planting crops were also attacked and killed taking away his future food security. Then his children were killed by a collapsed house taking away future generations. In that moment, he tore his clothes in grief and dropped to his knees. Instead of cursing God or asking Him “why”, he worshiped God. He reiterated God’s goodness and acknowledged His sovereignty. Even though he didn’t understand why it happened, but he still made sure to keep the proper perspective on things. He came into the world with nothing and he would leave with nothing. God gives and God takes. He then blessed the name of the Lord.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose” (AMP). There are times when your circumstances don’t look good, but God still is good. Things may be a mess right now, but messes are incubators for miracles. Difficult circumstances are the things that God uses to work out His plan in our life and to grow our faith in Him. I don’t know what you’re facing today or what you’re going through, but I do know that God is good and He is working things out for your good through it. Stand on this promise as a firm footing when everything else seems to be slipping away. Be like Job and profess God’s goodness even when it may not feel good.

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November 17, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Assumptions

There’s an exercise I do with people to show how our minds jump to conclusions and we assume. We observe a conversation where a lot of things are left open, and then I ask them questions about it. The group doesn’t know that I’m exposing how their brain works. As I ask the questions, they typically make assumptions. I keep asking questions to get as much detail from them as I can to see how much they’ve made up.

I keep asking questions until someone inevitably says, “I don’t know.” I then go back to what was said and ask, “So what do we really know?” I sometimes have to go through it several times before they get it. Most of the answers they give are based on their assumptions and not on what they know. I then like to ask, “How much of your life is based on what you’re assuming versus what you know?” It’s a heavy question that I usually leave several seconds of silence after while they think.

Job was a righteous man in the Bible. He honored God in all he did and even fell down to worship God when he lost his kids and his wealth. As time went on and he was struck with boils, his friends began to question his integrity. In their conversations back and forth, it’s clear that they make many assumptions about his predicament and how God is doing it to Him. They don’t know that Satan is behind the whole thing and is the one tormenting Job.

In Job 19:25, Job makes a great statement. He says, “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives” (NLT). We may not know why we go through certain things or why things happen, but we can know that our redeemer lives. We can live with assurance that He is in control and our lives are in His hands. We need to stop our assumptions that God is behind everything bad that happens in our lives. We know that it’s the enemy who steals, kills and destroys. It’s God who brings life. So they next time things happen, don’t make decisions based on assumptions. Go with what you know.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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September 8, 2022 · 5:30 AM

Passing The Test

Whenever I was in school, I remember one teacher who enjoyed giving tests. He would wear a “test tie” on the days he was giving a test, which was really an uncoordinated, loud tie. Sometimes he would wear a red contact lens. Once he opened a bag of chips and started eating them and crinkling the bag during the test. Whenever he gave tests, I made sure I studied because I knew there would be distractions and the test would be more difficult than the other classes. I used flash cards and met with other students to prepare to make sure we passed.

It’s funny that we spend so much time preparing for school tests, but very little time preparing for life’s test. God had so much faith in Job’s ability to pass any test that Satan could give him that he agreed to allow him to be sent through the wringer. Satan even tried to get in his head to distract him with his wife and friends who constantly accused him of wrongdoing. However, Job was prepped for the test, In Job 23:10-11 he says, “But he (God) knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.”

Job put something inside of him that was greater than any test he would face: God’s Word and a determination to stay on God’s Paths. When life tests us and we aren’t prepared, we may be like Job’s wife and friends who wanted to curse God and die. But if we will determine in our hearts to stick with God and trust what He’s doing in our life, we will pass any test that comes our way no matter how many distractions there are. God has enough faith in you to allow you to be tested. It’s time you trusted your faith in what you’ve been taught so you will pass this test.

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Throwback Thursday is a feature I’m using to help build some margin into my schedule to pursue other ventures. Each Thursday I’ll be bringing you a previously written devotional that still speaks encouragement to us from God’s Word.

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April 13, 2022 · 5:44 AM

What Matters Most

When I was in the Eighth grade, Nike had come out with the Air Jordan 3’s. There wasn’t anything else in the world I wanted more. I went to my parents, but they couldn’t afford an unheard of cost of $100 for a pair of shoes. Their price was $25 for a pair. Anything over that was my responsibility. So I grabbed the lawnmower and started knocking on doors. It took a while at $10 a yard, but I saved up enough to buy them. I was so proud of them and took them to my first out of town basketball tournament. That night someone pulled the fire alarm at 2:00 AM. The only thing I cared about was the shoes. I grabbed them and ran out. They were my prize possession for about three months until I grew out of them.

Job was a man who worked hard and became wealthy. As you probably know, he lost everything he owned in a day, including his children. Then he got a terrible skin disease. His wife told him to curse God and die. Then his friends came along accusing him of sinning against God bringing all this on himself. When he wasn’t defending himself, he became very reflective and introspective. He also got a little defiant. He learned what really mattered in life through his experience. When he got the proper perspective, God set things right in his life and protected him from the attack he was under.

Psalm 39:6 says, “All our activities and energies are spent for things that pass away. We gather, we hoard, we cling to our things, only to leave them all behind for who knows who” (TPT). What’s important to you in this life? Will it last for eternity? We spend so much time and effort trying to acquire this world’s wealth or items that give us status here, yet it’s what’s done for eternity is what matters. We need to take time to reflect as Job did. What changes do we need to make so that we’re not walking up to God’s throne empty handed? There’s nothing wrong with having things and acquiring wealth. Just make sure you’re laying up treasures in Heaven as well.

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