Tag Archives: job

July 4, 2017 · 5:28 AM

Million Dollar Moment


If you were on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, and you were down to the final question with the Phone a Friend Lifeline left, who would you call? Is there anyone in your life you trust that much when that much pressure is on and so much is at stake? Believe it or not, I imagined that scenario over and over again when the show was popular. Only a couple of people came to mind who had the knowledge and poise to deliver in that moment. 

When you think about it, that’s a lot of trust you’re putting in that individual. When everything is on the line, you’re saying, “I trust this person with my future.” You may or may not be able to think of someone off the top of your head. When Satan appeared in Heaven one day, God asked him what he had been doing. He replied, “I have been walking here and there, roaming around the earth” (NLT). Then in Job 1:8. God said, “Did you notice my servant Job?”

Satan then accused Job of only trusting God because he had been blessed and was protected by God. He asked, “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it?” God then allowed Satan to take away everything Job had. God trusted Job in that million dollar moment. When so much was at stake, God looked at him and said, “That’s my guy. I trust him.” And if you’ve read the book of Job, you know that when Satan took everything from him, he fell down and blessed God.

I wonder if God would trust me in that moment. Would He trust you? Is our faith based on who God is or is it based on the blessings in our lives? It’s easy to serve God when the blessings are flowing and things are easy. Would we have the same response as Job if we lost everything? Would we be able to drop to our knees and praise Him no matter what? It’s a tough question, but one that must be asked. What would be your response in that million dollar moment? 

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January 27, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Tested Faith

  
I don’t know if there’s a Christian alive who hasn’t gone through a difficult time and wondered why people who are outright evil don’t appear to be suffering. You try to do everything God asks and follow all the rules, yet there is someone in your life living in outright rebellion to God and nothing ever happens to them. It’s unfair. It’s unjust. Why should the godly suffer when we are the ones who try to do right? Shouldn’t God bless us because we are his followers and curse them?

I’ve been caught in that trap before. I’ve questioned God’s decision to allow me to suffer while others enjoy life’s greatest blessings. At times, I’ve felt like my life was worse than Job’s. In the midst of my suffering, I’ve wondered if anyone ever had it as bad as me. I allowed myself to wallow in self pity. It didn’t get Job anywhere, and it certainly didn’t get me anywhere. God didn’t even seem to notice my pity party. I thought, “Maybe I should just live how I want since living right hasn’t gotten me anything except this pain.”

When we act on those thoughts, we fail the test God has given us. I’ve found that God only tests those worthy of taking it. Everything Job went through was a test to prove that he wasn’t righteous only because of his blessings. God was showing that his faith didn’t rely on his health or possessions. It relied on his trust in God even when God was silent during the test. It relied on who He had found God to be in the good times. It didn’t get distracted in the storm.

True faith gets tested. True faith trusts God even when we can’t see Him or feel Him. It’s understandable that we want to compare ourselves to others who aren’t living right, but we are to trust in God no matter what. Psalm 40:4 says, “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods” (NIV). We are blessed when we can keep our eyes on God in the midst of chaos. We pass the test when our trust in God outweighs our circumstances. We need to realize God is testing us because we are worthy of being tested. 

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January 21, 2016 · 5:30 AM

Consistent Christianity 

  

One of the things I love about the book of Job is that it goes into depth about his thinking during his suffering. So much of the book is him conversing with his wife and friends about his situation. You can feel the pain this man went through as you read it. After his children died and his possessions were stolen, he became very sick. He was covered from head to toe with sores. He felt like trash and that’s just where he went, to the dump.

In Job 6:2-3 he said, “If my misery could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would outweigh all the sands of the sea” (NLT). He was struggling with the loss of his family, the loss of his stature, and the loss of his health. He was weighed down by everything that had happened in his life, but he was determined not to let it affect his relationship with God. He refused to let his external circumstances dictate what His thoughts about God were.

For me, that’s one of the greatest lessons of Job. Choose to serve God anyway. Don’t let circumstances determine the depth of your faith and trust in God. We cannot be fair weather Christians. We cannot only serve God when things are going well and it’s convenient for us. We also can’t let the only time we run to God be in the bad times. God wants consistent Christianity out of us. He wants us to be in communion and fellowship with Him no matter what is going on in our life.

Consistent Christianity is more than going to church. It’s more than performing rituals and memorized prayers. It’s about taking the time to know who God is for yourself. It’s about having a daily time set aside where you pray and meditate on what God’s Word says. It’s about living your life the way you say you believe. It’s not about being perfect, but holy. It’s not about being a Christian in name only, but in our lifestyle and through the words that we speak. Consistent Christianity is a daily choice to live a life that is different than the world lives.

I Peter 1:15 says, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy.” It doesn’t say to only be holy between 9-12 on Sunday’s. It’s a command to be holy in every area of our lives. When we live that way, we can survive what Job survived and more. We can fall to our knees and worship God the way he did because our relationship with God is deeper than any struggle. That’s how we were intended to live.

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December 31, 2015 · 5:30 AM

The Voice In The Storm

  
We like to look at the end of a year as the end of a chapter in our lives. Each new year brings new hope, new opportunities, and a fresh start. For many of us, we roll out a welcome mat for those prospects. The passing year may have been one of the hardest ones you’ve had to endure. You may have felt like Job did with all his trials and tribulations. You may have questioned God in what He has allowed to happen to you and why you’ve had to endure everything you’ve gone through. I’ve been there too.

If you’ve read the book of Job, then you know most of it is Job and his friends conversing trying to figure out why all the bad things have happened to him. Some think God is punishing him for secret sins, some think God is making an example out of him, and his own wife thinks he should just curse God and die. After each person gives their reasons and Job defends himself, he began to question things. Finally, in chapter 38, God speaks to him from the middle of the storm.

God was rough on Job. He asked him where he was when the foundations of the earth were set. He asked Job questions that only God had the answers to. Then in chapter 40 God asked Job, “Are you going to haul me, the Mighty God, into court and press charges?” (MSG) Job wisely answered in verse 3-5, “I’m speechless, in awe—words fail me. I should never have opened my mouth! I’ve talked too much, way too much. I’m ready to shut up and listen.” Even then, God asked him, “Do you presume to tell me what I’m doing wrong?”

God was pointing out to Job that in all of his wisdom and understanding, he knew nothing compared to God. He wanted him to understand that the God who created all things and knows all things knows what He’s doing and never took His eye off of Job. God knew what He was doing with Job and He knows what He’s doing in your life. He may not answer you out of the storm like He did for Job, but you can rest assured He knows what He’s doing. He has a plan and a greater knowledge of you and your future than you can comprehend.

Job’s response to God should be ours. Job answered GOD: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head.” We are not to confuse the issues or second guess God’s purposes. We are to endure and to stay faithful to God in the process. In the end, God rewards us for our faithfulness and restores what the locust stole. Hang in there, trust God, and listen for His voice in the storm.

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December 7, 2015 · 5:30 AM

The Habit Of Praise

  

I believe that there are several habits we as Christians can adopt in our lives to become the type of believer we truly aspire to be. While Hebrews 11 has compiled a list of heroes of the faith for us, there have been many who have lived since that we can learn from as well. If I were to ask you to think of a person, past or present, who exemplified a life of faith as a believer, you could probably think of a name quickly. Whether they were written about in the Bible, history, or have just touched your life in some way, they have habits in their life that you and I can adopt into our own lives to become that type of Christian.

The first habit I want to touch on this week is the habit of praise. Our praise shouldn’t be dependent on how we feel or what circumstance we find ourselves in. The Biblical example of this is Job. After having lost all of his children in a tragedy and his possessions in the same day, Job 1:20-21 said he fell down, worshipped and said, “Praise the name of the Lord!” (NLT) He didn’t let his external circumstances change his ability to praise.

There isn’t a person alive who doesn’t face trouble at some point in their life. Not all of us have those Job moments where we lose everything at once, but we still suffer loss. We still suffer grief. In those moments, our habit is what raises to the surface. Difficult times often reveal what’s in our heart like it did for Job. One of my favorite examples of someone having the habit of praise in the midst of a storm is Horatio Spafford.

In 1871, he lost most of his wealth in the Great Chicago Fire. In 1873, there was an economic downturn which further hurt him. He decided to head to Europe with his wife and four daughters, but a zoning meeting in Chicago held him up. His wife and daughters left without him. The ship they were on collided with another and sank before help could arrive. His wife sent a telegram that said, “Saved alone.” His children did not survive.

As he was on his way to meet his wife in Europe, his ship passed near the wreck site. As it did, he wrote these words, “When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, ‘It is well, it is well with my soul.'” The famous hymn of praise came out of a tragedy and deep grief because he had a habit of praise in his life. He knew that no matter what happened in life, God was in control and working things together for his good.

God wants you and I to develop the habit of praise in our life so that nothing can keep us from fulfilling our purpose. Psalm 64:10 says, “Good-hearted people, make praise your habit” (MSG). If we will start and end our day with praise, we will get in the habit of praising God. If we will choose to praise no matter what we face or what our day brings, we will develop the habit of praise to the point that if we are faced with something like Job or Horatio did, we will have the same response they did.

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September 10, 2015 · 5:30 AM

God’s Faith In You

One of the many reasons I love the book of Job is that it gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into what goes on in the spiritual realm. In the first chapter, verses 6-12, we read how the angels presented themselves before God. As they were assembling, the accuser, Satan, came to join them. The Lord quickly noticed him and asked him what he’d been doing. Satan replied, “I’ve been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.” The Lord then asked, “Have you noticed my servant Job?” Satan said that he had.

Satan started his accusations against Job by saying that he was only faithful because of the blessings God had given him. He wanted God to turn on Job so that Job would turn on God. The Lord knows that Satan tries to put a wedge between God and us. He accuses us of things we’ve been forgiven of, and tells God our faith will fail if bad things happen in our lives. God knows the levels of lies and deceit the enemy will go to try to separate us from His love for us. He also knows the level and strength of your faith.

What I see in this story is how God often has more faith in us than we do in Him or ourselves. He trusts us to hold on to Him when our world seems to be crashing down. He knows that testing proves how deep our faith is, and it also strengthens it. An easy road doesn’t produce a strong Christian. If anyone should have been crushed by their problems it was Job, and his faith endured because of his faith inside.

You are stronger than you think you are. I John 4:4 says, “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world” (NASB). You are not left to pass the test alone. God is with you every step of the way. He watches over you and limits what the enemy can do to you as His child. Just like Job, if we will keep our faith in the hard times, God will bless us more after them than He had before them. God will not let the enemy push you beyond your ability to trust in Him. He knows your limits and has given you inner strength to overcome by filling you with the Holy Spirit. Don’t give up on God or your test. God believes you will pass. Prove Him right to the one who accuses you.

Here are some other devotions I’ve written on this topic:

“Why Bad Things Happen To Good People”

“God’s Blueprints”

“Peace In Uncertainty“

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December 11, 2014 · 7:46 AM

The Promise Of Joy

I’ve often heard that joy is not circumstantial, but happiness is. To many of us, the two are the same. I believe that happiness is an external expression as a result from a feeling. Joy, on the other hand, is what creates hope and optimism even in the face of circumstances that tell you otherwise. Joy is what gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other, to breathe in and breathe out and to get out of bed when all we want to do is curl up and cry. Joy gives us peace in troubled times.

The Bible speaks a lot about Joy. In one instance, Job had been faced with great loss to his family, finances and health. Things got so bad that his own wife told him, “Curse God and die!” She had let the circumstances steal her Joy. She saw no way out of the situation. She had no hope for the future. She was mad at God, mad at life and mad at her husband. She couldn’t understand why her husband still held onto his faith in God in such trying times. It just didn’t make sense.

I’ve found that a lot of life doesn’t make sense. I don’t understand why things happen the way they do. I don’t pretend to know why God doesn’t answer my prayers the way I pray for Him to. Just because He doesn’t, I shouldn’t stop praying. I shouldn’t grow bitter against Him. I shouldn’t sever our relationship. It’s easy to do those things in the midst of a trial if you don’t have Joy. It’s easy to want to quit, renounce your faith and walk away because you’re mad at God. But Job proved that you can go through unimaginable pain and maintain your Joy. Was he sad? Yes. But even in his sadness, he did the hard thing. He held onto Joy.

I’m sure he began to wonder why he was holding onto it after a while. I’m sure over time the situation, the questions and longevity of his trial began to wear on him. During that time, a friend named Bildad came to encourage him. In Job 8:21, he reminded Job of who God was and what He promised His people. He said, “He (God) will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” He reminded Job that the circumstantial sadness was only temporary.

I believe that verse is God’s promise to us today. He will once again return laughter and joy to your life no matter what your circumstances have brought you. I love Psalm 30:5. It’s very familiar to lots of people. You’ve heard it read as, “Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes in the morning.” I especially love how the Message puts it. It says, “The nights of crying your eyes out will give way to days of laughter.” Circumstances will tell you those days will never come, but Joy says it’s on its way. That’s a promise from God.

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December 9, 2014 · 7:00 AM

Long Term Lessons

In the summer between my Fifth and Sixth grade years of school, my parents informed me that they were taking me out of the school system I had attended all my life and we’re putting me into a Christian school. I was devastated. All I could think of were the things I was going to lose and miss out on. There was no social media so I was going to lose all the friends I had been making since kindergarten. The Christian school was small and didn’t have much of a sports program. I went from a class of 20 something students to an entire grade that had only six students.

All I could focus on we’re the things I was losing. I pled with my parents about their choice. I wasn’t happy about it and let them know it! They were focused on my bigger picture. They knew that there was a higher percent of Christians in the Christian school than where I was meaning I would more than likely make friends with good influences. They knew that a grade that had six students would mean I would get a more individualized learning situation. They knew that even though sports were a big deal to me, I wasn’t going to be a professional athlete so they focused on things that benefited my future.

Thirty years later, I can see now what I couldn’t see then. I appreciate the choices they made even though I disagreed with them. As an adult in life, I forget that ultimately I’m a child of God. Even though I call Him “Father” in my prayers, I don’t often think of us being in a father / son relationship. I think of myself as an adult and He is more like my guide. I don’t think that’s how He wants it though. The truth is, I don’t know anything about what’s best for me long term just like I didn’t as a Fifth grader.

When God makes choices to take things out of my life, I still stomp and tell Him it’s not fair. All I can see are the things I’m losing. I’m too focused on the short term comforts rather than His long term goals for my life. I feel like God speaks to me sometimes in the way he did in Job 38 to get my attention during my tantrums. In verses four and five, He asked Job, “Where were you when I made the world? If you know so much, tell me about it. Who decided how large it would be? Who stretched the measuring line over it? Do you know all the answers?”

I don’t always agree with the decisions God makes in my life, but I’m learning that He knows what’s best long term for me. He may take away people or things from my life so that He can put prepare me for what’s ahead. He may do things that look like sacrifices now only to reveal years later that it was for my good. I wasn’t there when He laid the foundations of the earth. I don’t have the answers, but I do know the One who does. In times when I feel like I’m losing important parts of my life, I’m learning to trust His overall plan because He will do what is best for me long term.

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December 4, 2014 · 6:30 AM

Blessed Be The Name Of The Lord

After Job suffered great loss in his life, his response was, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” I’m reminded of his response after having suffered the loss of two people whom I held dear this week. It’s been a lot to process and to handle. It’s easy to accept things that God gives, but a lot more difficult when He takes them away. I don’t understand how Job had the ability to bless God as his first response.

I see now why God said this about him, “He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless – a man of complete integrity.” It’s no wonder God trusted him so much. I often wonder why God trusts us with so much. With the good things He gives, comes responsibility. It’s often more than I think I’m worthy of or capable of handling. Jesus said in Luke 16:10, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” He sees how we respond to what He gives us to see if He can give us more.

When he takes away or gives us more than we feel we can handle, our response should be like Job’s. We should bless God anyway. Ultimately, when He takes something or someone out of our life, it’s part of His plan for us. I can’t always see how things are working out for my good, but He can. I don’t always understand why tragedy hits, but He does. That has to be enough if we are to make any sense of the loss we experience.

In the end, God gave Job more than he ever had. No, he didn’t get the family he lost back, but God gave him new family. He multiplied more than was subtracted from him. God can do the same for me and you. We just have to learn to trust His plan and praise Him no matter what. Job was able to do it. That gives me hope that I am capable too. He was just as human as I am and he blessed God in good times and bad. So today, I purposefully say, “Blessed be the name of the Lord!”

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June 3, 2014 · 7:54 AM

Learning To Worship

A few years ago I heard John Bevere say, “Worship is not a slow song.” That’s always stuck with me. We associate it with music because of the genre of music, but worship is more than what you do in church on Sunday during the singing portion of the service. Worship can be an act, an action that you do in reverence to who God is. You can worship God through giving offerings, through serving someone in need, by being still in a busy world and listening to what He says. There are so many ways to worship, but ultimately it has to be part of who you are.

When I think about worship, Job comes to mind. I think back to where he lost all of his kids, all of his animals and all of the things he had that gave him security. When all of that happened, he fell to the ground and worshiped. He didn’t sing the latest song from Hillsong United. He laid prostrate before God, and blessed His name. He recognized who he was in comparison to God and recognized that everything he had been given came from God. He honored God through his words and actions. Scripture even says, “In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.” He chose to worship instead of to blame.

I know it’s crazy, but while I was thinking about all of this, I asked Siri to define worship. She said, “Love unquestioningly and uncritically.” I was blown away because that’s exactly what Job did. He loved God unquestioningly through the darkest time any human has had to endure. When others were critical of God or his response, he remained in that attitude of worship. When his wife said, “Curse God and die,” he defended God. She asked him to give up his integrity, but he refused. Worship wasn’t just something to do when slow music was playing and everything was going right. It was a lifestyle he lived.

Each of us as believers have to get to the point where worship becomes who we are and not what we do. It has to be built into the fibers of our being so we honor God when hard times come instead of blaming Him. It has to come from our heart instead of our head so that it has meaning. It can’t be just something we do when the lights are low, the music is soft and God’s presence is overwhelming. It has to be something we do when we are sitting in traffic that’s making us late. It has to be something we do on Sunday morning when others are making you late for church. It has to be something you do when you’re hit with the worst news possible.

If you’re like me, you’ve got some room to grow in this area. I had to confess to God that worship isn’t my first response when things aren’t going my way. I also prayed that He would help me to make worship part of who I am as a person. I need it to be so deep inside of me that no matter what happens to me in life, I will choose to worship God. Take time today to ask God to help you worship Him in different areas of your life. Take worship beyond the doors of the church and make it what you do every day.

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