Job 3

Job 3  Wow!  My heart was saddened for Job in the chapter. The reference In my bible describes this chapter like this:    "Job's very existence, which has been a joy to him because of God's favor, is now his intolerable burden. He is as close as he will ever come to cursing God, but he does not do it. "  In conversation with my husband, he brought me to this passage. Hosea 6:1-3   "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3 NIV) I would love to have been there to encourage Job. But I am here now to encourage those that God brings along my path.   I want to restate verse 1 in Hosea 6...., "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. (Hosea 6:1 NIV)

Job 2

Job 2  I'm definitely seeing a pattern already and I am only in the 2nd chapter. So maybe that's not a pattern but oh well.    1 why does Satan always appear with the angels.   2 Satan still has limitation..... From God.    3 Why do we always see troubled times as punishment for sin instead of trial.    4 Why does satan always provoke the wife in hopes to make the husband denounce the Lord.  Chapter 1:6 and 2:1 the angels came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came with them....      This is interesting to me. I have pondered on this, whether it is important or not, well it's in there twice.  After a brief conversation with my dad about this topic.... He cleared this up some.  We don't have much explanation other than the fact that this clearly shows us that satan has access to God also but is limited.  In chapter one we know that Gods allows Satan to test Job but limits him. Satan is not to lay hands on Job personally 1:12 again, 2:6. Satan is now given the power to lay Hands on.... Or well 'skin for skin' vs 4-5 but he is instructed by God to not take his life.  The most interesting is the end of the chapter, Job is still alive! Ha! Even Satan obeys the Lord.  And yet WE struggle daily to follow.  The most striking lesson from this piece of history is that sometimes what feels like 'punishment' is maybe God's way of growing us closer to him but also maybe an amount of reassurance that he hears us, he recognizes the faith that we have demonstrated in our own lives. I don't know why bad things happen but I know that God knows what we can handle.  1 Cor 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV) 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 be joyful always, pray continually, in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ. I can look back many times in my life and I have felt like Job.  In fact, I remember sitting at the doctors about 4 years ago sand he asked me, 'I bet you can relate to Job right now'.  This struck me to the bone and has never left my mind since.  So of course I was prompted to study who Job was and why in the world could I possibly have related to this person.   So it only took 1 chapter to figure it out.  I was sick and felt like nothing was helping but to seek the Lord and wait upon, praise him and not loose faith......amazing how some years later, feeling much better, a different season of my life, learning from the life of Job again.  Love how the Lord can teach us something new every time we read a scripture.   Many of us have felt like Job,,, probably everyone we are just not aware of it.  The very first woman fail into the lies..... She ate that fruit and offered to her man. Well here in chapter 2 again, we see the wife being used vs 9 'curse God and die!'. Holy crap! What in the world was his wife thinking?? Probably what some people have felt like at different times. There have been moments in my life I would much rather be with my heavenly father than deal with some of the sufferings on earth..... Than it's only a half a second thought and I am reminded of the love the Lord has for me and the purpose my life holds. Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21 NIV) So why this may be my own personal conviction and maybe yours, this a reminder to me that I need to be careful with my words and actions. And that even when sometimes we may think we are being helpful to our husbands, we may be steering him the wrong direction.  Reminding me of the importance of staying connected to the Holy Spirit personally, that we cannot give Satan even an inch in our life! 

Job chapter 1

My journey with Job Chapter 1 So as I began Job today a few thoughts came to mind. It reminded me of my feelings after I saw the movie 'The Help' after the movie I hoped that if i lived during that time I would like think I would have been like Skeeter....I would have been the one that would have made a a difference, gone against the norm that wasn't right .....Of course I compare that to my walk with the Lord and let's face it - being a believer and a follower is more and more frowned upon. And most likely will continue that way. As our faith is tested we will continue to stand for what I believe is right when the world is slowly trying to take God out of everything.    Another thing chapter 1 reminded of was a conversation I recently had with someone at church. About the 'end times '  Up for debate all throughout different churches is whether God will take his children before the final 7 years, half way thru or will we be here to experience all the revelations.  I am not here to discuss it but Job 1 reminded me of when everything falls apart which it will feel that way in the end times, will I still throw myself down and praise the Lord, will I still rejoice in knowing he has my life planned out, will I not blame him for the hard times in my life? End times or not everyday is a new day, a new day to test my faith and prove myself worthy of being called Gods child.  Is my faith so strong that even the Lord himself will attest to it.   There is no doubt that Job is a man of God.  We learn this right away in the first chapter   'Job was blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil' vs 1.  If someone wrote about my life Would they say this?  The first chapter is enough for me to bathe in for awhile. The conversation between God and Satan, wow! God was positive that Satan would not be able to break Job. He waS so confident that Job was God fearing  that he actually gave satan authority to well, basically test Job. In any area that Satan could think of, other than he was not allowed to lay hands on Job himself vs 12. Seriously!? Most of the time we can be broken because of circumstances around us that are not direct hit to us but indirect hits.  So true, if you ask me after reading the first chapter most people would have broke after chapter 1.  But not Job! He rips his cloths off, falls on the ground and worships. vs 21.  In the first tests alone he lost his animals and his family.....   I guarantee most people would be mad at the Lord and feel like asking 'Where in the world are you God??.'  And we would place blame on the Lord instead of looking toward him for help. After going through devastation in our lives would we still be still and know that God has a plan Jeremiah 29:13.  Or would we run to everything trying to find answers that will never fullfill the missing piece.  Lord, please continue to strengthen my faith everyday.  So that in the deepest of circumstances I will fall down and worship you!  Psalm 123: 1 I lift my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned  in heaven.