Monthly Archives: January 2013

January 11

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Job 22-26

Job is very confident in God. He doesn’t understand God and questions why these things are happening to him. He longs to speak to God face to face to present his case but realizes that is not possible.

Then he says…But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

That’s what God wanted Job to learn about himself. God doesn’t “test” us to learn something about us he doesn’t know. He knows everything about me including the number of hairs on my head. God allows things to happen in our lives so we can test ourselves.

2012 taught me that yes, I DO believe God is able to get us through the hard times. Yes, my faith in God doesn’t depend on easy living. Yes, God works through the hardest of times and reveals his great love. It taught me that God is trustworthy, loving, and does all things well. It taught me that it’s ok to question God but in the end, I can lay it all at his feet and rest in his care.

Job trusted God so much that, even  in the midst of suffering, he knew he would be ok in the end. Better than ok. He would be like gold.

Thank you,God for teaching me about you… and about me. Help me to learn the lessons you have for me today. Thank you for knowing the way I take and for the assurance that you are with me every step.

January 10

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Job 19-21

My mom was ready to die. We are one month short of seventeen years since her battle with cancer ended. There are things about that day that are still so fresh in my memory. Other details have naturally faded.

I will admit that to this day I harbor ill feelings toward Mom’s pastor. He didn’t visit her, although my sister asked him repeatedly if he would take communion to Mom. His wife brought soup a couple of times and I imagine that eased any guilt he might have felt.

Then at her funeral, he mentioned what a good mother Mom was. But he never once said anything to my Dad. Never once offered comfort to this dear man who was totally lost without her. The pastor gave a flowery, impersonal sermon based on Job 19:25. Although he had been the pastor of our church for ten years, he could have given the same sermon for a stranger. God forgive me, my anger toward this man is still strong. I am convicted as I read God’s Word today.

The truth is Mom did know her Redeemer lives. She knew without a doubt that she was ready to stand before Him. She looked forward to her eternal home. This verse will always remind me of my Mom.

Lord, may I have the same hope in my living Redeemer. Thank you that You are alive and present in my life. Thank you for the promise of heaven and the assurance that You will welcome me there one day. And help me to forgive as You forgive… as Mom would want me to forgive.

January 9

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Job 15-18

It’s a sad truth that we can be pretty judgmental. I’m not talking about identifying sin as revealed in Scripture. I’m talking about motive. I’m talking about feelings and reacting to circumstances.

“If it was me…” and we go on to tell someone what they SHOULD have done, or how they SHOULD feel. But Job says walk in my shoes, then we’ll talk.

Since Geoff’s death, his mom has experienced this several times. One person even told her she knew how Peggy felt because “my dog died”. A counselor told Peggy she knew what Peggy felt because she almost lost her own daughter in an accident. Almost. Peggy was quick to tell this counselor (and I use this term loosely) that she had no idea as long as she could still hug her daughter.

We need to be careful not to assume we know what someone else is experiencing. Empathy can only go so far. I am not you. You are not me.

One mother, who had lost her own young son to cancer told Peggy… I don’t know how you feel. But I know how I felt and still feel and it hurts. I’m here if you need me and I’m praying for you.

I think that’s the best counsel of all.

January 8

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Job 11-14

Job knows there is order in the universe. If it doesn’t rain there is drought. If it rains too much it devastates the land. Ears hear and tongues taste. He says nature itself understands what we do not. Ask the animals and they will teach you or the birds or the fish. They, Job tells us, know that in God’s hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.

Job reminds me today that this creation was not an accident. Our world is a beautiful, amazing work of art. From the tiniest cell in my body to the tallest mountain there are wonders to behold. And the Creator wants us to know him, to trust him.

Job said even if God slew him he would still put his hope in God. Life is not easy. There are struggles and sadness. But there are also some pretty incredible aspects, too. Not the least of which is the comfort that comes from trusting God with it all.

We who know the Creator know that as amazing as this life is here, our eternal home is even better. God is faithful in this life… and the next.

January 7

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Job 8-10

Job looks at his life and knows he is a good man as far as men go. Yet when he looks at his life in light of what he knows about God he is broken. Circumstances aside, he knows he is guilty before a Holy God. Job pleads for someone to stand in the gap.

“If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him. But as it now stands with me, I cannot.” (9:32-35)

Job cries out for Jesus without knowing his name. As a follower of Christ I have a great High Priest, a Mediator, One who goes to the Father on my behalf. One who presents me faultless before the throne and invites me to come boldly.

It’s not that I have a free pass. In fact, the cost of my access to Almighty God was so high I couldn’t pay it. But Jesus did. Jesus stands with one hand on my shoulder and the other on the Father’s. And all I had to do to receive this incredible privilege was to accept his grace, knowing He paid what I could not.

January 6

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Job 4-7

I kind of like Job’s friends. They heard their friend was in trouble and they went to him. I don’t know how far they traveled but I know they didn’t catch a flight or take the turnpike. Going to Job was probably not an easy thing to do. But they went because their friend was hurting.

When they saw how much agony Job was in they just sat with him. For seven days and nights! They sat without trying to fix Job or make him feel better. Talk about support, sensitivity, love. These guys had it all.

But then they opened their mouths. I’m sure they meant well. And some of what they said is true. But they would have been more helpful if they had remained silent.

Eliphaz starts off by suggesting Job’s troubles were a result of sin in Job’s life. (He didn’t know about the conversation between Satan and God which started the whole thing) Eliphaz believes Job is being punished for some horrible deed he has committed. After all, he says… Who, being innocent has ever perished? Were the upright ever destroyed?

Um… yes. Babies die. People are killed for proclaiming Christ. Bad things happen in a sinful world to both good people and bad.

Here’s the other thing. We all deserve to be punished. There is no one righteous… not even one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If God treated sin with disease, death, and tragedy there wouldn’t be anyone alive today.

But God longs to treat sin with grace. He took on himself the punishment for sin and offers forgiveness to anyone who asks. There are consequences for sin in this lifetime, of course. Whether it’s weeds growing in a garden, broken marriages resulting from infidelity, diseased livers from abusing alcohol, and everything in between, sin has devastating results. I worked for a principal who often talked about ‘natural, logical consequences’. If you put your hand in a fire you will get burned. If you don’t do your homework you will fail. If you jump off a cliff you will get hurt.

What God wants us to know is that He is not up there with a zapper, waiting for us to mess up so He can inflict harm. He wants us to know He is a loving God who is rooting for us to do the right thing. He doesn’t take any joy in seeing us suffer the natural, logical consequences for disobeying Him.

There are no guarantees that if you are good, good things will happen. There is no promise that if someone is unfair to you, something bad will happen to them. There is, however, a guarantee that no matter what happens in this life, God is standing next to us, ready and willing to help us get through it. God wants us to see Him, not the situation. He wants us to experience His strength when we have none of our own.

Thank you, Lord for grace. For forgiveness. For your love and care. And even when things in this life go wrong, may we trust you. Give us the ability to use our life experiences to proclaim Christ. May the choices we make today honor You and enable us to live healthy productive lives for Jesus’ sake.

January 5

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Job 1-3

I remember the moment I learned my nephew Geoff died in an auto accident. I remember the panic, the confusion. I remember how hard it was to breathe. I remember the tears and the pain. The news of that sudden death tore through me like a knife.

Is that how Job felt the day he lost everything? Does losing ten children hurt worse than losing one? How can you measure grief?  I was Geoff’s aunt, not his mom. Does that mean my grief is insignificant?

I have found that grief is very personal. Each member of my family has dealt with Geoff’s death differently. Some cry openly. Others control their tears until they are alone. Some want to talk about Geoff and some still find talking about him too painful.

Job’s first reaction to the news of his great loss was to fall on his knees before God. He said something like… You give and you take away. I have nothing that didn’t come from you. And I will praise you today and every day.

That’s not easy. But it’s right. We were blessed to have Geoff in our lives for 22 incredible years. And now that he has seen Jesus and experienced heaven, Geoff wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. There is an enormous comfort in knowing that.

So it’s not a matter of degree. Grief is grief. Loss is loss. But we can learn from Job to praise God in every circumstance. I don’t know what, if any, loss you are experiencing now. But I do know first hand that God is praise-worthy. I would never tell you to get over it or stop being sad. Those are things you have to deal with in your own time. But I will tell you that there is strength available to get you through today. There is joy in knowing the Lord and trusting Him with every detail of your life, even the darkest places.

May we, like Job, praise God.

Jaunuary 4

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Gen10, 11 and I Chronicles 1

I didn’t realize the sons of Ham were the Canaanites who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. The sins of the father?

I’m not a parent but I worked with a lot of parents over the years. I’ve seen caring, involved, loving parents and I’ve seen self-centered, mean and distant parents. And I have observed that the influence any parent has on a child is great.

I’ve seen a dad openly hate his own mother, then wonder why his adult children don’t have a close relationship with him. I’ve seen the excited look in the eyes of a child as he proudly shows his artwork to his mother, only to have her dismiss it with a nod. I’ve seen the hurt in that child’s eyes. And no matter how encouraging and supportive I tried to be, the damage was done.

Parents who divorce because they’ve fallen out of love, then tell themselves their children are better off are fooling themselves. Their kids would be better off learning forgiveness by watching their parents forgive, learning to love by watching their parents choose to love each other in spite of dirty dishes and unpaid bills. They would be better off learning about commitment watching their parents work through the tough things in life together.

Let’s face it. Children are inconvenient. They cry in the middle of church. They poop when you’re ready to walk out the door. They cling when you want your space. They have soccer games and music recitals, homework and friend trouble. And let’s not even talk about how much money  it costs to put food in their mouths (which half the time they won’t eat) or shoes on their feet (which have to be acceptable to their school friends)

Ham sinned against his father Noah. Years later his children were destroyed by God for their sinful lifestyle. Coincidence? I don’t think so. My prayer is that parents will look to God for direction and strength because those children in their homes are watching and learning.

January 3

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Genesis 7-9

Does God hate gossip? Take a look at Ham, Noah’s son. The flood is over and they are on dry ground. They established homes, planted crops and got down to the business of living. Eight people who obeyed God and loved each other.

But when Noah had too much to drink and passed out naked in his own tent, he probably expected privacy. Ham, for whatever reason, went to see his dad and saw Noah’s disgraceful situation. How did he react? Ham couldn’t wait to get to his brothers to tell them what he had seen.

Ham probably justified it with, “they have a right to know” and may even started his tale with, “I don’t want to be mean but…” Ham tells his brothers that Dad is drunk and naked in his tent. He may even have chuckled about it some.

The result was a curse on Ham and his descendants. They would be the lowest servants among servants, disgraced as Ham had disgraced Noah. If Ham had covered his father, or even quietly turned and walked away and not told what he had seen, we might never have known Noah was drunk that day.

The lesson for me here today is – I don’t need to tell everything I know. Gossip is sin. It’s mean and disgraceful even if I try to cover it with, “they have a right to know”.

Lord, guard my heart and curb my tongue today. May I recognize gossip for what it is and determine not to listen to it or spread it myself.

January 2

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Gen 4-6, I Chronicles1:1-4

Reading this I might be tempted to think God was unfair to Cain. It’s not that Cain didn’t bring God an offering. He was a farmer and offered God some crops from his fields. Cain planted, watered, weeded, and harvested this offering. Why wouldn’t God be thrilled with his effort?

No wonder Cain was upset when God rejected his offering. I am sure he felt God would look at his hard work and his intentions and give him an “atta-boy”. But Cain went to God on Cain’s terms. And God rejected him.

The people at this time talked to God so it’s highly unlikely Cain didn’t know God’s requirements for an acceptable offering. And even if he did not know, God told Cain after the offering was rejected, to do what is right. God encouraged Cain to repent, to recognize sin and master it. God gave Cain an opportunity for a second chance to do it right.

But Cain couldn’t or wouldn’t do it. We need to be careful not to make the same mistake Cain made. We can’t let pride get in our way of going to God for forgiveness. Like it or not there is only one way to God. There is only one truth. I cringe when someone says they don’t go to church or pray and are comfortable living an ungodly life because “God and I have an understanding.” Yeah. God understands that unless we obey him we are lost. We just can’t go to God on our own terms.

Thank you, Lord for making your way plain. Jesus said in no uncertain terms that HE is the way, the truth and the life and no one goes to the Father except through Jesus. Forgive me when I am tempted to sidestep your requirements or think that doing good is good enough. Help me to get over myself and come to you on your terms. And thank you for second chances.