|
FAMILY
DEVOTIONS
The
Christian family should eat together, if at all possible, at least once a day. It’s easiest to have family devotions
when the family is already together.
For some this is meal time.
For others it may be at bedtime.
Family devotions are very simple. Some one can read a chapter
from the Bible and pray. Choose a book of the Bible. Read
Chapter one and mark the location. On the next day read chapter two,
and so on until you have finished with a book. Then choose another
book.
If you
have small children, read age appropriate Bible story books.
A
devotional guide published by the Back to God Hour entitled
“Today” is distributed to all members and attendees free of charge and can
be had for the asking. There is a Scripture passage, a central verse,
a short meditation and a prayer for each day.
PERSONAL DEVOTIONS
By
reading three chapters a day and five on Sunday, you can read the whole
Bible in a year. After reading the Bible through completely, you will find
yourself reading more frequently from the New Testament, the Psalms and Proverbs.
This is perfectly natural.
The
following outline of Scripture, its view of the world and history, is given
as a brief survey of the Bible as a whole. As you become a more
devoted Bible student, you will want to buy a study Bible. We
recommend the New International Version Study Bible copyrighted by International Bible Society
HOW TO PRAY
What is prayer?
It is talking with
God. God talks with us in the Bible; we talk to God in prayer.
Prayer is a vital part of our fellowship with God.
Why
pray to God?
He is the Creator. We are dependent upon him for everything.
"The God who made
the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not
live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands,
as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath
and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he
determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should
live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out
for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For
in him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets
have said, 'We are his offspring.'"
(Acts 17:24-28)
What are the
requirements for God’s favor?
A. God wants us to repent and turn from sin. Otherwise he will
not help us.
"Surely the arm
of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But
your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his
face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)
"You want
something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have
what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because
you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your
pleasures." (James 4:2-3)
"If we claim to
be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness. My dear children, I write
this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we
have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the
Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only
for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. We know that we
have come to know him if we obey his commands." (1 John
1:8-9; 2:1-3)
"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,
because 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' (Proverbs
3:34). Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may
lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you." (1 Peter 5:5-7)
B. We must believe and trust God.
"And without
faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must
believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek
him." (Hebrews 11:6)
"If any of you
lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without
finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must
believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea,
blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will
receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all
he does." (James 1:5-8)
C. We must pray according to God's will.
In the Lord's Prayer
notice these words, "your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
We should pray for the
necessities of life without becoming anxious about them. Jesus taught
us to pray this way, "Give us today our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). "Therefore I tell you, do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you
will wear. . . . your heavenly Father knows that
you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry
about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:25, 32-34)
Because God forgives
us, he wants us to forgive others. Jesus taught us to pray,
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors"
(Matthew 6:12). Then
Jesus went on to say, "For if you forgive men when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not
forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins"
(Matthew 6:14-15).
Also see the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Matthew 18:21-35.
Jesus said, "If
you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it
will be given you” (John 15:7)
D. Pray in Jesus' Name.
Jesus said, "I am
the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me" (John 14:6).
"I urge, then,
first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made
for everyone--. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants
all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of
the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men" (1
Timothy 2:1,3-5)
How about
unanswered prayer?
All prayer is
answered. The question ultimately is, "Whose will is done?"
Our will or God's will?
As he faced death
Jesus prayed, "Father, . . .everything is
possible for you. Take this cup [of death]
from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Mark 14:36)
Paul wrote, "To
keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassing great
revelations, there was given me a torn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan,
to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away
from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the
more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on
me."
(2 Corinthians 12:7-9)
"And we know that
in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been
called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined
to be conformed to the likeness of his Son" [Jesus Christ]
(Romans 8:28-29).
How do we pray?
1. Address God with
words similar to these: "O God," "Heavenly Father,"
"Savior," "Lord,"
2. Praise God for who
he is. He is all-powerful, hears us, is merciful, and knows our
need even before we ask.
3. Thank God for
blessings received.
4. Confess our sin and
unworthiness. Try to be specific. Psalm 51 and Daniel 9:1-19
are prayers of confession and asking for forgiveness.
5. Ask for forgiveness
and pledge ourselves to submit to God's will. Ask for help in
obeying.
6. Make a request for
yourself or on behalf of others.
7. Ask for any benefit
in Jesus’ name: “Hear our prayer, for Jesus’ sake.”
8. Close with
"Amen.” "Amen" means "Let it be done. It
surely will be done."
AN
OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE
The Panorama of History
The Bible is not like most other books. Actually
it is a collection of books written by over 23 men over a period of about
1,500 years (From Moses, about 1400 B.C. to the Apostle John, 95 A.D.).
The Bible is known as the Word of God because “prophecy never had its origin in the will
of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit” (2 Peter 1.21). See also 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2.
The Bible is divided into two parts: the Old
Testament whose books were written before the birth of Christ and the New
Testament whose books were written after the earthly ministry of Christ.
These two parts tell about the origin and the end of all things. They tell
about the fall of man into sin and about God’s plan to save him by His Son
Jesus Christ. We are now going to take a rapid journey through the Bible.
The books of the Bible are not bound together in historical sequence. This
may be confusing to the person who would like to read the Bible from cover
to cover for the first time. For this reason the books (which are
underlined) are listed in this outline in their historical sequence.
1. THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE (Genesis 1,2).
God created all things from nothing by the word
of His power (Hebrews 11:3). After He created all other creatures, he
created man and woman “in his own image” so that they might have fellowship
together and with Him and rule over the creation as faithful administrators
(Genesis 1:26-30). All
that God did was good (Genesis 1:31). Sin did not exist, but God put man to the test. He gave him the
order not to eat of the tree that was in the middle of the Garden of Eden
(Genesis 2:16-17). Man was
crated with free will. He could choose either the good or the bad.
2. THE FALL OF MAN INTO SIN (Genesis 3).
The man and his wife disobeyed God’s order and as
a result all of creation began to feel the consequences. Since then, the
earth has produced weeds and man has had to work with by the “sweat of his
brow” in order to make a living. And then after a life of toil he grows old
and dies. The way to happiness and eternal life became forever blocked
(Genesis 3:22-24), but God
promised salvation through the “offspring” of the woman (Gen. 3.15). This
promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Man lost his free will when he
sinned and now is born with the seed of sin in his heart. From birth he is
corrupt (Romans 5:12-21). He wants to do good, but discovers that he does not have the
power to do it (Romans 7:14-15,18). Freedom from the slavery of sin
comes through Jesus Christ, Son of Eve, Son of
God.
3. THE SPREAD OF SIN AND THE JUDGMENT OF THE FLOOD (Genesis 4-9).
Sin increased with the increase in population.
Men began to seek after God (Gen. 4:26), but their number was a small
minority. “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of
his heart was only evil all the time” (Gen. 6:5). For this reason God
destroyed the earth with a flood, but saved just Noah and his family in the
ark (a huge boat) which He ordered to be built (Gen. 6:11-9:29).
4.
HUMANITY FILLS THE EARTH (Genesis
10-11).
Once again people spread out over the whole
earth, but they did not learn the lesson of the flood. They continued to
sin. Sin comes from within man, out of his heart (Mark 7:21-23). Because of his bondage into sin, man could
not do otherwise.
5. GOD SEPARATES A PEOPLE FOR HIMSELF.
Temporarily leaving the rest of humanity in
darkness, God chose Abram and made a covenant or treaty with him and his
descendents (Gen 12:1-3). The rest of the Old Testament is a history of
this people: how God saved them, blessed them and punished them for their
sins; how He guided and preserved them so that from them would come the promised Savior, the Savior of the whole world!
a.
When called, Abram left his land and went to a land that God gave him as an
inheritance. In this land he and his descendents wandered in tents and even
migrated into Egypt because of a terrible famine (Gen.
12:4-50:26).
b.
The people of Israel (the grandson of Abram) became slaves in Egypt, but God saved them through His servant Moses.
He sent ten great plagues by which he punished the Egyptians and this
forced the pharaoh to let them go (Exodus 1-13).
c.
Miraculously the people of Israel passed through the Red Sea and then journeyed through the desert to Mount Sinai where God gave the Law which regulated the
moral, civil and religious life of the new nation (Exodus 14-39, Leviticus).
Because of unbelief and rebellion the people did not enter the land of Canaan (Numbers 13-14), but wandered for 40 years in
the desert wilderness. The book of Numbers tells about this period
of wandering and the victories won on the eve of entering the land. With
the Promised Land just on the other side of the Jordan River the covenant was renewed and Moses died
(Deuteronomy).
d.
God chose Joshua to lead the people in the conquest of the land. The
idolatrous inhabitants had to be exterminated because of their wickedness.
Furthermore, God did not want them to mix with His people and corrupt the
religion of the one true God (Joshua).
e.
After Joshua, the people of Israel were ruled for about 400 years by judges who God
raised up to save them from their enemies and oppressors. The people
disobeyed God and married with the heathen and gave themselves to the
worship of idols. For this reason God punished them by giving them into the
hands of their enemies. Repentant the people cried to God, who then saved
them by means of a judge (Judges).
f.
Israel began to be ruled by kings when the last judge
Samuel (also prophet and priest) anointed Saul as king. Saul showed that he
was disobedient and was therefore rejected by God. In the light of this
Samuel anointed David, who became king after the death of Saul. David was a
man “after God’s own heart” (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles 10-29).
God promised that the line of David would occupy the throne of Israel forever (2 Samuel 7:16). This promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ,
our eternal King.
g.
The books of Ruth, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, and
the greater part of Psalms were written during the
time of the kings David and Solomon.
h.
Solomon, son of David, built the temple in Jerusalem; but in his old age he worshipped the idols of
his many wives. As a result of God’s punishment the dynasty of David lost
ten of the twelve tribes (1 Kings 1:1-12:20; 2 Chronicles 1-10).
The descendents of David ruled over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin while the
ten northern tribes, although separate, continued with the name “Israel.” Jeroboam, the first king of the ten tribes,
built two alters to golden calves, where he led the people into idolatry.
Because Israel never repented of this sin, these tribes were
conquered and driven into exile by the Assyrian Empire. These people never returned
to the Promised Land and have become known as the “ten lost tribes” (1
Kings 12:21-2 Kings
17:41).
i.
When Judah began to worship idols, God sent prophets
(preachers) to correct the errors of both leaders and people; but their
message was largely ignored. About 100 years after Israel was deported to
Assyria, Judah was deported and exiled by the Babylonian Empire (2
Kings 18:1-25:30; 2 Chronicles 11-36), The prophets Joel,
Jonah, Amos, Obadiah, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk and
finally, Jeremiah ministered during this period. Lamentations
was written by Jeremiah.
j.
The Babylonian exile lasted 70 years. In or near Babylon the prophet Ezekiel worked among the exiles
while Daniel worked inside the government.
k.
Ezra
and Nehemiah led the people who returned to the land Israel, where they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and also a new temple. Haggai and Zechariah
prophesied during this period. After this the prophet Malachi worked to
prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah.
6.
THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH, THE SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
The
first man Adam disobeyed God’s command, but Jesus obeyed his heavenly
Father in everything. He came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-20) and the prophecies of the Old Testament
which spoke about Him. By being rejected and by dying on the cross Jesus
paid the punishment for our sins (Isaiah 53). Thus Christ became the leader
of a new humanity, freed from sin, saved by faith.
7.
THE MISSIONARY EXPANSION OF THE CHURCH (Acts
and the other books of the New Testament).
Having received all authority Jesus commanded his
disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). The end
of the world will not come until the Gospel has been preached to all
peoples (Matthew 24:14). There will be earthquakes, famines, wars and false
prophets, but these are only the beginning of the end, not the end itself
(Matthew 24:4-8). The antichrist already works in the world (1 John 2:18-19), but Satan, chained, cannot deceive the
nations (Revelation 20:1-3) because the Gospel gains victory among the
peoples of the earth through the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). The
Church must remain vigilant, obedient to Christ word and ready for His second
coming (Matthew 24:32-25:30; 2 Peter 3:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9). The souls of believers who have died
are with Christ in heaven awaiting the Last Day (Luke 23:42; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 6:9-11).
8. THE GREAT TRIBULATION
Shortly before the end there will be a great
“falling away” on the part of members of the Church. Satan will be loosed
(Revelation 20:3, 7-8) and will deceive many by miracles and through the
lawless one who will be the antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-10). The
Church, the people of God, will go through this terrible period of
suffering (Matthew 24:9a; Revelation 11:7-10; 13:7-8; 20:9a), but relief
will come with the second coming of Christ.
9.
THE
SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AND THE RESURRECTION DAY
Jesus will return on the clouds accompanied by
the souls of his servants, whose bodies will be raised from the dead
(Matthew 24: 29-31). All those who have died, both just and unjust, will be
raised (John 5:28-29). The
angels will gather all those believers still alive and their earthly bodies
will be transformed and they will join Jesus and their resurrected brothers
and sister in the air. This is called the “rapture” (1 Thessalonians
4:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-56). The last enemy, death, will be destroyed
by the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:26; Revelation 20:13). The world will be destroyed by fire (2 Peter 3:10, 12).
10. THE FINAL JUDGMENT
The Final Judgment will occur right after the
coming of Christ. The coming of Christ and the final judgment are in some
ways like a harvest and the pressing of grapes in a wine press (Matthew 13:39-42; Revelation 14:.14-20). All believers and
unbelievers will give account of what they have done while living on earth
(Matthew 25.31-32; John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 3:14-15; 4:2-5; 2 Corinthians
5:10; 2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 6:12-17; 20:11).
11. ETERNITY
There will be a new creation, without the affects
of sin, where God will live with his people (Acts 3:21; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-22:5). The lake of fire is reserved for Gods
enemies. There they will suffer eternal destruction forever separated from
God’s favor (2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:10,14-15; 21:8).
PAIN AND SUFFERING
According
to the Book of Job in the Light of the New Testament
The very first verse of Job says that
he was a truly good person, who respected God and refused to do evil. If Job lived in our time, he would be a
person who sincerely believed in Jesus Christ and as a fruit of faith loved
his fellow man (1 John 3:23). He would love others not
merely in word but also with action (1 John 3:18). He prayed for his children so that they
might be forgiven if they had sinned (Job 1: 5).
Trouble Is a Test
Satan, the great accuser, tells
God that Job serves God because God has blessed him. Satan says to God, “Take away everything
that he owns and he will curse you.” (Job 1:11). So God allowed Satan to take away all of
his wealth, including what was most precious to him, his children. Job passed this test when he said, “Naked
I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and
the Lord has taken away, may the name of the Lord be praised.” (Job 1:21).
Yet the testing did not end. Satan came to God again and said, “Strike
Job’s body with pain, and he will curse you.” (Job 2: 5). So God allowed Satan to afflict Job with
painful sores all over his body.
This put Job in the same class as lepers and outcasts. Even Job’s wife tempted him, “Curse God
and die” (Job 2:9). Yet Job replied
to her, “Shall we accept good from God, and not
trouble?” (Job 2:10).
Believers in Christ, like Job, are
tested. Those who have genuine faith
will stand up under trial. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who
perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive
the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” Peter writes that we suffer grief in all
kinds of trials so that our faith may be proved genuine. It is like gold that is refined by fire
(1 Peter 1:6-7).
Trouble So Great That I Wish I Could Die
Pain and suffering make us
cry. They may put us into
depression. Job cursed the day of
his birth (3:1). He wished that he
had been born dead and then buried so that he would never have seen the
light of day (3:11, 16).
Trouble May Be Corrective Discipline
Eliphaz
and his two friends tell Job that God gives people trouble because of their
sin. Those who plant seeds of evil
harvest trouble (Job 4:8). What they
are saying is that pain and trouble should cause us to examine our life,
recognize our sin, ask God for forgiveness and turn from it.
Eliphaz
says, “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the
discipline of the Almighty” (5:17). This line of argument is taken up Hebrews
12:7 where it says, “Endure hardship as discipline.” God disciplines his people like a father
who loves his children and disciplines them for their good. Pain is God’s
way of correcting us so that we might become holy like he is holy (Heb. 12:10). Pain should be accepted as
discipline. This should not lead us
to doubt our salvation, but cause us to examine our lives and repent of the
sin that still clings to us.
Zophar
says, “Surrender your heart to God, turn to him in prayer and give up your
sins” (Job 11:13-14 Contemporary English Version). Later on Eliphaz says, “Surrender to God All Powerful! You will
find peace and prosperity. Listen to
his teachings and take them to heart.
If you turn to God and turn from sin, all will go well for you.”
(Job 22:21-23 CEV). Elihu
challenges Job to repent and quit rebelling in 34:31-37.
There is wisdom here if it applies
to us. Sin separates us from God. He
does not listen to the cries of those who persist in sin and will not let
it go (Isaiah 59:1,2; James 4:3; Psalm
66:18). If we desire God to bless
us, we must surrender to Jesus Christ and turn from sin. Then God will answer our prayers (Job 22:27).
Sickness, one type of trouble, is
sometimes the result of sin; probably not defiant, willful disobedience,
but self-indulgence and neglect. A
very demanding schedule, working so hard that we do not have time to
worship on Sunday, or conflicts at home or work can put us under a lot of
stress. Over time this will affect
our health. Headache, fatigue, etc.
are signs that we have to examine our hearts. God wants us to seek him and not the
things of this world.
Diabetes, for example, may be the
result of obesity. Smoking, drinking, and overeating all affect our general
health and well-being. The spiritual challenge is to permanently change our
eating and exercise habits so that we lose weight. Challenged in this way we discover that
we lack the willpower and self-discipline to change our way of life. Recognizing our weakness we are driven to
get on our knees to confess our sin, ask forgiveness and seek help.
Venereal disease should cause us
to repent of our immorality. If we
have repented and changed our ways, the effect of our past sin may still
haunt us. Not only do we accept the
Lord’s forgiveness and grace, but we need to accept his discipline. We are forgiven, like King David, but the
consequences of our sin live on (2 Samuel 12:11-14). “Do not be deceived: God
cannot be mocked. A man reaps what
he sows.” (Galations 6:7).
The sufferings and afflictions of
old age are part of the dying process, the result of the curse of the sin
of Adam (Geneses 3:19; Psalm 90). No one is freed from this burden. However, those who follow Christ are
assured that they will receive new bodies like Christ’s resurrected body,
when he returns at the Last Day (John 11:25-26; Philippians 3:20-21; 1
Corinthians 15).
Trouble May Not Be Discipline At All
Job does not take these
accusations lightly. He protests,
“What have I done wrong? Show me, and I will keep quiet” (Job 6:24 CEV). “Please point out my sins, so I will know
them” (Job 13:23 CEV). “Stop accusing me falsely; my reputation
is at stake. I know right from
wrong, and I am not telling lies” (Job 6:29 CEV).
Job says that he will argue his
case before God. (Job 13:15). He says, “Even now, God in heaven is both
my witness and my protector” (Job16:19 CEV). “I
know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the
earth. And after my skin has been
destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.” (Job 19:25). If Job were the Apostle Paul, he would
write, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his
own Son, but gave him up for us all— how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom
God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who
was raised to life— is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for
us.” (Romans 8:31-34).
If we have turned from sin and
believed in Jesus Christ, we are free from accusation. We can take our trouble to God knowing
that Jesus Christ is the One who defends us in judgment. Because we have
accepted Christ as Lord, we have passed from death into life (John 5:24). We are not being rejected by God.
Job is assured that he has a right
relationship with God. He says, “But
he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as
gold. My feet have closely followed
his steps; I have kept to his way without turning aside. I have not departed from the commands of
his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily
bread.” (Job 23:10-12). Job is not
boasting about a self-made righteousness.
He is saying that he sincerely follows God with his whole being.
Suffering and Pain Can Be Persecution
Job’s friends accused him for what
he was not guilty of. Jesus was
falsely accused, beaten and killed.
Paul wrote, “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in
Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Near the end of the book of Job,
God commanded Job’s friends to go to him and ask him to pray for them. Then God would forgive them for their
foolish way of treating Job (Job 42:7-8).
They had accused Job falsely. Job belonged to God and his suffering
was not a punishment for his sin.
Even though he had not yet come into the world, Christ had already
paid for Job’s sin. Through
repentance and faith Job was already right with God.
Job was a priest of God. In the beginning of the book, Job offered
sacrifices on behalf of his children, who might have sinned. At the end of the book Job offered
sacrifices for his three friends so that God would forgive them their sins.
Let us not forget that we, the people of God, are “a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people belonging to God,” to “declare the praises of him who
called us out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9).
In a sense Job was a figure or
type of Christ who was yet to come.
Jesus was the Innocent One, falsely accused and unjustly killed.
When we follow him, we, too, will be falsely accused. In addition to our pain and suffering
some will be saying, “It serves him right, that hypocrite.” They do not
comprehend the work of God who is overcoming sin and defeating the evil in
us.
Trouble Doesn’t Always Make Sense: God’s Way Is a
Complete Mystery
Job looked for God but could not
find him (Job 23:8-9). God has the final word in chapters 38-41. We demand an answer from God. We want to know the reason why. God, however, tells us that his ways are
higher than our ways. We can’t make
the sun rise or put the stars in their places. The more we study the realm of nature and
the universe, the more unanswered questions we have; and God is the
designer and maker of it all. Paul
wrote, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who
formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of
clay some pottery for noble purpose and some for common use?” (Romans
9:20-21). Job recognized this.
The only appropriate response is
worship. Job said to God, "I
know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You
asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I
spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall
answer me.’ My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:2-6).
Suffering that seemingly has no
purpose or meaning should not cause us to reject God and make us
angry. The fact that we don’t
understand shows how small we are in comparison to God. Our limited
understanding should keep from trying to bring our Maker to account. Rather his greatness should cause us to
bow down in worship.
A PRAYER OF ONE WHO IS SUFFERING
Psalm 22:1-11, 14-31
My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my
groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and
am not silent.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy
One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their
trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were
saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
All who
see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: "He trusts in
the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights
in him." Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you
even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast upon you; from my
mother’s womb you have been my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is
near and there is no one to help….
I am
poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has
turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a
potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the
dust of death. Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled
me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast
lots for my clothing.
But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my
Strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver
my life from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs.
Rescue
me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
I will declare your name to my
brothers; in the congregation I will praise you. You
who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob,
honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or
disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face
from him but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise
in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my
vows. The poor will eat and be
satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him— may your hearts live
forever!
All the ends of the earth will
remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow
down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the
nations. All the rich of the earth
will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive. Posterity will serve him; future
generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn— for he
has done it.
This was a prayer of King
David. It was the prayer of Jesus
when he was dying on the cross. It
can be our prayer, too, when we believe in Jesus. God will answer your prayer in the way
that he answer the prayer of His Divine Son.
|
