June 24, 2006 - Job 1-2 and Acts 7:22-43
Job is such a challenging book. It causes all of us to look inside of ourselves and ask what would we do in a similar situation. Even the passage in Acts points us in that direction. What would we do in Stephen's position? It goes back to our motivation for serving God. What is your motivation? Is it love for a Holy God? If it is anything else, you will fail to serve Him when the going gets tough. Let the Lord speak to you about motivation today.
Job 1 and 2 give us the story of how Job lost everything in his life, except for his life. Through all of this he continued to trust God, even though it was all very difficult to understand. How can we understand what happened? Look at the question of Satan in verse 9. There is the key. God allowed all of this to happen to Job to prove that Job did serve God for nothing. It was not because of the blessings. It was not because of the hedge of protection. It was only because Job loved a Holy God and trusted God just for being God. That is why Job did not curse God as his wife suggested. (2:9) That is why he continued to trust all of the way through this trial, even though he had many questions that went unanswered for a long time. The fact that God is God is enough. The fact that we know He loves us, even when we don't understand, is enough. Is that enough for you, or when things go wrong, do you turn sour toward God? Check your heart for why you serve Him. He sees your heart.
In Acts 7 Stephen continues to present the history of God's people by telling more about Moses. He is standing up for God in the midst of adversity, too. He is trying to show these people that Jesus is Lord. That is why he refers to Moses' prophecy of the Prophet who would come, who was like him. (v.37) He knew that was talking about Jesus, because he had come to know Jesus in a personal way, and he wanted everyone to know Christ in a love relationship like he did. That is why he was daring enough to stand up for Christ. It was his love relationship with Jesus. If you can't take the heat of life, it is a love problem. You don't love Jesus as you should. Love is the motivation that never fails. (I Corinthians 13) Let's all make sure we love Jesus with a pure love that does not depend on God's blessings, but it is simply because of who God is.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 3-4 and Acts 7:44-60.
Job 1 and 2 give us the story of how Job lost everything in his life, except for his life. Through all of this he continued to trust God, even though it was all very difficult to understand. How can we understand what happened? Look at the question of Satan in verse 9. There is the key. God allowed all of this to happen to Job to prove that Job did serve God for nothing. It was not because of the blessings. It was not because of the hedge of protection. It was only because Job loved a Holy God and trusted God just for being God. That is why Job did not curse God as his wife suggested. (2:9) That is why he continued to trust all of the way through this trial, even though he had many questions that went unanswered for a long time. The fact that God is God is enough. The fact that we know He loves us, even when we don't understand, is enough. Is that enough for you, or when things go wrong, do you turn sour toward God? Check your heart for why you serve Him. He sees your heart.
In Acts 7 Stephen continues to present the history of God's people by telling more about Moses. He is standing up for God in the midst of adversity, too. He is trying to show these people that Jesus is Lord. That is why he refers to Moses' prophecy of the Prophet who would come, who was like him. (v.37) He knew that was talking about Jesus, because he had come to know Jesus in a personal way, and he wanted everyone to know Christ in a love relationship like he did. That is why he was daring enough to stand up for Christ. It was his love relationship with Jesus. If you can't take the heat of life, it is a love problem. You don't love Jesus as you should. Love is the motivation that never fails. (I Corinthians 13) Let's all make sure we love Jesus with a pure love that does not depend on God's blessings, but it is simply because of who God is.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job 3-4 and Acts 7:44-60.