June 26, 2006 - Job 5-7 and Acts 8:1-25
I pray that God will speak to you in a very direct way as you read these passages today. There is something here for everyone, no matter your spiritual condition or situation. That is the great thing about God's Word.
Job 5-7 finishes up what Eliphaz is telling Job, and it contains Job's reply. I believe that Job's friends were trying to help him, and I think they related some wonderful spiritual truths. The problem with their counsel was that they assumed that Job's sin was causing his suffering, and they were not as compassionate as they should have been. Those are two things we all have to remember when we try to minister to a grieving person. Only God knows the why of what they are going through, and there is no way that we can fully feel the dept of their pain. Therefore, we must speak the truth in love.
In chapter 5 Eliphaz tells Job that man is born to trouble. (v.7) That is so true. While we are in this world, we will have tribulation. However, God will be blessing us all of the time, too. (v. 8-16) We should live knowing that God will correct us when we sin, and that is a good thing. (v.17) Also, God will restore us after we have had bad times. (v.18-19) I think all of these truths are helpful, but they did not apply directly to Job, because he had not sinned to bring all of this on. Job still needed to realize that trouble is a part of life, and that God is good to restore us and correct us. I pray that you have learned these truths.
Job's response in chapters 6 and 7 shows his depression. (6:1-2) He could not sleep well. (7:4) He felt that he had no hope. (7:6) He was complaining at times. (7:11) At other times, he retreated to his bed. (7:13) Through it all he was searching for why this was happening. (6:24; 7:20) The fact that he could not understand kept him from moving forward. I believe that we should settle the fact that there will be many things that we can't understand, because we are not God. We must trust God and His Word to guide us, because we can't understand everything. Again, let me say that we should look for what God is teaching us, instead of looking for the why all of the time. This just shows our faith in His goodness and grace. He will honor that faith.
Acts 8 tells us about the revival in Samaria under Philip's ministry. God scattered the saints through the persecution, and He brought a revival and many new churches through their sharing. It is beautiful that God can use ordinary people to do such great things. Of course, we are all ordinary people, but I mean that it did not have to be the apostles. The whole city of Samaria was turned upside down. That is what we should long for and pray for today. Lord, use me to turn my city upside down for you.
Look at the account of the sorcerer, Simon, who got saved. He wanted to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit by laying on of the hands. Peter rebuked him strongly, and told him that he was poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. (v.23) Evidently he was jealous that he was not in the spotlight any more. He was wanting attention. This led to his sin and his rebuke. I hope we will all read that closely and know the power of bitterness to destroy lives and to bring on other sins. We must repent of bitterness and confess it, so God can wash it away completely.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job8-10 and Acts 8:26-40.
Job 5-7 finishes up what Eliphaz is telling Job, and it contains Job's reply. I believe that Job's friends were trying to help him, and I think they related some wonderful spiritual truths. The problem with their counsel was that they assumed that Job's sin was causing his suffering, and they were not as compassionate as they should have been. Those are two things we all have to remember when we try to minister to a grieving person. Only God knows the why of what they are going through, and there is no way that we can fully feel the dept of their pain. Therefore, we must speak the truth in love.
In chapter 5 Eliphaz tells Job that man is born to trouble. (v.7) That is so true. While we are in this world, we will have tribulation. However, God will be blessing us all of the time, too. (v. 8-16) We should live knowing that God will correct us when we sin, and that is a good thing. (v.17) Also, God will restore us after we have had bad times. (v.18-19) I think all of these truths are helpful, but they did not apply directly to Job, because he had not sinned to bring all of this on. Job still needed to realize that trouble is a part of life, and that God is good to restore us and correct us. I pray that you have learned these truths.
Job's response in chapters 6 and 7 shows his depression. (6:1-2) He could not sleep well. (7:4) He felt that he had no hope. (7:6) He was complaining at times. (7:11) At other times, he retreated to his bed. (7:13) Through it all he was searching for why this was happening. (6:24; 7:20) The fact that he could not understand kept him from moving forward. I believe that we should settle the fact that there will be many things that we can't understand, because we are not God. We must trust God and His Word to guide us, because we can't understand everything. Again, let me say that we should look for what God is teaching us, instead of looking for the why all of the time. This just shows our faith in His goodness and grace. He will honor that faith.
Acts 8 tells us about the revival in Samaria under Philip's ministry. God scattered the saints through the persecution, and He brought a revival and many new churches through their sharing. It is beautiful that God can use ordinary people to do such great things. Of course, we are all ordinary people, but I mean that it did not have to be the apostles. The whole city of Samaria was turned upside down. That is what we should long for and pray for today. Lord, use me to turn my city upside down for you.
Look at the account of the sorcerer, Simon, who got saved. He wanted to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit by laying on of the hands. Peter rebuked him strongly, and told him that he was poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. (v.23) Evidently he was jealous that he was not in the spotlight any more. He was wanting attention. This led to his sin and his rebuke. I hope we will all read that closely and know the power of bitterness to destroy lives and to bring on other sins. We must repent of bitterness and confess it, so God can wash it away completely.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Job8-10 and Acts 8:26-40.