Job Is Tested

JOB1:1 Job, the main character of the book, lost all he had through no fault of his own. As he struggled to understand why all this was happening to him, it became clear that he was not meant to know the reasons. He would have to face life with the answers and explanations held back. Only then would his faith fully develop. We must experience life as Job did – one day at a time and without complete answers to all of life’s questions. Will we, like Job, trust God no matter what ? Or will we give in to the temptation to say that God doesn’t really care? As we see calamity and suffering in the book of Job, we must remember that we live in a fallen world where good behavior is not always rewarded and bad behavior is not always punished.
JOB 1:5 Job showed deep concern for the spiritual welfare of his children. Fearful that they might have sinned unknowingly, he offered sacrifices for them. Parents today can show the same concern by praying for their children. This means sacrificing some time each to ask God to forgive them, to help then grow, to protect them and to help them please him.
JOB 1:6 -7 The bible speaks of other heavenly councils where God and the angels plan their activities on earth and where angels are required to give account of themselves. Because God is creator of all angels-both of those who serve him and those who rebelled, he has complete power and authority over them. Satan, originally an angel of God, had become corrupt through his own pride. He has been evil since his rebellion against God. Satan considers God as his enemy. He tries to hinder God’s work in people, but he is limited by God’s power and can do only what he is permitted. Satan is our enemy because he actively looks for people to attack with temptation.
JOB 1:9 Satan attacked Job’s motives, saying that Job was blameless and upright only because he had no reason to turn against God. Every since he had started following God, everything had gone well for Job. Satan wanted to prove that Job worshiped God, not out of love, but because God had given him to much. Satan accurately analyzed why many people trust God. They are fair weather believers, following God only when things are going well, or for what they can get. Adversity destroys this superficial faith. But adversity strengthens real faith by causing believers to dig their roots deeper into God in order to withstand the storms. How deep does your faith go? Put the roots of your faith down deep into God so that you can withstand any storm you may face. [NIV]

Have you ever thought about this? Everyday you are involved with or interact with a large group of people and for most of those people you, yes you, are the only Bible that those people will ever read. They will read you in the way you talk and treat others, how you handle different situations. You are a walking Bible and there are alot of people reading you this very minute.

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GZ/KZ

Trials and Temptations

James 1;2,3. James doesn’t say if you face trials, but whenever you face them. He assumes that we will have trials and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain, but to have a positive outlook because of what trials can produce in our lives. James 1;2,4 We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It is easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with you in rough times. Ask him to help you solve your problems or give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient; God will not leave you alone with your problems, he will stay close and help you grow. James 1;6,7,8. If you have ever seen the constant rolling of huge waves at sea, you know how restless they are, subject to the forces of wind, gravity and tide. Doubt leaves a person unsettled as the restless waves. If you want to stop being tossed around, rely on God to show you what is best for you.
James 1;12,13,14,15. Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way. The best time to stop a temptation is before it is to strong or moving too fast to control. People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God test people but he does not tempt them. God allows Satan to tempt people, however in order to refine their faith and to help them grow in their dependence on Christ. We can resist temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to obey his word.
It is easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. Excuses include, it’s the other persons fault, I couldn’t help it, everybody’s doing it, it was just a mistake, nobody’s perfect, the devil made me do it, I was pressured into it. A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself or herself to something or someone else. A Christian, on the other hand, accepts responsibility for his or her wrongs, confess them and asks God for forgiveness. [NIV]

Trials, Temptation and Greed never travel alone. They always bring all kinds of sin with them.

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G.Z./K.Z.

Praise God for the Victory

Psalm 20;6-8 As long as there have been armies and weapons, nations have boasted of their power, but such power does not last. Throughout history, empires and kingdoms have risen to great power only to vanish in the dust. David, however, knew that the true might of his nation was not in weaponry but in worship; not in firepower but in God’s power. Because God alone can preserve a nation or an individual, be sure your confidence is in God, who gives eternal victory. Whom do you trust?? Psalm 21;7 A good leader trust the Lord and depends upon his unfailing love. Too often leaders trust in their own cleverness, popular support or military support. But God is above all these God’s. If you aspire to leadership, keep the Lord God at the center of your life and depend on him. His love will keep you from stumbling.
Because David trusted in God, God would not let him be shaken. When we trust in God we have permanence and stability. We may lose a great deal, families, jobs, material possessions, but we cannot be shaken from God’s favor. He will be our foundation of solid rock. He will never leave or desert us.
Psalm 21:11 When you see evil schemes unfold, remember that they will not succeed forever. The power of evil doers is only temporary, and God’s very presence would send them scattering in a moment. God, according to his plan and purpose, will intervene for his people and give the wicked the judgment they deserve. We should not be dismayed when we see the temporary advantage God’s enemies have. Psalm 22:6 When others despise us and heap scorn upon us, they treat us as less than human. After much degradation, we like David, could begin to feel like worms. When we feel the sting of rejection, we must keep in mind the hope and victory that God promises us.
Psalm 22:30,31 Unborn generations are depending on our faithfulness today. As we teach our children about the Lord, so will they teach their children and their children’s children. If we fail to tell our children about the Lord, we may be breaking the chain of God’s influence in generations to come. We must view our children and all the young people we meet as God’s future leaders. If we are faithful in opportunities today, we may well be affecting the future. If we want our children to serve the Lord, they must hear about him from us, it is not enough to rely on the church or those with more knowledge to provide all their Christian education. We must reinforce the lessons of the Bible in our homes. [NIV]


If you are concerned about something that is going to happen tomorrow, ease your mind. God is already there.

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G.Z./K.Z.

Wisdom / Money

Ecclesiastes 5; 19-20 God wants us to view what we have with the right perspective – our possessions are a gift from God. Although they are not the source of joy, they are a reason to rejoice because every good thing comes from God. We should focus more on the Giver than the gift. We can be content with what we have when we realize that with God we have everything we need. Everyone dies , and both rich and poor end up in the grave. Many people work hard to prolong life and improve their physical condition. Yet people don’t spend nearly enough time or effort on their spiritual health. How shortsighted it is to work hard to extend this life and not take the steps God requires to gain eternal life.
God knows and directs everything that happens, and he is in complete control over our lives, even though at times it may not seem that way. How foolish it is for us to contend with our Creator, who knows us completely and can see the future. [Jeremiah18;6 &Romans 9; 19-24] Money talks , and it can confuse those who would otherwise judge fairly. We hear about bribes given to judges, police officers and witnesses. Bribes are given to hurt those who tell the truth and help those who oppose it. People who are involved in extortion or take bribes are indeed fools no matter how wise they thought they were beforehand. It is said that everyone has a price, but those who are truly wise cannot be bought at any price.
To finish what we start takes hard work, wise guidance, self discipline and patience. Anyone with vision can start a big project. But vision without wisdom will result in unfinished projects and goals. God allows both good times and bad times to come to everyone. He blends them in our lives in such a way that we can’t predict the future or count on human wisdom and power. We usually give ourselves the credit for the good times. Then in bad times, we tend to blame God without thanking him for the good times that come with it. When life appears certain and controllable, don’t let self satisfaction or complacency make you to comfortable, or God may allow bad time to drive you back to him. When life seems uncontrollable and uncertain, don’t despair. God is in control and will bring good results out of your struggles.
What makes money so magnetic and giving it away so stressful? Money measures our energy; it represents our day-to-day security. Giving away money put our work and our future at risk. Not every charity deserves your attention and you would be wise to scrutinize missionary appeals as well. But once you’ve determined that a project honors the Lord, don’t hold back, give generously and joyfully. Wisdom is the ability to see life from God’s perspective and then to know the best course of action to take. Most people would agree that wisdom is a valuable asset, but how do we acquire it? Proverbs 9;10 teaches that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom comes from knowing and trusting God then sharing the knowledge with others. Ecclesiastes 8; 16-17 Even if we had access to all the world’s wisdom, the wisest man would know very little. No one can fully comprehend God and all that he has done, and there are always more questions than answers. But the unknown should not cast a shadow over our joy, faith or work because we know that someone greater is in control and that we can put our trust in him. Don’t let what you don’t know about the future destroy the joy God wants to give you today. [ NIV]

If you were to take a good hard look at all of the things that influence you in your life.
What do you think you would see ??

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G.Z.