Job 23:10-14
(10) But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
(11) My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
(12) I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.
(13) But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does.
(14) For he will complete what he appoints for me, and many such things are in his mind.
Job was going through more than most of us will ever face. Yet through it all he trusted God. The thing that strikes me is how Job saw the value of his suffering. He realized that it would refine him to be more pure. Job had a right view of it.
There are some who might say that Job lacked faith and that is why he was suffering. In fact, he had three friends telling him how his suffering was a result of sin. I'm not sure how Joel Osteen handles the book of Job or if he has even read it. I wonder why Job didn't exercise his "comeback power?"
Verses 13 and 14 give me both fear and comfort. God has a plan and it will not change. God will do what He wills. Job's response shows me that our job is to remain faithful.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
A View of Prayer
Daniel 9:18-19
(18) O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
(19) O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."
One of my classmates made a great point about how we tend to view prayer. We are often quick to point out the errors of Open Theism, but we often pray like we really are Open Theists. We have this idea that God doesn't really have a set idea for how He is going to act, but if we just pray enough and get enough people praying then we will move His heart.
Certainly Scripture commands us to pray. Jesus makes it clear that prayer changes things. However, I would maintain that prayer is more about us getting our focus realigned with God's than it is convincing God that what we want is best. If He truly is sovereign then He has made up His mind in how things are going to be. Yet He does use means to accomplish His will and I believe that our prayers are part of that.
Daniel's prayers were radically God-centered. While he may have prayed for his aunt's sore hip at some point we don't have those prayers recorded. What we do have is this example of a prayer that is focused on God's glory with an appeal to God's name. Moses did the same thing when interceding for the disobedient people in the wilderness.
God is zealous for the glory of His name. Let's focus our prayers accordingly, amen?
(18) O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.
(19) O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name."
One of my classmates made a great point about how we tend to view prayer. We are often quick to point out the errors of Open Theism, but we often pray like we really are Open Theists. We have this idea that God doesn't really have a set idea for how He is going to act, but if we just pray enough and get enough people praying then we will move His heart.
Certainly Scripture commands us to pray. Jesus makes it clear that prayer changes things. However, I would maintain that prayer is more about us getting our focus realigned with God's than it is convincing God that what we want is best. If He truly is sovereign then He has made up His mind in how things are going to be. Yet He does use means to accomplish His will and I believe that our prayers are part of that.
Daniel's prayers were radically God-centered. While he may have prayed for his aunt's sore hip at some point we don't have those prayers recorded. What we do have is this example of a prayer that is focused on God's glory with an appeal to God's name. Moses did the same thing when interceding for the disobedient people in the wilderness.
God is zealous for the glory of His name. Let's focus our prayers accordingly, amen?
Monday, May 04, 2009
Receiving Favor
Daniel 1:8-10
(8) But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
(9) And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,
(10) and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king."
I have heard this passage used in regards to how we approach our work. The idea is that we can take a chance in telling management that we are not going to work like everyone else does in terms of sacrificing family on the altar of success. God will then bless our boldness.
I don't think that is what this text is saying, but perhaps that is an application for us today. I do think it shows us that God does indeed work in men's hearts. Where was the free will of the chief of the eunuchs?
(8) But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
(9) And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs,
(10) and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king."
I have heard this passage used in regards to how we approach our work. The idea is that we can take a chance in telling management that we are not going to work like everyone else does in terms of sacrificing family on the altar of success. God will then bless our boldness.
I don't think that is what this text is saying, but perhaps that is an application for us today. I do think it shows us that God does indeed work in men's hearts. Where was the free will of the chief of the eunuchs?
Friday, May 01, 2009
Revealing His Greatness
Ezekiel 38:21-23
(21) I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man's sword will be against his brother.
(22) With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.
(23) So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
It's one thing to read a lot of John Piper and say that God is zealous for His glory. However, it's quite another to read a lot of Scripture and see the same thing over and over and over again. If you are a regular reader of this blog I hope that you are not getting tired of this. I'm not and I'm going to keep banging this drum.
I know that I desperately need to get my focus off of myself and on to God's glory. We're not having the best day here. There isn't anything terrible happening, but there are some things happening around us that are affecting us emotionally. It's not been the best day and it's easy for me to mope. However, if I remember passages like this I can get the focus off of myself and on to the Lord where it belongs.
Where is your focus? Are you concerned about how God is working for you or are you zealous for His glory above all else?
(21) I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man's sword will be against his brother.
(22) With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.
(23) So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.
It's one thing to read a lot of John Piper and say that God is zealous for His glory. However, it's quite another to read a lot of Scripture and see the same thing over and over and over again. If you are a regular reader of this blog I hope that you are not getting tired of this. I'm not and I'm going to keep banging this drum.
I know that I desperately need to get my focus off of myself and on to God's glory. We're not having the best day here. There isn't anything terrible happening, but there are some things happening around us that are affecting us emotionally. It's not been the best day and it's easy for me to mope. However, if I remember passages like this I can get the focus off of myself and on to the Lord where it belongs.
Where is your focus? Are you concerned about how God is working for you or are you zealous for His glory above all else?
For Whose Name?
Ezekiel 36:32
(32) It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
This comes right after the great passage about how God will remove their hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. That tells us that it is God who transforms lives. It is not a matter of partnering with God and then improving ourselves. God is the one who transforms us. To be sure, we are responsible for the disciplines that will help us to grow in godliness, but God has to start the process.
I quoted this verse because I think it does such a great job of taking the focus off of man. When I hear the gospel it is often with a man-centered focus. What can a relationship with God do for me? How can knowing God help me? See how much God loves me? God did all of this for me.
While it is true that our lives are changed from knowing God, the focus cannot be on ourselves. God set His people free for the sake of His name. He did it so that He might be glorified. Let us never forget this as we think about our relationship with Him. It has to be God-centered, not man-centered.
(32) It is not for your sake that I will act, declares the Lord GOD; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel.
This comes right after the great passage about how God will remove their hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. That tells us that it is God who transforms lives. It is not a matter of partnering with God and then improving ourselves. God is the one who transforms us. To be sure, we are responsible for the disciplines that will help us to grow in godliness, but God has to start the process.
I quoted this verse because I think it does such a great job of taking the focus off of man. When I hear the gospel it is often with a man-centered focus. What can a relationship with God do for me? How can knowing God help me? See how much God loves me? God did all of this for me.
While it is true that our lives are changed from knowing God, the focus cannot be on ourselves. God set His people free for the sake of His name. He did it so that He might be glorified. Let us never forget this as we think about our relationship with Him. It has to be God-centered, not man-centered.
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