by Pastor Cecil | Jan 29, 2010 | Job
| Special Note: Pastor Cecil is out of town holding his brother’s funeral, so he’ll be gone for a few days. Please remember to pray for him and his family at this time. Thanks, Russ |
Job 38:4
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?”
Why do bad things happen to good people? The Book of Job in the Old Testament relates the classic suffering story of a good man named Job. We have modern day sayings that come from his story, such “by the skin of his teeth” and “the patience of Job.”
In his story, Job suffers multiple attacks from Satan and his good meaning “friends” rebuke him with their thoughts on God and His ways and why Job is suffering so. After 37 chapters of pain and suffering and rebukes from friends, finally, in Job 38ff, the LORD speaks and says . . .
“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? . . .
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone-while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?
“Who shut up the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and wrapped it in thick darkness, when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place, when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther; here is where your proud waves halt’? . . .
“Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep? Have the gates of death been shown to you? Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death? Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this . . .
Then Job replied to the LORD :
“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.”
This Scripture is so interesting and you can read the entire story yourself, but Job confesses and says, “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things to wonderful for me to know.” And it says Job repented.
It’s easy to complain about our situation, but we don’t know the whole picture, only God does. The Book of Job reminds us that God is God and it is He who is in control. He is the Almighty and He is all powerful and He has a plan.
In Romans 8:28 we are taught, “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 . . . “ So, if we love Him, God uses “all things” to conform us to the likeness of Jesus, no small feat.
In Timothy Keller’s book, The Reason for God, he says, “Christianity alone among the world religions claims that God became uniquely and fully human in Jesus Christ and therefore Jesus knows firsthand despair, rejection, loneliness, poverty, bereavement, torture, and imprisonment. On the cross he went beyond even the worst human suffering and experienced cosmic rejection and pain that exceeds ours as infinitely as his knowledge and power exceeds ours. In his death, God suffers in love, identifying with the abandoned and godforsaken. Why did he do it? The Bible says that Jesus came on a rescue mission for creation. He had to pay for our sins so that someday he can end evil and suffering without ending us.”
God manages to take all the good and bad things life throws at us and works it together for our ultimate good. All we have to do is repent of our sin and accept His gift of forgiveness. What an amazing God we have! He is our Creator, our Sustainer, our Redeemer, our Sacrifice, our Advocate, our Savior, our Friend, and our Lord! He owns it all and is in control of all.
To access This Is My Father’s World, this week’s inspirational video from GloryScapes.com, please go to: http://www.gloryscapes.com/thisismyfathersworld in your browser or click on the image below.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Brother Russ (for Pastor Cecil)
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 28, 2010 | Romans
Romans 5:8-9
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”
It was just a little after 6:00 a.m. this morning when the phone rang. Have you noticed that when the phone rings at an odd hour that it usually is news that you are not anxious to hear? This time it was my nephew, Jay, giving us the news that my brother, Harold, had gone to be with the Lord. We knew that it was coming, but had anticipated at least a few weeks rather than just a few hours.
I had called his hospital room yesterday afternoon to suggest that I fly over to Boise to see him, but Harold said to wait until he had been moved to the care center. I had no idea that when we said “good-bye” on the phone that those would be the last words I would share with my brother this side of heaven.
Many of you have sent words of encouragement since I mentioned Harold’s diagnosis in Monday’s E-Votional. I so appreciate your love and concern for our family. This is the time to demonstrate that God’s Word provides instruction about how we as Christians should react to the loss of those who have gone to be with the Lord. Harold knew and loved the Lord, so we are confident that he is with the Lord right now.
Back in 1966 I stepped onto a plane that took me to the Northern tip of Newfoundland. I was assigned to a remote radar site and knew that I would be separated from home and family for the next 12 months. I did not relish the separation, but I knew that there would be a great reunion when I came back home after the tour of duty had ended. That is exactly what happened! What a time of rejoicing we had when we all were together once more.
That is exactly what will happen when the Lord returns and all of the saints are reunited for eternity. Think about it ― no more sorrow, no more pain, no more separation, no more confusion ― no more anything that causes us to experience turmoil of any kind. To me that means we are to trust God’s Word rather than our feelings. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Consider the apostle Paul’s confident instructions that are found in I Thessalonians 4:13: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”
How do we grasp this concept of hope and joy? The answer is in yesterday’s E-Votional. Proverbs 3:5 says; “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” Let’s do that!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 27, 2010 | Proverbs
Proverbs 3:6
“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Back in my Air Force days I was a Minuteman Missile Launch Control Officer. Each of our launch capsules controlled ten missiles equipped with nuclear warheads. As you might imagine, security and accuracy were of paramount importance. There was no room for lack of attention.
From time to time, messages were received to test our readiness and ability to respond. As the Crew Commander, it was my duty to shout out the order we had just received and my deputy was to respond: “acknowledged!”
Sometimes I feel that I could spend an entire life feasting on the truth of Proverbs 3:5-6. Today I would like to just focus on verse 6 and the word “acknowledge.” Here is the definition:
1 : to recognize the rights, authority, or status of
2 : to disclose knowledge of or agreement with
3 a : to express gratitude or obligation for <acknowledge a gift> b : to take notice of <failed to acknowledge my greeting> c : to make known the receipt of <acknowledge a letter>
4 : to recognize as genuine or valid <acknowledge a debt>
Do you see the connection with the word as we find it in Proverbs 3:6? It means that when we “acknowledge” the Lord, we yield our rights and responsibility to Him and allow Him to guide and direct our steps. Are you doing that? I pray that you are!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 26, 2010 | Philemon
Philemon 1:10-11
“I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.”
There are many people who do not have children and at the same time many children who lack a positive parental relationship. That should give you an idea that this is an area of ministry that has often been overlooked.
In this book of Philemon, Paul is writing to Philemon in behalf of his runaway slave named, Onesimus. We have no idea of the entire situation, but it is evident that Onesimus had come to Rome and had become like a son to Paul.
I really like this teaching. A man who had been on the run and of no value to anyone, especially his former owner, was now carrying a letter that introduced him as a new brother in Christ and like a son to Paul.
Try to imagine the feelings of both Philemon and Onesimus. I have to believe that there was an immediate change in their attitudes and now, because of Paul’s letter, they would be Christian brothers.
The question we need to ask ourselves is this: Who needs to become part of my spiritual family, either as a son, daughter, sister or brother? They are there!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
by Pastor Cecil | Jan 25, 2010 | Isaiah
Isaiah 40:7-8
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.”
Do you realize that we are all withering away to dry husks of what we once were? It reminds me of a surprise birthday party my friends prepared for me when I was on the staff of a large church in Idaho. They went all out for silliness and even had saved floral arrangements from months gone by to decorate the table. There were few colors left in the flowers. They were just dried and brown.
I guess that is really descriptive of what each of us has to look forward to. Perhaps I am thinking more along this line since I just received news this afternoon that my only sibling, my brother, Harold, has been diagnosed with leukemia and has only a short time to live.
When my sister-in-law asked him who he wanted to officiate at his service, he replied, “My brother.” That means I will have had the service for our daughter, my mother and all too soon, Harold. But you know what? ― We are all terminal and it is only a whisper of time before we are ushered out of this veil of tears and into the everlasting joy that awaits those who have truly been born again.
We might be nothing more than withered grass or dried flowers, but as we wither, the beauty of Jesus should shine brighter in our life than ever before. It is not how physically attractive we may be, but how much of Jesus is seen through us.
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
