Job 16:1-2. Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
Oh Friends, another today is here! The question is how will we use it? Will we use it wisely, or unwisely? For all our sakes, I certainly hope we use it wisely, otherwise we’d be placing our selves, both our earthly and eternal lives, in serious jeopardy. And what does using today wisely mean, or entail eh? It simply means giving our hearts, minds, bodies and souls to God! Turning to Him for guidance and direction, each and every day of our lives, while attempting to walk the straight and narrow path that comply with His guidelines and dictates. So basically, using the day wisely, means allowing God to direct our footsteps. And the best way to do that is by seeking Him early in the morning, as soon as we get up, possibly before we even open our eyes, just be conscious that we’re awake. That gives the evil fool Lucifer less time to gang up on us and cause us to deviate from the straight and narrow before we’ve even begun the day. As the ole people would say, ‘take in front, before in front takes you.’ And you know it’s always best to read the directions on a package before using its contents, as well as know where you’re going before setting out on your journey. The same applies to starting our day. So Friends, let’s try and make it a habit of starting our day with God, as soon as possible after arising nuh. I guarantee that our days will turn out much better that way. Now turning to our Bit: ‘Then Job answered and said, I have heard many such things: miserable (troublesome) comforters are ye all.’ Oh my brethren, what a story is Job’s later life! He’s living as righteous and faithful as he can, then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, he loses everything; his family, his health and his wealth. Unknown to Job, the Lord’s using him as a righteous example to Lucifer. And Job stays the course fairly well, obviously unhappy and confused, but not blaming or cursing God. But then, some days later, three of his buddies, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, who heard of his ‘sufferation’, show up together ‘to mourn with him and to comfort him.’ (Job 2:11) From what the Good Book says, Job must have been a real mess, because when his friends first saw him, they didn’t recognize him; ‘they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle (each tore off his robe), and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.’ (Job 2:12-13) Now that was real brotherly of them, and maybe they should just have kept their silence throughout their stay, because after that each one of them lambastes Job about why such a terrible disaster had befallen him. They all figure he’s committed some horrible sin, for which God has punished him. But Job knows that there’s no such horrible sin in his life. No wonder he’s astounded at the way his supposed friends lash out at him. Early on, he reproaches them by saying. ‘To him that is afflicted (despairing) pity (kindness) should be showed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away.’ (Job 6:14-15) Not only did Job’s friends berate him unfairly, his close relations had also forsaken him in his time of dire need. But that’s how it usually goes, although it’s not supposed to. Those who are suffering should be shown compassion and empathy, not dragged roughly across the coals, even though they may done something to bring the disaster on themselves. All that does is add to their afflictions and their sorrows. Then after our Bit, before complaining about God’s dealings with him, Job again rebukes his friends. ‘Shall vain (empty) words have an end? Or what emboldeneth (provokes) thee that thou answerest? I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead. I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of (comfort from) my lips should assuage (relieve) your grief.’ (Job 16:3-5) Now that’s the way it should be my brethren! Whatever we do, or say, should have a positive effect on those who are sorrowful, not increase their sorrow, as Job’s friends did to him with their harsh, unfeeling words. That’s like the unfair snap judgements many of us make in this unfair and judgemental world. We’re quick to jump down the throats of others and criticize them from mere outward appearances, without having any knowledge of the true situation. Remember Jesus said; ‘Judge (condemn) not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgement (condemnation) ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete (use), it shall be measured to you again.’ (Matt.7:1-2) That means we should not be condemning others, judging their inner motives, especially on prejudiced information, neither use ourselves as a standard for the judgement, because it’s by that same standard we’ll be judged. Obviously Job’s friends didn’t follow those rules. Anyway my fellow believers, I believe we’ve got the general picture here, and since time and space are running out on us, let’s end with some wise words of Bruh Paul to the Corinthians, on the topic of comfort that we all know, or should know, but don’t practice sufficiently. ‘Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble (tribulation), by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.’ (2 Cor.1:3-4) Bruh Paul is talking about his afflictions, and how God comforts him, so that he can comfort others. Now that’s how it also ought to be with us, my people! So as of today, let’s try to show a truer Christian side to our criticism and judgement nuh. Don’t condemn, and if we need to correct, let’s do it with gentleness and kindness, in LOVE, as Jesus does, and would have us do. Much LOVE!…the beauty of correcting or comforting with LOVING-KINDNESS…is that it greatly reduces the possibility of anger, strife and resentment…and greatly increases the chances of true comfort and consolation…
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 March 2013 Job 16:1-2
03 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: afflictions, anger, bodies and souls, christianity, comfort, comforters, compassion, condemnation, consolation, dictates, dire need, direction, dust, empathy, gentleness, God's guidance, grief, guidelines, hearts minds, judgement, lambastes, LOVE, LOVING_kindness, positive effect, provoke, rebuke, relieve, reproach, resentment, seek God early, spirituality, straight and narrow path, strife, sufferation, tribulation
Today’s Scrip-Bit 17 April 2012 Hebrews 12:3
17 Apr 2012 Leave a comment
in Inspirational Living Tags: blessings, calamity, confused world, empathy, faithful promises, frustration, good courage, kind God, old school, rock and a hard place., stay in faith, wait on the Lord, work it out, Yellow Pages
Hebrews 12:3. For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) against himself, lest ye be wearied (discouraged) and faint in your minds (souls).
Ah Friends, in this crazy confused world, when it’s not one thing, it’s certainly another yes! And though I know and believe that my God is kind, LOVING, merciful and all those great things, some days I’m not too thrilled by the things He allows in my life. Here’s an instance. Yesterday a wicked wind storm blew all day in my area – was still blowing up to a short while ago – around 6.15 p.m. I’m coming home from the dentist, my mouth all numb and frozen, I can hardly feel my lip, just dying to get home and get to my bed. But lo and behold, what do I see when I pull into my driveway? I see half of the eaves trough on the right side of my house swinging in the windstorm, banging against the house. Hn! You can imagine my consternation! Obviously I cried out to the Lord: ‘Why Lord, why this now eh?’ You know there was no answer. (smile) And though I could see no real reason for this calamity, I did my best to stay in faith, wondering where I would find someone at that late hour to come and fix it. Well not even fix it, but simply cut off the piece that was hanging down and constantly being lengthened by the strong wind. I certainly couldn’t leave it like that because it would eventually get long enough to bang into the two windows on that side of the house, and I certainly didn’t want that further frustration. So in my great wisdom, I stuck it behind an outside light fixture and tied it there, then got out my trusty Yellow Pages. Yes I know that many of you are laughing at the thought of using Yellow Pages because you consider that so old school and passé, but since I’m an old school man, I’m still using it. I don’t believe in running to my computer for everything. I found the eaves trough section, and called a couple places. Obviously at that time of day all I got were recorded messages, so I said my piece, then sat down to wait, tentatively listening for any further damage. An hour later, one of them returned my call, claiming they couldn’t get anybody to go up on a ladder in that kind of windstorm. But as luck, or rather the Lord would have it, they found someone who came by later and cut it down. It took them less than ten minutes to do so. However the price for doing it was a bit steep, because they claimed it was an Emergency Service. Hn! And you don’t want to know what they quoted me to replace it. But I don’t have any choice, and hopefully it will be fixed before the next set of heavenly blessings come pouring down, for that will cause further problems. And I have to laugh here, because my whole perspective has changed from a few days ago where I was praying for rain, but now I’m praying for none. Ah Friends, the things our God causes or allows in our lives eh! But if I say I trust Him and surrender my life to Him, then all I can do is grin and bear whatever comes along and believe that whatever happens He’ll eventually work it out for good as He faithfully promises. (Rom.8:28) Now I wasn’t planning to write about this, but you know His Spirit eventually planted the idea and I’m obedient, if nothing else. (smile) Then to make matters worse, I came down to write about it and the first thing I saw was this note I have taped to my desk: ‘Our task is to take hold of God’s grace to endure our afflictions with patience, without growing weary. In time, He will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle us. We must wait on the Lord and be of good courage.’ I guess He figured the point still needed driving home. And that wasn’t all. I finally got an answer to my question of why that calamity at such an inopportune time. I was supposed to count my blessings, be thankful for small mercies, it could have been worse, the whole roof could have blown off. Suppose I was living in the U.S. Midwest where all the terrible tornadoes are wreaking such havoc on innocent people. Now I do feel empathy for those unfortunate people and pray for them, but I guess the Lord figured I needed a reality check, so I wouldn’t feel untouchable, get too comfortable, too proud and big for my britches. Oh Friends, it’s a lesson we all have to learn as believers, and the Lord will teach us, in ways we don’t like, but have to accept because His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours. And remember He never puts us in a tight position without any help. I can attest to that right here and now, because I was a tad concerned about the money to fix it, but in His wisdom and generosity, the Lord’s already provided the money to fix it from a very surprising source. So how can I not LOVE and revere Him though He puts me through all sorts of trials eh mih people? It’s just another instance of where He shows His faithfulness in keeping all His promises to those who stand in faith and try their best to obey Him. Ah well, the Lord probably decided that He needed a testimony from me today, for as they say, actions speak louder than words, and telling others what the Bible says is all well and good, but they will appreciate it much more when they know and see how it’s working contemporarily in our own lives. And that’s my testimony for today Friends. It’s no big, miraculous tale, but one of simple every day life, which is where the Lord truly wants to work with us. So please let’s consider our day to day actions, though seemingly simple and trivial, to be very important to both our God and ourselves, for that’s how we live – from day to day. Hope this testimony has some impact on those of you who are going through similar circumstances, or even worse ones. It’s imperative that we consider all that happens to us as coming from the Lord, therefore we can release all our anxiety to Him, then stand strong in faith and watch Him work successfully in our lives. Now I have to go and find a suitable Bit, because this is one of those written from the heart. (smile) Ah Friends, I’m back, some ten minutes later. I found several that seemed suitable, but this is the one I felt in my spirit. ‘For consider him that endured such contradiction (hostility) of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied (discouraged) and faint in your minds (souls).’ And that’s solid advice Friends. Whenever we get between a rock and a hard place, let’s consider Jesus’ trials and how He withstood them through steadfast faith in His Father, then let’s do likewise. Though it’s not going to be always easy, the Lord will ALWAYS HELP US if we sincerely ask for it! Much LOVE!…count your blessings…one by one…see what awesome things Jesus has done…then thank and praise Him…for every single one…
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