JOB 28:1 - 30:31
WISDOM & UNDERSTANDING: Job emphasizes the failure of the human mind to arrive at hidden wisdom and understanding. (28:1-12) Human research hasn't discovered it. (28:13-19) Human wealth can't purchase it. (28:20-28) God alone has wisdom and it's His gift. Wisdom is the ability to see all of life from God's point of view. It is the art of living successfully. Understanding is insight in how to apply wisdom. The Book of James tells us to ASK GOD for wisdom! Job's conclusion is that "the fear of the Lord is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding."
JOB IN THE FURNACE: Job lamented the loss of his relationship with God. He had known God in true intimacy and favor. He knew what it was to be clothed in righteousness. He was not boasting; this was the truth! And now, people who don't know God as well as he did, are making fun of him. God doesn't hear or answer when he prays. Job is stripped of everything, and he blames God: "Thou art become cruel to me; with Thy strong hand Thou opposest Thyself against me." Job did not know that God is closest to us when we are in the furnace!
RESPONSE: Man can find precious metals and stones in the earth, but wisdom is hidden. The ONLY way to acquire real wisdom and real understanding about Life is from God. Life's requirements are tough! We need discernment ever day, we need insight, power, correct judgment, and life skills just to get through a day successfully. I don't want to just take up space, waiting to die! For purposeful living, we must have wisdom and understanding. Only God knows the end from the beginning, and only His purposes will succeed. It is actually exciting to live by godly wisdom! I ask God for it every morning.
2 CORINTHIANS 2:12-17
DO I STINK? People are polarized when it comes to judging how Christians live. Once everyone knows we are born again, they don't just ignore us. No! They watch us. We are "living sacrifices", not victims of the world or the devil. When the fire comes, do you smell BITTER? Or do you smell SWEET? When we smell SWEET, the smoke from our lives suffocates unbelievers who want to gnash on us. In order to be a sweet-smelling barbeque, we must be a life dealt with by God. (We don't jump off the grill when it gets hot.)
RESPONSE: I probably lived the first 50 years of my life being bitter. I believed that if I didn't look out for myself, no one else would! I didn't really trust God to look after my interests, and didn't believe He even loved me (except as a requirement for being God). Bitter, bitter, bitter! And it spilled out on everyone around me. I was sarcastic, know-it-all, and arrogant. I held things against everyone, and was fault-finding and judgmental. Who did I hurt? Besides myself, I contaminated my children, and brought shame on the Name of the Lord.
I was put on that altar many times, and refused to burn! I made excuses, defended myself, justified my behavior, and did just about anything to preserve SELF! Everything was someone else's fault! What little that did burn, probably gave off a stench that offended and alienated non-believers who knew me. I'm not even sure how God started turning things around. I know that my eyes began to open as people in the church really loved me. I soaked myself in the Word of God, and allowed God to say what He needed to say to me. As things literally "dropped off", I clung to God as my only hope. He forced me to let go of some things, and other things left me without my knowing they were going. The biggest and greatest means of change is WORSHIP. As I gave praise and thanks to God, my heart LEARNED to fear Him, trust Him, cling to Him, believe Him, love Him. Yes! We have to instruct our own hearts. Mine was stubborn and arrogant and unbelieving. And yes, I was deceived about how bad it really was (Jer 17:9).
PSALM 42:1-11
PROVERBS 22:7
"The borrower is servant to the lender." Ain't that the truth! My mortgage-holder just sold our loan to another bank. No one asked me! They just did it, and then let me know. This isn't the first time either!
RESPONSE: "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?” I ask myself those questions when I find myself getting upset about something. I have learned that feelings are just feelings! They don't mean a thing because they change frequently. So, I tell myself to "hope in God." Get your eyes back on God. See how good and how great He is.
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