Musing about Job

Job 1:20
"Then Job arose and rent his robe and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshipped"

I just need to ask..is this your M.O. When calamity strikes?
Job was upright and blameless, like none other on the earth! He reverently feared God and not only abstained from but shunned all evil.  (These are Gods Words!!)

In one day;
1. ALL the oxen and donkeys (1000 animals) were stolen and all servants less one slain.
2. ALL the 7000 Sheep and servants, less one, were killed by lightening.
3. ALL 3000 camels were stolen and all but one servant slain.
4. ALL 10 children were killed in a tornado and only 1 servant escaped.

THIS ALL IN ONE DAY!!

And Job worships...


Father, may I be like Job when calamity strikes.

I Is But a Sheep

I love little sheep. They  reminds me Who I belong to.  They reminds me of my responsibilities, my job....

Stay in the pasture
Listen to His voice
Go where He leads me
Be satisfied with the pasture I'm in
Be friendly with the other sheep
Don't mind other sheep's business
Be content... not fearful
Don't be greedy
Don't lag behind or go ahead

Sheep are The Lords Business!

Heaped up Anger

Job 36:13

"But the godless and profane, in heart, heap up anger (at the divine discipline); they do not cry to Him when He binds them with cords of affliction"

This verse struck me.
Have you ever experienced "heaped up anger"?  I am most certain I have met many that have.  Their whole countenance shows it.  They don't even need to speak and it's seen.  BUT if they open their mouth it will erase all doubt!

God is wanting His Children to RUN TO HIM with EVERYTHING!
He says "Cast your cares upon ME , for I care for you!"

V16. "God would have allured you out of the mouth of distress into a broad place where there is no situation of perplexity or privation; and that which would be set on your table would be full of fatness"

Your Heavenly Father has compassion.
He wants to make things better.
He perhaps is waiting for you to recognize a trait in your life.  Maybe He is wanting you to turn your gripping and complaining to PRAISE?!

Job became filled with judgement and wrath towards God

V21  "take heed, turn not to iniquity, for this (the iniquity of complaining against God) you have chosen rather than (submission in) affliction."

One thing I have learned about birth; it is ALWAYS better to submit to the pain than to brace against it!  When I have settled my mind and body that I have indeed entered the birthing process I've found that the process, though painful, will go much better if I "work with it."

So Friend, today if you find yourself in pain, I'm sorry.  God is doing a work in you.  It's not random.
For
"He Who began a Good Work in you will be faithful to complete it"!

Lay down your anger and run to Jesus!

Discord in the Family

There are Scriptures that speak of children rising up against their parents; 
Matt 10:21, Luke 12:53, Mark 13:12

Very sad indeed and most often heart breaking.

Malachi 4:6 says "and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers..."

Many sermons, articles and commentaries have been written on this subject but I'm thinking none of the research helps take away the pain of rejection.

So when and if you find yourself in conversation with someone and they open up about a schism in their family....

Why not simply PRAY with them.  Pray as the Scripture says above. Help them to leave it with Jesus.

Father. 
We come and agree together that according to Your Word You are able to heal the family. You will turn the hearts of children and parents back towards each other.
Is anything too difficult for You? NO!
We stand in Faith Believing that Your Heart cares and longs to see reconciliation as well as ours.  Have Your Way Oh God and bring Peace and Grace to all who are dealing with this heartache.
Thank You Father!

Reservation Required

Tonight we held a meeting at the house and a young man was receiving prayer at the end.  When he was finished I saw a "picture".  

I saw a picture of the feet of Jesus. It looked like He was sitting on His throne.   Right there on the floor by His feet was a cushion that was marked "reserved for.."    I told the young man and reminded him that there is NO GREATER PLACE to be than at the feet of Jesus.  All Peace, All Grace, All Faith, All Instruction can and will be found at this place.

There is a place reserved for YOU.  
Only You.  
No one else can take your spot.  
If you're not there your place is empty.  
He waits for you!

This is not a place for petition and intercession,  It is a place of silence and listening to His Heart and His thoughts about you!

Few have found this spot.  It has to be fought for as our flesh and "life" keep us bound up in schedules and doing.  

Who will fight for More...More time in His Presence.  I hope I see you there!

The Bickersons

This is a word I have not heard in a while :  BICKER
Yet in the past month I have heard it a handful of times.  The sad part is it almost always is used to describe communication in a marriage of "long standing". 

What does the Scripture say about bickering *?  Looking at the synonyms below I guess a lot.  The Israelite's likely took the award but there are many other verses in the New Testament where we are commanded to speak loving and life giving words to each other.

I imagine most people/couples just say "oh we know each other is just kidding"  "We don't mean anything by it"  'What? Bicker? we don't bicker!"

It's a problem.  No I mean IT'S A PROBLEM!

If you are a "bickerer" stop it!   

I know I'm meddling but as Thumper said, 

"If you can't say nothing nice ~ say nothing at all".

Brother and Sister,  If this applies take it to the Lord 

and ask for help.  

I doubt God  thinks it's funny.  

What it is is simply a bad habit that can be broken. 

Remember He is not finished with us 

until our last breath.  

So if the shoe fits wear it.  

See if anyone notices. 

(I'm going to watch myself more closely)
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart 
be acceptable to You Oh God" 
Psalm 19:14

bick·er

1. ˈbikər/

   verb

   1. 1.

      argue about petty and trivial matters.

      
      

      "whenever the phone rings, they bicker over who must answer it"

      
      

      synonyms:

      quarrel, argue, squabble, wrangle, fight, disagree, dispute, spar, have words, be at each other's throats, lock horns;  informalscrap, spat "they never bickered before they were married"

   
   

Head Down ~ Spirit Up

Someone shared a story with me today.  

She was out to dinner with family.  As they waited to be seated a gentleman with a cane came towards the door.  He was bent in a 90 degree angle.  Totally bent over, head down.  
My friend opened the door for him and as he twisted his head to see her he said "thank you, I'd like to give you something."  He then pulled out two small pink crosses from his pocket and handed them to her.  "Thank you for being so kind."

 ***************************************************
I had a dear friend go home to Jesus this fall.  She was in her late 70's and  a volunteer at her church. She just loved on people.  When the days of her wake and funeral came about the line to pay respects to the family was VERY long and growing.  

Why had everyone come to say farewell to Irish Ann?

SHE WAS KIND.

PERIOD.

Standing in that line I so wanted to interview each and every participant and ask how they knew her.  "I met her at the butcher shop and she prayed for my wife."  "She brought communion to my elderly parents who were shut in." "She came and bought cards every week to send to loved ones."

Ann "signed up" for one of the most important jobs.
PEOPLE.  
She loved people..ALL people.  She made everyone feel welcome and like a friend.  

I think it would be good if we ALL TOOK ON THAT JOB!
What a change we could make in this world!

Friends ~  BE KIND  ~  and like my dad (with a twinkle in his eye) would say.."It don't cost no more."

If you left earth today what would you be remembered for?

Turns out it was my issue!!

Years ago, when our family was just beginning to grow, I found myself beaten down by the thoughts, words and actions of others in the church.

I was in a miserable place.  I was pregnant with Emmalie, our fourth baby, and her brother was barely going to be 12 months old  when she would be born.  I was tired, overwhelmed with cloth diapers (lol) and in a continual tug of war with the Lord.

You see, 4 years earlier the Lord had asked us to simply trust Him about the issue of children.  He wanted to be in charge. This posed a number of issues;
1 we had planned to have no children. 
2 we were young and had wonderful plans to work for the Lord.
3 we were basically living hand to mouth...I could list more.

On this one wintry day I was doing all that pregnant moms do and the Lord chose to visit me.  No I did not see Him..BUT He "chatted" with me for a significant amount of time.  
It went like this:
"you have not planned your children but I have known their names and their number before the beginning of the world." He then proceeded to ask me a series of questions ..." how have your pregnancies been?  Have you been healthy?  Have I provided for each and every one of your needs?"
He went on to say.."Yet you have allowed the very blessings that I have been pouring out upon you to be stolen by others."

WHAT? How come I'm getting blamed?  I'm only doing what You said!!  Geeez!!

and then His Words sunk a little deeper...
'YOU HAVE ALLOWED'....


It hit me like a brick!  
My eyes were opened and I dropped to my knees on that worn linoleum floor.   In tears I said, "Father, forgive me!  YOU HAVE poured out so many blessings, YOU HAVE been faithful!!!    I'm so sorry Lord..please forgive me!'

A sack of boulders rolled off my back that day. My nerve endings went back under my skin and my antennae shrunk out of sight. It was my first of many lessons in seeing that I cannot blame anyone for my feelings, my 'reading other's thoughts", my sensing other's body language and my over-sensitivity that was stealing ALL MY JOY!

I was back in His Grace!  

Now I have visited this place often over the years but every time I have learned deeper that I MUST NOT let anyone steal my blessings!   I must guard my thoughts and cast down those vain imaginations!* (2 Cor. 10:5)

Take inventory my friend.  Does your hope, thankfulness and joy bag have a hole in it?  Are you allowing yourself to be robbed with out putting up a fight?

HE IS SO GOOD and these many years later "I see the Goodness of the Lord in the land of the living"* (Psalm 27:13) as my 12 do much more for and in the kingdom than we two could ever have done!

I'll say it again!
GOD IS SO GOOD!








Letting others steal our blessings!