Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Ignorant Eliphaz (7/18/24)

Have you ever had a friend try to give you encouragement or helpful advice that was not helpful, encouraging or even true?

Job’s friends started out well. They compassionately sat with him for 7 days and watched his misery in silence. After Job’s lament in chapter 3, one of his friends tried to speak encouragement.

Job 4:1-9   Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied:

² “If someone ventures a word with you, will you be impatient?
    But who can keep from speaking?
³ Think how you have instructed many,
    how you have strengthened feeble hands.
⁴ Your words have supported those who stumbled;
    you have strengthened faltering knees.
⁵ But now trouble comes to you, and you are discouraged;
    it strikes you, and you are dismayed.
⁶ Should not your piety be your confidence
    and your blameless ways your hope?

⁷ “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished?
    Where were the upright ever destroyed?
⁸ As I have observed, those who plow evil
    and those who sow trouble reap it.
⁹ At the breath of God they perish;
    at the blast of his anger they are no more.

Eliphaz recognized Job’s wise instruction to others and his help to the weak. However, he was confused by Job’s discouragement over his tragic circumstances. He didn’t understand why Job didn’t “know” that evil comes to those who do evil and innocent people don’t suffer.

Eliphaz needed to stop after verse 4. He could highlight the righteous acts he had seen, but he wasn’t all-knowing like God and able to truly explain why Job was experiencing such horrendous loss and pain. He was completely ignorant of all that had transpired between God and Satan.

Reading this reminded me that less is often better, especially when it comes to words! I can speak true and sincere encouragement from what I have seen and not give advice or offer speculation on things I haven’t seen and don’t know. Whether it’s commenting on world events, giving encouragement or offering advice, let’s prayerfully speak.

 

Proverbs 17:27-28 The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint,
    and whoever has understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,
    and discerning if they hold their tongues.

I don’t want to be an ignorant friend like Eliphaz, but wise and discerning with my words! May we point others to our All-knowing God for His truth rather than our tainted understanding!   

Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Lamenting Job (7/11/24)

 I had a shooting stomach pain yesterday for about 30 minutes that was debilitating. As my stomach negatively reacted, I was reminded that I could still praise God for who He is while also asking for help and relief. It was hard not to start by calling out for help and stating the same thing over and over. It was helpful to remember His attributes of being All-knowing, able to use everything for His purposes, etc.

 

My temporary suffering was nothing compared to what Job experienced for days and maybe even weeks. Yet, as we learned a few weeks ago, he didn’t sin in what he said. He never cursed God, like Satan desired. He did curse his birth.

Job 3:1-4, 11-13, 20-21, 24-26      After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. ² He said:

³ “May the day of my birth perish,
    and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’
⁴ That day—may it turn to darkness;
    may God above not care about it;
    may no light shine on it.

¹¹ “Why did I not perish at birth,
    and die as I came from the womb?
¹² Why were there knees to receive me
    and breasts that I might be nursed?
¹³ For now I would be lying down in peace;
    I would be asleep and at rest

²⁰ “Why is light given to those in misery,
    and life to the bitter of soul,
²¹ to those who long for death that does not come,
    who search for it more than for hidden treasure,

²⁴ For sighing has become my daily food;
    my groans pour out like water.
²⁵ What I feared has come upon me;
    what I dreaded has happened to me.
²⁶ I have no peace, no quietness;
    I have no rest, but only turmoil.”

It sounds as though there was no relief for Job, even in sleep. His pleas and laments are understandable. He wished for death, but he didn’t take things into his own hands. As he said in chapter 2 verse 10: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

The next time you and I face a painful or difficult situation, let’s remember God is always praiseworthy. He can also handle our questions and respectful laments. In the midst of it all, we can submit to His all-knowing care and timing, as Job did! 

Friday Devotional - All-Knowing God Brings Sympathetic Friends (6/28/24)

Have you ever been in so much pain that you couldn’t talk and couldn’t handle other people talking to you? I have been there a few times, but not for days on end, like Job!  

Job 2:11-13  ¹¹ When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. ¹² When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. ¹³ Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

I know the three friends didn’t stay sympathetic and didn’t remain an encouragement, but they started out well. They left their comforts to sit next to and watch Job’s misery. They didn’t just come and pay respects for 7 minutes but sat silently for 7 days and nights!

What kind of friend are you and I? Are we that selfless and sacrificial? Do we tell our friend we will pray for them and then move on with our day? I was convicted by the initial compassion of Job’s friends.

Proverbs 17:17   A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Let’s be a true friend to share in the joy and sorrow of others.

Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Wrong Satan (6/20/24)

Have you ever been right and your enemy wrong?? Did they come back and admit they were wrong and you were right?

Satan didn’t admit to God that God was right about Job. As we saw last week, Job didn’t curse God when everything he had was stripped away. Satan said he would, but he didn’t. This week, we’ll see Satan try again to prove God wrong.

 

Job 2:3-10 ³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”

⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. ⁵ But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Satan lost again! Job didn’t curse God, even after his wife encouraged him to do the very thing Satan wanted.

Only God is all-knowing, omniscient, and always right! I had to admit to Edmund (our 7 year-old) yesterday that I was wrong. It was related to something we read in Job 7 that I had mis-remembered. We read it again and he was right and I was wrong.

Numerous truths and applications pop out of this section of Job. This time reading through it, though, the contrast between God and Satan really stood out.

It’s usually hard to admit when we are wrong. However, I would rather not be like Satan. The next time you and I are wrong, let’s be quick to admit it to ourselves, those around us and especially to God. He already knows, as our all-knowing God, so why not acknowledge it before Him?

Thursday Devotional - All-Knowing God versus Restricted Satan (6/13/24)

Satan is powerful, but his power has no comparison to God’s power. Satan is quite restricted and is always under God’s authority. The book of Job is definitely a clear picture of this.

Job 1:8-12 ⁸ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”

⁹ “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. ¹⁰ “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. ¹¹ But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

¹² The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.”

Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Satan thinks he knows more than God???? I know many of you know what happens next. Satan does touch everything of Job’s except his wife and Job’s body (at least in the first chapter). Amazingly, and as our All-knowing God knew, Job doesn’t curse God.

Job 1:20-22        ²⁰ At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
    and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
    may the name of the Lord be praised.”

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Wow! I don’t think worship of God would be my first response. In reading this passage together as a family last night, my kids agreed. However, Job knew God had all power and all authority. I was reminded that God is always worthy of praise as the All-knowing Father in Heaven! Nothing escapes His knowledge or happens outside His ultimate control.

How will you and I take encouragement from the fact that Satan is restricted and only God is all-knowing?

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – For a Purpose-Filled Life (6/6/24)

John wrote a compelling Gospel with specifically selected events, miracles and teachings. He knew he didn’t capture everything, but other writers had recorded additional truths about Jesus. So, he ended his book with this final verse:

John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

John had a specific purpose in writing what he wrote. He gave his purpose in the previous chapter.

John 20:30-31                   ³⁰ Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The miracles John recorded weren’t random and neither is the rest of the Bible. I love knowing the Holy Spirit had John write down certain miracles specifically so we would believe! Not only did John (and more importantly, God) desire us to believe, but to experience true life as part of Jesus’s family. We can have abundant, purposeful, and joy-filled life as we know Jesus, understand what He’s done for us and follow His example.  

How has knowing Jesus is Truth, given you purpose-filled life? 

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Calling Us to Follow (5/29/24)

Do you ever compare your life to someone else’s? What about your service to God? Do you and I ever compare what we’re doing to what other’s are doing for God?

As part of various prayer ministries over the years, I have often wondered why more Christians weren’t involved. I’ve even personally invited fellow Christians and received a “no thanks” kind of response. It can be frustrating. However, I’m called to follow Jesus and participate in His work where He leads me, regardless of what other people are doing.

Peter was also called to follow Jesus without worrying about other disciples.  

John 21:18-22         ¹⁸ Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

²⁰ Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) ²¹ When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”

Peter was told twice in this passage to follow Jesus. We’re to keep our eyes on Jesus, too, and not get distracted or frustrated by looking around at others. Our joy comes from fulfilling the purpose Jesus specifically gave to you and me. We must follow Jesus to experience the full measure of blessings He has for us.

Where are you and I distracted from fully following Jesus by looking around at others? What can help you and me turn our focus back to Jesus? He’s worth it! He’s the only One with real Truth! His purposes bring true satisfaction!   

Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Offering Peace in Fear (5/23/24)

 Who do you and I know that lives in constant fear?

I think Thomas was living in constant fear that first week after Jesus’s death, which led to his doubts. He was so confused by Jesus’s death and probably afraid for his own life, too.  

John 20:24-29         ²⁴ Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus’s resurrection offered peace in fear! Jesus offered peace to doubting and fearful Thomas. Jesus met Thomas where he was, offered for him to do the very thing he requested, and showed he heard Thomas’s words from the previous week.

We can extend that same peace to those around us who are also living with doubts and fears. Many people lack true peace and joy that can only come from a relationship with our all-knowing, all-powerful Creator who rose victorious over death! Because Jesus rose, we can have peace knowing those who believe will also rise from the dead and join Jesus for all eternity.  

How will you and I tap into this blessing of peace today, especially with any fears faced?

Jesus is Truth – As We Celebrate Pentecost Sunday!

Did you know Jews were celebrating the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot) on the day God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers? The Feast of Weeks was an agricultural festival at the end of grain harvest, 7 weeks after Passover, celebrating the first fruits of the harvest. In God’s perfect timing, He sent the first fruits of the permanent and powerful presence of the Holy Spirit to live in Jesus’s followers. This enabled them to powerfully witness and work for Jesus all over the world, as seen throughout the book of Acts.

Acts 2:1-9  When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ² Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³ They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴ All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

⁵ Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. ⁶ When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. ⁷ Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter then gave a powerful message about what God did through Jesus’s death, resurrection, ascension, and gift of the Holy Spirit. He called for repentance of sins, receiving Jesus’s forgiveness and baptism. Then, those who believed would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Three thousand believed Peter’s message that day! Peter made it clear the Holy Spirit’s presence was for all those who believed (Acts 2:38-39), which includes you and me!

The day of Pentecost reminds me that Jesus’s spiritual presence is always with me through the Holy Spirit that lives inside me to guide, comfort, convict, instruct, empower and bring peace. I am never alone and never without the Holy Spirit’s help!

What encouragement does Pentecost and the Holy Spirit’s presence bring to you?

Jesus is Truth - Celebrate His Ascension Today! (Thursday May 9, 2024)

 

Can you believe it’s been 40 days since Easter?!

Acts 1:3-11          ³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Ascension Day reminds me that Jesus fulfilled His promises of living as a human, dying for my sins, rising in bodily form and ascending to heaven. I am certain He will fulfill His other promises such as preparing a perfect place for me in Heaven after this life and ending Satan’s reign on earth (Revelation 20:7-10).

As you celebrate today, will you thank God for His victory over death and His promise to return for you?

We look forward to celebrating Pentecost next week!

Alice

P.S. I had the opportunity to write a post about Ascension Day for our global Interfaith Employee Network at work. The full article is included below:

Name of the holiday? Ascension Day 

Who (what religion) celebrates this holiday? Christians

What is the holiday about? Ascension Day is a Christian holiday celebrating the day Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Son of God, ended His visibly physical time on earth and returned to heaven, at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus was with God before the creation of the world, came to earth as a baby and lived as a perfect human on earth, died on the cross in our place as our perfect sacrificial Passover lamb (John 1:29 and I Corinthians 5:7), rose from the dead, physically appeared to hundreds of people for 40 days after His resurrection (I Corinthians 15:3-8) and then ascended (returned/moved back up) to where He had been with God from the beginning. Jesus’s ascension was witnessed by numerous people and Luke documented this event in the first chapter of his book of Acts (Acts 1:3-11). 

When does it take place? Ascension Day is always 40 days after Easter. Easter (or Resurrection Day) is always on a Sunday, so Ascension Day falls on a Thursday, 5½ weeks later.  

Where is it celebrated (what do we do on this day)? Some Christians attend a special church service on Ascension Thursday or choose to delay the celebration until the following Sunday’s normal church service.

How is it celebrated? Christians joyfully celebrate by re-reading the details of Jesus’s ascension to heaven (Acts 1:3-11) and by praising Jesus with music that talks about His ascension.  

Why is it important to us? Ascension Day is important because it celebrates Jesus’s completed work in making a way for sinful humans to have a restored relationship with their Creator God. By accepting that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all our sins, rose from the dead victorious over death for Himself and for us, and is now exalted back to His rightful place in Heaven with God the Father, Christians have free access to talk to God anytime and are assured we will also ascend to Heaven to join Jesus for all eternity! Jesus said He would not stay on this earth forever, but would leave to prepare a place for us. (John 14:1-3). 

Significance (what does the holiday mean) to me? Ascension Day reminds me that Jesus fulfilled His promises of living as a human, dying for my sins, rising in bodily form and ascending to heaven. I am certain He will fulfill His other promises such as preparing a perfect place for me in Heaven after this life and ending Satan’s reign on earth (Revelation 20:7-10). Also, as He promised, Jesus gave me (and all His followers) His Holy Spirit to be with me while I live on this earth. Jesus’s Ascension marked the end of His physical presence, but His Spiritual presence is available to all of His followers all of the time, ever since the Day of Pentecost (which we will celebrate and discuss in 10 days!)