May 8, 2025

The enemy thought he could sift Job like wheat, but God knew him, and even though he had lost his children and wealth, and his health was in shambles, He expected him to recover. How far down have you gone? Have you gotten to the end of the road with nowhere to turn? Job was so far down that his friends didn’t expect him to return from it, and harassed him, but Job defended himself and rebuked them for their harsh words in his time of need. “Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?” Job asked God to show him his sin, and thought God might be punishing him for his folly as a youth. We know that wasn’t the case, but Job didn’t know. Is your trial a direct result of your sin, or is God allowing you to be tested for faithfulness? Did you pass the test? If you are still being tried, stay in close contact with God, even if it is every moment of the day, and don’t give up or give in. If Job could recover without cursing God or blaming Him, so can you. 

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. Job 13:15

May 7, 2025

Job had listened to the drivel of Zophar and the other men long enough and decided to defend himself. Clapping back, he called them out on their arrogance, saying, “No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.” He reminded them he was still wise despite being in a bad situation; his brain didn’t die with his wealth. Then he rebuked them for their conceit, pointing out that God is in charge of every situation, whether good or bad. God can use bad people as well as good people for His purpose. God is sovereign and has dominion over everything, including kings, governments, politicians, and those who think they are powerful. He makes judges fools and kings subject to Him. 

Those who fear what is happening in our government, relax! God is in control and knows what is best for us. If it is the time of the end, good, we go on to glory. If it is not, God knows our situation, and has our best interest in mind as he orchestrates the events. It is useless for us to worry or concern ourselves with it. However, it is entertaining to watch: it keeps our interest and is tantalizing. 

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding. With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. Job 12:12-14

May 6, 2025

Did Job’s friends come to comfort him or to accuse him? Maybe they were only there to discover what he did against God so that they might gloat over their own faithfulness to Him. Zophar chimes in, but is as nasty as Job’s other friends, calling him a liar and a mocker. Something interesting I noticed was that they were only harsh with Job and meticulous not to say anything against God. They spoke of God with great care. Here, Zophar gives us insight into some of God’s attributes. 

1. He gives us less punishment than we deserve.
2. He is perfect.
3. He is immeasurable. 
4. He is unstoppable.
5. He knows what is in our hearts.
6. He is incomprehensible.
7. He is unsearchable. 

Finally, Zophar gives Job some encouragement. He tells him to prepare his heart, turn away from iniquity, and he will be able to turn his face toward God and forget his misery. He reminds him that there is hope, and he will be able to rest in safety and be unafraid. 

If you are going through troubled times, remember who God is, turn to Him, and He will give you rest.

Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. Job 11:7-9

Side note: Is the Earth long and broad? Just a little extra to ponder. Remember, the Bible is God-breathed. 

May 5, 2025

It is useless to think we have any control over our lives. Whatever happens to us, though it may seem that we orchestrate it and have free will, ultimately God is in control and has a plan for us far more superior than anything we can imagine. Do we have free will? I often ask this question because God has a plan for us. Maybe God’s plan is based on how we react to certain situations, and he readjusts His plan when He sees our reaction, but even that doesn’t make sense, being He already knows how we will react. From my questions, you can see why I asked God to fill in some of the gaps in my understanding. If you think you have it all figured out, be careful; God will show you that you don’t. The best we can do is stay rooted in God’s Word, rejoice in what He shows us, worship Him daily, stay constant in prayer, and be thankful for Jesus and our salvation through him. 

In Job 10, Job continues to plead for God’s mercy. He knows that his life is in His hands; God made us and maintains us, so it is best that we submit to Him. There’s that word: submit. Until you learn what that means to God, you will continue to become undone when a crisis hits. 

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. Job 10:11-13

May 4, 2025

We don't know ourselves as well as God, and it is pointless to think we do. Though Job is broken and crumpled on the floor, he knows his life is in the hands of God and doesn't understand why God didn't take his breath and allow him to die. His response to his friend's accusations and rebuke was humble because he knew he had no power over God. Sometimes, a blanket of God's wrath covers all of us even though we may be innocent; the difference between us and the wicked is the result of life everlasting for us in the presence of our Savior. 

How should we respond when we see someone experiencing suffering? 

1. Stand in awe of God and fear His wrath.
2. Pity and earnestly pray for them because they may not know how to pray for themselves.
3. Keep your thoughts pure about God, and do not question Him because we pity their suffering.

Even in our suffering, we can be grateful for our salvation in Jesus. Our life may not be what we hoped, but our everlasting life will be beyond our comprehension and more joyful than we can imagine. If you are suffering right now, bide your time; your life won't be dismal forever. Set your thoughts on good things until God relieves your misery.

If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead? If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life. This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. Job 9:19-22

May 3, 2025

If you ever decide to read the Book of Job, know that it is considered wisdom literature and part of the poetry section of the Bible, although only a small portion reads poetically. It is a conversation between Job and his friends. Bildad is the next friend to chime in on Job’s situation. He says a few true things about God, but he is less than consoling to his friend in distress. He weighs accusations against Job’s children, saying that God cast them away because of their transgressions against Him. Can you imagine grieving over your children and having your friends tell you they must have been wicked because of God’s judgment against them? This conversation reminds me of a court proceeding with God being the judge, Job being the defendant, and Job’s friends, a team of lawyers for the prosecution, arguing the case for Satan, the accuser. It seems that Satan was using Job’s friends as a ploy to get him to curse God; we know that, in the end, Satan failed to prove his case. Bildad speaks some truth in his testimony against Job as reflected in the following scriptures:

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers: Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing. They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought. Job 8:20-22

If you find yourself facing the accusations of the enemy, remember that God is the judge, and Jesus is the one who took the punishment for our sins. We are not guilty in the eyes of God because of Jesus!

May 2, 2025

Depression over our situation causes us to linger within our heads. We contemplate every detail of our circumstances, rolling it over and over again, trying to find comfort only to come up empty. We repent, even if we don’t know of any sin we committed, to see if God will relent and give us a reprieve from our despair. Tears fill our eyes when we try to find an answer for our misery, especially when God seems quiet and the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) doesn’t tell us why we are disquieted. We look for the reason to no avail. We sleep, hoping it will be gone in the morning, but our bed seems full of thorns as we toss and turn, hoping to relax, if only for a moment. It will make you long for Jesus to take us out of our misery, to be in a place where the enemy can no longer taunt us, causing our grief. When will it be over? Only God has the answer. Our time is in His hands; we have no control over it. Affliction and pain are our lot, but it’s not forever. A day will come when the cloud will clear, and just like that, our spirit will be refreshed and renewed, and the sun will shine upon us again. Stay fervent in prayer, and seek God; He is our refuge in times of trouble. He wants us to rely on Him, especially when our heart is troubled. 

When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint; Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions: So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life. Job 7:13-15

Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. Psalms 91:8-10

May 1, 2025

Job’s friends should have been there to comfort him in his calamity, but instead, they added insult to injury. He was quiet until now and rebuked them for their harsh words in his time of need rather than encouraging him in his sorrow. During your trouble, you find out who your friends are. Job knew that the fiery darts he was experiencing were allowed by God, and if He desired, they could pierce the soul. We must remember that the shield of faith extinguishes those flames; I can see God being proud when we use it to combat the enemy. 

When my husband’s dad passed away, and we were mourning his loss, we encountered a different situation; we had people offering us pity with dollar signs in their eyes. We were able to cull out his dad’s friends and acquaintances because we could see right through their intentions. People come out of the woodwork if they think they can benefit from your loss. In Job’s situation, there was nothing for them to gain unless it was to gloat over his misfortune. Our lesson in this is to offer unconditional support for those who are grieving and show compassion for their situation. For goodness sake, don’t avoid them; show them God’s love and comfort them during their time of need.

How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove? Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind? Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend. Job 6:25-27

April 30, 2025

If we have the breath of life, we will have trouble in this world; we cannot escape it. As Christ-followers, we will encounter demonic entities that cause us trouble; they are why we must stay armored. However, as God’s children, we will also receive correction, and it might feel like trouble, but it comes from His love; no one likes punishment or the fact that God might use His hand to turn us in the right direction, but it’s for our own good. Eliphaz was right in expressing his thoughts about God to Job and gave him a list of promises that we can still count on today. There was no scripture for him to refer back to because Job is thought to be the oldest book in the Bible; Eliphaz seems to know of God and His goodness. Here are some of the promises mentioned:

1. If He wounds you, He will heal you.
2. He will save us from trouble.
3. He will protect us from death during famine or war,
4. We will be at peace with the beasts of the field.
5. We will be in peace in our home.
6. Our offspring will be great.
7. We will live a long life. 

If you are having trouble in any of these areas, you might want to mention these promises to God, but remember, He may be correcting you. If correction is part of your trouble, you will know because He will make it clear in your mind. 

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. Job 5:17-19

April 29, 2025

Job is sitting with three of his friends, and up to this point, they’ve been quiet and haven’t said anything to comfort him. Then Eliphaz breaks the silence. He starts well by assuring Job that he doesn’t want to grieve him further or hurt his feelings, but he can’t help himself, and rather than correct him for loathing the day he was born, he goes into a discourse about how Job could console and comfort those who grieve but couldn’t take it when it came upon him. However, God had visited Eliphaz in a vision or dream, whether for Job or for his own haughtiness, the Bible doesn’t say, giving him words to counsel with. The jest of Eliphaz’s vision was to assure Job that even though he was a great man, he was not greater than God, and God puts no trust in His servants, and He even charges His angels with folly, so how much less are we who are mere mortals, who are made of dust and clay, which are easily crushed. Maybe Job needed to hear what was said, but I don’t want or need friends like these. I’ll take my counsel, correction, and comfort from the Holy Spirit. If you can’t help your friend with comforting words, it’s best to say quiet. 

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees. But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Job 4:4-5

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? Job 4:17

April 28, 2025

Poor Job lamented his life. His misery was so much that he cursed the day he was born and wished he had died at birth. Job was not the only person in the Bible who lamented his birth; Jeremiah and King David also wished they hadn’t been born. We may be under such pain and torment that we either want our death or reminisce that we were never born, but neither is possible without God’s permission. He gave us life and is in charge of the time of our return to Him in our death; we have no absolute control over either. My heart goes out to Job and his situation, and I understand why he may have wanted to die rather than live a tormented life. He was mourning the death of his children and all his wealth vanishing but also dealing with the pain of disease, so, understandably, he might have wanted to be relieved of his misery. Job’s friends didn’t say a word at this point in the scripture; they listened. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is listen without speaking when someone is in pain, but if words are needed, we must use consoling language to help ease their pain and not add to their burden. 

For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters. For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. Job 3:24-25

April 27, 2025

Satan goes back before God a second time after destroying everything Job had, including his children and all his wealth. He convinces God to let him destroy Job's health because he is sure Job will curse Him because of his deplorable physical condition. You've got to have sympathy for what he went through, especially when boils overtook his body. However, his wife, who lived through it all, seems nasty and encourages Job to curse God and die. We all say things out of anger that we should keep to ourselves, but she didn't, and her words ring out throughout every generation. However, she was living Job's torment, too. Everything he lost, she lost. She must have been grieving her children and the loss of her lifestyle, and now Job was sick. It wasn't easy for her either, but Job must have forgiven her because we know further in the story that they had more children together. At this point, Job's friends were better to him than his wife; when they saw his condition, they tore their garments, put dust on their heads, and sat down to grieve with him for seven days, not saying a word. 

It is hard when we come under attack by the enemy; we want to give up and go into hiding, but we have the power to overcome his assault by invoking the name of Jesus. Call out his name: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Then wait; you will feel a peace come over you. This peace will allow you to withstand the enemy's attack, and you will persevere through every adversity God permits. Stay armored up, and you will be able to stand when the enemy attacks.

But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job 2:10

April 26, 2025

Though it is sad, faithful people of God will endure trials and tribulations. How would our faith be tested if we always had it easy in our devotion to God, lingered in His goodness, and never faced difficulties? Though I've not walked in anyone else's shoes, we have all been subjected to hardships; it seems Job had one of the most difficult. He was a very wealthy man, with ten children that he cared deeply about, to the point that he made special sacrifices to God on their behalf to try and shield them. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way; we all want to protect our children from hardships, but they must walk through it independently. The devil thought that if he tested Job, he would cave and curse God. When the enemy destroyed Job's wealth, he didn't curse God. When he received the news that all of his children were killed while having a feast, he tore his clothes, shaved his head, and collapsed, yet still didn't curse God. Instead, he worshipped him and said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return." 

Let's learn from Job how to respond when facing difficulties; it will do us well to know our Source and continue to honor Him even when things become hard. 

Something to think about: why were Job's children having a feast without him?

In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Job 1:22

April 25, 2025

The king of Babylon came to visit Hezekiah after hearing about his recovery from sickness. Hezekiah, being so grateful for God healing him, he welcomed the Babylonian king into his home. I completely understand Hezekiah's jubilation over another chance at life; however, in this situation, he made a mistake by opening up the doors of his kingdom and showing all the treasures to anyone from Babylon, especially the king. Isaiah reprimanded him, telling him that God said that because of this mistake, Babylon would carry away all the kingdom's treasures that his predecessors had collected, and his sons would become eunuchs. Hezekiah responded, "Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken." I'm sure he said those words with a downcast heart, but he must have believed that whatever God had planned was sufficient. He understood that he would have peace for the rest of his life, but the people after him would face challenges. 

We must be careful not to let the gifts God gives us, whether spiritual, physical, or monetary, become a source of pride. Be grateful but not boastful. Also, we don't know everyone whose words are like sugar on their lips but harbor evil in their heart like the king of Babylon, so we must keep to ourselves the information that could come back to haunt us. 

Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days. Isaiah 39:8

April 24, 2025

Time is something only God controls. Our government can toy with it to cause undue stress on the people, but only God can make it speed up or slow down. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older that the time seems to go faster, but it seems to me that God has increased the speed of time right now. However, I’m not the only one feeling it; young people are feeling it, too. We know God can do anything, and He has. King Hezekiah was sick unto death, so Isaiah told him to get his affairs in order. The king turned towards the wall and prayed and reminded God of all the good he had done. Side note: maybe when we pray for our healing, we should give God a list of the good things we have done. God told Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that he would give him another fifteen years, and the sign of that happening would be that the sun would go back by 10 degrees and then return to the right position. King Hezekiah then proclaimed that he would use his time to praise God because who can praise God when they are rotting in the grave? I always tend to change directions when I hear such statements and have to look again for evidence that our souls go to heaven and are continually praising God without our bodies. Fixing this in my mind is hard when you read a verse pointing to death.

For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. Isaiah 38:18

Not to worry, here is a verse showing our souls go to heaven:

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7

About the time:

Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. Isaiah 38:8

April 23, 2025

We have a powerful weapon in our arsenal, prayer. King Hezekiah became afraid because he had heard of Sennacherib, king of Assyria’s plans to invade Judah, and sent word to Isaiah asking for prayer to help the people.

Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. Isaiah 37:7

Notice the confidence in his words. He didn’t hesitate and then prayed with expectation. 

1. Prayer is the best way to thwart the plans of the enemy.
2. The people of God know where their help comes from, so when they ask us for prayer, it is not a light thing they do. 
3. When we are greatly pressed, we should be earnest in our prayer.
4. Prayer lifts our spirits and is encouraging because we know God hears us, and we expect his mercy.
5. We must pray with faith, confidence, and an earnest desire for a positive answer with the intention to glorify God. 
6. We have no reason to be afraid of those who are the enemy of God. They have already been marked for destruction.  

Hezekiah prayed. God sent this answer to Him through Isaiah:

Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it. By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city, saith the LORD. Isaiah 37:33-34

April 22, 2025

Hezekiah was a good king, but he still had issues to deal with, namely Sennacherib, king of Assyria. He came to invade the fenced cities of Judah. Hezekiah inquired of Sennacherib to find out what they could do to stop their invasion; he responded by telling him he wanted three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold (2 Kings 18.) Hezekiah complied, taking all the gold and silver from the king's house and the temple, even taking the gold off the temple doors. He even offered him two thousand horses! However, when you make a deal with the devil, you will pay the price because Sennacherib reneged on the agreement and invaded anyway, saying he was doing the Lord's work. 

When the enemy calls, he will use any and all excuses; remember, he is a liar and will come as a beacon of light, deceiving anyone who is weak. I pray every day that the followers of Jesus will open their eyes and be able to discern the truth. We are at a time in history when the Holy Spirit is a vital source, and we need to listen to him so we are not led astray by the shiny objects the devil dangles in front of us. Pray for discernment!

Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the defenced cities of Judah, and took them. Isaiah 36:1

April 21, 2025

When pride becomes the centerpiece of our lives, we can almost count on God to take us down a notch. He warned Ephraim and Jerusalem through Isaiah because they let their pride turn into drunkenness, which overcame them. They must have thought they were safe under God's covering, but they ran amok, not believing He would hold them accountable. They hadn't learned their lessons through God's word and were stumbling with drunkenness. We need to understand the scriptures little by little to take them into our memory; in this chapter, God calls it precept upon precept. Judah and Israel had forgotten what they had learned. They had made a covenant with death rather than continuing under God's covering. They must have thought they would be protected from judgment, but God made it known that He was laying a cornerstone, a firm foundation, which we know is Jesus, and he will be the plumb line that we measure ourselves by and their covenant with hell would be revoked and they will be trodden down. The lesson is that we must take Jesus' covering seriously. If you are not learning, changing, and measuring yourselves against the plumb line of Jesus, you are at risk of rebuke. So we don't make grievous mistakes, we might need to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?"

Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Isaiah 28:16

April 20, 2025

They had to take Jesus off the cross before the day of preparation; the Lamb was sacrificed and needed to be prepared. All his blood had been poured out. If they were still in Egypt, it would have been at this time they painted the doorposts with the blood of the lamb; before the death angel passed over. 

There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand. John 19:42

The women saw where Jesus was laid in the sepulcher and went home to prepare the spices to anoint his body. If they were in Egypt, this is the point that they would have seasoned and cooked the lamb to eat before leaving there in a hurry.

And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment. Luke 23:56

Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. Luke 24:1

However, Jesus was gone! There were angelic beings there to tell them that he had risen. 

When Jesus appeared to the men on the road to Emmaus, he ate with them.

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. John 20:19

Jesus set us free from our sins, and we escaped from the slavery of "Egypt." What he said next shows us the significance of what he did.

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. John 20:22-23

If we remit our sins to him, he takes them, but if we don't, we will have to pay the price for them. 

Jesus has risen, and we who believe are set free.