Questions in Job - 5

21:15
Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him?
 And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?’

21:21
For what does he care about his household after him,
 When the number of his months is cut in half?

21:22
“Can anyone teach God knowledge,
 Since He judges those on high?

21:28
For you say,
 ‘Where is the house of the prince?
 And where is the tent,
 The dwelling place of the wicked?’

21:29
Have you not asked those who travel the road?
 And do you not know their signs?

21:30
For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom;
 They shall be brought out on the day of wrath.

21:31
Who condemns his way to his face?
 And who repays him for what he has done?

21:34
How then can you comfort me with empty words,
 Since falsehood remains in your answers?”

22:2
“Can a man be profitable to God,
 Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself?

22:3
Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous?
 Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless?

[Message No: 7365]

Part of God’s Kingdom

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. — Colossians 1:13

People from all over the world and from many different nationalities read Verse of the Day. While our national origins and ethnic heritages are different, we are members of one Kingdom. Our allegiance transcends race, culture, language, and nation.

Why? Because we've been rescued from the dominion that holds sway over race, culture, language, and nation. That dominion divides us and makes us suspicious of each other, leading to hatred and warfare. We've been given a more glorious Kingdom! We've been made into a more glorious and colourful race! We are God's children and part of the Kingdom of the Son he loves.

Surrendering Self

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” -Mark 8:34-35

Wrestling with and denying self is never easy. It is the daunting lifelong cross to bear and a challenge for every believer. But it is the compulsory cost of following Jesus. A daily, moment-by-moment, intentional resolve to realign the heart to prioritize God’s will for our lives is a disciple’s rite of passage.

Realign your heart. Immerse yourself in God’s Word. Allow him to renew your mind, transform your perspective, and influence your will. You will encounter a life severed from self that authentically reflects Jesus

We are His Friends

Romans 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Worthless Worry

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old;
 Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
 Nor his descendants begging bread. 

Thought 

. When all the suns and nebulae have passed away, each one of you will still be alive. - C. S. Lewis

[Message No: 7364]

Our Hearts

. The Gospel Target
2 Corinthians 4:6
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

. The Spirts Abode
2 Corinthians 1:22
who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

. The Lord’s Residence
Romans 5:5
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

. God’s Testing House
1 Thessalonians 2:4
the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.

. Faith’s Concern
Hebrews 10:22
But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

. The Believer’s Assurer
1 John 3:19
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

. The Spirits Tablet
2 Corinthians 3:2
You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

“First Love” Intimacy

“…Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us… that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity.”  John 17:21-23

[Message No: 7363]

No longer slaves to sin

In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. — Romans 6:11

In baptism, we are united with Christ in his death (see Romans 6:1-14 for the background of this devotional meditation). Our old sinful selves are crucified with Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are alive in Christ — the one whom sin could not master and death could not conquer. His life is now our life. His victory is our victory. His future is our future. Let's set our hearts to live based upon this certainty!

Another Man’s Righteousness

“When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ On hearing this Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’”  Mark 2:16-17

What about you? Are you trusting in your own ability to please God?

Is your hope for heaven based on your goodness outweighing your badness? Do you believe God will let you into heaven since you tried your best to do what’s right?

Remember that God requires perfection. That is why he made Jesus
“who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).Soon someone we love will be saying goodbye to us. On that day, may we be found in another man’s righteousness.

Freedom from Anxiety

Judges 6:1-16

Anyone who’s struggled with fear and anxiety understands the difficulty of overcoming these emotions. Gideon was a man who experienced great apprehension because he lived when Israel was being oppressed by the Midianites as a result of their rebellion against God.

Questions in Job 

38:12-13
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
 And caused the dawn to know its place,
  That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
 And the wicked be shaken out of it?

38:16
“Have you entered the springs of the sea?
 Or have you walked in search of the depths?

[Message No: 7362]

Living Content

Philippians 4:12

Contentment! Mmmm, I’d like to have a little of that; how about you? I find it hard to be contented about almost anything. My performance is not up to par. My weight isn’t where it should be. My words were a little insensitive in the last conversation. It’s even easier to slip into recognizing what we don’t have financially and then pursue that.

But before money, possessions, health, or any other thing can be truly enjoyed, we first have to learn that contentment is not based on our circumstances but our salvation.

Prophet – Joseph

Genesis 40:12-13
“This is what it means, ” Joseph said to him. “The three branches are three days.    Within three days  Pharaoh will lift up your head  and restore you to your position, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer.

Genesis 40:18-19

“This is what it means,” Joseph said. “The three baskets are three days.    Within three days  Pharaoh will lift off your head  and impale your body on a pole.  And the birds will eat away your flesh.”
Genesis 41:26-32 – Kindly read

Genesis 50:24-25

And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.   And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence

Am I Brother’s Keeper?

Romans 14:7

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

1 Kings 19:5

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

[Message No: 7361]

Know Your Scripture

A man finds joy in giving an apt reply — and how good is a timely word! — Proverbs 15:23
Knowing the right word at the right time is a great gift. But even the best of speakers has to admit that the best of his or her words are not nearly as good as those the Spirit gives. Nevertheless, we must not excuse ourselves for our insensitive speech, unkindness, or missed opportunities. Not paying attention to what was said is no excuse.

Not being spiritually in tune with the needs of our companions is a cop out. Simply not knowing Scripture well enough to bless others with gracious speech at the appropriate time is self-deception. Listening to others after having listened to God in his Word is what tunes our ears and our hearts to bless others.

Uncomfortable

“‘Father,” he prayed, ‘my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.’” Mark 14:36

A Singing Heart

“And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp and Saul would feel better, and the evil spirit would go away” I Samuel 16:23

Pray Before You Leap

Philippians 4:6-7
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Authority in an Age of Autonomy

“But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.’  Hebrews 1:8

But today’s verse, and many others that echo it, proclaim Jesus as the forever King. The world is his, whether we accept it or not. Those who don’t follow Jesus understandably disregard his authority. Christians, however, are called to submission and obedience. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

[Message No: 7360]

Jesus is Saviour for all seasons.

The angel said to [Mary], "Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever." — Luke 1:30-33

Jesus is identified by many names stated or implied in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Notice how Jesus is identified in just this one passage: child, son, Jesus, great, Son of the Most High, King, son of David, and leader of Israel (Jacob). Jesus exhausts all descriptions, and yet chose to be limited to imperfect descriptions by becoming human. But this flood of names and descriptions helps us find Jesus as our Savior in every trial and blessing of life. Jesus is Saviour for all seasons.

The absoluteness of Jesus Christ

John 16:14
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

The Law and the Gospel

James 2:10
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Not by might nor by power

1 Corinthians 2:4
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The Cloud

“Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped.” Numbers 9:17
Lord, help me relax when it comes to your will for my life. Help me to know you so that I know when you tell me to stay or go. Amen.

When He is Come

John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

[Message No: 7359]

Is Your Faith Worth Sharing?

“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day“ Proverbs 4:18 (KJV).

What about you? Is your brand of Christianity truly the revolutionary, first-century kind that helped turn the world upside down and that changed the course of history? If not, it can be – and that is what this daily devotional guide is all about.

Every Christian needs to echo daily the sentiments of an unknown poet:
..My life shall touch a dozen lives
Before this day is done,
Leave countless marks of good or ill,
Ere sets the evening sun.
This, the wish I always wish,
The prayer I always pray;
Lord, may my life help other lives
It touches by the way.

Count Your Blessings

“And don’t forget to thank Him” Philippians 4:6
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.

What a wonderful reminder to take the time to think about what God is doing for us. Too often we focus just on the horrid things – the evil, the hurricanes, the floods and devastation and famine.
But take time every day to verbalize or write all you are thankful for. You may want to use this outline. Doing so will revitalize your soul.

Thoughts 

. I used to ask God to help me.  Then I asked if I might help him. - James Hudson Taylor
. I asked for words!

Life led me to a wood,
Set me in solitude
Where speech is still and
Wisdom comes by prayer.
- Chester B. Emerson

[Message No: 7358]