January 25
Job 22:1-25:6
So many desire to have that experience, be it a dream, a vision, or a miracle from God. They almost desire God to wow them or entertain them. But the experiences that God sends us, both positive and trials which seem negative are not meant to be passing emotional experiences, but are meant to bring us into a vivid, real, personal, and overpowering relationship with Him. Some may be able to recall that exact date and time when they entered into that relationship with God, others, like myself, can't. I just know that after going through His Word that first time, I realized who I was without Him, and it seemed a lot emptier than it had previously seemed to me. I saw myself less than the way that I presented myself to others, and more apparent were the sins that separated me from God. What I desired was a lifetime relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Yes, I still made plans for my life, but I didn't want to make any of them without Him. When I reflect back on the many experiences that I have had, both before and after accepting Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, I see now that they all were and continue to be not haphazard, not coincidental, but purposefully from my loving Father, so as to bring me closer and closer to Him.
At a quick glance it might appear at times that Job's requests were disrespectful to God. But on closer inspection, Job was speaking as one who knew what it was like to be in a relationship with God, but didn't understand why it seemed as though God was severing that relationship. Job's friends spoke more from a position of religion: you are bad so God punishes, if you were good God would bless. His friends focused on what we can do to make God love us more. So Job and Job’s friends were speaking to the same God, but through two different languages: one the language of relationship, the other the language of religion, which explains why they couldn’t understand one another. We read in Job 23:2-5, "My complaint today is still a bitter one, and I try hard not to groan aloud. If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me." Job knew God, he didn't understand his current plight. Despite his circumstances, we see Job's confidence in this relationship in 23:10, "“But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold." As you go through many of David's Psalms we see a similar thing. David walked in a close personal relationship with God since his youth. What might at a glance seem as disrespectful from the pen of David, were simply honest and earnest words from one who loved his heavenly Father, but didn't understand what was happening and what God was doing.
When, like Job, it appears that we are in a furnace of trials, realize that if you are in a relationship with the Father, His eyes are on the clock and His hands are on the thermostat. He knows what we need better than we think we know what we need. What we might see as torture or punishment, for His children, God sees as refining. It is why Peter said in 1 Peter 1:6-7, "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." Though our trials might seem like personal afflictions, they are God's appointments to refine us and bring us closer and closer to Him. Even when we pray, which is one way that we communicate with our heavenly Father, it is not to change God's mind, but to align our mind to His, to align our will with His perfect will. God's love is purer than any earthly love will ever be. He desires to show you what that love is like. But He won't force it on you, and He won't entertain you. He offers something that words can not describe, a living, breathing, real, personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe, the All Seeing, All Knowing Father. His Son has offered us a real relationship with Him, a personal Savior who loved us so much that He died for us, taking our sins upon Himself on the cross, who mediates and intercedes on our behalf day and night. The Holy Spirit has offered to not just walk beside us, but dwell within us, and if we will yield to His promptings, He will navigate us through life's obstacles. There is only one way to the Father, as Jesus pointed out in John 14:6, "“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." If you haven't done so already, please, in the quietness of wherever you are, give your life over to Him, it will be the best decision of your life.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: