Job 29

Job continues his speech verse 1

Moreover Job continued his parable and said

Job looks back to previous time of abundance verse 2- 6

Oh that I were as in months past – as in the days when God preserved me

when HIS candle shined on my head

when by HIS light I walked through darkness

As I was in the days of my youth

when the secret of God was on my tabernacle

when the Almighty was yet with me

when my children were about me

when I washed my steps with butter

and the rock poured me out rivers of oil

Job looks back to previous time of honor verse 7- 10

when I went out to the gate through the city

when I prepared my seat in the street – the young men saw me

and hid themselves – and the aged arose – and stood up

the princes refrained talking

and laid their hand on their mouth

the nobles held their peace

and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth

Job looks back to previous time of service to others verse 11- 17

when the ear heard me – THEN it blessed me

when the eye saw me – it gave witness to me

BECAUSE I delivered the poor that cried

and the fatherless

and him that had none to help him

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came on me

and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy

I put on righteousness – and it clothed me

my judgment was as a robe and a diadem

I was eyes to the blind – and feet to the lame

I was a father to the poor

and the cause which I knew not I searched out

I brake the jaws of the wicked

and plucked the spoil out of his teeth

Job looked forward to time of his death verse 18- 20

THEN I said

I shall die in my nest

and I shall multiply my days as the sand

My root was spread out by the waters

and the dew lay all night upon my branch

My glory was fresh in me

and my bow was renewed in my hand

Job looked back to previous time as a counselor verse 21- 25

Unto me men gave ear – and waited – and kept silence at my counsel

after my words they spoke not again

and my speech dropped upon them

and they waited for me as for rain

and they opened their mouth wide

as for the latter rain

IF I laughed on them – they believed it not

and the light of countenance they cast not down

I chose out their way – and sat chief – and dwelt as a king in the army

as one that comforts the mourners

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 2 Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God

preserved me; (8104 “preserved” [shamar] means keep,

watch over, guard, protect, save life, or be careful about.

DEVOTION: As Job continues to defend himself against the charges of the three “friends” who have only condemned him as a sinner who needs to repent before the LORD bless him again. He has deal with these individuals for a while. We are not given a time period but we know that these conversations took time to digest by each of the individuals involved.

Now Job is going back in time. He is looking at his past relationship with the LORD and the blessing that HE had given him. He is looking back to the “good old days.”

We can fall into that trap too when we go through a trial the LORD allows in our life. It is not all bad. If we remember that the good days were part of what followed after we had challenges that God allowed in our life then we are keeping them in perspective. If we are just remembering that all the days of the past were better than present days than we are not thinking straight.

In all of our pasts we had bad days and good days. This is true of Job and each of us. We sometimes forget what happened that led to the blessings of God in our life but we have to realize that there were trials we faced back then as well.

Too many believers look back at the good old days and think that they were all good which wrongful thinking was. WE need to look honestly at our pasts and make sure we realize that the LORD was maturing us during that time period as well.

We have not lived in a time period that didn’t have the good, the bad, and the ugly. Each of these time period could have produced good memories as we turned what was happening over to the LORD.

When you look back make sure that you don’t have your rose colored glasses on even regarding what is happening in your church, home or community.

CHALLENGE: We are to learn from our past and work in the present to improve what we can and accept what we can’t. The LORD will give us wisdom to discern which is which.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

: 6 When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil (2529 “butter” [chemah] means cheese, thick milk, curd, soured milk, or cream.)

DEVOTION: Memory is hard. We tend to remember good things when things are going well. We tend to remember bad things that have happened to us when things are not going well.

However, God is with us through the good times and the bad times. HE loves us during both times. That is a hard fact to remember especially during hard circumstances.

Job was reminiscing over the good old days. He remembered when he had everything going his way. He was harvesting the cream of the crop as a life until this happened to him. He was reaping the best olive oil there was in the nation. He was helping others. He was well respected. He had the “the life of Riley.” He had a wife and children.

He uses the personal pronoun, I, fifty times in this chapter. He remembers his past life and what he had planned for the future. That didn’t happen. We sometimes look at our past and remember our blessings but forget the challenges the LORD sent our way. We sometimes look at the future with a plan. We need to factor in the LORD and what HE wants to do with us to cause us to be more like HIS Son.

We can plan as long as we say, “If the LORD wills.” We need to remember to include the LORD in all our plans. Job thought he had included the LORD in his plans because he states that the first thing he misses from his past life was the presence of the LORD.

Once we are in the presence of the LORD, we don’t want to lose it. Are we in the presence of the LORD today? If we are having a time of blessing, are we sharing our blessings with others?

Remember that we can’t always look at the good times as what we desire. We have to look at the hard times because of the lessons we have learned or are going to learn with future hard times. HE doesn’t promise no storms in our lives, but HE does promise that HE will not send more than we can take and that HE will be with us during our times of storm.

Praising the LORD in good times is not hard. Praising the LORD in difficult circumstances is hard but needs to be practiced. Job was remembering the presence of the LORD.

CHALLENGE: It is not wrong to remember the past but we can’t live in it!!! We have to deal with the present.

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: 8 The young men saw me, and hid themselves and the aged arose and stood up. (2244 “hid” [chaba] means to be or go into hiding, keep out of sight, withdraw, hide oneself in fear, hidden for protection, or to give place out of respect and modesty.)

DEVOTION: Respect for those older them themselves was something that was done in the days of Job. It was done throughout the world until recent history. People respected those who were older than them because they thought them wise because of their length of life.

Job had the respect of those around him. You read hear that young men stepped aside to give him room to move. They were willing to allow someone older than them be first in line. This cannot be practiced all the time today but it would be good if young people allowed older people to be served before them in places where they go to eat.

The time period when young people would stand up when someone older was coming in the room has all but passed. We seem to always be fighting for the best position in the room no matter who is in the room with us.

When someone with a reputation of being a genuine servant of God comes into your home or church how do you treat him? Do you treat him with honor and respect and listen to his counsel? Or do you just listen to him as if he was not really someone who has knowledge in a field and think that you know just as much as he does?

Respect has to be earned but once it is earned those who understand this principle need to show that respect. Job in the past was a man that was well respected but because of events in his life the people around lost all respect for him. They were wrong!!!

CHALLENGE: We can be wrong at times regarding those we have respected in the past and at present are not respecting them as they should be respected. We need to know the difference and change are thinking.

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came on me: and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. (7442 :sing” [ranan] eans to call loudly, to rejoice, to exult, to cause to produce a song with the voice as a response of joy, or proclaim in shouts of joy.)

DEVOTION: I think all children need to be taken to a City Mission near their town to serve a meal to those who are the clients of those types of places. Too often we can think that those who are at those places have sinned greater than we have and desire to be there for the rest of their lives.

Job looks at someone who was perishing and helped. He looked at the widow and made her sing for joy. There are people of this type all around us each day. We need to realize that the LORD wants us to be available to help them when HE calls on us to help.

Job received a blessing for those he helped but the real blessing came from the LORD. The LORD blessed Job for his actions. The LORD wants all of us to use our gifts and talents to encourage those who are downtrodden in our society.

We will not be able to help all of them but we can make one of them a project to help in their time of need.

These individuals don’t have to be a Mission downtown they can be in our local church and need our help to get them back on their feet and lead productive lives that honor the LORD.

Remember God has given us a ministry of reconciliation. Our goal should be to work with those who are followers of Jesus Christ with the goal of seeing them be able to care for themselves with little assistance in the future. In fact, they should be helping others who have a greater need then them.

CHALLENGE: Are we causing people to sing after we have shown them the love of Jesus in their lives?

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: 14 I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe, and a diadem. (6664 “righteousness” [tsedeq] means accuracy, what is correct, the right thing, what is honest, adherence to what is required according to a standard, straightness, what is right and just, or honesty.)

DEVOTION: Here we have Job saying of himself that he put on a standard of honesty and doing the right things in his life. He had a standard to follow and he thought he followed it up to this point in his life.

He didn’t understand all that was going on in his life but he knew that he was trying to live a life that was pleasing to the LORD. He was going through a rough time with his children all dying and his wife telling him to curse God and die and finally his “friends” seeming to tell him that the reason for all his troubles was hidden sins in his life.

It was not an easy time for Job but he still claimed to be someone who was following the LORD to the best of his ability and that he didn’t understand why all these things were happening to him.

He was confused about what was happening but not confused as to his relationship with the LORD. He knew it was the LORD testing him but he didn’t know the reason for the testing.

We can try to serve the LORD to the best of our ability and we know that we are still a sinner but we think that because we are trying the LORD should always give us grace rather than more tribulation in our life.

This is the thinking of Job and most of us when we are dealing with a Holy God who wants us to serve HIM with our whole body, soul and spirit. We should be individuals who are trying to do this each day but we know that we fail.

We also know and think like Job that if we are trying there should mostly be blessings rather than trials. This doesn’t happen but it is still part of our thinking.

After reading the book of Job we should know that this thinking is wrong. We don’t deserve no trial but we deserve a place in hell for eternity. It is only by the grace of God that we are blessed at times in our lives. We should be thankful for both the trials and the blessing.

CHALLENGE: Can studying the book of Job help us to understand what God is doing in our lives to cause us to be better children of HIS?

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign) verse 2, 4

Secret of God verse 4

Almighty verse 5

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Darkness verse 3

Wicked verse 17

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Parable verse 1

Preserved verse 2

Light verse 3

Walked verse 3

Tabernacle verse 4

God with me verse 5

Honored in the city verse 7- 11

Blessed verse 11, 13

Delivered the poor verse 12

Widows caused to sing verse 13

Righteousness verse 14

Counsel verse 21

Comfort verse 25

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

29:2 Using the wish formula that we have seen before (6:8; 11:5; 14:13; 19:23), Job yearned for the bliss of yesteryear. His complaint was that God either paid him no attention or hounded him relentlessly as a form of torment (7:17–20; 13:24–25; 23:2–9). This watchcare is like that of Ps 121:3–8. (Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11, p. 280). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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29:3 “Light” and blessing go hand in hand in this book and many other places in the Old Testament (22:28; 33:28; Exod 10:23; Pss 43:3; 112:4; cf. also 1 John 2:8–10). “Lamp” and “light” refer figuratively to the Lord’s gentle guidance and the resultant security of knowing where we are. (Alden, R. L. (1993). Job (Vol. 11, p. 280). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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29:1–6. In previous months (thus suggesting that his disease extended over at least several months’ time; cf. 7:3) God had watched over him (cf. 10:12) and blessed him. To have God’s lamp over him, like a lamp suspended in a tent (cf. 18:6; Ecc. 12:6, “bowl” means “lamp”) meant to be under His favor. Also God guided him through the darkness of difficulties, befriended him, and was with him. Job had a happy home (his children were with him, in contrast with their now being dead), and he was prosperous (cream and olive oil were symbols of plenty). (Zuck, R. B. (1985). Job. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 751). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Job had opened his defense by saying that he wished he had never been born (Job 3). Now he closed his defense by remembering the blessings he and his family had enjoyed prior to his crisis. This is a good reminder that we should try to see life in a balanced way. Yes, God permits us to experience difficulties and sorrows, but God also sends victories and joys. “Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (2:10) C.H. Spurgeon said that too many people write their blessings in the sand but engrave their sorrows in marble.

“Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me!” (29:2) When we are experiencing trials, it’s natural for us to long for “the good old days”; but our longing will not change our situation. Someone has defined “the good old days” as “a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination.” In Job’s case, however, his memory was accurate, and “the good old days” really were good.

There is a ministry in memory if we use it properly. Moses admonished Israel to remember the way God had led them and cared for them (Deut. 8:2). In fact, the word “remember” is found fourteen times in Deuteronomy and the word “forget” nine times. In days of disappointment, it’s good to “remember the years of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 77:10–11; see 42:6). But the past must be a rudder to guide us and not an anchor to hold us back. If we try to duplicate today what we experienced yesterday, we may find ourselves in a rut that robs us of maturity.

It is significant that Job mentioned as his number-one joy the presence of God in his home (Job 29:2–6). God watched over him and shared His “intimate friendship” with him (v. 4, NIV). The light of God was upon Job, and God’s presence was with him and his children. God was the source of all of Job’s wealth and success, when his “path was drenched with cream and the rock poured out … streams of olive oil” (v. 6, NIV). (Zophar promised Job “honey and cream” if he would repent. See 20:17, and note Deut. 32:13–14; 33:24.)

There is one especially poignant note in this opening statement: Job wished he were back in the prime of life (Job 29:4). While this is a natural desire, it is also a dangerous one. If we focus so much on the glories of the past that we ignore the opportunities of the present, we may end up unprepared to meet the future. That future will come whether we like it or not. Few people eagerly anticipate old age and the special problems that it brings, but we can’t avoid it. It’s a proven fact that those who have the most birthdays live the longest, and those who live the longest become the oldest; and old people eventually die.

Remember the “never die” jokes? Old skiers never die: they just go downhill. Old bakers never die: they just fail to rise. Old football players never die: they just fumble away. Old golfers never die: they just lose their drive. We may think we will never die, but we will, unless the Lord returns to take us to heaven; and this means that we must prepare for old age and death. It is futile to look back with regret; it is faith to look ahead with rejoicing.

“To know how to grow old is the master work of wisdom,” wrote Henri Amiel, “and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living.”

Job next listed the joy of respect from others (vv. 7–11). When he walked through the city, the young men stepped aside to let him pass. He had his seat at the city gate with the leading men of the city, and even they ceased their speaking when he arrived. Wherever he went, he was treated with respect. “Whoever heard me spoke well of me, and those who saw me commended me” (v. 11, NIV). (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (pp. 110–112). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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Ver. 3. When his candle shined upon my head, &c.] Which may be understood either of outward prosperity, sometimes signified by a candle, ch. 18:5, 6 and 21:17 and may be called the candle of the Lord, because it is from him, it is of his lighting and setting up; and its shining on his head may denote the large measure and degree of it possessed by him, in allusion to torches carried on high to light with; or lamps, or candles, set up in the higher part of the house to give the more light; or to the sun in the firmament, and especially when in its meridian, and shines clearest right over our heads, and casts no shadow: or else it may be understood of light in a figurative sense, not of the light of nature in men, which, though called the candle of the Lord, Prov. 20:27. yet, in man’s fallen state, shines not clearly; and with respect to this there was no difference in Job than heretofore; but rather it is the light of grace, the true light, which had shone upon him and in him, but now not so clearly as formerly, and as he could wish for; or else the word of God, which is a light unto the feet, and a lamp to the path; or it may be, best of all, the favour of God, the light of his countenance he had before enjoyed, having had a comfortable display of his love, a clear view of interest in it, and had the blessings of it bestowed upon him, and enjoyed by him; and nothing was more desirable by him, as is by every good man, than the return of the light of God’s countenance; and that be might be remembered with his special favour, as his people are, and as he had been in times past: and when by his light I walked through darkness; that is, either by the light of outward prosperity he had escaped those calamities, distresses, and dangers, and got over those difficulties which attended others, though now surrounded with them; or by the light of divine grace, or of the word of God, and especially by and in the light of God’s countenance, he walked cheerfully and comfortably, without any fear of the darkness of affliction and calamities, or of the dark valley of the shadow of death, or of the prince of darkness, or of the darkness of hell and damnation; but now clouds of darkness being about him, and he without the light of God’s countenance, could not see the way in which he walked, and therefore wished that that again might be lifted up upon him. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 420–421). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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1–5. It should seem very evident from these expressions, for they are all gracious expressions, that the Patriarch was chiefly lamenting, not that he was in distress, but that the presence of the Lord was not with him as heretofore he had enjoyed it. I need not, I hope, remind the Reader, how much in this instance Job was a type of the Lord Jesus. The agonies of Jesus in the garden and on the cross, were all on this account. “O my God (was the prophetical language concerning Christ, as well as by Christ), I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not.” Psm. 22:2. The several expressions here are all of a gracious kind. God’s punishment of Job, and his consciousness of it: The candle of the Lord shining upon him; meaning, no doubt, his Holy Spirit: And the secret of God upon his tabernacle. Was not this secret of God another expression for what another servant of the Lord meant, when he said, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant? Psalm. 25:14. I do not presume to say so, but yet I venture to ask, Is there not, in those several expressions, somewhat that hath reference to the glorious doctrine of the joint work and love of that Holy Three, which bear record in heaven? The preservation and keeping of the believer is peculiarly referred unto the favour and mercy of the Father. John 17:11. 1 Peter 1:5. The candle shining, is a well-known metaphor, for the lifting up the light of the Holy Spirit on the head of God’s people. Numbers 6:26. Psalm 4:6. And is it not Jesus meant here, he whose name was Secret, and who is the whole of the covenant to his people? Judges 13:18. Isaiah 42:6. (Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s Old Testament Commentary: Job–Psalms (Vol. 4, pp. 104–105). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)

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FROM MY READING:

(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)

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C.H. Spurgeon said that too many people write their blessings in the sand but engrave their sorrows in marble.

“Oh, that I was as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me!” (29:2) When we are experiencing trials, it’s natural for us to long for “the good old days”; but our longing will not change our situation. Someone has defined “the good old days” as “a combination of a bad memory and a good imagination.” In Job’s case, however, his memory was accurate, and “the good old days” really were good.

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“As long as we want to be different from what God wants us to be at the time, we are only tormenting ourselves to no purpose.” Gerhart Tersteegen (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (p. 110). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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When Bart Millard wrote and released the song “I Can Only Imagine” with his band MercyMe, he likely had no idea what far reach and impact the song would have.

Recently, the song was the inspiration for the movie of the same name. The film tells the true story of Millard’s relationship with his father and how he was inspired to write the song.

The song reached double platinum–the only Christian song to ever do so–and the film exceeded expectations at the box office. “We knew that it was going to do well but we never expected a $17 million opening,” said Howard Cohen of Roadside Attractions-Lionsgate which produced the film.

But the song’s influence did not stop there. Relevant Magazine reports that Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin recently signed HB 3473 into law, making “I Can Only Imagine” the “official inspirational state song.” The film was also filmed in the Sooner state.

Oklahoma Representative Randy McDaniel explained the inspiration for the bill:

“When I saw the movie, I was moved by the powerful message of hope and forgiveness. Seeing the film inspired me to take action to give this extraordinary song official state recognition and a permanent home in Oklahoma’s musical landscape.” (Christian Headlines. com)

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Doxology to the King
“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)
In this stirring doxology to the One who allowed him into the ministry (vv. 12-13), whose grace “was exceeding abundant” (v. 14), who “came into the world to save sinners” (v. 15), who showed mercy and longsuffering, and who grants “life everlasting” (v. 16), Paul uses several majestic descriptive terms. Each deserves our attention.
The King eternal. God’s sovereign kingship is in view here. The phrase literally translates, the “King of the ages.” “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king” (Jeremiah 10:10). He is the King, and we must stand in submission to Him.
Immortal. The Greek word used here implies more than mere exemption from death. A fuller meaning would include total incorruptibility; i.e., the inability to be stained by either decay or death. What a comfort to realize that the believer’s crown in glory will be likewise incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25), as will his resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Invisible. God is a Spirit and as such cannot be seen. He has chosen to appear on numerous occasions, most notably as Christ, but is usually unseen, the primary meaning of the word. Christ “is the image of the invisible [same word] God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:15). Seen or unseen, He merits our praise.
The only wise God. God is unique in His existence and wisdom, “God only wise” (Romans 16:27). He stands alone, solitary, apart from all others.
Surely to this eternal, incorruptible, unseen, unique, wise, sovereign King belongs “honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (JDM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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A NEW NATURE

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.
2 Corinthians 5:17
The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ makes an entire change. You are “not under the law,” Paul says, “but under grace” (Romans 6:14). You who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death upon the cross have been taken from that position; you are in an entirely new position. You are under grace, and grace is unmerited favor. It is kindness shown to people who deserve nothing but punishment. Grace means that God, because He is God, looks upon us with favor when we do not deserve anything at all. That is what “under grace” means. It means that God is no longer just a lawgiver to you “He is your Father. He is your Father who loves you with an everlasting love. He is your Father who looks upon you and desires to bless you. He is the one who says, “You are My child” I am your Father. I will give you My own nature. I will count the very hairs of your head. I will number them all. Nothing shall happen to you apart from Me.” That is what it means to be under grace.
Do you see the difference? It is the difference between being in a relationship of law and a relationship of love. You are in an entirely new position, and the cross puts you there. You are under grace, and you do not tremble before God with a craven fear. You know that though you are unworthy, He is your Father, and you say, “My Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come.” And you know that He looks upon you with a smile. You know that He is patient, that He is long-suffering. You know that He is determined to bring you back to the perfection in which He originally made you, and that all the forces of His love and grace and compassion are working in your favor.
A Thought to Ponder: It is the difference between being in a relationship of law and a relationship of love. (From The Cross, pp. 189-190, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Nazis used to call it “control of information. Today, they call it “fact checking.”

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Pam and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink.

She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety, telling her the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted.

While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times, but still refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.

Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also played football. His name is Tim Tebow! Oh and he’s now married to the former Miss Universe.

Had to share, gave me chills!

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