Job 31
LORD sees every step we take verse 1- 4
I made a covenant with mine eyes
Why then should I think on a maid?
For what portion of God is there from above?
What inheritance of the Almighty from on high?
Is not destruction to the wicked?
A strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?
Does not HE see my ways and count all my steps?
LORD knows our every sin verse 5- 8
IF I have walked with vanity Or IF my foot hath hasted to deceit
let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know
mine integrity
IF my step has turned out of the way
IF mine heart walked after mine eyes
IF any blot hath cleaved to mine hands
Then let me sow – and let another eat
Yea- let my offspring be rooted out
LORD observes our marriage relationship verse 9- 12
IF mine heart have been deceived by a woman or
IF I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door
THEN let my wife grind unto another
let others bow down upon her
for this is an heinous crime – yea
it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges
for it is a fire that consumes to destruction
and would root out all mine increase
LORD watches how we treat people verse 13- 15
IF I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant
when they contended with me
What then shall I do when God rises up?
When HE visits
What shall I answer HIM?
Did not HE that made me in the womb make him?
Did not ONE fashion us in the womb?
LORD evaluates our spending of money verse 16- 20
IF I have withheld the poor from their desire
or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail
or have eaten my morsel myself alone
And the fatherless has not eaten thereof
(for from my youth he was brought up with me
as with a father and
I have guided her from my mother’s womb)
IF I have seen any perish for want of clothing
or any poor without covering
IF his loins have not blessed me
IF he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep
LORD defends the fatherless verse 21- 23
IF I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless
when I saw my help in the gate
THEN let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade
let mine arm be broken from the bone
for destruction from God was a terror to me
and by reason of HIS highness
I could not endure
LORD understands what/who we trust in verse 24- 25
IF I have made gold my hope or have said to the fine gold
You are my confidence
IF I rejoice because my wealth was great
and because mine hand had gotten much
LORD studies who/what we worship verse 26- 28
IF I beheld the sun when it shined
or the moon walking in brightness
and my heart hath been secretly enticed
or my mouth hath kissed my hand
THIS also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge
for I should have denied the God that is above
LORD deals with our treatment of our enemies verse 29- 30
IF I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me
or lifted up myself when evil found him
neither have I suffered my mouth
to sin by wishing a curse
to his soul
LORD likes us to be generous verse 31- 32
IF the men of my tabernacle said not
Oh that we had of his flesh
we cannot be satisfied
The stranger did not lodge in the street
but I opened my doors to the traveler
LORD doesn’t like respect of persons verse 33- 34
IF I covered my transgressions as Adam
by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom
Did I fear a great multitude or did the contempt of families
terrify me that I kept silence and went not out of
the door?
Job wants to face his accusers verse 35- 37
Oh that one would hear me
BEHOLD – My desire is that the Almighty would answer me
that mine adversary had written a book
surely I would take it upon my shoulder
and bind it as a crown to me
I would declare unto HIM the number of my steps
as a prince would I go near to HIM
Job accepts punishment when wrong verse 38- 40
IF my land cry against me
or that the furrows likewise thereof complain
IF I have eaten the fruits thereof without money
or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life
let thistles grow instead of wheat
let cockle instead of barley
The words of Job are ended
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? (995 “think” [biyn] means to gaze, separate mentally, understand, consider, look well to, mark, view, or be made to.)
DEVOTION: In the New Testament we find that there are three areas of temptation that Christ went through in the wilderness and three types that each Christian must face on a regular basis. The three are: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.
Job was accused by his “friends” of committing all of these sins. His “friends” thought that if he would confess his sins the LORD would forgive him and take away the challenges that he was facing. Job claimed innocence of all the accusations that the “friends” hit him with.
In this verse we find that he starts by defending himself against the lust of the eyes. He had made a agreement or promise to himself to not gaze sexually on another woman besides his wife.
In the early days of human history covenants were made with the killing of animals to confirm their word of honor. This first part of the verse tells us that Job had cut or made a covenant with his eyes. He knew that the LORD saw everything he did. He knew that the LORD knew everything he thought. He wanted his “friends” to know that all the sins they are accusing him of committing, he has not committed.
The lust of the eyes is one gate that is used to tempt us. There are the lust of the flesh and the pride of life to complete the threesome. Job mentions all three gates and tells his “friends” that he is innocent. God told Satan that Job feared HIM and served HIM. Satan wanted to challenge Job. These three “friends” were part of the challenge too.
In our day and age we face many temptations. This one of dwelling on someone other than our spouse or just women/men in general is a real temptation today. The internet has made it possible for everyone to look at pictures that would not be pleasing to the LORD. Some think that if they are looking at them it doesn’t affect their thought life. They are wrong. Job knew this and we should too.
One of the seminars that we attended says that teen girls are watching the wrong sites more than any other teen group. Today we have the ability to get bad pictures on our cell phones. We have to block all these sources. Every Christian needs to make the same covenant with their eyes regarding concentrating on wrong pictures or feelings toward the wrong people. Let us watch what we look at on a regular basis.
CHALLENGE: Purity is a thing of the past as far as society is concerned. It is not a thing of the past as far as God is concerned. Protect your eyes.
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:1 I made a covenant [בְּרִית] with mine eyes; Why then should I think upon a maid?
DEVOTION: In this age of the Internet, it is altogether too easy to lust with our eyes. God warns against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life (1 John 2:15-16). Purity is God’s standard for all of His children, and that means that we are to desire only what He desires in this life. This battle does not become easier for men just because they get older. Job states that he was able to fight the battle with this sin in his life by making a covenant (or agreement) with his eyes. This is the same word which is used to describe the covenant which God made with the people of Israel (as well as the one which He made with Abraham). In addition, women need to dress in a way that they do not cause men to sin with their eyes. What is needed is the same covenant relationship with God that He wanted his Old Testament people to have, which was one marked by a dedicated relationship to Him. Am I willing to take whatever first steps are needed in order to make sure that I am only looking at the right things and not giving into sexual temptations? (Board member: Dr. Marc Wooten)
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 3 Is not destruction to the wicked? And a strange punishment to the
workers of iniquity? (6466 “workers” [pa’al] means to behave in a certain manner, show a certain behavior or attribute, conduct or comport oneself, practice, perform, plot, forge, or plot.)
DEVOTION: Throughout the Word of God there are two groups of people found in our world. There are those who honor the LORD and those who don’t honor the LORD. There are people who try to fake honoring the LORD by going to church and sometimes doing the right things but it is all a cover up of what they are really thinking. They are looking to see if they can get the blessing of God while at the same time serving themselves which means that they are really serving the devil.
The end result of those who are faking their service to the LORD is that they will be punished with those who don’t even try to act like they care about the LORD and what HE expects of those who are genuine followers of HIM.
God wants those who are HIS genuine followers to serve HIM in spirit and in truth. HE wants them to look to HIM for guidance each day through HIS word, the Bible, and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in their life.
Each person knows in their heart who they are serving. If they are not serving the LORD they need to change their ways and not fake service but make it genuine if they are going to inherit eternal life in heaven.
Each of us has to examine themselves to see who they are serving and why. If we find that we are not serving in spirit and in truth the God of the Bible we will face destruction in hell for eternity. If we are genuinely following the LORD we have to examine ourselves daily to see what is going on in our heart.
CHALLENGE: The Bible teaches judgment is coming to all individuals. We are either going to be at the Great White Throne Judgment or the Judgment Seat of Christ. Which are you going to appear before?
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: 5 If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hasted to deceit; :6 let me
be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity.
(8538 “integrity” [tummah] means purity, innocence, completeness,
respectability, spotless, a state of innocence, uprightness, or blamelessness.)
DEVOTION: Our daily walk is with the LORD if we have confessed our sins and asked Christ to come into our heart. We have to know that we have made a commitment to the LORD before we can genuinely serve HIM.
Our daily walk is every important to our relationship with the LORD. Each day we need to start our day with our study of the Word of God and prayer. We should end our day with the same habit of praying to the LORD about our day and confessing any sin we have committed against HIM and those around us.
If we are not concerned about our daily walk with the LORD we will be doing what Job didn’t want to do and that is to walk in vanity. We could have a day of deceit that would not honor the LORD.
Our daily walk is important to our relationship to the LORD. My wife and I have read the “Daily Bread” each night from the beginning of our marriage. We have used other devotional books to help us grow in the LORD and closer to each other.
We don’t want to walk in vanity. We want to serve the LORD with our whole heart and soul. We are sinners and we confess our sins daily. If we want to see the LORD use us for HIS glory we have to have these times of confession of sin and study in the Word of God.
Too often believers will skip their times in the Word of God and prayer and this will cause them to do what Job was afraid of doing. He had questions and we will have questions but we still have to have a daily walk with HIM to receive HIS blessings in our life and marriage.
God wants HIS people to stay close to HIM or vanity will enter our lives and we will be worshiping the wrong god.
CHALLENGE: How is your daily walk with the LORD? Is there more vanity then blessing happening?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 7 If my steps has turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot has cleaved to mine hands; :8 Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out. (3971 “blot” [muwm] means spot, blemish, an awareness of inadequacy or guilt especially as contrasted again a hypothetical pure life, or moral stain.)
DEVOTION: Job is not claiming sinlessness. He is talking about his daily walk with the LORD where he is continually confessing his sins and asking for forgiveness from the LORD. He has a lifestyle that is pleasing to the LORD. He is not sinless but through confession of sin the LORD can cleanse him from any sin and restore him to faithful service.
God wants us to do the same. We have to make sure that we don’t think that we are sinless each day that we live. If we are not confessing our sins on a regular daily basis we are thinking within ourselves that we are not too bad and God should be pleased that we are so good.
We are only good based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. The Old Testament saints were looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. We are looking back at what HE did on the cross to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
From our point of view we know that HE did it all on the cross and we have to trust HIM to guide us each day through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. If we are not listening to the Holy Spirit daily through our reading of the Bible and prayer life than we are wandering from the LORD.
HE has ways of bring HIS children back to HIM through trials and tribulation to help us think correctly about our relationship with HIM. HE wants us to stay close. HE wants us to daily walk close to HIM.
CHALLENGE: Would we be willing to say with Job the things that he stated in the verses for today? If we are willing then we would not want to be blotted out!
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: 24 If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, You are my confidence (4009 “confidence” [mibtach] means trust, reliance, security, refuge, object of confidence, sure and firm hope, safety, or free from danger.)
DEVOTION: Too often we think that if we have a large amount of money in the bank we can put our confidence in our security coming from our bank account rather than the LORD.
Job wants to make sure that he or anyone else is not trusting in gold or any other item that is worth trusting is controlling his life and should not be something that we are trusting in in our life.
Our refuge is the LORD alone. If we are in a proper relationship with HIM, HE has promised to provide for our every need. Remember HE is not stating that HE will provide for our every want.
Too often we hear some speakers who will say that if we trust in them and give to them then the LORD will bless you above anything you can imagine. God has not promised us a rose garden every day of our life if we become a follower of HIM. HE has promised to provide for our every NEED not our every WANT.
There are individuals that are false teachers that state that God will provide for our every want. They are lying to us. They are only thinking of themselves and the wealth that you will give them.
This world is not our home we are just a passing through and we need to remember this fact before we get caught up in wanting everything in the here and now.
Our hope and confidence need to on Christ alone. If this is true, we will be happy and satisfied with what HE gives us in our lifetime.
CHALLENGE: We have to ask ourselves where our confidence is standing. In things or in the LORD!
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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)
Job wishes the Almighty would answer verse 35
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, 6, 14, 23, 28
Almighty verse 2, 35
God sees human ways verse 4
God counts all steps of humans verse 4
God rises up verse 14
God visits verse 14
God made me in the womb verse 15
God fashions in the womb verse 15
God’s highness verse 23
Judge verse 28
Almighty would answer verse 35
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)
Job verse 1- 40
Covenant with eyes
Integrity
Wife
Neighbor verse 9
Judges verse 11
Poor verse 16, 19, 20
Widow verse 16
Fatherless verse 17, 21
Any perish for want of clothing verse 19
Rejoiced at the destruction of him
that hated me verse 29
Stranger verse 32
Traveler verse 32
Adam verse 33
Adversary verse 35
Prince verse 37
Owners verse 39
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Wicked verse 3
Workers of iniquity verse 3
Vanity verse 5
Deceit verse 5, 9
Steps turned out of the way verse 7
Heart walked after eyes verse 7
Blot verse 7
Heart deceived by a woman verse 9
Lay in wait at neighbor’s door verse 9
Wife grind with another verse 10
Others bow down upon wife verse 10
Iniquity verse 11, 28, 33
Despise cause of servants verse 13
Gold my hope verse 24
Rejoice in wealth verse 25
Heart secretly enticed verse 27
Mouth kissed hand verse 27
Evil verse 29
Sin verse 30
Transgressions verse 33
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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DONATIONS:
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QUOTES regarding passage
24–28 Job began again with another firm denial of idolatry. But here the temptations are different. Instead of the appeal of the ever popular sex goddess, it is the appeal of gold (vv.24–25) and the apparent luster of two of the most commonly worshiped astral deities, the sun and moon (v.26). Job denied even secret homage to them (v.27). (Smick, E. B. (1988). Job. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 994). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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31:24–28. Materialism and idolatry were two other sins Job denounced. Eliphaz had implied that Job was trusting in his riches (22:24), but the patriarch affirmed that he never did so and was not proud of his wealth. Besides his heart not being enticed toward women (31:9), his heart was not even inclined to worship the sky’s luminaries, a common practice in the ancient Near East. Such worship of creation would be punished by the Creator (God on high; cf. v. 2). (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. 754). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Job the worshiper (Job 31:24–28). Job worshiped God with a sincere heart. He didn’t worship his wealth or trust it for his security, nor did he take credit for earning it (Deut. 8:17–18). Eliphaz had accused Job of making gold his god (Job 22:24–25), but Job denied it. He did not worship gold nor did he worship the heavenly bodies and secretly “throw them a kiss of homage” (1 Kings 19:18, NIV). If Job committed such a sin, men might not see it; but God would see it and would judge Job for being unfaithful to Him. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Patient (pp. 119–120). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
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Ver. 28. This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, &c.] As well as adultery, ver. 11. by the civil magistrates and judges of the earth, who are God’s vicegerents, and therefore it behoves them to take cognizance of such an iniquity, and to punish for it, which affects in so peculiar a manner the honour and worship of the true God; this by the law of Moses was punished by stoning to death, Deut. 13:9. however this will be taken notice of and punished by God the Judge of all, whose law is broken hereby, and who will visit this iniquity more especially on those who commit it, and their posterity after them. Idolaters of every sort shall have their part and portion in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, Exod. 20:3, 4, 5; Rev. 21:8. the consideration of its being such a heinous sin, and so deserving of punishment, deterred Job from it; the Targum paraphrases it, a most amazing iniquity, it being, as follows, a denial of the true God: for I should have denied the God that is above; that is, had he worshipped the sun and moon secretly or openly; for, as the athiest denies him in words, the idolater denies him in facts, worshipping the creature besides the Creator, and giving his glory to another, and his praise to idols; which is a virtual denial of him, even of him who is above the sun and moon in place, being higher than the heavens; and in nature, excellency, and glory, being the Creator of them, and they his creatures; and in power and authority, who commands the sun, and it rises not, and has appointed the moon for seasons, Job 9:7; Psal. 104:19. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 3, p. 444). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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31:24–28 Job has guarded against both the idolatry of trusting the wealth that God has provided rather than trusting God (vv. 24–25), and the idolatry of worshiping what God has created (vv. 26–27). Job’s faithfulness in this matter is grounded in the fact that idolatry is to be punished by the judges as an action that is false to God above (see v. 12), as is adultery. This is the emphasis of Job’s final appeal: he has consciously lived his life as if it were open before and in service to the God of heaven and earth. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 916). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
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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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Daily Hope
Today’s Scripture
Romans 3:1-31
Knowing someone who has authority or ability to make tickets or passes available allows you to confidently step to the front of the line and be allowed into the event. That person of influence or power entitles you to a privilege not otherwise available!
Paul had just concluded that all people, regardless of who they were, had been declared sinners in the sight of God. Whether they were brilliant philosophers, unlearned and deviant in thought or behavior, or from Jewish or Gentile heritage, under the law all had fallen short of God’s standard. This placed the Jewish people in a position to oppose Paul as they looked upon themselves as privileged and superior to all others. The question then arises from them, what advantage is there to be a Jew? Paul’s reply is to say, “Much in every way!”
That implies that he is going to go through the distinct ways the Jews are benefiting from being Jewish but instead, he lists just one benefit in this section. He states they have been appointed with the possession of the words of God. This advantage allows the Jewish people to know God and His ways more intimately.
Instead of listing others benefits, Paul chooses to expand upon this single thought and to answer the pressing issue of the entire world being guilty of committing sin. He uses several quotations from the Old Testament to prove his point that both Jew and Gentile are charged and found guilty of being under sin. In a quick review of verses 10-18, you will notice the inclusive words of all, none, not one to indicate the totality of mankind under the indictment of being sinners.
Paul then switches his thoughts to offer hope and a way for man to be reunited with God. While the law and its indictments bring man into condemnation and concludes with a verdict of guilt (v.20), God reveals a pathway to pardon. As all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (v.23) God offers a new righteousness or standing that can be received through Jesus Christ. It is offered “through faith in Jesus Christ” (v.22) and will allow God to pass over the sins committed by way of the shed blood of Jesus. A new standing is established that anyone can receive by faith in Jesus as His standing before the Father (Judge) removes our record of sin.
The place of privilege is now given to those who have received the right standing of justification and are declared pardoned. The question I am left with is have you received the gift of pardon offered by Jesus Christ? It really is simple to receive. Romans 10:9-10 describes for us the steps. Paul states, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” If you have not made that decision, then consider taking the benefit offered to you and enter into the relationship with God through Jesus’ offer of redemption. With an Expectant Hope,by Pastor Miller
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FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER–FROM OUR SIDE
…and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:3
“Our fellowship is with the Father.” We have communion with God. This can be looked at from our side. What does this wondrous thing that has been made possible for us in Christ mean from our side? It means, obviously and of necessity, that we have come to know God. God is no longer a stranger somewhere away in the heavens; He is no longer some stray force or power somewhere, some supreme energy. God is no longer some potentate or lawgiver far removed and faraway from us; God now is someone we know
Consider the apostle Paul especially as he deals with this. You will find that in writing to the Galatians he talks about their knowing God; “but now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God…” (Galatians 4:9). That is the idea. God is now a reality–we know Him; that is the very essence of this matter. You cannot have communion, you cannot have conversation with a person without knowing that person; there is nothing distant”there is an intimacy and a knowledge.
The Christian, says John, is one who has come to know God, but it is not only that. God not only is a great person–I speak with reverence–the Christian is one who has come to know God as Father. That is why John uses his terms so carefully–“our fellowship is with the Father.” The Christian is one who turns to God and addresses Him as “Abba, Father.” That is how Paul puts it in Romans 8:15″we have the spirit of adoption, the result of which is that we know God in an intimate way so that we address Him as “Abba, Father” because we are His children. This also means that we delight in God and that we have joy in His presence. We know God in that way.
A Thought to Ponder
It means, obviously and of necessity, that we have come to know God.
From Fellowship with God, p. 83.
“God, even our own God.”—Psalm 67:6
(Walking with God Daily Devotional by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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It is strange how little use we make of the spiritual blessings which God gives us, but it is stranger still how little use we make of God himself. Though he is “our own God,” we apply ourselves but little to him, and ask but little of him. How seldom do we ask counsel at the hands of the Lord! How often do we go about our business, without seeking his guidance! In our troubles how constantly do we strive to bear our burdens ourselves, instead of casting them upon the Lord, that he may sustain us! This is not because we may not, for the Lord seems to say, “I am thine, soul, come and make use of me as thou wilt; thou mayst freely come to my store, and the oftener the more welcome.” It is our own fault if we make not free with the riches of our God. Then, since thou hast such a friend, and he invites thee, draw from him daily. Never want whilst thou hast a God to go to; never fear or faint whilst thou hast God to help thee; go to thy treasure and take whatever thou needest—there is all that thou canst want. Learn the divine skill of making God all things to thee. He can supply thee with all, or, better still, he can be to thee instead of all. Let me urge thee, then, to make use of thy God. Make use of him in prayer. Go to him often, because he is thy God. O, wilt thou fail to use so great a privilege? Fly to him, tell him all thy wants. Use him constantly by faith at all times. If some dark providence has beclouded thee, use thy God as a “sun;” if some strong enemy has beset thee, find in Jehovah a “shield,” for he is a sun and shield to his people. If thou hast lost thy way in the mazes of life, use him as a “guide,” for he will direct thee. Whatever thou art, and wherever thou art, remember God is just what thou wantest, and just where thou wantest, and that he can do all thou wantest. (Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. London: Passmore & Alabaster.)
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What do you want?
Seekest thou great things for thyself? Jeremiah 45:5.
Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. Nothing is easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives.
If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment, you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. ‘I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me the rest and the peace I expected.’ Instantly God puts His finger on the reason—you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says—“Ask, and it shall be given you.” Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? That you may get to know Him.
Are you seeking great things for yourself—‘O Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost’? If God does not, it is because you are not abandoned enough to Him, there is something you will not do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God, and why you want it? God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy just now; He is working out His ultimate perfection all the time—“that they may be one even as We are.” (Chambers, O. (1986). My utmost for his highest: Selections for the year. Grand Rapids, MI: Oswald Chambers Publications; Marshall Pickering.)
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The Meaning of Man
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
This question has been posed as a rhetorical question by many generations of skeptics, especially in our present generation when the tremendous size of the universe is often used to argue that God, if He exists, could not possibly be interested in such a small speck of dust as our own planet.
But essentially the same argument was used against Job by one of his three “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2) over 3,500 years ago. “How then can man be justified with God?…that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?” (Job 25:4, 6).This dismal type of reasoning, however, is utterly fallacious. Significance is not a function of size but of purposeful complexity, and the human brain is surely the most complex physical system in the entire universe, as acknowledged even by such an eminent atheistic scientist as Isaac Asimov. Rather than being insignificant nonentities, men and women have been created in the very image of God and are the objects of His redeeming love
The most wonderful measure of man’s importance is the fact that God Himself became a man! “Christ Jesus…being in the form of God…took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7) to be able to take our death penalty upon Himself. Furthermore, God’s love for man is measured not only by His substitutionary death for our sins but also by His eternal creative purpose for us. He has redeemed us so that “in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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5 Mistakes we Make in Our Seromons
There are a multitude of mistakes that can be made in the delivery of a sermon. We can proof-text an idea or completely miss the point of a passage altogether. For the purpose of this post, I will not address the content of your expository work. Instead, I want to address the stuff that surrounds it and can help people hear the core of your message better. Here are five mistakes that we make and some encouragement about how to fix them.
1. Not preparing the introduction. A common mistake is to craft a great message and a great conclusion but stumble to get it all started. Oftentimes, we want to leave room to transition the congregation from the worship music we’ve been singing into the sermon. It is a good idea, so work with your worship leader to plan it out. Many of us have a standard opening that the church is accustomed to hearing and that works as well. Whatever is your comfort level, plan out something so that you are not fumbling with notes and searching for a transition in the moment.
2. Poorly planned illustrations. An illustration is only as great as its delivery. We’ve all found a great story or illustration, thought about it for a few moments, and written it into our notes. The problem is that we never thought about it again until the moment it needed to be said out loud in the sermon. With every illustration, you need to practice the delivery. Illustrations normally have a pivot point where you take people from the illustration to how it helps them apply the scriptural truth to their lives. Make sure you verbally work your way through it in your preparation.
3. Allowing your voice to fry. Recently, I had my voice go out on me about two-thirds of the way through my sermon. It is awful. I felt it coming on, and there was nothing I could do about it. But there is a way around it. Warm up your voice before the service. Don’t strain your voice while singing. And, for me, a significant key is to begin my message with a conversational tone. Whenever I start out with an uptight, overly-excitable, on-the-verge-of-shouting tone, then my voice is not going to make it. So… calm down.
4. Uh. Well. You see. If filler words and phrases are not the lowest form of communication, then they are in a close second to grunting. As you review your messages (and you should review the audio of them each week), discover why you tend to use filler sounds like uh, umm, and well. Make sure you mentally prepare for the transitions between points so you are not forced to make a grunt while searching for a transitional statement. It will also help if you will limit the number of last-minute edits you make to your notes. If you will finalize your notes in time to do a verbal run-through during the week, it will limit your filler words. Finally, don’t be afraid of a moment of silence. You don’t want it to be awkward, but there is also no need to create a continuous onslaught of sound with no audio break for the entire message.
5. Asking insulting rhetorical questions. Any time a speaker says “Do you hear what I’m saying?” or “Do you understand what I mean?” then the fault is most likely with the speaker. Of course, they hear you. You’re standing right there talking. Of course, they understand what you are saying. They are reasonably intelligent people. As speakers, we normally use such phrases when we are not getting the feedback we’re hoping to receive. It is more of a sign of insecurity than anything. To counteract it, plan out your statements and rhetorical questions that will draw the church into discovery rather than push them toward a defensive posture.
I am sure that there are many of verbal miscues that we make while delivering our messages. As I stated earlier, take time to listen to your messages each week. If your church does not record them, then use an app on your smart phone or a digital recorder. Preaching is a sacred and spiritual endeavor but that does not limit us from being disciplined in honing our craft.
Philip Nation is the adult ministry publishing director for LifeWay Christian Resources. Find out more on his blog.
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MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY (Friday Church News Notes, April 27, 2018, www.wayoflife.org,fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) – The modern state of Israel was established on May 14, 1948. It is a fulfillment of the ancient Ezekiel 37 prophecy of the Valley of Dry Bones, which teaches that Israel will return from her diaspora, which is described in terms of a valley of death, in two stages. In the first stage she will return in a spiritually dead condition (verses 7-10). Verse 8 says, “… lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: BUT THERE WAS NO BREATH IN THEM.” This is exactly what Israel is today and where Israel is today prophetically. Modern Israel is setting the stage for the fulfillment of the last stage of Daniel’s prophecy of the 70 Weeks (Da. 9:24-27), which describes the entirety of God’s dealings with Israel from the time of the Babylonian Captivity to the second coming of Christ. The prophecy is specifically said to pertain to Daniel’s people, Israel, and it is specifically said to describe the finishing of Israel’s transgression, the making of reconciliation for her iniquity, and the bringing in of everlasting righteousness, which will begin with Christ’s return (verse 24). By this prophecy we know that one prophetic week of seven years remains of God’s final dealings with Israel, and at the beginning of that week the Antichrist will arise and make a seven-year covenant with many in Israel; and half way through the seven years, he will break the covenant and desecrate the third temple and cause the renewed sacrifices to cease This will initiate the last half of the seven years, which is called the Great Tribulation in the New Testament (Matthew 24:15-22). Modern Israel is setting the stage for these events. She is back in her own land, having partially returned from the nations. She is preparing for the building of the third temple. She is looking for a peace-making, temple-building Messiah, which is a perfect definition of the Antichrist at the beginning of his reign. Israel must return to the land in a spiritually unconverted condition for these things to happen, because a converted Israel would not receive a false christ. The stage is set!
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We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.
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