Lolacrain’s Weblog

S. Scripture: Job 10-13

O. Observation: Job wanted to understand why the things that were happening to him were happening.  He had no way of knowing that Satan was accusing him and God had confience in him. God knew Job would not curse Him and walk away. When Job was crying out to God his friend scolded him for the things he heard him say.   He heard the words and judged them but did not hear the cry of confusion that Job was sending up to God.    What Zachar heard was Job being disrespectful to God and he was filled with  righteous indignation. He did not hear his cry of desperation to understand why God was charging him with and punishing him for some sin.

A. Application: Too many times when someone is hurting or angry and says something perceived as wrong we correct them and it makes us feel that we are spiritually superior. While there are times that call for correction (and more times that not it probably isn’t us who should render it”), I think there are more times that call for compassion. Trying to see where the hurt or anger is coming from and with the leading of the spirit try to help or when we don’t hear from God… be quiet.  Job told Zachar that he was assuming Job was inferior to him and to be quiet. Job was pleading with God for  clarification.  I think we should be like Job and tell God how we are honestly feeling instead of trying to approach him with political correctness.  He knows our hearts, we cannot hide anything from him.  And we would probably be wise to not assume that bad things always happen as a result of our sin.  Perhaps God has confidence in us and knows he can trust us to be victorious in the situation.  It may be for us or for someone else that we go through the trial.

P. Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me the kind of hope that Job had in the circumstances and situations that you allow in my life.  Help me to plead my case with you honestly and with hope.  Help me when someone else is hurting or angry to be compassionate and only move with your guidance or to be quiet. Make me a prayer warrior so that in my times or someone elses times of trouble I find myself on my face before you.  God it is so hard sometimes to feel hopeful when things seem so dark.  Help me to see you in those times and to truly be hopeful about the outcome.

Scripture: Job 1-5

Observation: Job, a rich man blessed and favored more than any other man on earth in one moment and in the next completley stripped of his earthly wealth and blessings. His relationship with God is not based on what God can do for him.  When he is devistated mentally from the loss he has suffered he instantly falls on his face and blesses God.  What a response. The enemy is not discouraged but determined to destroy Job (us). While Job is still mourning his losses  his body is ravished with pain. Jobs cries to have his existance completley erased from history. This displays just how devastated he was.  This was a cry to God of how much pain he was in but he still did not curse God.

Application: No matter the situation when you are going through a trial, test, etc., who can know the measure of your pain but God?  Who else can really understand?  So to cry out to Him should be as natural for us as it was for Job  if we know him as Abba. We then understand that He, our Heavnly Father, is full of sorrow at our loss and wants to comfort us. To know without a doubt that he is a friend that sticks closer than a brother and there is no temptation, pain or loss that He does not understand completely.  And best of all if we will trust Him, He will heal us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, may I bless your name in every situation good or bad.  May I know that you carry my pain, my burdens and there is healing in trusting you.  When someone else is suffering let me be like Eliphaz. Let me know when to be quiet and when to speak.  And when I speak let it be an encouragement to those that are suffering. Thank you Heavenly Father for the many blessings and the hardships.  Let both help me to mature in your ways.  

Scripture: Genesis 4-11

 Observation: God told Cain he needed to master his sin, to have control over it.  Cain made a choice to surcome to the sin that visited his door.  God is faithful to forgive however,  there are consequences for our actions. 

Application: We should consider our sin, the effect that it will have on the generations of our family to come. We should seek wisdom to identify and master the sin in our lives. 

Prayer: God help me to see sin the way you see it.  Help me to consider the consequences of sin when it visits me and not to surcome to it but be obedient to your word.