A new problem . . .

Exodus 17; Job 35; Luke 20; 2 Corinthians 5

Today God gave snippets from three of these readings. I need each of them because my doctor gave me unexpected news yesterday. Suspecting sleep apnea, I had a sleep study done this week. They found a bit of the usual variety where the breathing passages relax and close while sleeping. That was not serious. However, the test also showed that my brain is not telling me to breathe and when that happens, my blood oxygen level drops and I wake up enough to tell myself to breathe.

This means a different test overnight in the hospital with a neurologist trying to determine what is causing this and how to fix it. I’ve bounced back and forth between trusting God and being scared.

Today’s first reminder: Israel is fighting an enemy army and their soldiers need encouragement:

Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. (Exodus 17:11–12)

I cannot fight my battles alone. God gives others to help me when I am weary and unable to raise high my hands in trusting Him. This means asking others to pray for me and being thankful for the support of God’s family.

The second reminder is knowing God hears me and I can say anything to Him. Job’s situation was perplexing to say the least but he knew he could talk to the Lord about it, even with anguished perplexity. His ‘friends’ didn’t think so. One of them said this of evil people and included Job:

There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it. How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him! And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not take much note of transgression, Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge.” (Job 35:12–16)

This is terrible counsel. This man had no idea that a personal relationship with God means He knows my thoughts. If I am sad, perplexed, upset with life, mad at someone, or have any other negative thoughts, even about God, I cannot hide them. Even better, God does not punish me for struggling or being upset with the way He deals with me. Right now, He whispers, “Trust me. I am here. I love you.”

The third reminder is God’s counsel for anyone struggling with life and death issues. He reminds me that this life is not all there is:

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. (2 Corinthians 5:1–9)

This is His promise: every person who trusts Jesus Christ looks forward to being with Him and can live here with courage and faith. Not only that, the passage goes on to say I have a job to do:

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others . . . All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:11; 18–21)

APPLY: This problem could be an easy fix, but if not, I must rely on God and the support of other Christians and tell God how I feel about everything. I’ll eventually be with Him at that will be glorious. In the meantime, I’ll have opportunities to tell others the good news and by His grace, I can do it!

There is a checkout in life’s supermarket

Isaiah 2:6–4:6, Luke 1:39–66, Job 1:13–22

This weekend in California has made visual sins that once were kept hidden. We have seen good things for we look for them, but we have seen activities that make us shudder. As I read the OT prophet’s words of condemnation to Israel, they seem to also describe what is happening in this city . . .

“For God has rejected His people, the house of Jacob, because they are full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. Their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to their treasures; their land is filled with horses, and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is filled with idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their own fingers have made.”

Perversions abound and those not involved tolerate them. Evil is good and good is called evil. What will happen to those who sin without shame? And what will happen to this city? Isaiah describes the fate of Israel. Will this be the fate of this place?

Isaiah say, “So man is humbled, and each one is brought low— do not forgive them! Enter into the rock and hide in the dust from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the lofty pride of men shall be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.”  (Isaiah 2:6–11)

In the NT, the mother of Jesus shows understanding of God’s plans for the righteous and for those who turn from God. She said, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” (Luke 1:50–53) She knew that God is the judge and He will do what He says.

Back to the OT story of Job which adds another thought to this: life’s circumstances here and now are not the ultimate test for goodness in the sight of God. Job was a righteous man. Satan challenged God and said that Job’s faith in Him existed only because he was living a blessed life. God said not true, and allowed this enemy to test Job’s faith . . .

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Job’s reaction to all of this shows the difference between him and those who have no faith in God.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong. (Job 1:13–22)

Those who believe in Christ know that God is good, no matter what happens. The greatest example is the Cross. Jesus died there at the hands of evil people who falsely accused Him. His Father allowed this, yet He was not a victim for God used it for the greatest good that is available to all; Jesus died that sin could be forgiven, that all who believe could have eternal life.

The circumstances of life are not the final test nor do they reflect the rewards or the punishment yet to come. Good people may suffer now, and evil people seem to prosper, but no matter the items in the shopping cart, there still awaits each of us that trip through the checkout!

I love this line from Mary’s song of praise. She declares this wonderful truth of where true blessings reside: “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)