November 2008

Marriage is Sacred

Job 31:9-12…  Job Considered Marriage to be Sacred

To put it simply… Job was a good husband.  He understood God’s high standard for the marriage relationship. 

The author of Hebrews does as well, when he writes… (Heb 13:4)

Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

God has gone to great lengths to provide us with instructions regarding the sanctity of marriage.  Guys, this is important, because the responsibility has been given firmly to us to love our wives and lead our families.  For example… Ephesians 5 talks about how we are to love our wives. Also  1 Peter 3:7… teaches us that we are to dwell with our wives with understanding, at all times being considerate towards her needs and treating her with respect. 

There are many other passages we could turn to… but the point is this… Job was a man who loved and respected his wife. 

Everyday Gospel

I came across this quote by John Piper. You can read the whole article here.

...if you immerse yourself in the whole book, always with an eye for what Christ has wrought for you and purchased for you in this thick, glorious history of God’s interaction with people, he will give you what you need. Therefore, everything in me says, and I hope to say until the day I die, “Now, to him who is able to strengthen me, according to Paul’s gospel, to him—to that God—be glory forever and ever.” God came into history in Jesus Christ; he died in order to destroy the power of hell and death and Satan and sin; and he did it through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Kindness and Mercy

Job31:13-23… Job Is Kind and Merciful

Job is a man who is characterized by the type of love that 1 Cor. 13:4 talks about…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

I like the way Job puts a God perspective on this issue. In verse 15 he says…

Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

As far as Job is concerned… anyone he comes across is deserving of his love and kindness because they too, like him, are created in the image of the Living God.

This is a very important principal for our day and age… because lets be honest… there are a lot of people out there that need to be shown kindness and mercy… even people who are hard to love. Being kind to others… even strangers… and showing mercy to those who perhaps even offend us, is a fantastic witness for God. After all… has not God shown kindness and mercy to us? That’s what it says in Titus 3:4-5…

But when the kindness and love of God our Savoir appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

But notice again Job’s motivation for wanting to be kind and merciful (vv23). One translation renders it this way…

Let my arm be torn from its socket! That would be better than facing the judgment sent by God. For if the majesty of God opposes me, what hope is there? NLT

You see… Job is a man who understands that even though God is Just… punishing all sin… He is also merciful… forgiving the sinner out of His great Kindness. Likewise, Godly men are men who show kindness and mercy toward others… because they themselves have received God’s kindness and mercy.

Happy Birthday to me...

For those of you who know me well, I just wanted to say... It's my Birthday and I will eat cake if i want to! No ZONE for me today.

joke of the week

A short fortune-teller escaped from prison this morning. Police are looking for a small medium at large.

Stepping Out In Faith

I am always amazed by Abrahams demonstration of faith when he set out from his home, with his son, on a journey to a place that no man would want to go. There is something profound in his actions, something that leaves me questioning my own willingnesss to follow God, where ever it might be that he might lead me. Even more profound is the conversation that went on between Father and son...

“Father?”

“Yes, my son?”

“The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

“God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.”

End of conversation... but I love the image that we are left with... And the two of them went on together.

God wants each of us to trust Him for the journey ahead. The comforting news is that He also journeys with us.

Only God

Job 31:24-28… Job Worships only God

Again… this is so very relevant to our time. Notice that job is not saying that money, wealth or riches is a bad thing… only that he will not worship them.

The author of Hebrews picks up on this in Hebrews 13:5…

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Job reminds us that depending on wealth for happiness is in fact idolatry, because it denies God as the giver of true happiness.

David also talks about this in Psalm 62:9-10…

From the greatest to the lowliest—all are nothing in his sight. If you weigh them on the scales, they are lighter than a puff of air. Don’t try to get rich by extortion or robbery. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life.

But is not just money and wealth... because Job refuses to bow down to any of the gods of his age. He mentions the false idols of the sun, moon, stars… all of which were commonly worshipped in Job’s day. Think about it for a moment… What are the gods of our age? I’m sure I don’t need to name them because we all know what they are. But just to be certain… anything that takes the place of God in our lives… is an idol. Any time we put something… or someone… or a philosophy above God… we break the 1st and 2nd Commandments.

Job was a man who was single minded in his worship of God. Nothing else mattered… nothing else came first… there was no higher priority in Job’s life than to worship God and honour Him. If we are to be men of God… then we must resolve to do the same.

Quote:

The only exercise some people get is jumping to conclusions, sidestepping responsibility, and pushing their luck.