Wednesday October 1, 2008 LIFE DIFFICULT?
"I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You ask, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I. And I was talking about things I did not understand, things far too wonderful for me. "You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' "I had heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance." Job 42:2-6 At last, Job and his acquaintances reached the end of their arguments and God appeared. He asked them some really hard questions beginning with, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the world?" (Every time I read this conversation between God and Job I feel guilty. How can we even think to question God and the way He works? How can I even think that I can interpret His Word? His thoughts and His ways are truly beyond my comprehension. The opening verses in the first chapter of Proverbs help a little, "These are the proverbs of king Solomon of Israel, David's son: He wrote them to teach his people how to live - how to act in every circumstance, for he wanted them to be understanding, just and fair in everything they did." (1-3) So, God's Word is written in the same light, He wants us to have an understanding of the way He works in our lives. Charles Stanley wrote something that stuck to me, something I needed desperately at this time in his comments on James 1:1-12, "Don't be drawn off course by the criticism or lack of support of others. God is your greatest encourager. . .". In verses 1:2-4, we find words that are hard to understand, "Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow. So let it grow, and don't try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete." There are truly seasons in our lives when storms are so dark we think Spring will never come and the people we care about no longer want to be in our presence. God, through James, is telling us to be happy, laugh, count it all joy! Yeah, okay, right, uh-huh, you know that's right - I sure will laugh in the face of my child running away from home or dying, my spouse or even myself dying of cancer - sure. We can't imagine doing that can we? Yet, one day in retrospect we will look back on the hardest times of our lives and see that through that adversity we found God, just as Job did. By faith, we go from the point of knowing about God to actually seeing His hand working in our lives. We really know Him! At that point patience or faith in Him multiplies and we can believe that God will turn our woes to wows. We may also realize as Oswald Chambers writes that, "[I]f God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?" He truly stands waiting for your permission to use your deepest pain for His glory and gain. Let all of us purpose and promise to give it all to Jesus! ******************************************* O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] window live messenger: [EMAIL PROTECTED] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
