A Word from THE WORD

Good Morning Happy Church,

Today is Wednesday, April 27^th, 2016. Today is the 118^th Day of 2016.

There are only 248 days left in this year; and, there are only 10 days left until Mother’s Day!

Job 1
¹ “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.
² There were born to him seven sons and three daughters.
³ He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
⁴ His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them.
⁵ And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.
⁶ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.
⁷ The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
⁸ And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
⁹ Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason?
¹⁰ Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
¹¹ But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
¹² And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
¹³ Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,
¹⁴ and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,
¹⁵ 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.”
¹⁶ 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.”
¹⁷ 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.”
¹⁸ 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,
¹⁹ 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.”
²⁰ Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
²¹ 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.”
²² In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.”

On one horrific day, Job, the most righteous man of his day suffered a series of catastrophic losses that make the suffering of most look trivial in comparison.

Over the next several devotional studies, I want us to think about suffering in the Christian life.

Thursday, as the LORD allows, I will conduct a Graveside Service for Kenny and Evelyn’s brother, John Collins.

Last July, Kenny passed away after an extended period of suffering from a disease that he should have never gotten. It is a disease whose very name means, “we don’t know why this is happening.”

Just 29 days ago, Gary Kaalberg, the husband of Kenny’s daughter Cathy died suddenly at home.

Last Friday John died suddenly and completely unexpectedly while working in his yard.

This one dear family has suffered a heart-breaking and mind-boggling set of events that would test the faith of Job himself.

Why does God allow such things as these to happen? Why IS HE allowing your suffering right now?

Looking back; looking around; and looking ahead we see suffering and suffering and suffering.

I must tell you I believe that unless God grants our Nation a broken-spirit and deep heart-felt repentance, we and our children are facing suffering in this Nation such as we have not seen in our lifetime.

The signs of the impending judgment of God upon our sinful Nation are undeniable.

Why?

Why does God allow anyone to suffer? Why does God allow HIS People to suffer?

Why?

The Book of Job, the oldest Book in the Bible, has the answers to all of these questions. As we work our way through many of these passages, I think we will find them. (We will not like many of them; but, we will at least find them.)

I hope you will start reading through this long and difficult Book now. Go slow. Take it all in. Think hard. Think deeply. Pray.

We have suffered. We are suffering. We will suffer yet more. Knowing the lessons from the Book of Job will not exempt us from suffering but it will help us to understand it.

REMEMBER… This coming LORD’s Day (as the LORD allows) will be AWANA CELEBRATION SUNDAY

We will have a Hamburger and Hot Dog Lunch after Church with the Kids and their Families. I hope you will stay for lunch and get to know some of the families who do not attend Church.

Carpe Diem!