Job 17:7a “‘My eye has also grown dim because of grief,’”

 BLINDED BY GRIEF

Job’s days aren’t getting better. He said he is grieving so much his eyes are getting weak.  Have you ever wept so much your eyes swelled up?  I have. I remember one time I cried so hard and my eyes swelled so big that someone thought I had been punched.

Grief is a horrible thing and a wonderful thing.  Grieving, in and of itself, is not a bad thing.  Grieving allows us to vent emotions over the loss of something or someone. These emotions need to come out for us to remain healthy.  But too much grief, unresolved grief, will lead to depression and worse.  Give your grief over to the Lord, which Job has not done yet in chapter 17.

TEACHING MOMENT

Have you seen your child grieve yet? It’s a horrible sight for a parent. It’s a helpless feeling to see them hurting and crying.  There is literally nothing we can do to stop it.  All we can do is pray with them and for them and hold them.  If you haven’t experienced this yet, you probably will sooner or later.

How to we teach “proper” grieving? How do we teach godly grief?  Only by modeling it to them and taking them to the Word.  Kids learn by example.  If they see us holding on to our own grief, they won’t learn to let go of their grief. If they see us using grief as an excuse for behavior, they will learn to do the same.  Like I said earlier, grief can be healthy if handled correctly.  But it must be given to Jesus. He understands your grief.

Are you grieving right now over something in your life?  Do you have unresolved grief?  Hand it over to the Master.  He gave you that heart, and He knows how to ease the pain.  Trust Him with your emotions.

 Heart Maker, take my emotions and turn them Godward.  Take my hurt and grief and turn them into joy.  Help me the kind of example of godly grief that others can turn to.

Job 15:34-35 “34 ‘For the company of the godless is barren, and fire consumes the tents of the corrupt. 35 They conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity, and their mind prepares deception.’” Continue reading →

Job 12:7-8 “7 ‘But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. 8 Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you; and let the fish of the sea declare to you.’”

 CREATION SPEAKS

 I have had the privilege to travel to some pretty incredible places.  When I see nature in all its beauty, I can’t help but wonder how someone cannot believe in God.  A couple of years ago I got to see thousands and thousands of pink flamingos feeding, wading and flying at a lake in Kenya.  The sight was beyond description.  God’s creation at work.  https://www.facebook.com/cwilliamwillis/videos/vb.100000159657052/1522292691119371/?type=3

Job is telling his “friend” here that even the beast, birds, fish and the earth teach us about the Lord.  He didn’t need his friend to try to enlighten him about Jehovah.  He could simply look around and see Him.  That should be true for all of us.

 TEACHING MOMENT

 Kids love nature, at least most do. Take a nature hike with your kids and make a list of all the creatures you see.  List the bugs, birds and animals.  List the trees and flowers.  And then when you get home look them up on your computer.  Talk about them.  And then take your kids to these verses.  Ask them how these things they just saw point to God.

I bet you will get some pretty amazing answers.  God made everything to point to Him in some way.  Everything He created gives Him pleasure.  After all, He said “it was good.”

Have you stopped lately to enjoy God’s creation?  Take a break today and do that.  Enjoy nature. Enjoy the flowers and trees. Enjoy the birds and squirrels. Enjoy God.

Thank You, Master Creator, for your magnificent creation. I marvel at Your detail of each creature.  Let my eyes be open to all that is around me.

 Job 10:9 “‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay; And would You turn me into dust again?’”

 WORTHLESS

You could say Job was having a bad day. Now his “friends” are giving him spiritual advice, and he is feeling like a complete failure.  This is all new for him.  He had been living at peace with the Lord and men.  He had not experienced these kind of trials before, as far as we know.

He looks up to the Lord and asks, “Are you just going to grind me into dust here?”  He is feeling worthless.  He is feeling hopeless.  He is feeling beat down and thrown away.  Have you ever felt that way?  Have you asked the same question?

TEACHING MOMENT

These are the moments when our faith grows the most.  These are the moments when our kids’ faith is built.  When they are struggling with the pressures of life, struggle along with them. Lean on Jesus.  He can take it.  Your children need to learn that at an early age.  There is NOTHING He can’t handle.

Now, I have to admit that most the “major” issues our children face aren’t really major issues.  But they are to them.  And as they learn to trust the Lord in these struggles, they are building the faith necessary to trust the Lord later in life when they are facing those real life struggles like the loss of a child or the loss of a job or the loss of a home.  The struggle of faith is not for the now as much as it is for the future.

Are you there right now?  Are you facing a day in which you feel like dust? Shake off that dust.  Fall on your face before a holy God and say, “Through it all, Lord, I trust You.”

Father, I don’t understand all the trials that come my way. I don’t like them either.  But I trust You.  I know You know me best and will allow only those things that will make me better to touch me.

 Job 5:17 “‘Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.’”

 BE CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING ADVICE

 One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz, is speaking in chapters 4 and 5.  Taken by themselves, his words are wise and insightful.  Take for instance the verse for today.  I agree with that statement.  We should welcome the Lord’s discipline.  We know that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves.

The trouble with the advice is he thinks Job has done something worthy of discipline.  Why else would God “punish” Job?  He must have done some horrible sin and was refusing to confess. Eliphaz had good advice.  He was just giving it to the wrong person.

TEACHING MOMENT

However, these words can be helpful to your child.  They need to learn that discipline is a good thing.  Without discipline the world would be in chaos.  When we have disobeyed the Lord, we should expect to be disciplined.  Now, I am not saying the Lord is just waiting to zap us every time we get off the path. I mean the Lord will discipline us because He loves us.  He wants to keep us safe.

Don’t you discipline your little Susie when she disobeys?  Why do you do that?  Because you want her to grow up respecting rules and guidelines.  You want her to develop self-control.  She needs to learn at an early age that there are always going to be rules and laws she must follow.  And these are for her protection, not to restrict her.

What are you complaining about right now?  Are you challenging the Lord’s commands?  Are you fighting God at every turn?  Surrender to Him today.  Let Him guide your every decision.  As we surrender to Him the Lord is able to give us more and more freedom.  And you will be free indeed.

Forgive me, Lord, when I disobey. Forgive me when I fight against Your law.  I know everything You have written is for my good.  Help me surrender more fully each day to You.

Job 3:11 “‘Why did I not die at birth, come forth from the womb and expire?’”

 NO HOPE

 Have you ever been really depressed? I mean, really depressed.  Job is definitely depressed.  He had just lost all his children and all his wealth.  His wife had told him to curse God and die. He seemingly had no hope.

But in all of this, God still maintained Job’s righteousness.  Job didn’t lose his faith just because he was depressed.  So many today will judge others who suffer with depression by telling them they just need more faith.  You cannot speak for those people.  You do not know what is going on in their minds and in their relationship with the Lord.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is a strange topic to teach our kids about, but it is one they need to know.  Probably, at some point in their lives, little Gertrude or little Elrod are going to have depression.  They may get very sullen about a lost friend or a pet that died.  Depression is not sin.  Hear me clearly.  Depression IS NOT sin.

What we teach our children, though, is that God has a plan that is much bigger than their depression.  I love the saying “Everything over our heads is under His feet.”  He can handle it.  So, we teach our children to pray and give it all to Jesus.

What are you struggling with today? Are you depressed?  Are you in a pit?  Look up!  Don’t look inward.  Look up to the God who created you.  He knows you are hurting. He feels your pain.  He has the answer.  Give it to Him.

Lord, You are the Master of my soul.  You are my true soulmate.  You know my innermost thoughts.  Lead me to Your still waters.

Esther 6:6b “And Haman said to himself, ‘Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?’”

 GET ALL THE FACTS

 Talking about getting “egg on your face.”  Haman was just sure the king was wanting to honor him.  After all, he was SOMEBODY, or so he thought.  He could have never guessed in a million years that the king was talking about Mordecai, whom Haman hated.

So Haman rattles off what HE would have wanted the king to do for HIM.  His own words led to his humiliation.  I am sure many in the city knew of Haman’s disgust for Mordecai.  And now they were watching him lead Mordecai through the streets shouting, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.”

TEACHING MOMENT

What a great life lesson!  Teach your children to not assume what someone else is thinking or saying.  Teach them to ask lots of questions to clarify the subject before they launch off into some activity.  Have you ever had one of those tests which begins with the statement “Read this entire page before answering any question”?  You busily answer all the questions BEFORE reading the whole page and then the last statement says, “Do not answer any of these questions.  Sign your name here and turn in to the teacher.”

We need to teach our children to avoid such misunderstandings, not jump to conclusions and to listen before talking. They should always be careful to hear someone out before they make up their mind about something.  And they should never think too highly of themselves (like Haman did).

That’s a lot to think about today. Are you guilty of making assumptions about people?  Determine today to stop that.  Look at others through the eyes of the Spirit.  See them how God sees them.  Then make up your mind.  I bet you will have a different viewpoint.

Father of all, reveal to me the real motives behind others’ actions.  Help me to not assume anything about anyone.  Let me see them as You do.

 Esther 1:10a “On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine,”

 STUPID DECISIONS

 Oh, the folly one gets into when wine or strong drink enters the picture.  King Ahasuerus lost his wife, Queen Vashti because he was drunk.  He made a stupid request, one that was very uncustomary at the time, of his queen that she refused.  So, he gets mad and issues a decree banning her from his presence and removing her crown.

“Oops!  Now what?”  Have you ever said that?  Boy, I have. I have said and done things hastily or without thinking that I wish I could have taken back.  But like toothpaste, once it’s out of the tube it is really hard to get it back in.

TEACHING MOMENT

 This lesson is NOT about drinking. It’s about making hasty decisions. Every decision we make has consequences. We must teach our children that fact. Decisions must be made, but not without thinking through the results.  Whether it’s spending money or deciding where to go to college, every decision will affect what we do next.

As your children get older the decisions they will have to make become bigger and bigger.  Who to marry?  Where to live?  What job to take?  That’s why is so important to let them make decisions now while they are young and can fall back on you when they make a wrong one.  Failure is a great teacher.

What decision have you made lately that you are regretting?  Did you seek the Lord before you made it?  If so, trust Him in the decision.  If not, confess that as sin and ask Him for a way out.  He may just extend mercy and grace to you.  Or He may let you learn a lesson.  Either way, you have to trust Him.

O Lord, You are worthy of my trust with every decision I have to make.  I feel sometimes that I don’t need to bother You with the little things, but I know that is not what You want.  Thanks for hearing and answering.

 Nehemiah 3:13 “so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.”

STRANGE NOISES

 When you read this verse, you may think of a national championship ballgame.  One side is going to be shouting for joy at the end of the game.  The other will be probably be weeping because they lost.  Either way, great emotions are going to be seen.  The same thing was seen and heard when the foundation was laid for the new Temple.  Those who had seen the old one cried, but those who had not shouted for joy.

Isn’t that the way we are today?  When a new direction is presented at church or at school or at work, we either shout for joy or cry from despair.  There really is no way to make everyone happy.  However, the key thing to remember is – is this the Lord’s leading?  If it is, then we should all submit and rejoice.

TEACHING MOMENT

 The same thing goes for our families.  If you have more than one child there will come a time when a family decision will make one child happy and the other sad.  Even a small thing like where to go eat can cause mixed emotions. While one child is sitting at the restaurant all smiles, the other one sits with their arms crossed with a scowl on their face.  Life lesson! Submission!

As God directs us in our surrender to Him, we will be faced with opportunities that will either thrill us or scare us.  We will either be excited or sad.  Our children will watch how we respond to those less than desirable situations.  They will watch how we rejoice in the incredible situations.

When is the last time the Lord asked you to do something which you didn’t really want to do?  Did you shout for joy or cry?  God gave us emotions on purpose.  He doesn’t expect us to squelch them.  But He does expect us to surrender to His will and do it anyway.

Father, I thank You that You love me enough to challenge me.  You give me opportunities to serve You and others.  Sometimes those are enjoyable and sometimes they aren’t.  But I will serve You regardless.

 Nehemiah 11:19 “Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brethren who kept watch at the gates, were172.”

 NO MENIAL TASKS

 When you read Nehemiah 10-11 you see a list of people and responsibilities. These were the movers and shakers of the rebuilt Jerusalem.  These are the ones who would re-establish order and society in a place that had suffered so much neglect.

Then you read verse 19 of chapter 11.  Two names are mentioned – Akkub and Talmon.  They and their “brethren” had the job of gatekeepers.  They didn’t serve in the Temple.  They didn’t rule anyone.  They may have thought they had a less prestigious job.  But their jobs were critical to the safety and order of the city.  Gatekeepers were probably some of the toughest dudes around.

TEACHING MOMENT

Little Johnny and Susie will probably get selected for a task they think is too small for them.  It could happen at home or at school or even when they grow up and get a job.  As parents, we are to teach our children the importance of every role assigned.

Explain to them how important it is for us to have people who pick up our trash. We may think that job is beneath us, but just go a week without your household garbage being picked up and you will think that guy is the best thing you ever saw the next week.  We ALL have our jobs to do.  And this is so applicable to the kingdom of God, as well. There are no big “I’s” and little “you’s” in the kingdom.

Are you feeling sorry for yourself right now because of the straw you drew?  You feel you are above your present position. You think you are doing a job meant for someone else.  Well, you be faithful in the little things.  God is watching and will bless your loyalty and servant heart.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me each and every job you have ever given me. Some were better than others, but all helped shape me into who I am today.  Let me be an example to others as I serve where You have planted me.