What Times Are These: Suffering And Looking To The Father

What times are these in which we live? Who among us saw these things coming? A disease spreading and perhaps 40 percent of the world temporarily shutting down?

Here is what times these are. 

I will tell you. 

These are times when some, who have not previously now begin to pray. Others who have prayed begin to pray more. These are times when many are forced to slow down. Either by job loss or disease or from a loved one getting sick. Perhaps only because of reading and hearing of bad news. These things are sometimes beyond our previous experiences. We learn and are unsure of what to do and how to adjust. Many are more open to God, and to learning of him at this time. And yet, unusually we must point those open to receive truth to the Bible and to council from ourselves or another we know. Unusually, most churches at present are closed.

This is a time for reflection. 

Counterintuitively this is also a time for Great Thankfulness. Thankful in part that things are not worse, but more so because all this upheaveal should cause us to realise all which we had and most which we continue to have. A decent job. Food to eat. Freedom to move about. The health to live our daily lives. Our family and our friends. Even those strangers who show kindness and concern and whose helpful acts are like the gifts of angels.

Time to slow down and be thankful for the small things in life. Catch up with family. Enjoy a good home cooked meal, a warm bed by the fireplace, sunshine, a gentle breeze.

Time to focus. 

What does God want? If Coronavirus is what it takes to bring souls that were once lost and point them toward God then Coronavirus is a blessing to those lost souls. Praise be to God if we bring these lost to God without disease so we could all be more comfortable. Sad it is that discomfort is often necessary to move forward in a society which turns its back to God. To a people which work hard to legislate away the Gospel of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The saving grace to those who believe in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. The forgiveness of sins because of his death on the cross and his ressurection from the dead. The spiritual rebirth to all who believe on Jesus Christ and call upon his name for the forgiveness of their sins for which he died. For which he suffered. Our suffering is not great. Though many times it seems to be great to us.

Let us take this time to be fully focused. Having 2020 vision seeing all through the eyes and the perspective of God the Father. In Jesus' Name this I pray. Amen. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." - John 3:16-17

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." - Romans 12

The Sins Of Job: Revealed By Elihu

Most of us are familiar with the story of Job and how God allowed Satan to test Job by taking away all that he had; his family and possessions, and lastly his good health. For the Lord said unto Satan, "Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life." (Job 2:6)

After Job lost all of his possessions how did he respond? He responded in word and by his actions, what was it that he did and said? We can see in Job 1:20-22. "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

After Job was afflicted of Satan and suffered sores and pain how did he respond? Initially he did not sin, but as time passed Job did sin, and soon we shall look at what the sin of Job was.

Many assume or mistakenly believe that Job did not sin. It is apparent that they did not read very far into the book of Job. Perhaps they thought that the foolish responses from Job's three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar made Job look more righteous than they. Perhaps the foolish response of Job's wife made Job appear more righteous than he really was. (Job 2:9) Is it to be assumed that Job was without sin merely because he was less foolish; and merely because he spoke words of faith? (Job 13:15) Do we think we are righteous in our own right merely because we have not entirely gone astray, merely because we do not live in sin as the world does? Woe to him who thinks he has no need of repentance, for the slightest error is still sin and any sin howsoever small or seemingly insignificant places us in the path which leads to gnashing teeth and flames of the very fires of Hell.

The only righteous man in scripture who did not sin was our Lord Jesus Christ, and this is no surprise for he was God dwelling in a body of flesh upon the earth to fulfill the plan of God. He alone was worthy to be slain for the sins of the world, for he alone was without sin. (1 Peter 2:22, 1 John 3:5)

So what was the sin of Job and how do we know without a doubt that he did indeed sin? Our first clear indication is at the beginning of Elihu's speech. Elihu was the only person in the book of Job to speak any length of words and be entirely without condemnation in the eyes of God, insofar as the book of Job has told us. It is Elihu and the prophets Isaiah and Malachi who tell us the sins of Job. We also know without a doubt by what is said in the last chapter of the book of Job.

The First Sin Of Job: He Justifies Himself Rather Than God

We read in Job 32:1-2 "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God." This is also similar to what God questioned Job about in Job 40:1-8 "Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it…Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?" So this is a sin of Job, that he justified himself rather than God. Let us hear what the prophet Isaiah hath said "Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!" – Isaiah 5:21 (also see Proverbs 3:7, 12:15, 16:2, 21:2, 30:12)

The Second Sin Of Job: He Calls Delighting In God Unprofitable

We read in Elihu's speech in Job 34:7-9 "What man is like Job … For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God." Let us hear what the prophet Malachi hath said "Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?" Let us also hear what is written in Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

These words of Isaiah and Malachi were obviously not originally directed at Job. Nevertheless their words apply to any who sin in the same manner, including Job and every man before and until this very day. Many say that Job's sin was saying that he had no sin. This is true, Job did also sin by claiming to be sinless. (Job 33:9, 9:21) (1 John 1:8, 1 Kings 8:46a, Ecclesiastes 7:20) But if we can say he sinned by claiming to be sinless, we can also say he justified himself by admitting his sin. (Job 7:21, 13:23, 14:17, 15:14) Or we could argue that he knew he had sin, but his claim to be sinless was merely a figure of speech or a reference to how God had covered or forgiven his sins. Therefore it is much more profitable and wise to pinpoint specifically what the actual sins of Job were. Consider the pharisees who accused our Lord Jesus Christ of sin falsely. Had they actually judged Christ honestly looking for a sin he had committed, they would have found no sin and had perhaps believed him.  

Proof That Job Sinned: He Had Need Of Repentance

In Job 42:1-6 Job confesses his sin and repents. (Job 42:6) This is how we know without a doubt that Job sinned, because he who sins not has no need of repentance, but Job had need as do we all. (1 John 1:8) Job is forgiven by God and called a servant of God because he did that which was right in that he repented and in that he prayed for his friends as the Lord commanded. (Job 42:8,9,10) What became of Job? In the end of his life he was more blessed than he was before. (Job 42:10-17) 

We all can be called "servants of God" if we too, like Job, repent and do that which is right, coming to God in Faith believing that he indeed is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him, for this is what he is, and what he does, for he has promised, and his word is faithful and true. (John 12:26)



"The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" – Psalm 27:1