Thursday 1-14-10

Job 23:10-12

10  But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

11  My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

12  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

This is some beautiful and rich scripture. I just want to share a few observations:

1. Job attests to the fact that God is completely sovereign. Job said "he knoweth the way I take" it's not like God is just waiting to see what Job is going to do, Job states for a fact that God knows what Job is going to do. 

2. God allows suffering and persecution. Here right after Job states that God is sovereign he says that "he hath tried me". Job knows that it is God who allowed all this to happen, it's not as if God took the day off from being God and then everything just went wrong. In fact Job accepts the suffering stating that he "shall come forth as gold."

3. Next Job states clearly that God is the one who has kept him from evil. So here we see that God is able to keep and preserve those whom are his.

4. Here is what really gets me and convicts me, Job said that God's word was more important to him then the food he needed to keep alive. Here I think Job gives the principle that is very important to every Christian, that is this. That reading God's word is more important than reading anything else, talking with God through prayer is more important than talking with family or friends, taking joy and pleasure in God is more important than attempting to find happiness elsewhere.

Please be in prayer for Judson Masters, he had surgery earlier today to fix a cleft lip. From the last I heard he is doing well, however his arms are in constraints to keep him from messing with the wound/stitches/ect. Please pray that there would be no complications and everything would go smoothly as they take him home soon. Also pray that God would provide the rest of the money necessary for the Master family to be able to leave soon for North Africa.

Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith,