sinning while suffering

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.

Job 42:5-6

These are Job’s last words on his response to suffering, theological debate with his friends, and a harrowing encounter with God Almighty. He did not sin to “deserve” his suffering, but readily acknowledges that he did sin IN his suffering. God corrected Job. And Job quickly repented.

God understands we are not perfect. It is impossible for us to be sinless. We should not be surprised that although Job rightly proclaimed innocence of sin before his tragedy, he encountered a holy God and quickly is convicted of how he foolishly and self-centeredly sinned in his suffering )Job 42:3). Some of God’s questions to him clearly convicted his heart of this (Job 42:3-4).

The proper response when God’s Word makes us aware of sin is to confess it, hate the sin, love God more, and repent. Job quickly does this. God lovingly forgave him quickly and rewarded His faithful servant again. God is always merciful when we confess our sins and repent! Praise Him for His forgiving mercies in Jesus our Lord!

safe place

Let me dwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah

Psalm 61:4

My soul was created to feel this yearning. I look beyond my life to eternal life. I believe I was made to know life forever with my Lord! And in His tent I will know the safety of His presence, the joy of worship and fellowship with Him, and the thrill of my eternal home. Yes, Lord, take me forever to dwell under Your tent!

I need shelter, cover from the storms and safety from what threatens me. And even as death walks through the streets, I will not fear when You, Lord, are sheltering me. In the embrace of Your care I will rest secure. For Jesus, You have delivered me from all that could destroy me. I am safe in Your shelter!

Death is only an echo in Your empty tomb. My sins are forgiven under the shadow of Your cross. This is my safety. This is my shelter. Jesus holds me close!

Amen

this God

This God—his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD proves true;

he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

2 Samuel 22:31

And in this worship song of King David, I find that God is just the same for me. This God is perfect. I know this God through the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who lived a perfect, sinless life, and died and rose again for all who believe in Him. He perfectly cares for us. He perfectly loves us. I am imperfect, but He perfectly completes and forgives all the ways that I fall short!

This God’s Word is always true. I have seen it proven true for half a century of trusting what God says. And I put my trust in Jesus, the Living Word of God Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He has never failed me and never will!

This God is my protection. I have nothing to fear either in death or in life. The blood of Jesus has atoned for my sin. He has given me eternal life so that my soul knows peace now and holds firmly to a future peace with Him in my Father’s house. Trusting Jesus gives me perspective on today and sure hope for tomorrow!

how quickly we turn

And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.”

Exodus 32:7-8a

It doesn’t take much

a simple desire

a thing that looks nice

something for which we yearn

and an idol sings out

and we want

...how quickly we turn

Our hearts are corrupt

we play in the dirt

sitting in sin’s slum

never seem to learn

that Jesus offers so much more

than we will ever imagine

...so quickly we turned

We need to root deep

into our desires

inventory our wants

appalling idols to spurn

and call out to Jesus

for all that we want

...and quickly return

strength by restoration

For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for.

2 Corinthians 13:9

These are tender words from the heart, written by Paul who was concerned about a church that had problems following Jesus. The Corinthians were in doctrinal and social disarray. There were people there who spoke destructively against Paul and his ministry among them.

Paul spent nearly two chapters of this book defending his calling as an apostle, using the strongest terms, uniquely communicating with self-deprecating sarcasm, and calling out the Corinthians for their sensuality and divisiveness that so filled this church with appalling immaturity. Yet the apostle did not delight in chastising them for their sins. He wanted to share the beauty of gospel reconciliation and fellowship again with them.

So we should guard our hearts. When churches have divisions among them, our hearts should break. We should grieve and long, as Jesus did, that His disciples would be one! We should repent of any pride and judgmentalism, turn to the gospel, and rally around the restoration found in the saving work of Jesus!

keeping the devil off his game

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

Luke 4:4

The very first words that Jesus had to say to the devil were these: “It is written...” The temptations of Jesus are intriguing to me. They tell us a lot about the psychological profile of the devil. I mean, who does Satan think he is? Did he honestly think he could tempt God to sin? The devil has one hell of an ego!

Jesus relied on the power of God’s own Word to turn the devil off. He answered Satan’s offers three times with the firm, clear Word of God. And the devil makes no counter offers. He can’t negotiate with scripture! Even when Satan tries to twist God’s Word in the last offer (Luke 4:10-11) in a last ditch effort to get Jesus to sin, the Lord simply replies back with the truth, quoting Deuteronomy to the devil. Jesus never once gives in to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life.

Jesus,

You are my example. I ask for Your strength to cling strong to the Bible when temptations come at me. Keep me strong by the power of Your Spirit and Your Word to keep the devil off his game!

Amen

God judges and saves.

The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God pronounced this disaster against this place. The LORD has brought it about, and has done as he said. Because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you.”

Jeremiah 40:2-3

God confirmed His word by sparing the life of His prophet, Jeremiah, even as Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar and the rebellious leaders of the city were slaughtered. God spared the prophet to show the power of His word. The prophetic voice would still be heard even in the aftermath of the fall of a society and the chaos that came with the exile. Lives are uprooted, but God’s Word is still solid!

God’s Word is sure and steady, even when all else seems to be brutally uncertain. Thank God that He is true! We can trust the God Who never lies! We can believe that He will simultaneously judge sin and save those who will trust in Him. That is the lesson shown over and over in the narrative of Jeremiah as the fall of Jerusalem to the Chaldeans is told. God kept telling the city, through Jeremiah, that those who would surrender to God’s will of the exile would have their lives spared to live in exile. Those who resisted would die. The Lord made sure that those who did indeed obey His warnings were saved to go to captivity with their lives as prizes of war.

The God Who judges sin also saves souls. And this is ultimately shown for us at the cross. There Jesus was delivered over to the most brutal spiritual and physical warfare possible to pay the price of sin. And there all those who will surrender to His suffering mercy will find themselves made alive forever by His sustaining grace. Thank God that He is both righteous to judge sin and generous to save souls!