King?

What does it mean for God to my King? I have a President, a principal, an administrator, a boss, and tons of other authority type figures in my life but I have only God as an example as a King. I think that in the time that we have grown up without this, the word has almost lost meaning.

King (def.) --sovereign ruler; generally used to denote one invested with authority; greek word melek

If God is my King then he should be the ultimate authority on all things; especially the decisions that I make. It also makes me think that all the times that I put God on hold or tell Him to wait, I am putting royalty on hold. 

At Nav Nite, a couple of weeks before school let out, a wise man asked us what characteristic of God is the least real in our lives and now I think that this is mine. To know God as my King is something that I haven't quite figured out yet but I'm hoping for a good chance to try and the wisdom from God to understand. 

We shall see how it goes. 

Who said God wasn't sarcastic?

I am finally finished with Job and what a finish it was. I have decided that God can definitely have his sassy moments. On dictionary.com sassy is defined as being "lively, bold and full of spirit; cheeky"
When he has been tested and is like "Ok? Your such a know-it-all now? Can you do x,y, and z?" Reading through chapters 38-42 just makes me say WOAH! God is telling Job!

My good friend and sister in Christ Haley would really like this passage. Mostly because God is being totally sarcastic with Job and just a little on the sassy side, which is completely how Haley communicates. But these last chapters pretty much have a couple of keep points besides God telling Job off.

1. God totally re-establishes his justice as the highest law. 
There is not something that is "fair and right" and something separate that is God's law. God is God and is a just God. Whether we understand that system or think that it is fair doesn't matter. It is still just and still meets God's standards. He doesn't ask us to like it, or even to accept it at all times [we are human and stubborn] but why insult the Creator and Just God by telling Him what is fair and right.

"Who has a claim against me that I must pay?" Job 41:11a

2. God re-establishes his power.

God talks for a long time in chapter 38:4 - 41 all about his characteristics that make him God. He talks about his strength, wisdom, fearlessness, fearsomeness, power, knowledge, royalty, justice, splendor and majesty. He talks to Job and says "Are you any of these things?" God completely puts Job in his place.

"Nothing on earth is his equal-a creature without fear." Job 41:33

3. Job FINALLY humbles himself before God.

It's about time that Job got off his high horse about how perfect he is. I know that so many times I can be a complete know-it-all. In this way, I relate to Job. I think it may be a just me thing but also something that Georgia Tech breeds into us. I so many times will think that I know best, that I know the right thing. I can always do it better than some one else. I have also been on the receiving end like Job was of when God humbles us. It is a painful experience but one meant to show us more and more our dependence on God. 

"Then Job replied to the Lord:

'I know that you can do all things;

no plan of yours can be thwarted.

You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' 

Surely I spoke of things that I did not understand,

things to wonderful for me to know.

You said, ' Listen now, and I will speak; 

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.'

My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you.

Therefore I despise myself

and repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:1-6

Im really glad that even when I am at home and not at Georgia Tech, where I have been growing so much, the Lord still meets me here. Satan recently has made me soo busy in my mind where before I knew it, the day was over and I had spent no alone time with God. Well I refuse to let that be a habit of my summer. I will develop holy habits even if it does take me all summer. 

Wisdom From the Younger Guy

...Continued from before :)

So now I will share the meat of what Elihu said to Job and the three friends. And let me tell you, he straight up gives it to them. He doesn't hold back on his words and he is not afraid to call them out on wrong view points and incorrect attitudes. So fasten your seat belt!

In verse 6 of Chapter 33 Elihu says, "I am just like you before God; I too have been made from clay." I think that this is an excellent example of how you should start off a confrontational situation. To say, "Look. I am no better than you. We were both made from dust. Don't take what I have to say as looking down on your or myself having a high and mighty attitude." I think it is super awesome that he starts off this way.

Verses 8-14 crack me up. Elihu quotes what Job has said to them. Job had said that he was "pure and without sin; I [Job] am clean and free from guilt." Then he goes on to completely tell Job that he is wrong.

"But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than man. Why do you complain to him that he answers none of man's words? For God does speak-now one way, now another- though man may not perceive it."

I love that Elihu is saying "YOU ARE HUMAN". Just like everyone else. We all mess up. Who are you Job to say what God must have done wrong or that you don't deserve what you are getting. We cannot understand his reasons. Elihu goes on to talk about the different ways that God speaks. In verses 15-22, Elihu says that two ways that God speaks to us is through dreams and suffering. These were very come ways to hear from God in these times.

Now if you feel like OK this Elihu kid has some good things to say just wait for what comes next.

"Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, 'Spare him from going down to the grave; I have found a ransom for him' - then his flesh is renewed like a child's; it is restored as in the days of his youth. He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God's face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous sate. Then he comes to men and says, 'I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.'"

If that doesn't give you chill bumps or make your heart race, then go put your head in cold cold water and then come back and read that again. What Elihu didn't know is that we do have someone who finds and gives a ransom for us. A man who restores us to God by a righteous state. A man who redeems our soul and allows us to live in the light of the Creator forever. Than man is Jesus! He saved us and has given us mercy! We are given WHAT WE DON'T DESERVE! All because the Lord our God is full of love, mercy and grace. Jesus paid the ransom for our lives with his own. "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jesus paid the ransom and I am forever thankful that I can become the righteousness of God. Not because of who I am or what I have done but because of the Great I AM and what Jesus has done.

When I was reading this, I was loving the parallels to Christ. It made me so thankful that I don't have to look forward to the hope of a savior but that I have one now.

The Young Wise Guy (Ironic Right?)

So it is time for another update on Job. He has had it rough recently and has been getting tons of advice (most of it not the best for his situation) and a new guy is entering the scene.

In Chapter 32 this young man named Elihu (these Old Testament people need to work on their names!) enters the scene. Apparently he has been sitting their listening to Job and his friends go back and forth the whole time, patiently waiting until he could talk and put in his two sense.

In verse 2 it says, "But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God." Alright, I'm gonna stop there because that is a loaded statement. I looked up what it means to justify. Justification is the act, process, or state of being declared right with God. Well that right there shows the problem. Job kept trying to justify himself when we can't do that. Only God has the power, grace and mercy to do that. It also made me think about how often I do this myself. How often do I say, "Well I haven't done anything wrong recently so there has to be some other reason", when instead I should be saying, "God is a just and mighty God and he doesn't do things without a reason." I should be justifying his character which has been proven over and over again to be good and true instead of my own (which is not proven good all the time).

Let us move to verse 3 where it says, "He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him." I looked up the word condemned because I feel like it is a churchy word that we throw around a lot but never really see what it means. Condemnation is to declare guilty or conviction of guilt. Who are these friends of Job's to think that they have the right or power to condemn someone. Romans 2:1 says, " You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on someone else, for at what-ever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things." We are not the people who are to pass judgement. Who are Job's friends to think that they can understand why God does things. WE CAN'T UNDERSTAND THOSE REASONS!! It is just something we have to accept. Let the ultimate judge do the judging.

In verses 4-9 I have to give a lot of respect to Elihu for how he approaches the situation.

Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused. So Elihu the son of Bbarakel the Buzite said: "I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. I thought, 'Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.' But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.

Elihu starts off showing his respect to those who are older. He patiently waits his turn. He even says that he thought that because they were older, that they would have the wisdom that comes with age. But then he points out my favorite thing. It isn't age or experience that gives wisdom, although those things can give good insight. It is the Holy Spirit that gives wisdom. Only God can grant true insight into situations. I love that Elihu is a great representative of 1 Timothy 4:12 which says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

I think that this part is really challenging for many reasons. Elihu doesn't discount what he thinks or this wisdom that he could offer just because of his age. I think many times that since I am in college and only 20 years old that I must only be able to help those who are my age or younger. But you know what? I can still give what wisdom the Lord has graciously given to me to those who are older. If we limit ourselves to only getting wisdom from those who are older, we will eventually run out of people because we ourselves will be the "wise old people". At the same time, I feel convicted about how often I think that freshmen that I know can't give me advise on a situation because they are younger. How foolish of me to think that. We are called to be humble. If godly advise is coming your way that matches up with Scripture, then why pick and choose based on an age factor. The Holy Spirit comes into all believers and if we lose the attitude that we need to be taught and listen, then we will miss out on important things that God wants to teach us. In the same aspect, if we don't give advise because we are fearful, we might miss out on an opportunity to help a fellow brother or sister out. 

So I think that this post is long enough and since I only got through the awesomeness that is chapter 32, I'll have to write another post about the actual advise Elihu gave. Be excited because it is awesome. It definitely rocked my quiet time :)

New Things

I am still searching my way through Job and I have found so much wisdom in it. This past weekend was the Servant Leadership Team Retreat for Navigators and it was a huge blessing. Friday night I had a great time with God that I shared with Morgan and want to share with you all.

Job has some friends that are trying to give him counsel about why he is suffering but they are wrong about the reasons why Job was suffering. Even though their advise didn't apply to Job at the time, a lot of it is really sound stuff.

Job 22:1-3
"Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied: 'Can a man be of benefit to God? Can even a wise man benefit him? What pleasure would it give the Almighty if you were righteous? What would he gain if your ways were blameless?"

Ok is anyone thinking what I am? Didn't God originally create us blameless? Aren't we meant to glorify and praise him? Well yes. We were originally created blameless but you know how well that worked out. And yes we are meant to glorify and worship him but God doesn't need us to do that. Creation and the angels sing to his glory. He doesn't actually need us for anything. But he chooses to let us be with Him, to partner with him in order to spread his kingdom. What an honor we have to get to work with Christ in furthering the gospel.

I love that it says not even a wise man can benefit God. We tend to think that the wiser we can get, the better use to God we can be. But God doesn't call the people who are the best at evangelism or the best at teaching. He calls the people who are imperfect because through our weaknesses his strength, power and glory are seen. Thank goodness for that too! Because I am not wise and strong and perfect. But God's wisdom is infinite, God's strength is the greatest, and God is holy.

As I continue through Job, I'll keep you updated. Hopefully these "wise guys" who are advising Job will get their act together and straighten out.

Suffering

I've been thinking about suffering a lot recently. In my quiet times, I have started reading Job and for those of you who have been blessed to read it, you know that Job suffered a lot. I am only in Chapter 3 but already Job has lost his children, his livelihood, and has been inflicted with painful sores all over his body.

My first reaction when I hear this is that he must have done something WAY wrong to deserve this but that's not the case. The only reason for this is to test Job because God has found him "blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." God even says to Satan, "...you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason." I mean woah! This is just as a test. Kind of like God bragging on Job saying that he could handle anything that Satan could throw his way and that God wants to prove it.

Job responds to the first test (taking away children and livelihood) by saying, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." I was asking myself if all of my family and my security was taken away, would this be my response? If I was completely stripped bare would God still be enough? Would I still praise Him or would I curse Him? I hope that I would still praise Him.

When Job is inflicted by painful sores all over his body his wife tells him to just curse God and die. This is someone that Job trusts but Job says " Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" Job realizes that everything people tell you has to line up with God's message. We accept good and bad. Job understands that God is ultimately in control.

When both of these events happen, Job tells his friends in chapter 3 that he wishes that he never had been born. That this suffering is so great that he wishes it never happened and would go away. When I read this, I had to do a double take. Is this the same guy? The one who said that we accept both good and bad? The one who didn't sin in his response to suffering? How is this response not considered responding badly?

This is the conclusion I came to. It is not a sin when we wish that suffering would be taken from us. It's natural to want good things and not bad things. It is a sin when we try to control what happens and to curse God for what is happening. Even Jesus asks for his suffering to be taken away from him.

"Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"

-Matthew 26:38-39

It is OK to ask for the suffering to be taken away as long as we submit ultimately to God's providence. We may not know why it is happening but we trust that God has good plans for us and is all knowing. I think it is nice that I know that when things are not going the way I want in my life and that I am suffering, God doesn't expect me to be happy go lucky and Ms. Sunshine. The only thing that God expects of me is that I "consider it joy when I face trials of many kinds" and that I trust in Him to know what He is doing.

Do I praise God in the storm or only in the sunshine? Does my faith stand this test? Do I keep my integrity in the face of suffering, persecution, and trials?

Beauty

Today I was listening to the radio while I was getting ready for my day. Nothing crazy, in fact a pretty normal occurrence. As I was listening though, a commercial came on for plastic surgery. It was talking about how it would look natural and didn't you want "to finally be happy with the way you look?" I was so struck by the message that they were sending all the women who would be listening. Didn't these women realize that no matter how many times you change things on the outside, the ultimate change had to be of the heart?

I'm not gonna lie. Beauty is a hard thing to come to term with when you are a Christian girl. When the world and Cosmo and everything around you is telling you that beauty is 5'10", long legged, skinny and tan it is impossible to believe you measure up. But the one thing that I do know is that the Lord delights in me.

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

Psalm 139:13-16

Do these women realize that the Creator has created them perfectly, in his own image. That they are beautiful to him? I think as women it takes a long time and constant reminders to come to terms with this. For me it was when I read Psalm 45:11, 

"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

 Now in context the author is not talking about me and God. He is talking about Solomon and his wife but the Lord feels the exact same way about me. It's hard to imagine. The word enthralled comes from a greek word that I can't say but it means to crave or desire. Which is ultimately what most women want. It hurts me to think of all the times that I have looked at myself and said "God you didn't do a good enough job with me." Which is essentially what we are saying. I would never go up to Michaelangelo and say "Man you sure did do an awful job on the Mona Lisa." So why do I do that with God?

We are the Lord's masterpieces and its about time we start realizing it. Every time I think about how I wish I had red hair or that I was skinnier or was tanner, I am insulting the Creator. I love knowing that the King is enthralled by my beauty and that He delights in me. What a wonderful feeling. I just wish that more women knew it too.