"But consider the joy of those corrected by God!
But not despise the discipline of the
Almighty when you sin."
Job 5:17
But not despise the discipline of the
Almighty when you sin."
Job 5:17
My Take-Aways:
Something Old:
Job 5:9-16
Wow-that is my God!
He does great things too marvelous to understand; performs countless miracles; gives rain to the earth; water for the fields; prosperity to the poor; protects those who suffer; frustrates the plans of schemers; traps the wise in their own cleverness; rescues the poor and gives the hope.
AMEN!
Something New:
Job 6:10b; 24; 29
I never noticed how often Job claims his innocence. How many times do I claim "innocence" before the Lord when I am guilty?
Something to Do:
Job 5:17
Find the joy in correction of the Lord.
27 Comments:
Sweet Wendy~I knew God woke me up extra early to hear this lesson that was meant for my ears this morning! My day is full today and I did not expect to listen to your vlog until this evening. The verses you spoke about opened up so much to me today-and I loved the ones noted in Hebrews! My mom is going through a Job trial right now. I can’t see the whole picture, but I do know God is seeking her. She’s a Christian who has read the Bible over 30 times, but, has over the past couple of years allowed her worries to rob her of any evidence of fruit what-so-ever. She’s been attacked again and again with health issues, yet in many ways she’s an extremely healthy woman. I want to just “fix,” her, but God is after much more-he loves her dearly. He will not give her more than she can handle.
As I read about Job and his suffering my mind can not help but turn to my mom. Is she getting the comfort she deserves from me? Many times in the past I have given quick remarks without thinking of her feelings. Lord, help me! Help me to be quiet and listen. Help me to be the loving and compassionate daughter you so desire. Help me wait upon you and in the meantime, allow me to do just what you would do if you were here: love.
The last couple of weeks I’ve prayed all day long for a desire to help her. God in his graciousness, each day, is allowing me to do this. Just when I get to that frustration point, he brings me back and tells me what to do, just like he did this morning! Thank you Wendy-God’s Spirit spoke out of you, right into my heart! Words I needed to hear.
This Saturday my mom gets to go home. This is good news; however, it does mean more work for me. (my selfish side coming out, again!) Lord, you are doing some transformation in me too. Rather than being bitter, I’m anticipating some joy, as I walk along beside you! Oh, how I need to cling to you in order to be in your will regarding this situation. Many family members are taking notice, and I so want them to see you coming out of me!
One last note, we are quick to judge, aren’t we? Satan is the accuser, and who knows who may be next in line! Yikes!
Praying for you and LOVING your comments! Lori
Lori, I'll be praying for you and your mother as she transitions home. God's mercies are new every morning, and I love seeing that in a Sisters life like I'm seeing in yours this morning!
Wendy, thanks for the vlog! You touched on so many of the things I loved about reading these chapters. Since I've had a couple operations in recent years, the thought of God, essentially, cutting me open to get the sickness and sin out of me to replace it with healing, love and health... that spoke to my heart.
Job 7:11 also really spoke to me. The way Job expresses that he must cry out, that he must share his feelings. I wonder how often, instead of being real with God and letting Him hear our complaints(MY complaints), we hold our cries in, and without realizing it, cause a barrier between us and God. We know that God knows everything that lays in our hearts, but He longs to hear them from us. I'm searching my heart this morning to see what 'complaints' I have stored up instead of being honest with my God.
Application for today. Job 7:20 Trust and know that God see everything.O watcher of humanity.
He is watching out for those in Haiti right now. He's watching out for the mother in Charlotte as her baby is sick and in the hospital yet again. He's watching out for the man in California who lost his job last year and still can't find work. He watching out for those in other countries who lose their lives everyday because they refuse to deny Christ.
He's watching it all, His heart breaking, His love for us expanding as He longs to wrap us in His arms. He longs to bring every single one of us hope for today.
Wow Wendy...you "dun good" today with your video lesson. One of the hardest ideas to wrap my head around...yet as a parent I know that because I love my children so dearly I discipline them too.
Hebrews 12:5-6 that you told us to read states:
"And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said,"My child, don't make light of the Lord's discipline, and don't give up when He corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as His child."
THAT, I find as pure joy...that He loves me enough to discipline and punish me! Even more than I love my own children.
Old: This time reading Job I really tried to wrap my head around just how he was suffering - besides loosing everything he now has painful sores oozing and full of maggots all over his body, he cannot sleep and he isn't being comforted by his wife or friends as we'll soon see. How absolutely awful for Job.
New: Job 6:17: "But when the hot weather arrives, the water disappears." How many times do I run off or disappear when trouble comes to those around me? It's work to hang in there with someone thru their toils and snares...but it's what I need to do.
Nugget: Job 6:26: "Do you think your words are convincing when you disregard my cry of desperation?"
Just hold my tongue on the advice or pretty words and be there to hold a hand or wipe a tear.
Happy Wednesday all!
Morgen
Hey everyone
Job 5:17 is one of the scriptures that I underlined. My husband and I pray each morning for God to Lead us Guide us direct us and CORRECT us. So of course that stood out to me.
Wendy I love the part about the God being like a surgeon He cuts you open to release the sickness.
Don't have my NEW and Different today (at least not yet) there is just so many deep truths.
Lori, Praying for you and your friend and Mom.
Joy - How is Dad.
Prayed for the Group, whatever you may need.
Blessings everyone.
Lynn
I have stuggled much with the reading of Genesis. It was very hard for me to understand. However I did get somethings from it. I did as you said and didn't get hung up on the things I didn't understand.
Reading Job has been much easier for me and more enjoyable. I totally agree with your thougths for today. I love how God places things in between the lines so to say like what "He is" to us. He does great things for us,gives,rescues, bandages when we are hurt,heals,saves and gives peace. What an awesome God we have!
Praise God Wendy for the words and thoughts he puts on your heart to share with us all.
Hebrews 12 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It is one that became so important to me as I watched my second earthly father suffer many hardships until his death. I thought of his disipline and how it shaped me as a woman. And then to think how much greater God loves us and disiplines us in order that He may shape us into the person he wants us to become so He can be glorified. I just love that about God. Disipline never feels good at the time, but we can always see how it changes us.
I to underlined Job 5:18. I love he will bandage us and heal our wounds.
As yesterday, I am struck and reminded about how our words can impact another person's life even if we are only trying to help and make sense out of a tragic situation. I am not one that holds her tongue easily and could see me being like Eliphaz - trying to console with what would be empty words. I need to remember to be a comfortor and try not to find explanations for things all the time. I appreciate Lori's comments about her thoughts in caring for my mom. I need to remember the same thing when caring for my mother!
Prayer request:
Please lift my son up for healing of his lungs. He is going through a difficult time this week with his asthma complicated by some infection/virus. He has had pneumonia three times in the last year and a half and even though the pulmonologist assures me this is not the case it sure seems to be similar symptons as in the past. He woke up again last night with a fever. Pray for my daily bread from the Lord - let me focus on the day and not worry about tomorrow!
Blessings to each of you,
Meredith in OK
One thing that stood out to me today was the friend. The friend had great things to say, however, the friend was using the "If I were you" statement. We as friends need to hold our comments because we truly do NOT know what we would do in Job's position. The friends are ASSUMING they know. WE just have to be there and support and we don't have to give an answer. Only God knows! We just need to give hugs and love unless we are 110% sure that our words are from God!
A new thing: Job's body was covered with maggots and scabs and pus was oozing out of him. That is gross and a bad way to be!
Sweet blessings to all!
Lesia
Good morning, girls! Praying for those with prayer requests today--thank you for sharing them. My oldest son is recovering from having his wisdom teeth removed on Monday and is still fighting an upper respir. infection from last week. Please keep him in your prayers :).
The vlog and comments are so helpful. I had underlined Job 5:17-18 as well and pondered over that.I also higlighted Job 7:17-18 too: "What are people that you should make so much of us that you should think of us so often? For you examine us every morning and test us every moment."
I love that He thinks of us so often!
Test us every moment...hmmm...that's something that really touched my heart today. He loves us so much that He does test us...but every moment?? Wow...hadn't realized that. We need to be in tune with His will at all times--which I don't do very well. This is a nugget that I need to remember.
Have a wonderful day, y'all!
Hugs,
Susan
Praying for all the needs here and love that Lynn is praying for the group. My mom's health is deteriorating (she turns 80 in Feb., just had 2nd knee replacement surgery and needs a hip replacement as soon as she heals)and this is upsetting for many reasons ( I also don't live close), but mainly because she prays daily for everyone in our family. I know that my children and grandchildren are prayed for daily; I know that I am because of her faithfulness. When she dies, who in our family will be so faithful (we have many non-believers in the family)?
Letting the above out is what for me Job 7:11 is about. "I cannot keep from speaking." Too often I keep quiet, then others can't pray specifically for my needs. It is a matter of pride often that I do no speak out.
My other take away is 7:7 "my life is but a breath" I need to make my time on earth count for heaven.
Loving this group,
Gaylene
Testing if I created my account!
Blessings to all this good Wednesday Morning!
Familiar but new to me today was how Job's speech in 7:7 and 7:11 is much like a psalm. He gives his anguish to God in a manner which reminds me of many of David's entreaties.
Had not noticed before that in 7:17-18 Job questions the very basic premise of our relationship with God. Questions we may have asked ourselves or heard asked..."WHY do you love us so much?"..."WHY is this love a process of examination and testing?"
*after having written this in my journal and subsequently listening to Wendy's teaching today I smiled, smiled, smiled. It is all connected, what each of us learn...what bolds before our eyes and pops off the page into our hearts to share!
To Do - Again...I go back to the lesson of the friends. Once they started talking they started to judge. Likely we would as well, and I count this as a needed reminder of how not to counsel or "be there" for someone. As has already been pointed out by Wendy and Morgen those well-meant but potentially searing words..."if I were you..." Our hearts may be in the right places but our words can betray us. God ministers and heals through us, we need his help and guidance when we are consoling and supporting!
"One should be kind to a fainting friend" Job 6:14
Lifting all of you up in prayer today, all of those prayers requested as well as those unspoken or unwritten. May you and your loved ones feel his healing touch where it is most needed.
Abundant blessings,
Liz
Alaska
ps *Lori, your post really touched my heart today. Your light and love shine through your words.*
Wendy - I like that visual of the surgeon removing the wound. Yes it hurts but so necessary for healing. That's good!
Meredith in OK - praying for your son! Mine has asthma, too and was having trouble last night as well.
Lori & Gaylene - praying for your Mamas. I have been where you are. Praying for the grace of God to flow through you.
Emily, I'm having the opposite problem. I enjoyed Genesis and am having difficulty with Job. Maybe because I know Eliphaz is wrong in his assumptions about Job. (Although I have to give Eliphaz a break, after all, he did not read Chapter 1) And that may be the lesson God wants me to learn today. I can't just make assumptions about what others are going through and presume I have the answers.
Another nugget is that it is okay to complain to God. Maybe He prefers that we do that than to complain to other people about other people. He knows what is going on and He is the only one capable of turning, melting, softening our hearts. I just remembered something I heard on Turning Point (David Jeremiah). It goes something like this:
Turn your complaints to questions,
Turn your questions to prayers,
Turn your prayers to God.
Have a blessed day, everyone! We're expecting thunderstorms today. Weird weather we're having.
Dear Sisters, Praying on this rainy morning that the God of healing rain, our Great Physician--use His healing balm to mend our wounds, sooth our pains, and comfort our troubled hearts. Amen
Something New: Job 6:4 The Almighty has struck me down with his arrows, their posion affects my spirit. (Job is blaming God for his depression)
Something Old: His friends assumed the worst of Job. Job.6:29
Something to do: Cry out to God for help when I am troubled. Job 5:8
Great teaching today, Wendy. In fact, I have listened twice! (There is a silver lining to being home from work with a sick child.)
1. Wow! Job 5: 17-26. What powerful words of promise from God through Eliphaz about His faithfulness.
2. I'd always heard about "the patience of Job", so I didn't realize that he fell into utter despair and hopelessness. Also, he feels his misfortune is unjustified. Talk about a pit! I know he eventually turns it around, which makes that even more meaningful.
3. Philippians 4:13 came to mind as I read today. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Job needed to believe that, and so do I.
Prayers to all who are sharing their needs. I find my dog walking time a good opportunity to lift up my new Sisters.
Peace,
Michelle
Job had some harsh and arrogant words for God. Gen. 7:18-21 However, he is destitute and in great pain in his body. It’s amazing what pain causes to spew out of our mouths. Job 1:22 states in all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. I think God saw these words were not coming from Job’s heart but from his present situation. I’m not excusing what he said, just finding the humanity in it all.
My prayer: Father help us to speak to you from our hearts and let our hearts be filled with your Word. For we know you are a God who will respond to your Word mixed with faith to bring results.
Blessings and for you I am praying!
Debbie – North Carolina
This story of Job has really hit home. In 96 I had cancer, and one of my brothers asked me what great sin I had committed to bring on all of this. I felt like Job. I have learned to not judge people who have something go wrong...they may be just like Job... God is letting Satan test them.
Something else I learned through it all was, don't ignore the problem another person has. My family thought they were helping me by not talking about my cancer in front of me. I NEEDED to talk about it! I felt so alone, like I had been put on a deserted island. If I hadn't had my Savior, I would have been truly in despair. He kept me going. He got me through it all! I can really relate to Job. Just be there for whoever has the problem, they don't need to have everyone tell them how to "fix" the problem. (That's what Job's friends were doing.) They just need to talk, someone to PRAY with them, a shoulder to cry on, and have them cry with you.
I can't wait to get to chapters 36-39...they are some of my favorite passages in the Bible!
We have so much to learn from Job and from his friends.
Jan TN
I'm assuming Job's friends were probably his contemporaries in many ways...that they were wealthy men with families & possessions, also. They must have wondered, "What did Job do...and what if it happens to me, too?" In v 6:21 Job says "You have seen my calamity and you are afraid." To see the state that Job was in must have been frightening, and I wonder if they weren't suggesting that Job go to God and 'present his case' so that he could be forgiven and this 'reminder' could be erased from their minds.
God used this reading to speak to me in a very personal way. I struggle with being to judgemental, to critical of people. It's something I have to pray about all the time. They way Job's friends judged him - that he MUST have sinned - reminds me that I don't know the whole story, and that I need to stop trying to do God's job.
Blessings,
Diane
Hi Wendy,
I am having a lot of difficulty with reading the Book of Job, as I always do when I read his account.
I certainly understand what you were saying in your VLOG today about God's discipline in our lives, and how we need to be grateful when He does rebuke us and know that He loves us.
However, this was not the case for Job. Job did not deserve this discipline, as his friends thought. Job 1:1 says "This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil."
So what I struggle with every time I read Job is this: our God is love and compassion. So why would God feel the need to indulge Satan's request to ruin a man of faith? God must have known what Job would do -- that he would remain faithful and true to God throughout the ordeal.
Job 2:3 reads: "Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason."
To me, those words coming from the Lord certainly make it seem like Job did not do anything to deserve what he got. Satan simply incited God against Job without any reason! Where is the love and compassion for Job -- a blameless and righteous man? This is what I struggle with.
I realize that only God knows why events unfold as they do, and we must submit to Him as our sovereign Lord. It is just really scary to think that such a righteous person can be destroyed and it can be allowed by God, simply for Satan's sport.
Tina,
Your post intrigued me to search a little more regarding your questions. I do understand where you are coming from and agree it is hard to wrap our hands around God's plan. Perhaps we can compare it to Hebrews 12 that discipline hurts but it is for the persons best interest in the long run.
I was reading more about Job in the Hollman Illustrated Bible. The story actually made me think of Jesus and him being a sinless man before he endured a horrorific death on the cross so we could live. In the Hollman it titled the prologue as: "A Righteous Man Can Endure Injustice without Sinning (1:1-2:10) As with Job, even though he knew what Jesus had to endure, it was part of his plan so we could be saved. I think sometimes we may never fully be able to wrap our hands around what we read but in faith have to trust God. A hard one.....
Just some thoughts.........
Blessings,
Meredith
Hi Everyone,
Wendy....first Thank You for your insight in this bible study. I started in the study about the second week.
I ususlly don't commit cause of the time factor...
Tina this would be interesting to know. One question I have to say is just with my own experience. Did Job know God....was he doing all his good blameless and upright acts from because he knew it was right.....but did he really know God?
Why are we today drawn to do this bible study?
Tina - I also have wondered the same things you have when reading Job.
But remember, satan said to God (paraphrasing here): "oh yeah, Job, well look how easy you've made it for him - he's got everything." So God showed satan (and in showing him he shows us) just what a truly faithful servant of God is made of. It gives me courage to know that with God's help I can endure suffering too.
Job didn't understand the purpose of his suffering, but we do. Look how what he went thru way back when is affecting and helping us today. Thank you Lord for Job.
Morgen
...Love it Morgen.
...What great way to look at it.
Blessings tonight to all:)
Wendy, I loved the vlog today ...every day really, but today's reading gave me a lot to think about...
Tina, I was reading in Psalms after reading your post earlier today and I found this...
"A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all" Psalm 34:19
I think it is comforting to know that ultimately God will come to our rescue...
I also found another passage in Psalms that made me think of Job...
"But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice." Psalm 55:16-17
I love this...it is ok to cry out to him in our despair- we could do it 24-7 and he will always hear us out...He is never too busy or tired. He will save us always...
Love reading all your comments!
Elizabeth
My prayers are with you all. We all have had burdens in life. Some of us feel ours are worse than anyones, until we meet Job.
1. I am a sinner, and mess up.
2. I can't expect my friends to fix it
3. I hope God will correct me, cause that means he loves me.
4. I pray to heal like John Gill said. "Honest words can be painful."
5. I need HIS Grace and Mercy.
6. Thank you for this day Lord and this study. It truly is a gift.
7. Continue to bless Wendy to speak your truth.
Good evening ladies -
Okay - a little humor here because this struck me funny:
Job 6:6&7 -- Don't people complain about unsalted food? Does anyone want the tastless white of an egg? My appetite dissapears when I look at it; I gag at the thought of eating it! Boy - now this I can relate to :)
I didn't realize Job's friends sat with him 7 days before speaking - That's a long time to be silent and think.
I have been through the discipline of God and it is not fun - but it is so worth it in the end.
Teri
Happy Wednesday to each one of you...
I have enjoyed reading the nuggets, questions, "ponderings" and prayer requests listed above. We are human. It brings to mind the scripture "What is man that you are mindful of him...?" Psalms 8:4.
Steve Curtis Chapman sings a song "God is God" - I copied the chorus below :
"God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God" ... these words keep coming to mind as we work out way through Job.
I love what Gaylene wrote from Job 7:7 "O God, remember that my life is but a breath..." and also "I need to make my time on earth count for heaven."
Thank you all for blessing me - and Wendy, your teaching really hit home as I am working in surgery and have many a visual to accompany your words today...!
Love
Marianne
PS: I have to share - the coolest website! http://biblos.com/
Teri, my husband and I also had the same question about God's compassion and love and mercy, but after reading the comments, I understand more 'why' God did what He did. How many people have said "If Job lost everything and still loved and obeyed the Lord, then I can do the same"? We won't know, but God does.
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