That Same God Asks You

That Same God Asks You

“Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” Job 38:2–3 

Job was a righteous man who, from a human perspective, did not deserve to suffer. He lived a blameless life and followed God's laws to the letter. As he was experiencing great tribulation, Job cried out in frustration and questioned why God was allowing him to suffer. God came to Job in the form of a whirlwind with His answer and asked him several sobering questions: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Where were you when I set the oceans in their place? Where were you when I put the constellations of stars in position?” God's questions humbled Job and reminded him that his own wisdom did not begin to compare with God's. When God finished asking His questions, Job replied, “I have uttered what I did not understand, / Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42:3). In a moment of despair and frustration, Job had challenged God's wisdom. God had firmly reminded Job that He was still sovereign and that this truth was enough for Job. Whether Job ever knew that his life had been the focus of a cosmic struggle is unclear. Perhaps Job never realized that his experience brought glory to God in the face of Satan's challenge (Job 1:8–12). But Job was satisfied to know that God's wisdom was flawless. At times you may not understand why a loving Father would allow you to suffer as you are. Learn from Job. Review the awesome power and wisdom of Almighty God (Job 38–41). Have confidence that this same God is directing your path. - Blackaby Experiencing God Day by Day 

Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. PSALM 143:10 

Our ways are not God’s ways, and God doesn’t keep that fact a secret. His prophet Isaiah spoke on His behalf: “ ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD” (55:8). God’s ways aren’t our ways, so He must teach us to do His will. And the fact that He has given us His Word—and His Spirit—reveals His desire to teach us. The issue becomes whether we want to be His students. Do you want to learn? Do you want to become skilled at living in ways that run counter to your nature? Do you want to do things that the world at large finds laughable? Do you want to live according to values that your society regards as old-fashioned? Do you want to look foolish in the eyes of your neighbors and co-workers, perhaps even your family and your friends? The choice is yours. It’s a choice that affects how you walk through your day. It’s a choice that affects eternity. The Lord wants to teach you His ways. The question is, do you want to learn? - Blackaby Being Still With God 

We are under tremendous pressure to confirm and conform to this world. 

As I have been reading in Dr. David Jeremiah's new book "Where Do We Go From Here?", those who do not get on board with the ways of this generation become targeted by them.  That's the basis of a 'cancel' culture. 

But on top of all this, God has never stopped being God. 

God has never abdicated His position or power. 

Jesus still seeks to save those who would come to Christ for salvation. 

And then what?  Huh?  After reading these two devotionals I was lead to stop and consider them together.  Even as Christians we at times do what Job did and question what God is doing with us.  We challenge the wisdom of His actions.  Going further we see those who came to Christ without realizing that change isn't an option it's still a choice.  Read that passage in Psalms again.  David asked to be taught.  Your coming to Christ isn't simply a get out of Hell free opportunity. You are also acknowledging you need to live differently. You need to be taught to look at life differently. You need to admit that your wisdom isn't remotely on par with God’s. 

Consider this. Job likely never knew until his death just what happened in the pages we read in Scripture.  He never knew why God allowed or permitted, however you want to word it, the things that he went through. Job learned the error of his thinking and you see how it turned out. 

We view life through glasses that certainly are not as advertised. 

Satan sold Adam and Eve what's considered rose colored glasses. That same pair has been around since then. People seeing life in ways that are not what God intended. When we come to Christ we have to choose to keep those glasses off our face. We have to choose to do that and learn anew how to navigate life without them. To learn how to move around in this world the way God wants us to, by becoming,more like Christ. 

I can remember asking God very tough questions when I first came to Christ. I also can tell you that I didn't get answers. 

This doesn't reflect negatively on God. It just shows that I didn't understand His wisdom in the choices He made in my life. Looking back now, how God responded to Job is His answers to me.  

We cannot grasp the lowest of low in regards to the wisdom of God.  We cannot begin to understand how He makes this universe do what it does.  We cannot begin to understand why we go through what we do in life. We are told to trust Him and obey.  We do not know why we were even born in this time in which we live. We do not know His wisdom at all.

In relation to that comes choices again. We need to actively choose to leave us at the door and let God the Spirit teach us all things, as the Bible says. The Disciples had to choose daily to walk with Jesus. You can read in the Gospels of a few times the words of Jesus were too much for some and they fell away. The thing to note closely is Judas heard the transforming words of Jesus but still chose not to be changed by them. You can do that in refusing to obey. It doesn't mean that YOU aren't saved, just means you need to examine your level of obedience. 

YOU must choose to obey. You must choose to let go of the ideology of this world regardless of how forceful this world is getting. 

Satan knows that the Rapture is near himself. Remember Scripture says that even the demons believe...and shudder.  Humans are the ones who choose what to believe and what not to believe. Angels and Demons do not.  As spirit beings they cannot deny the truth of God. Demons were once Angels but they chose to side with Satan. Satan knows the Bible. He knows it better than all of us. To the point he's been trying for over thousands of years to disprove it, to manipulate people from it. 

He loves lax and lazy Christians.  Loves it when Christians have embraced this world and the world view he's created. He loves it when he's come up with ways to blind the eyes of those who go through this world. 

You and I must choose to live the Christian life in faith AND in trust of God’s Word and His wisdom.  Our ways are not His ways nor are our thoughts His thoughts. We, as a certain fictional character put it, must unlearn what we have learned. We have to take off those glasses and learn anew how to navigate life. It means letting go of the things of this world. 

It's not a live our life our way AND His way. Read of what Paul said in Philippians 3.

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

But whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well; however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

If Paul were living today, were writing to you. Would he be weeping because of you? 

Do we grieve the Spirit of God by our lives? By our not living life the way He intended, with us choosing to learn from Him?