WHY WE HAVE TROUBLE

WHY WE HAVE TROUBLE!

Job 5:6-7

6 Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

           Eliphaz and his two friends had come to watch Job suffer. After a few days of simply being amazed at the size and scope of Job’s anguish, Eliphaz gives his opinion that all this trouble must surely be the result of Job’s sins. He concluded that God was pouring out His chastisement because trouble just doesn’t spring up from the dust. It must have a cause.

           Our own sin is certainly a worthy starting point when investigating the cause of all our troubles. To acknowledge one’s sin is the beginning of redemption. But Job had already carefully searched himself and could not identify any sin worthy of his trouble. Why then was he suffering one trouble after another?

           Man is born unto trouble as surely as sparks from an open fire pit flies upward in the thermal draft. Trouble comes! God makes the rain to fall upon both the just and the unjust (the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:45).

           On this rare occasion, God had chosen Job as the battle field upon which He would shame and embarrass Satan. Slowly and gradually God had granted Satan permission to torment Job in order to prove to Satan that Job was a faithful man. Because God knows the end from the beginning, it lessens the apparent cruelty of Job’s suffering. God would eventually repay and reward Job for his faithfulness.

           If we praise God in the light and curse Him in the dark, we cannot claim any advantage in knowing God! Do not the irreligious respond the same? This concept is presented by Jesus in Matthew 5:46. The point is that Job’s responses to horrific calamities made Satan a liar.

           Are you sifting through the rubble of calamity? Do you struggle with the cause? Have you considered the possibility that God has chosen you to be a portrait of steadfastness and faithfulness even in the face of extreme pain? Eliphaz gave good advice in the following verses.

Job 5:8-9

8 I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

9 Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number:

Dear Lord, some today are suffering and struggling to determine the cause. Reveal sin where it may be found and give grace when the cause remains a mystery. Help us to praise you both in the light and in the darkness. AMEN

THE CROSS OUR MEMORIAL WALL

THE CROSS – OUR MEMORIAL WALL!

John 19:25

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

Heb 12:2

2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in 1982. In the first 15 years, 54,000 items were left at the Wall. It still takes almost an hour every night, [and much longer on Memorial Day,] to collect all the mementos such as a teddy bear, a photo of a soldier's grandchild, a letter from a daughter who never knew her dad, and such like.

         Every item is labeled and taken to a warehouse. No one knows quite how to deal with it all. "No one ever expected this to happen," a park ranger says. "It's so personal. It caught everyone by surprise."

Who would have thought, on that day so long ago, that the rugged Cross of Calvary would be the memorial wall for so many through the ages? If you search the Scriptures for the phrase “take your burdens to the cross” you will not find it written there. Yet we use this so often we are emotionally certain it should be. What we DO find is this following verse.

Col 2:14

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.

Think of the “warehouse” needed to hold all the “handwritings” which have been nailed to His cross! Now think of all those that are nailed there day after day. It is very personal and would surely take you by surprise!

Approach the cross with reverence and respect! Remember the One who died to give you true freedom. Place before the cross all those personal things that so strongly connect you with it. Pause a while and say thank you. Let the tears flow for a few minutes and remember!

In John Bunyan’s book, Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian finally reaches the place of the cross. “Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said with a merry heart, He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death. Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder; for it was very surprising to him, that the sight of the Cross should thus ease him of his Burden.” Then his heart burst with praise and he said:

Blest Cross! blest Sepulchre! blest rather be
The Man that there was put to shame for me.

The Cross – where my restless heart has finally found a home!

Oh my Lord! Thank you for your sacrifice on the Cross. AMEN

LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT

LET ME HELP YOU WITH THAT!

Gal 6:2-5

2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.

5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

Deut 1:12

12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?

Day after we shoulder the things that must be carried. Some are very real things and common while other things are silly things and personal. Still other things are only imagined and perhaps these are the heaviest of all. We carry them every day. Today’s selected portion shows us several things to consider.

1.      Bearing and Sharing Burdens is a requirement. It’s the Law!

Ex 23:5

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

We are a brotherhood of burden bearers. The law challenges our pettiness and selfishness and prepares us for the age of grace under the administration of Jesus. It acknowledges our emotions – “But this guy hates me!”  It challenges us to ignore our emotions and simply respond to the need at hand.

How often do our emotions and opinions keep us from practically helping our brother? How often does actually helping our brother CHANGE our emotions and opinions? This is the reason for the law.

2.      The challenge to our pride!

“For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” This is a curious stone to place in the center of the setting. Does it belong here?  

The simple statement is altered by its setting. The idea is that we often think ourselves to be the example of Christian charity when the opposite is true. We are harsh and often judgmental. Like Samson without his hair we are much weaker than we think.

3.      Nobody can do our job!

“But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.”

We cannot and must not compare our work and our station in life with others. The farmer longs to be a carpenter while the carpenter is longing to be the farmer! One works in the city from dawn to dusky dark and inhales the fumes of society while another tills and breathes the land. Both have the opportunity to finish the day either frustrated or satisfied that they have done their best work. The choice is theirs. It is foolish for one to say to the other that his task is the most important and the most difficult.

4.      Every man shall bear his own burden!

Some burdens cannot be shared! The most generous and gracious of friends can’t carry these for us. They are personal to us alone. Often they are quite heavy. The Bible is clear that we will one day give an accounting of ourselves to God.

2 Cor 5:10

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Dear Lord, although I already carry my own burden, let me lighten the load of my brother today. AMEN

WHY WE CANT SEE ANGELS

WHY WE CAN’T SEE ANGELS!

Num 22:21-33

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

22 And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord  stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord  standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.

24 But the angel of the Lord  stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.

25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again.

26 And the angel of the Lord  went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

28 And the Lord  opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?

29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.

30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.

31 Then the Lord  opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord  standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

32 And the angel of the Lord  said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:

33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.

           There is something inside all of us, I think, that would like to see an angel. We would love to have confirmation that they exist because their existence would confirm every other truth of Scripture. Perhaps that is the reason they keep themselves either invisible or disguised. God wants us to believe by faith.

           In our story today, Balaam was being recruited by the enemy to curse Israel. They offered him status and money. Balaam tried to find a way to accommodate them while remaining associated with the God of Israel. It was not possible. While on his way with the enemy, an angel stood in his way. Balaam didn’t see the angel but his the simple animal upon which he rode did. So what should we do if we see an angel standing in our way?

           The ass stopped! Stopping is always a good idea. Standing still makes it possible to either gain insight or to curtail error. We can focus on whatever the angel has to say to us.

           The ass changed direction! Balaam’s beast understood that a change was needed. Sometimes we are so focused on what we want to do and where we want to go that we fail to realize that we are on the wrong path. God loves us enough to turn us aside. When we change direction it may harm or frustrate others. Balaam’s foot was smashed against the wall but he still did not see the angel. All he saw was an unwanted change in direction and he reacted to that with violence.

           The ass fell down! We may ultimately need to resign our duties if we are being driven by one who does not see! It is better to do that than to keep walking in a wrong direction. Those who do not see may react to us with hostility.

           Finally, the ass spoke! The most amazing thing is that Balaam did not seem to find this strange. Instead, he carried on a conversation as if it were the most natural thing. Because of the testimony of his ass, Balaam also saw and heard the angel and we learn why he could not see. Verse 32 says: “because thy way is perverse before me.”

           Angels are ministering spirits sent to help us along our way. Most often they are invisible while they rearrange circumstances and sometimes they are disguised as non-heavenly beings.

Heb 1:14

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Heb 13:2

2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Dear Lord, let me carefully observe the strangers and helpers you send to me today because I may be entertaining angels. AMEN