Dear
God, we are so incredibly in need of your power and your strength. Now as we
are about to enter a new year we ask that
you would fill us with your Spirit of love and unity among believers all around
our world. We ask for your help to set aside our differences and look to the
greater cause, the cause of Christ. Please help us to truly live out a life of
love. We know that this is only possible through the power of your Spirit, so
we ask that you would move across our land in miraculous ways, with fresh
filling and awareness, turning your people back to you, drawing others to come
to know you.
We need your unity and your love to stir our hearts and give direction to our days. We need your wisdom to guide us, we need your Spirit to lead us, to live out godly lives that would bring honor first to you. We thank you that you are always with us; and give us great purpose and hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
2024-Heart
Dive 365 - 365 Days through the Bible
in one year with Kanoe Gibson
An
enriching journey through the Bible, meticulously
studying each chapter and unraveling its
profound wisdom. Extensive notes, insights,
and reflections for every chapter.
2024
Reading Plan, Heart Dive 365 with Kanoe
Gibson. PDF
link
In
the book of Genesis, chapters 1 to 3 narrate
the creation of the world and the story
of Adam and Eve.
Chapter
one begins by describing how God created
the heavens and the earth in six days. On
the first day, God separates light from
darkness. On the second day, He creates
the sky and separates it from the waters.
On the third day, God gathers the waters
and creates dry land, along with vegetation.
On the fourth day, He creates the sun, moon,
and stars to govern day and night. On the
fifth day, God fills the waters and skies
with various creatures, including fish and
birds. On the sixth day, God creates land
animals and finally, He creates humans in
His own image, both male and female. God
blesses them and gives them dominion over
all other living creatures.
Chapter
two provides a more detailed account of
the creation of man and woman. It explains
how God forms Adam from the dust of the
ground and breathes life into him, making
him a living being. God places Adam in the
Garden of Eden and gives him the responsibility
to cultivate and care for it. God then commands
Adam not to eat the fruit from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, warning
of the consequences if he disobeys.
Chapter
three introduces the serpent, who tempts
Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. Eve succumbs
to temptation and eats the fruit, and she
also gives some to Adam, who eats it as
well. As a result, their eyes are opened,
and they realize they are naked.
They
feel shame and try to cover themselves.
When God discovers their disobedience, He
confronts them. Adam blames Eve, and Eve
blames the serpent. God then pronounces
consequences for their actions: the serpent
will crawl on its belly, Eve will experience
pain in childbirth, and Adam will toil in
labor to earn a living. God also banishes
them from the Garden of Eden, placing cherubim
to guard the way back to the tree of life.
In
summary, Genesis chapters 1 to 3 depict
the creation of the world, the formation
of Adam and Eve, their temptation and subsequent
disobedience, and the consequences they
face as a result.
LIGHTS
ON | Gen 1:3-5
Notice
the first thing God does amid all this chaos—He
simply turns on the light, which immediately
separates the light from darkness. So I
don’t know how you’re starting your year.
But I have a feeling that God wants to turn
on the light in some dark corners of your
life. Maybe He needs to separate you from
something. And it isn’t a bad thing. Let
it happen because where the light is, darkness
can’t exist. So first HEART CHECK of the
year.
What
areas of your life do the lights need to
be turned on?
SEEING
GOOD | Gen. 1
We
end the first chapter with God declaring
that everything He had created thus far
was good. Heart Check. When you look around,
can you still God's goodness in the world?
Do
me a favor. Look around, right where you
are, and list three things that you see
that are good. And make it a habit to look
for good. Because when you look for something,
that is what you will be focused on. And
I’d rather have a heart and a set of eyes
that is focused on the good things in life
so that my thoughts and actions will follow.
Some would call this the art or practice
of gratitude. So let’s make that a resolution
for this year. Look for the good in the
world.
SABBATH
| Gen. 2:1-3
This
subject of the Sabbath day and whether or
not we are still called to observe it is
a point of contention for many believers.
For one, it is a commandment later given
by God and Jesus himself still observes
it. Again, it’s because God created it for
our good. It is not intended to be a burden.
But we will also later see scripture that
tells us that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
and because He came to fulfill the Law,
we can rest spiritually in Him. Colossians
2:6 also says that as believers, we are
not to be judged by whether or not we keep
the Sabbath day. That’s what the
Word
says. For me personally, I encourage taking
a Sabbath, as God clearly commanded it for
a reason. And you will find that it is actually
pretty life-changing when you truly devote
just one day out of the week to get proper
rest. Heart Check.
Do
you take a day of rest? If so, have you
found that ithas been beneficial? If not
what is keeeping you from doing so?
MARRIAGE
GIFT | Gen. 2:21-25
Because
God created marriage for the purpose of
fulfilling His eternal purpose, the enemy
is going to do everything he can to try
to destroy marriages. If he can break down
marriages, he knows that he can also begin
to break down society—and we see that happening
today. So keep this in mind next time you
begin to feel a little irked with your spouse.
Because they aren’t your enemy—Satan is.
We could break out in 52 sermons about marriage
from this one single chapter. But I think
the main thing to walk away with is this—marriage
is a gift from God and so is your spouse.
They are not a thorn in your side or a pain
in your rear. Heart check for married couples.
Do
you see your spouse as a gift or treasure
from God?
Remember,
where your treasure is, there your heart
will be also. So if we can get back to seeing
them as a treasure, our heart or feelings
will follow suit.
BLAME
GAME | Gen. 3:11-13
God
knew the answers to these questions, but
He was giving them an opportunity to own
up to what they had done. But instead, they
start pointing fingers and saying he made
it, she made me do it. The thing is, we
can’t go back and change what we’ve already
done, but what we can do is get right with
God about it. But that will never happen
if we’re playing the blame game. Heart Check.
Are
you able to openly confess your shortcomings
without shifting the blame to others? Are
you able to take responsibility for what
you have done?
The
interesting twist here is that Eve was deceived—the
bible says so. But when Adam blames Eve,
it is unjust, because he knew what he was
doing. And he had the commandment straight
from God. So he ultimately bears the responsibility
for the fall, as written in the Word.
Deep Dive
What
areas of your life do the light need to
be turned on?
When
you look around, can you still see God's
goodness in the world?
Do
you take a day of rest? If so, have you
found that it has been beneficial? If not,
what is keeping you from doing so?
Do
you see your spouse as a gift from God?
Are
you able to confess your shortcomings without
shifting the blame to others? Are you able
to take responsibilty for what you have
done?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, our Sovereign
Creator, we recongnize your goodness in
all that you've done and in all that you
are.
Thank
you for the plan you’ve had from the beginning
of time as we know it to fulfill an eternal
purpose. What a privilege it is to be a
part of that. Thank you for bringing light
into every dark area of our lives.
I
pray that if there is anything that needs
to be exposed, that you will turn on the
light. We know and recognize that we are
made in your image, and so we want to make
sure we are upholding that, sharing who
you are, and especially doing so with the
fruit of the Spirit dwelling within, expressing
itself through love.
May
we hear the call today to be fruitful and
multiply, not just physically but spiritually
as well—help us to be people who are helping
to fill the earth with more of You. May
we have eyes that are set on looking for
good so that our thoughts and actions will
follow suit.
I
pray that we will take authority today so
that we will be good stewards of all that
you have given to us. And this includes
stewarding our own health and bodies by
getting proper rest. I pray for all married
couples and even for our future spouses,
that they will be the ones you have chosen
for us to become one with. Not to lord over,
fight with, or demean, but to live in unity
with mutual respect and honor, fully trusting
that we have been given distinct gifts to
be able to complement one another in the
most perfect way, just as you have intended
it.
We
also know that full satisfaction can’t be
met by another person, but only through
you Jesus. So I pray we will honor even
more the marriage covenant between us as
the church or the bride and you as our groom.
Thank
you for allowing us to see such meticulous
and personal care you had when creating
the world and everything in it, and we know
that it will once again be restored. Now
that we endure the hardships of life due
to the fall and sin nature, I pray that
more than ever, we will live our lives fighting
for restoration of your original plan. Thank
you for always pursuing us, despite our
sins and for granting so much mercy to us
when we don’t deserve it.
You
are the promise keeper, and as we stand
here on day 1, we look forward to day 365,
when we see your full redemptive plan laid
out. May we remain faithful so that we can
see it come to pass.
Genesis
chapters 4 through 7 continue with the story
of humanity's early generations and introduce
significant events.
In
chapter 4, Cain's descendants are listed,
including the establishment of cities, music,
and metalworking. The narrative then shifts
to the birth of Adam and Eve's third son,
Seth, who continues the line of righteous
people.
Chapter
5 provides a genealogy from Adam to Noah,
spanning ten generations. It emphasizes
the long lifespans of these early humans,
with Adam living up to 930 years. The focus
is on the righteous descendants, particularly
Enoch, who "walked with God" and
was taken by God without experiencing death.
Chapter
6 reveals that the wickedness of humanity
has increased on earth, and God decides
to bring a fiood to cleanse the world. God
is disheartened by humanity's corruption
and shortened lifespan, so he decides to
limit human life to 120 years. God finds
favor in Noah, who is righteous and blameless
among his contemporaries.
In
chapter 7, God instructs Noah to build an
ark and gather animals, as a great fiood
is coming to destroy all living creatures.
Noah faithfully follows God's instructions,
taking his family and the animals into the
ark. Rain falls for forty days and nights,
fiooding the earth. Only Noah, his family,
and the animals on the ark are saved from
the fioodwaters.
These
chapters lay the foundation for significant
events to come, including the fiood and
the subsequent covenant between God and
Noah.
RULE
| GEN. 4:7
Here
we see God having so much grace on Cain—
and instead of scolding him right there,
God asks him questions that He clearly knew
the answers to. But asking questions always
o£ers a chance for introspection,
and God was hoping that Cain would see what
was going on within himself. Knowing full
well what Cain had the potential of doing,
God warns him in grace, giving him a way
out, just as the Bible tells us that God
will do for us when we are faced with temptation.
Here He is telling him that sin is crouching
at his door, just as it is with us constantly.
And I hope you have verse 7 underlined,
where it says, “You MUST rule over it,”
because if you don’t, it will rule over
you. Heart check.
What
is crouching at your door? Do you see the
escape hatch? What steps do you need to
take in order to rule ovet it?
That’ll
look different for everyone—addictions,
anger, jealousy and bitterness like we see
here, someone dropping’ in your DMs, being
in a relationship you shouldn’t be in. We
have authority over it, especially with
the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within.
Some
scholars believe that Adam actually may
have accounted for chapters 1-4 and then
handed it down, eventually passing on to
Moses who actually penned the rest of Genesis,
which is why we sort of see this recap and
genealogy account in chapter 5.
OUT
OF THE BOX | GEN. 6:14-17
There
is no indication that Noah lived anywhere
near a body of water that would require
a ship of this size, let alone a weather
report of an impending storm, meaning he
was probably looking pretty cuckoo at this
point. Yet, it didn’t even phase him to
follow the command to work outside the box.
And God will often do that when He calls
us to great things. Heart Check.
Are
you willing to work outside the box if and
when God calls you?
Deep
Dive
What
is crouching at your door?
Do you see the
escape hatch?
What steps do you need to
take in order to rule over it?
Are
you willing to work outside the box if and
when God calls you?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father,Thank
you for showing us today the importance
of living righteously before you, walking
with you, living to please you and not ourselves.
For
when we do so, we know that we will come
as a living and pleasing sacrifice to you.
Help us, Lord, to have the right attitude
when we come into your presence. May we
rid ourselves of any anger, jealousy, bitterness,
or dissension so that we do not place ourselves
in a position where we will dishonor our
brothers and sisters but even more so dishonor
you.
We
know that hatred for one another is equated
to murder in your eyes. So may we be a people
who are quick to forgive. Thank you for
your continued mercy and favor that is always
available to us, and thank you for always
giving us a chance to get things right,
just as you did with Cain and with the people
during the days of Noah.
Thank
you that even in the midst of our mess ups,
you still put a mark on us that keeps us
safe in your arms. We desire to walk with
you just as Enoch did, knowing that you
are our great I Am, and we are not. We never
want to grieve your heart, Lord, so I pray
that we will always honor the covenant you
have made with us, knowing that it is a
binding promise.
I
pray we will never walk away from it but
always remain in the ark of safety. Help
us to be hard workers who don’t complain
but simply have a desire to do all that
you command. We love you so much.
Genesis
chapters eight through eleven depict the
aftermath of the Great Flood and introduce
the story of the Tower of Babel.
In
chapter eight, the fioodwaters recede, and
Noah, his family, and the animals leave
the ark. Noah builds an altar and o£ers
sacrifices to God, who is pleased and makes
a covenant with Noah, promising never to
destroy the earth by a fiood again. God
establishes the rainbow as a sign of this
covenant. Noah and his descendants are blessed
and commanded to be fruitful, multiply,
and fill the earth.
Chapter
nine focuses on God's instructions regarding
the sanctity of life and the establishment
of a moral code. God permits humans to eat
animals but forbids the consumption of blood,
as it represents the life force. God also
establishes the concept of capital punishment
for murder, emphasizing the sacredness of
human life.
In
chapter ten, a genealogy of Noah's three
sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—is provided,
listing the nations that descend from them.
This genealogy lays the foundation for the
diverse nations and peoples that populate
the earth.
Chapter
eleven introduces the story of the Tower
of Babel. The descendants of Noah's sons
gather in the land of Shinar and decide
to build a tower that reaches to the heavens,
intending to make a name for themselves.
However, God confused their language, causing
them to speak di£erent languages and
scattering them across the earth. As a result,
the tower is left unfinished, and the place
is called Babel, meaning confusion.
These
chapters highlight key moments in human
history after the fiood, including God's
covenant with Noah, the establishment of
moral laws, the division of languages, and
the dispersion of humanity across the earth.
They set the stage for the subsequent narratives
and themes in the Book of Genesis.
PATIENCE
| Gen. 8:6-12
I
couldn’t help but think, why in the world
is Noah continuing to wait 7 days, even
when he has full evidence that there is
dry land?
Well
we have to remember that the only thing
Noah knew going into this was that it was
going to rain for 40 days and 40 nights
and everyone and everything was going to
die. But guess what? After the rain stopped,
they were still fioating along for another
150 days. And this wasn’t a Royal Caribbean
cruise ship, we’re talking a stinky hot
boat ride with a zoo, not to mention, probably
surrounded by carcasses. And being shut
in may have either left him feeling as though
God forgot about him, and all he had was
this promise that God would save him and
his family. Or it could’ve been that God’s
presence was with him in that boat, so he
simply didn’t want to leave until God said
so.
So
then I realized, that was it. Throughout
this entire year, he probably had so many
ups and downs, doubting along the way, but
ultimately developing so much patience and
steadfastness in the waiting. What incredible
faith he had.
And
in today’s, “I need it now” society, we
have a real hard time with patience. Mine
is tested everyday when my kids keep barging
through my door in the middle of filming,
or my video says it’s going to take an hour
to render followed by another hour to upload.
I’m sure there are some who share that sentiment
waiting for this podcast to drop everyday.
So let’s do a heart check.
How
do you fare when things don't happen in
your timeline? are you able to patiently
wait on God?
WORSHIP
| GEN. 8:20
I
love that the first priority for Noah is
to build an altar to worship God. He didn’t
have anything to gain or lose from it—it
was purely to please God.
And
I thought, wow, what is our motive and where
does our heart stand when we “worship?”
Are we going to Bible study or church to
simply get something out of it for ourselves?
And when we're not feeling it or when it
doesn’t meet our expectations, do, we walk
away disappointed? Or do we look for ways
to bless God’s heart? Heart check.
Is
worshiping and pleasing God's heart your
motive when you worship? It was the sacrifice,
not the fiood that caused God to never wipe
out the earth again.
ADVERSITY
What
a beautiful merciful promise God gives us.
Again, even when we are in a sea of doubt
and uncertainty, His promises remain. That
what was once destroyed can be renewed—and
that’s His wheelhouse. We are a new creation
when we receive Jesus. So unlike Noah, we
know the final destination. Let’s end with
a Heart Check.
How
does the story of Noah inspire you to deal
with adversity?
NEW
BEGINNING | Gen. 9:1-8
In
chapter 9, we see God give Noah and his
family a brand new beginning (giving us
a new beginning as well, as we were on the
path to never exist!). Heart Check.
What
do new beginnings look like for you? How
does it affect the way you live?
PROMISES
| Gen. 9:9-17
Isn’t
it amazing that this covenant promise has
remained for thousands of years and still
acts as a constant reminder of God’s faithfulness
to us today. Heart Check.
What
else in your life does the awarness of God
and His promises show in? How can you cultivate
a consistent awareness of Hid faithfulness?
IDENTITY
| Gen. 10
In
the end, we see God’s sovereignty throughout
the genealogy, which tells us that family
history and where we come from is important
because it gives us a sense of
identity.
And for us, that is knowing and understanding
that Jesus came from a real family, from
a real line of people. And we find our identity
in Him, so our understanding of this is
crucial. Heart check.
Where
do you source your identity or sense of
belonging?
AMBITION
| Gen. 11:1-9
Here
we have wrapped up God’s displeasure with
human selfish ambition. Where we make our
own plans and manipulate them for our own
purpose. To the world, this is what is encouraged—at
the beginning of every year, people make
vision boards with goals and inspirational
quotes about success and wealth. This isn’t
a bad thing—God wants us to prosper and
do well. But He wants to be able to lead
us into that life, rather than us thinking
we are the general contractor of our lives.
Heart Check.
Where
is your ambition coming from? Are you building
your life on your own? Or is He guiding
your plans?
The
more we read about you, the more we stand
in awe of who you are. The way your hand
so intricately moved throughout history
in order to carry out your divine purpose
is simply awesome. Thank you for the life
of Noah and showing us how faithfulness
and obedience pleases you and leads to your
protection, restoration, fresh starts, and
favor.
May
we be people who partner with you—reaching
out our hand to behold the olive branch,
for we know your desire is for us to live
in peace and to hold on to the hope of one
day being fully restored. Thank you for
your constant reminder of your grace and
mercy through physical images like the rainbow
but also daily reminders as the sun rises
over a new day, bringing new mercies with
it, knowing that your love and promise is
unconditional and will remain forever.
So
I pray that when we go through our own storms
or seasons of waiting, that you will build
within us patience and endurance and the
ability to hear your command. And I pray
that we will make worship a priority in
our lives the way Noah did, worshiping you
with sincerity, not for what we can get
from you, but out of a place of gratitude.
We want to live our lives in full obedience
to you, not based on our own e£orts.
Forgive us where we have strived simply
for our own good.
We
know that you want to bless us, but we can’t
manipulate you or situations in order to
receive it. So anytime we begin to build
anything on our own e£ort, we give
you permission to come down and stop us
in our tracks.
Thank
you for showing us the beauty of diversity
in the world and I pray that we will see
each other through your eyes, both nationally
and personally. We praise you on this day.
Trees
snap like toohpicks or fly upward, wrenched
from the earth. Whole rooftops sail away,
cars roll along like toys, houses collapse,
and a wall of water obliterates the shore
and floods the land. A hurricane cuts and
tears, and only solid fountains survive
its unbridled fury. But those foundations
can be used for rebuilding after the storm.
For
any building, the foundation is critical.
It must be deep enough and solid enough
to withstand the weight the building and
other stresses. Lives are like buildings
, and the quailty of each one's foundation
will determine the quality of the whole.
If inferior materials are used , lives crumble
when
test come.
Job was tested . With a life
filled with prestige, possessions and people.,
he was suddenly assaulted on every side,
devastated, stripped down to his foundation.
But his life had been built on God, and
he endured.
Job, the book, tells the
story of Job, the man of God. It's a
gripping drama of riches to rags to riches,
a theological book of the Bible dealing
with suffering and divine sovereignty ,
and a picture of faith that endures. As
you read Job, analyze your life and
check your foundation. May you be able to say that
all is gone but God, he is enough.
Day
004 Job 1-5| Heart Dive 365
In
the book of Job, chapters 1-5, we are introduced
to Job, a wealthy and righteous man who
lives in the land of Uz. God declares Job
as blameless and upright, one who feared
God and turned away from evil. He is blessed
with a loving and joyous family, immense
wealth, and prosperity.
In
chapter one, Satan comes before the court
of heaven and challenges God's claim that
Job is righteous by declaring that it is
only because he is blessed with material
possessions. God allows Satan to test Job's
faith and integrity, but with the condition
that he cannot harm Job physically. Satan
is allowed to strike Job's life through
a series of devastating news-- his livestock
is stolen, his servants are killed, and
a great wind destroys his oldest son's house,
killing all his children. Despite these
losses, Job remains faithful and does not
sin.
In
chapter two, Satan appeals to God once again,
this time saying that Job only holds back
his curse on God because his life has been
spared. So Satan is allowed to strike Job
with terrifying sickness. Meanwhile, Job's
three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar,
come to comfort him. They sit with him in
silence for seven days, mourning his pain
and suffering.
In
chapter 3, Job maintains his innocence and
questions why he is suffering so greatly.
He expresses his despair and wishes for
death, but he still does not curse God.
Job longs for an opportunity to present
his case before God and understand why he
is experiencing such unbearable suffering.
In
chapters 4 and 5, Job’s friend Eliphaz suggests
that Job must have done something to deserve
this punishment from God. He argues that
suffering is a direct result of sin,
and he encourages Job to confess his sins
and repent.
In
summary, Job begins to reflect on the nature
of human life and the existence of suffering.
He questions God's justice and wonders why
the wicked often prosper while the righteous
suffer. Job's friends continue to argue
that suffering is a consequence of
sin, but Job challenges their beliefs and
declares his innocence.
Despite
Job's anguish and confusion, he remains
steadfast in his faith and refuses to curse
God. His story sets the stage for further
exploration of the themes of suffering,
faith, and the sovereignty of God in the
subsequent chapters of the book of Job.
BLESSING
GOD| Job 1:11
Here
Satan is implying that people will only
bless God when they GET blessed, as if He
is up there trying to bribe us into worship.
Some of us are appalled at that thinking.
But
let’s check our hearts anyway. Heart Check.
Do
you need to be bribed into worship? Are
you able to bless God in hard times, when
you don't feel so blessed?
POWER
| Job 1:6-12
Reading
this at face value, one might think, why
in the world would God allow Satan to go
after one of the most righteous men alive?
This seems so cruel. But if you know the
heart of God, you will be able to see His
heartbeat in scripture. But if you look
at some of God’s heartbeats here: God puts
a hedge of protection around us, where Satan
knows that we are o£ limits. He blesses
our work and possessions. He gives us our
increase. He does not create hard times
in our lives but allows them– and we will
see at the end of this story how that all
turns out for those who remain faithful
to Him. And my favorite… he puts Satan on
a leash!! He limits his power. HE IS SOVEREIGN.
He will only give Satan power like this
when He knows that it will work for His
purpose. And this is important for us to
realize because we’re often the ones who
give Satan more power than he deserves,
and we end up paralyzed, right where the
devil wants us. So while he can’t touch
us, he can do enough to get us to imprison
ourselves, thus empowering him to keep those
shackles of doubt of fear feeling real tight.
Heart Check.
When
bad things happen, who do you give power
to? How can you use those moments to be
empowered by the Holy Spirit?
GIVER
| Job 1:21
This
subject of the Sabbath day and whether or
not we are still called to observe it is
a point of contention for many believers.
For one, it is a commandment later given
by God and Jesus himself still observes
it. Again, it’s because God created it for
our good. It is not intended to be a burden.
But we will also later see scripture that
tells us that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
and because He came to fulfill the Law,
we can rest spiritually in Him. Colossians
2:6 also says that as believers, we are
not to be judged by whether or not we keep
the Sabbath day. That’s what the Word says.
For me personally, I encourage taking a
Sabbath, as God clearly commanded it for
a reason. And you will find that it is actually
pretty life-changing
when you truly devote just one day out of
the week to get proper rest. Heart Check.
Do
you see things in your life as gifts from
God? Would you be okay if they were suddenly
taken from you? Or do you feel as though
God owes you something?
GOOD
FRIENDS | Job 2:11-13
If
you know how this story goes, the last thing
that you will probably say about Job’s friends
is that they were good friends. But I think
it’s important for us to see that they really
have been up to this point. Because good
friends will come to you in times of need,
they will rally around you. And they won’t
feel the need to preach or give you life
advice so they can feel better about themselves.
Good friends will simply be there and listen.
They will weep with you and rejoice with
you. So this not only helps us to identify
what good friends are, but it also shows
us how to be one. And again, if we have
the same perspective of Job, knowing that
all things come from God, then good friends
are a gift. So if you don’t have friends,
start praying for them. Ask for them. The
Bible says we have not because we ask not.
Heart check.
Do
you have good friends in your life? Have
you prayed for them? How good of a friend
are you?
RAW
EMOTION| Job 3
This
chapter tells us that even in his righteousness
and prosperity, Job had genuine fears. He
wasn’t just living this happy go lucky life.
This is the very reason he would pray over
his children. And now we see why we can’t
judge a person’s life based on how “successful”
they look. You never truly know what is
going on behind closed doors of both their
home and their heart. But the amazing thing
here is that he did indeed pray over his
greatest fears… and yet they still came
to pass. And now he’s thrown into a great
depression and despair. So to that, I just
say thank you Job for keeping it real. Sometimes
we put so much expectation on people that
we won’t even allow them to feel the things
they’re feeling. Even the greatest
men of faith can fall. This is where an
incredible amount of grace needs to be poured
out. Heart Check.
Do
you believe that this kind of grief and
raw expression toward God is conducive to
a life of faith?
CORRECTION
| Job 5:17
Here
we see Eliphaz dropping a truth bomb by
way of a beatitude—blessed are those who
God corrects. Now he’s saying this with
the implication that Job is being corrected.
Heart Check.
How
do you feel when you are corrected? Do you
feel blessed? How can you change your
perspective if not?
BENEFIT
OF THE DOUBT | Job 5:17
In
the end, we see Eliphaz has really great
intentions to try to “speak truth” to his
friend, but knowing what we know, it’s a
complete misapplication of truth and definitely
not packaged in love. In a sense, he’s coming
from a place of judgment, making assumptions
based on circumstances rather than hearing
and looking at his friend’s heart. We too
can be quick to look at people and pass
judgment based on things they say or even
just by what their life looks like on the
outside. Yet we will give ourselves the
grace pass when someone calls us out by
saying, “Well, you don’t know my heart.”
And God is calling us to do the opposite—to
try to see a person’s heart before we assume
something based on their circumstances–
give them the benefit of the doubt. He does.
Heart check.
Do
you give people the benefit of the doubt?
Or are you quick to jump to an assumption
about someone's character based on what
they say or do?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, you know exactly
what you were doing when you created and
formed Job.
Thank
you for showing us what it means to be a
true warrior with a very real faith in the
midst of su£ering. Most of us have
in no way experienced anything close to
what Job dealt with, yet we find ourselves
doubting, complaining, and wallowing in
our sorrow. So I pray that today we are
able to turn that around, trusting that
there is nothing that can touch us without
it first going across your desk for a stamp
of approval. Even if the enemy wants to
come at us, we will stand firm, knowing
that you will never leave us to fight any
battle on our own. We also know full well
that he cannot touch us and that his power
is limited.
Forgive
us where we have given him more authority
and power in our lives than he should have.
I pray that you will make us all the more
aware of his nature and character so that
we can properly identify who the real enemy
is. I pray for a hedge of protection around
each and every one of us.
Thank
you for blessing our lives, and we recognize
you as the giver of all things good. May
we never take that for granted. Help those
of us who are parents be like Job, praying
for and pronouncing blessings upon our children.
I pray that we will all be good friends
now that we see what that looks like, and
I pray that you will also bring good friends
into our lives. We all need a tribe of God
fearing around us so that we don’t have
to go through this life alone.
I
pray that you will increase our discernment
of words being spoken to or even against
us to be able to recognize when they are
truth or judgment. Help us to respond in
a way that glorifies you. And I pray that
above all, we will be people who love one
another, giving the benefit of the doubt,
not being quick to judge, but always seeking
to have your heart and to see people through
your eyes.
In
Job chapters 6 through 9, Job continues
to express his anguish and despair over
his suffering. He responds to his friends'
attempts to console him, expressing his
frustration with their lack of understanding
and their failure to offer any comfort.
Job argues that his suffering is unbearable
and that his friends' attempts to explain
it as punishment for his sins are misguided.
In
chapters six through seven, Job wishes for
death, longing for relief from his pain
and the overwhelming burden of his suffering.
He questions why God allows such su£ering
and pleads for an explanation. Job maintains
his innocence and righteousness, refusing
to accept the accusations of his friends.
In
chapter eight, Job's second friend Bildad
responds by reiterating Eliphaz’s belief
that Job must have committed some great
sin to deserve such suffering. They argue
that God is just and that suffering is a
consequence of sin. Bildad also urges Job
to repent and seek forgiveness.
In
chapter nine, Job maintains his innocence
as he remains steadfast in his stance. He
longs for a mediator between himself and
God, someone who could plead his case and
understand his suffering. Job acknowledges
God's power and wisdom but questions the
justice of his suffering.
In
summary, Job is left with more questions
than before, despite his pleas for answers.
He reflects on the fleeting nature of human
life, the insignificance of man in comparison
to God, and the complexity of divine justice.
Job continues to wrestle with his suffering,
seeking understanding and resolution.
WEIGHTY
WORDS | Job 6
In
the end, we see through Job’s response that
his “friends” have added even more weight
to his already existing burden.
Do
you consider the weight of your words before
you speak them to someone?
END
OF STORY | Job 7
Don’t
you just wish you could shout at Job right
here, “Hey Job, I know the end of the story!!”
Kind of like how you watch a movie and will
be like, “Don’t go through that door!” Here,
Job thinks that God is against him or punishing
him, and we know that he’s actually honoring
him and is eventually going to lift him
up to be even greater than before. He’s
gonna be at the front of the line. But then
again, I think, I wonder if it would even
do any good. Because we know the end of
our own story, yet we still end up in this
place of despair and sorrow in this life.
While God is saying, “I’m here to lift you
up. This is just temporary. You can’t see
it right now, but I’ve got something greater
for you.” Heart check.
Are
you to able hold on to the end of the story
when you're in the middle of it?
ATTRIBUTES
| Job 8:3
Bildad’s
basing all of his judgment and accusations
on God’s justice alone with staunch traditionalist
views. That will happen if we have a simplistic
or one-sided view of God. But we know that
His character spans well beyond justice.
Heart check.
Which
attributes of God do you place your confidence
in?
PAST
PROPELLOR | Job 8:8-10
Bildad
is telling Job to look at the past to teach
him about God. But he’s got it all twisted,
because there has never really been a solid
connection between righteousness and blessing.
Look at Abel! He died an unjust death. So
yes, we can indeed learn from the past.
But if we are going to look back, it has
to be with the intention to allow it propel
us forward and not anchor us in what was
or what could’ve been. Heart check.
Are
you able to look back and allow your past
to propel you forward?
MEDIATOR
| Job 9:33-35
In
the end, Job expresses this innate desire
for a mediator between him and God. This
ultimately looks to the coming of our Great
Mediator Jesus, who because of what He did
on the cross, gives us access to our God
who may have once felt distant or dormant.
Heart check.
Do
you have a true understanding of your access
to the Father through our Great Mediator?
Deep
Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God’s heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or afirm your understanding of who God is?
How
does Job’s approach toward God affect the
way you stand before Him?
Do
you consider Job’s words a lack of faith
or simply a response to his su£ering?
How
do you deal with suffering? How has Job’s
resilience affected your insight?
How
does Job’s struggle with understanding God
influence your faith journey?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for
your grace upon our lives, even in the mist
of our misunderstanding of who you are or
our short-sightedness of our sightedness
of our situations in life.
Forgive
us where we have questioned your ways or
you will for our lives.
Help
us to have eyes that see you clearly, in
the fullness of your nature, not just fitting
attributes. I pray that in every moment
of our lives, whether good or bad, we will
be able to see you in it.
I
pray that we are able to grasp the meaning
of your sovereignty and how despite our
external circumstances, you are in complete
control.
Thank
you for showing us again what a good friend
looks like and how the words that we speak,
despite our intention, will impact the hearer
in great ways. So I pray that we will be
even more mindful of our words today. Help
us to speak words of love and encouragement
rather than suspicion and condemnation.
I pray that we will be people who lift others
up, and may we never twist the truth about
who you are to fit our own perspective of
what may be happening in someone’s life.
May we always apply your Word and your ways
properly.
Thank
you Jesus for what you have done so that
we can have full access to Heaven’s throne.
Thank you for pleading our case as our Great
Mediator every second of the day before
the Father, crushing the lies and accusations
of the enemy. I pray that you will do the
same in our minds when we begin to hear
his voice above yours.
In
Job chapters 10 through 13, Job continues
to pour out his anguish and frustration
before God. He questions the reasons for
his suffering and pleads for answers. Job
feels overwhelmed by his pain and accuses
God of treating him unjustly.
In
chapter 10, Job addresses God directly,
expressing his desire to confront Him and
present his case. Job questions why God
is afflicting him and demands an explanation
for his suffering. He feels as though
God is attacking him without reason and
asks why He does not show mercy.
In
chapter 11, Job’s third friend Zophar responds
to Job's lament. Like the other two friends,
Zophar insists that Job must have sinned
in some way to deserve such suffering. He
urges Job to repent and turn back to God,
emphasizing that God's wisdom and power
are beyond comprehension. Zophar believes
that if Job repents, he will be restored,
and his suffering will end.
In
chapter 12, Job responds to Zophar's accusations
and reiterates his innocence. He acknowledges
God's power and wisdom but also points
out that even the wicked often prosper in
life. Job emphasizes that his friends' attempts
to explain his suffering as punishment
for sin are oversimplifications and do not
align with his own experiences.
In
chapter 13, Job continues to address his
friends and expresses his frustration with
their lack of empathy and understanding.
He asserts that he wants to present his
case directly to God and demands that God
answer for his suffering. Job insists on
his innocence and accuses his friends of
being false comforters who offer no solace.
In
summary, Job expresses his deep anguish
and despair, questioning the reasons behind
his suffering and seeking answers from God.
He challenges the simplistic explanations
of his friends and declares his innocence,
longing for a face-to-face encounter with
God to present his case.
DEFENDER
| Job 10
I
find it interesting that while Job is responding
to his friends, he’s appealing to God rather
than trying to defend himself to them. To
me this shows how much more important God’s
Word and God’s purpose matters than the
words and opinions of man. Imagine if we
all stopped mid-fight and thought about
this-- instead of biting back, we go to
the Lord in prayer. Job knows that he can
because he recognizes God as his Creator
and Defender. Heart Check.
When
someone comes against you with accusation
or judgement, do you immediately go into
defense mode or do immediately do into defense
mode or do you go to your Defender?
HIGHER
WAYS | Job 11
In
the end Zophar has taken some of the most
beautiful truths that are meant for edification
and nourishment and turned them into bitter
poison through their misapplication and
marring. Because God’s ways are higher,
broader, deeper, wider than ours. He will
give us hope, security, rest and freedom
when we repent. But that doesn’t mean that
we will live a life without suffering.
It just means that He will be there in the
midst of it. If we teach anything otherwise,
then we are misleading others into thinking
that there’s no need for faith. Heart Check.
Are
you able to look past your own understanding
and trust that God's ways are indeed higher
and greater than your own?
POWERFUL
PERSPECTIVE | Job 12:13-25
Job
is declaring God’s power and might over
many things. Heart Check.
After
reading through this section, how can this
perspective of God's power change the way
you navigate through life?
SLAY
| Job 13:5
The
word slay is tossed around in a positive
way nowadays, signifying our ability to
master something. We say things like, “Slay
the day.” But here Job is using it in a
very literal sense—he feels as though God
is literally killing him. But the beautiful
thing is that he still declares his trust
in God regardless. Charles Spurgeon has
said that times of slaying are actually
good times. He says that it is where real
faith is created, existing faith is a£irmed,
we grow in our faith during these times
as being shown that our faith is not only
based off of gain. Heart Check.
In
hearing this, are you able to view times
of slayingas good times? (Job 13:15 Though
he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will
argue my ways to his face.
PAST
DUE | Job 13:26
Job
thinks that perhaps he’s overdue for punishment
of past sins, since there is nothing, he
can think of that he may currently be guilty
of. We can sometimes find ourselves in this
place of worrying about unknown or unconfessed
sin in our lives. But 1 John 1:9 says that
when we confess of our sins, he is faithful
to cleanse us of ALL unrighteousness. Heart
Check.
Do
you find yourself worrying about past or
unconfessed sin?
Deep
Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God’s heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who
God is?
How
does Job’s response influence the way you
view God’s justice?
What
are your expectations of God in the way
He should respond to suffering?
How
would you describe God’s power and might
to someone?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, what a good, compassionate,
loving God are you.
Thank
you for allowing us to be able to come to
you in complete honesty and rawness the
way that Job did. Help us to see your heart
in all things, especially in suffering.
We recognize that there will be times of
contention but hold on to the promise that
you are behind the scenes working it out
for good, even when we can’t see it. But
I pray that if you are trying to reveal
something to us in that wrestling, that
our eyes will be open to see it.
You
have indeed granted us life, favor and continue
to preserve our spirit, so as long as we
are here, I pray that your purpose in our
lives will prevail. Thank you for protecting
us in mind, body and spirit.
We
recognize today that your ways are higher
than the heavens, deeper than the seas,
longer and more broad than anything our
eyes can see. Your wisdom has no limit,
while ours does, so forgive us for the times
we have thought we knew better than you
and found ourselves frustrated in our despair.
Help us to trust in your goodness and in
your purpose.
Forgive
us where we may have misunderstood or misapplied
your Word. May we never use scripture to
run people over. I pray we will never twist
others’ words to make ourselves feel better
or to make them look foolish but rather
always cover everything we say in love and
grace. Help us to be more empathetic toward
those who may be suffering or dealing
with things that we know not of.
We
see and declare your power and might over
all things, our Sovereign God. I pray that
we see you more and more in our everyday
life—as we look around at nature, and even
when we open up the news. And I pray we
will be people who represent you well so
that others can see You in us. Forgive us
for the times that our character did not
reflect that,
Thank
you for forgiving us and cleansing us of
all unrighteousness. I pray that we will
not stay stuck in our past but will move
forward in your grace. Help us to remain
steadfast in the hard times. We declare
today, just as Job did, that no matter what,
we will trust in You.
In
Job chapters 14 through 16, Job continues
to wrestle with his suffering and the
apparent injustice of his situation. He
reflects on the brevity of human life and
the inevitability of death, expressing a
sense of hopelessness and longing for relief.
In
chapter 14, Job compares human life to a
fleeting shadow. He questions why God is
so fixated on punishing him and expresses
a desire for a respite from his suffering.
Job pleads for God's attention and asks
for forgiveness, hoping for a chance to
experience some joy before his inevitable
death.
In
chapter 15, one of Job's friends, Eliphaz,
responds to Job's lament. Eliphaz accuses
Job of being arrogant and suggests that
his suffering is a result of his sins.
He argues that no human can be righteous
before God and that Job should repent and
seek forgiveness. Eliphaz asserts that the
wicked will face punishment, while the righteous
will be rewarded.
In
chapter 16, Job responds to Eliphaz's accusations
and expresses his frustration with his friends'
lack of understanding and empathy. He feels
attacked and misunderstood, longing for
their compassion rather than their judgment.
Job insists on his innocence and declares
that even if he were guilty, it would not
justify the intensity of his suffering.
He pleads for a mediator between himself
and God, someone who can vouch for his integrity.
In
summary, Job grapples with the brevity of
life, the weight of his suffering,
and the lack of understanding from his friends.
He questions God's justice and longs for
relief and vindication. Job's desperation
grows as he seeks solace and a deeper understanding
of his situation.
AFTERLIFE
| Job 14:14-17
In
this chapter, we see Job reflects on the
brevity of life and his longing for the
afterlife, despite his cloudy conception
of it.
With
your knowledge of the afterlife, how does
it affect the way you deal with life, especially
during hard times?
PRAYER
LIFE | Job 15:4
Among
all of his other false accusations, here
we end up at Eliphaz accusing Job of not
having a prayer life. How would he know
that? He can’t see what Job is doing behind
closed doors. And neither can anyone see
what you’re doing. But what matters is that
God can. He knows whether or not we are
actually desiring to fellowship with Him,
and our prayer life will be the refiection
of that. We can come to Bible study every
single day, but if we aren’t building a
relationship with Christ, what good will
it truly do? Heart Check.
Do
you have a prayer life?
DOING
RIGHT | Job 15
Eliphaz
makes a lot of valid points—none are righteous,
God can’t trust us because we all sin, heaven
does have some pollution outside the door
with Satan always trying to get his grimy
hands on God’s plans, the wicked will eventually
come to an end… but the problem is that
he is more concerned with being right than
doing right. He’s so full of self-righteousness
and pride, that it leads to false accusations
and assumptions with no new insight. He
is also saying all of this without any sense
of love, mercy, compassion or empathy. Heart
Check.
Are
you more concerned with BEING right than
DOING right? Does today's reading help shape
your attitude and responses to people?
EMPATHY
| Job 16:4-5
Job
recognizes that he would be a much better
comforter than his friends—but it’s because
he’s experienced suffering, making
him more empathetic and compassionate. He
tells them that if he were in their shoes,
he would strengthen them and take away their
grief because he gets it. But they’re instead
heartless and cynical. Heart Check.
Has
your suffering or hard times changed your
perspective and made you more empathic towards
others who are struggling?
OUR
WITNESS | Job 16:19
I
love that Job sees God as his witness, because
ultimately, he knows that no matter what
his friends or anyone else says about him,
God will reveal the truth. He will testify
for us. Heart Check.
Are
you able to see God as your witness? How
does it help you in your moments of defense?
SHORT
LIFE | Job 16:22
We
end with Job once again declaring how short
this life is on earth, and he recognizes
that he may never see a solution on this
side of heaven. And that is the case for
us as well. Heart Check.
Does
knowing how short life is leave you comforted
or anxious about solving your problems or
issues in this life?
Deep
Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God’s heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who God
is?
Does
Job’s discourse on the brevity of life inspire
you to be more intentional in your own life?
How
does Eliphaz’s discourse influence your
own views on self-righteousness, pride,
or humility?
Does
Job’s switching between feeling like an
enemy of God and feeling as though God is
His witness help to affirm your faith?
Or does it weaken it?
If
you had the opportunity to respond to Job,
what would you say?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for
the gift of enternal life.
It
is because of what Jesus has done that we
are able to hold on to hope for a better
life than the one we are currently living,
whether we feel blessed or like we’re drowning.
Help us to have a good understanding of
this so that we will be more intentional
in our own lives by cultivating more hope
and resilience in the everyday.
We
know and understand that while this earth
and everything in it is passing away, we
are being renewed and transformed for the
day when we will be in your glorious presence.
What a beautiful hope to hold on to! Everything
will be better than it is now, and we thank
you for that.
Thank
you for warning us about the dangers of
pride and self-righteousness today. I pray
that we will be constantly aware of this
when it begins to creep into our spirit,
and ask that you will cast it out. Help
us to recognize our own self-interests and
not project them in a negative way unto
others. May we always come from a place
of love and humility, reflecting our reverence
toward you. I pray that we will have more
compassion, empathy, mercy, and kindness,
especially toward other believers. We are
all on the same team, so please help us
to act like it.
Thank
you for showing us Jesus today, and reminding
us that as horrible of a situation that
Job is in, You suffered in even greater
agony. And because of this, you have so
much compassion for us and will even more
so contend for us and fight for us when
the enemy wants to have his way. Do not
let this stir up fear in us, for we know
that you have not given us a spirit of fear
but of power, love and a sound mind. Help
us to know that you will always be with
us and will never leave us to struggle and
stay afioat on our own.
Help
us to know that you are not our enemy. We
know that our problems may never be solved
on this side of heaven, but we will continue
to put our trust in you, our Sovereign God,
our Divine Advocate, the Revealer of Truth.
In
Job chapters 17 through 20, we enter into
round 2 of the debates between Job and his
two friends Bildad and Zophar. With the
same song and dance at play, Job is left
to hold on to the tiniest glimmer of hope.
In
Job chapter 17, Job continues to express
his despair and frustration, feeling that
his life is fading away and that he has
been treated unjustly. He pleads for empathy
and understanding from his friends but to
no avail.
In
chapter 18, Job's friend Bildad responds
to Job's lament. Bildad accuses Job of being
arrogant and insists that he is suffering
due to his own wickedness. He describes
the fate of the wicked, emphasizing their
eventual destruction and loss of prosperity,
all with the implication that this is the
very reason Job is in this predicament,
In
chapter 19, Job passionately pleads for
someone to listen to his cry for justice.
He expresses his deep longing for a mediator,
someone who can advocate for him before
God. Job turns a corner, however, when he
declares that his redeemer lives and knows
there will be vindication.
In
chapter 20, we hear from Zophar for the
last time. He delivers another cruel speech
to Job, accusing him of being deceitful
and wicked. Zophar also describes the fate
of the wicked, claiming that their prosperity
is short-lived and that they will face divine
judgment. He implies that Job's suffering
is a result of his own wrongdoing.
Throughout
these chapters, Job's friends continue to
claim that Job’s suffering is a consequence
of his sins, while Job maintains his innocence
and seeks understanding and empathy. The
speeches from Job's friends highlight their
misguided attempts to explain his suffering.
Job longs for someone to stand up for him
and plead his case before God, believing
in the possibility of vindication and restoration.
GLORY
DAYS | Job 17:11
Oh,
the good ol’ glory days. I believe there
is an aspect of humanity where we all feel
that the best days are behind us. My 13
year old son still mourns the loss of his
5th grade year during covid, having the
feeling that he somehow missed out on something
great. Yet I know his best days are in front
of him. And this is how the Father looks
at us as His children. We may think this
life is all downhill from here, but the
truth is, He’s up there saying, “Just wait
until you come home. The glory you are walking
into far surpasses even your best day.”
Heart Check.
Where
are your glory days? Behind you? Or yet
to come?
CONFIDENT
HOPE | Job 17:13-16
In
the end, Job is conflicted in his hope for
death because there’s something in him that
isn’t confident in it. This makes me even
more grateful to have a Savior. He did lay
down that pledge for our lives so that we
can rest secure in what is to come. We have
a confident hope that in not only the “glory
days” that are ahead of us. But we can live
in that glory here on earth too. Heart Check.
How
confident is your hope? How does this help
you to navigate through life?
FAITH
DISCLOSED | Job 18
In
the end, we can read this and think, what
awful and cruel words the Lord is allowing
Bildad to speak. Why doesn’t he just shut
his pie hole? Or you can look at this the
way that we are and say, “But Job isn’t
that way,” so in a sense, God is using Job’s
life the disclose his faithfulness, not
his wickedness. And now imagine that perhaps
sometimes we may go through these kinds
of ordeals so that God can also show others
what faith looks like. And what the devil
meant for evil, God will turn it for good.
Heart Check.
Are
you able to find and show others faith in
times of criticism or insult?
REDEEMER
| Job 19:25-27
Redeemer
in Hebrew is the word goel, which is often
used to describe a close family member who
protects family rights, a vindicator, or
one who buys back the captive and sets them
free. Other thoughts that come to mind about
our Redeemer are our rescuer, life giver,
guilt clearer, champion, advocate, comforter.
Heart Check.
What
does "My Redeemer Lives" mean
to you? What in your life has been redeemed?
FLEETING
PLEASURE | Job 20:4-5
I
love that Job sees God as his witness, because
ultimately he knows that no matter what
his friends or anyone else says about him,
God will reveal the truth. He will testify
for us. Heart Check.
How
do we know that the joyride of sin is fleeting
help to guide your behaviors or actions?
Deep
Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God's heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who God
is?
Have
you ever felt isolated? How has Job influenced
how you would deal with it now?
Do
you see any themes in today's reading that
relate to today's social climate? How does
it impact yor views?
Do
you believe that your Redeemer still lives?
If not, what is hindering that?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for
being our confident hope.
We
are so grateful that because you did lay
down a pledge for our lives, we have security
in knowing that what is to come is far greater
than even the best things this life has
to offer. I pray that we will remain
steadfast in all seasons so that we can
grow in our faith as you ready us for heaven.
But I also pray that we will allow this
life to be as glorious as you intended it.
Your desire is for us to live with joy,
peace and contentment. So I pray that those
things will inhabit our lives today.
Help
us to see that the best is still yet to
come. Thank you for helping us to see the
faithfulness of Job despite the insults
and tearing down from his friend. I pray
that our own faith will be disclosed in
times of criticism or insult. Help us to
maintain our integrity and to reflect your
good nature.
We
thank you Jesus, for being our Redeemer,
the one who bought us back from death, set
us free from sin, and took back what the
enemy stole. Thank you for rescuing us,
giving us life, clearing our guilt, being
our Advocate, our Comforter, and our Champion.
We know and declare that you are alive today,
just as you were when you walked the earth.
Your power and might just as evident today
as ever before. We look forward to the day
that we will see you standing at the ends
of the earth and we will stand face to face
with you.
In
the meantime, help us to continue to have
a heavenly perspective, knowing that this
life on earth is indeed temporary, so that
when we are tempted with the fleeting pleasure
of sin, we will be able to stand against
it. Help us also to have the right view
of your justice and how it is applied in
modern day society.
But
most of all, may we carry your heart in
everything we say and do, never seeking
to harm but always pursuing love.
In
Job 21-23, we enter the championship round
of the title fight between Job and his two
friends Bildad and Eliphaz.
In
chapter 21, Job begins by pleading with
his friends for understanding before exposing
some of the weaknesses in their dogmatic
arguments that only the wicked suffer.
Still disturbed by the injustice, he continues
to explain that the wicked are sometimes
blessed while the blessed sometimes suffer,
opposing the arguments of his friends saying
otherwise. Job recognizes that there will
be justice but just not quick enough in
his eyes. However, in the end, Job rebukes
his friends’ empty and illogical arguments
and settles on knowing that his argument
is with God, who he realizes should not
be questioned in His ways.
In
chapter 22, Eliphaz digs the knife even
deeper in his final assertion that Job’s
wickedness is the source of his suffering,
this time directly stating it to his face
rather than offering vague implications.
He also states several valid theological
principles of truth but once again misapplies
them to Job as he bases it on his own misinformed
assumptions. He then urges Job to repent
and seek forgiveness so that he can receive
forgiveness and be restored.
In
chapter 23, Job continues in his desperation
asking where God is. He is longing for the
ability to be able to be in His presence,
to present his case before Him and hopefully
receive a fair trial. In clinging to his
innocence, he contends that if he could
just get into his presence, God would answer
him and vindicate him. But to no avail,
Job has searched in every direction and
still cannot find God. Job’s faith once
again shines forth in his declaration that
God had a purpose in all of this and would
one day bring the trial to an end. Job recognizes
that through the fire of this testing, he
will come out better than he went in, but
it doesn’t take the fear of the Almighty
away.
In
summary, Job continues to search for answers
and justice from God amidst the false accusations
of his friends. He attempts to reconcile
his suffering with his understanding
of God’s character, while longing for the
ability to present his case before God so
that he can gain clarity and understanding.
MISJUDGMENT
| Job 21
In
the end, Job is countering his friends’
arguments that the righteous will be blessed,
and the wicked will suffer. Some scholars
believe that his friends hold fast to this
argument in fear that they might fall into
the same destiny as Job if they think otherwise.
They want to believe that in their righteousness,
they won’t have to suffer like he currently
is. As we know, this is a misjudgment on
their part. Heart Check.
How
do you cope with misjudgment or misunderstanding
by friends or outsiders?
FAULT
OR FRUIT | Job 22:1-11
Eliphaz
is making some pretty pointed accusations
here. But if he lived in a completely different
region, how would he have known about these
things? Perhaps it was that he was listening
to the town gossip, where everyone was left
to draw their own conclusions. They all
began looking for fault rather than finding
fruit. And that is what gossip will do,
which is why it is such a dangerous thing
to do. Heart Check.
Do
you find yourself looking for fault or fruit
in others?
YIELD
| Job 22:28
Eliphaz
is dangerously promoting the “name it and
claim it” type of prayer, as if we know
what is best for our lives, rather than
submitting to God’s plan and purpose. This
is sometimes conveyed as an element of the
prosperity gospel, where if you think positive
and speak it into existence, it will happen
for you. But Jesus never prayed this way,
nor did He teach us to pray this way. Heart
Check.
Do
you decide on what God needs to establish
in your life? Or are you yielding to Him
to establish your ways?
LOOK
UP | Job 19:25-27
Job
has gone in every direction but fails to
find God. But notice where he failed to
look—UP!! I think a lot of us fail to do
this as well— we will start o£ by
crying to our spouse, calling our sister
or best friend, going to a counselor, asking
everyone for answers and prayers, before
we ever actually get on our knees ourselves
and seek an answer from Him. The Bible says
that he inhabits the praises of His people,
meaning He is enthroned upon our praise
and ruling over our lives. Heart Check.
Where
do you go when seeking answers or
advice? Is your first resort to look up?
Deep
Dive
Do
you see the wicked prospering today? Does
this challenge your view on divine justice?
Luke 6:35?
How
do you navigate injustice in your faith
walk?
How
does Eliphaz's view on repentance and restoration
resonate with your own views.
How
does today's reading reflect the importance
of discernment?
Reflect
back on some of the harder times in your
life? Did you come out better because of
it? How can this shape how you go into the
next trail?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, we trust in you,
our Just and Sovereign God.
Even
in times of being misjudged or misunderstood,
we hold fast to the truth of who we are
in you, knowing that all things will one
day be brought to light. I pray that while
we are here on this earth, experiencing
injustice all around us, that we will be
able to continue to put our trust in you.
I pray that you will give us the wisdom
and patience if we ever have to face this
directly. May we always stay focused on
you, with our ears tuned to your voice about
who we are.
Thank
you for hearing our prayers and answering
us when we cry out. We surrender all of
our own desires and selfish ways to you
and yield our will to you so that yours
can be done. As we humble ourselves before
you, we know that you will lift us up and
declare us innocent.
We
recognize that you are all-seeing and all-knowing,
and this helps us to walk with confidence
and peace. Thank you for building our faith
just as you were building Job’s. And as
hard as it may be, we will trust you, even
in the times of testing, knowing that you
are refining us by fire. May we not wrestle
against you in those moments so that we
don’t have to stay in the fire any longer
than necessary. May we be open to this process,
knowing that we will come out better than
we went in.
May
our faith remain unshakeable each and every
day.
In
Job chapters 24-28, Job continues to wrestle
with the ideas of injustice, suffering
and the limitation of human understanding.
He puts a stamp on his integrity and righteousness
by way of a vow to continue holding on to
it and declares the greatness of God and
His wisdom.
In
chapter 24, Job continues his questioning
of why there is no judgment by God on the
wicked. He turns the focus from himself
to others as he lists social crimes including
how those who are vulnerable and poor are
exploited and oppressed. He also ponders
why they are able to commit criminal acts
with no consequence. Job longs for an answer
for this injustice.
In
chapter 25, Bildad utters a short discourse
with no new information. He reemphasizes
the greatness of God and that no man can
be found righteous before him. His final
words seem to drive the stake into the ground
that Job’s suffering is evidence of
his guilt and that his significance is likened
to a worm.
In
chapter 26, Job sarcastically gives thanks
to Bildad for helping the helpless before
entering into a stunning depiction of God’s
power and majesty. Job’s mindset seems to
be shifting from self-loathing to divine
reflection of the inability to grasp the
greatness of God, especially in comparison
with the feeble nature of man.
In
chapter 27, Job moves from the defense counsel
to supporting his declaration of innocence
with a vow. This chapter marks the beginning
of his six-chapter closing statement. Job
declares that will not not speak any lies
as he holds on to his integrity and righteousness
as long as he has breath in his lungs. Job
ends with an agreement that the wicked will
indeed suffer judgment from the Almighty.
In
chapter 28, Job orates a what sounds like
a wisdom hymn that declares God as the only
one who truly knows wisdom, and it is revealed
to mankind through the tapestry of creation.
He describes the sourcing of gems from the
earth and how creation can’t grasp its importance.
And while wisdom is rare, hard to find,
and invaluable, the only way to truly get
it is by fearing the Lord and turning away
from evil.
SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY | Job 24
If
we can see any good coming out of this,
it is that Job is no longer focusing on
just himself. He sees the suffering
and injustice of others around him, which
is what suffering will do. This is
why Jesus has so much compassion on us when
we deal with difficult times. But is
it enough to simply feel empathy?
When
you recognize injustice or unfairness, do
you look for ways to be more socially responsible?
SIGNIFICANCE
| Job 25
Bildad’s
final words are nothing new. It’s almost
as if he just wants to hear himself speak—do
you know people like that? But his final
words drive the stake into the ground that
Job’s suffering is evidence of his
guilt, likening his insignificance to that
of a worm, especially when compared to the
holiness of God. Heart Check.
Do
you ever feel insignificant in comparison
to God's greatness? How do you overcome
it?
SCIENCE
VS. FAITH | Job 26
In
the end, Job seems to be shifting from self-loathing
into a more reflective state with this stunning
depiction of God’s power and majesty. And
he ends with this statement that what we
see as evidence of His power here on this
earth, is but a mere whisper or a tiny glimpse
into the windows of heaven. In a sense,
he is connecting science with faith.
Are
you able to bridge the proven theories of
science to the proven nature of God?
INTEGRITY
| Job 27:5-6
I
love this statement by Job that he will
maintain his integrity while holding fast
to his righteousness in these trying times.
It’s always in the heat of the moment where
our integrity is tested—we get impatient
or flustered and spout off things that
we later wish we hadn’t said. Job is even
more insistent, as he feels that his friends
were trying to attack these very things.
And the enemy will do this to us—he will
take what people say and twist it in your
mind, so that you begin to doubt yourself.
Heart Check.
Are
you able to maintain your integrity when
your character is being questioned?
WISDOM
| Job 28
Job
ends this section with a quote we see in
the book of Proverbs. While man may think
that wisdom can be dug up or bought, Job
knows and declares that it only comes by
fearing the Lord and turning away from evil.
I love how Jon Courson puts it: “If we don’t
fear the Lord, we will fear everything else.
But if we fear Him, we will have nothing
else to fear.” It’s so true. I have found
that when I leave God out of the equation
of any part of my life, fear inevitably
creeps in. Heart Check.
What
areas of your life do you need more Godly
wisdom and understanding? How are you implementing
your reverence for God into it?
DeepDive
In
what ways were you able to see God’s heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who
God is?
How
are you able to maintain hope when justice
isn’t served?
When
you recognize that we only get a glimpse
into the power of God, how does that shape
the way you view life on earth vs. heaven?
How
can we maintain our integrity in times of
testing?
How
has being in the Word shaped your view of
wisdom and understanding?
Heart
Checks from the video
When
you recognize injustice or unfairness, do
you look for ways to be more socially responsible?
Chapter 24
What
is SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY? Social responsibility
is an ethical framework in which a person
works and cooperates with other people and
organizations for the benefit of the community.
What
is an example of social responsibility?
Individuals can also demonstrate social
responsibility through acts of kindness,
volunteering, charitable donations, and
advocating for social justice issues.
Social
justice is the process of making things
right - or fair - for someone other than
yourself. When you intervene on behalf of
another person to resolve a lack of fairness
or an injustice, I’d call that social justice.
Typically, when people speak about social
justice, they’re referring to a broader
scale effort. Examples might be seeking
equal rights for an oppressed group of people,
perhaps because of their ethnicity or gender.
It could be the intervention of human trafficking
or feeding the poor in third-world countries.
Many issues can fall into the category of
social justice and some great organizations
that position themselves to address the
needs of others.
What
the Bible Says about Social Justice. The Bible
shares several examples of social justice.
From Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan
to the selection of deacons in Acts chapter
6 to ensure that the Greek widows were getting
meals. As Christians, we have a calling
to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
And sometimes, that means that we need to
stand up for the rights - for justice -
for others.
Do
you ever feel insignificant in comparison
to God's greatness? How do you overcome
it? Chapter 25
It’s
easy in our day for leaders with authority
to rule in their own strength. You may feel
insecure about your status, wondering if
you have what it takes. You try to compensate
for that insecurity in other ways. When
you’re not secure about your own name, you
drop the names of others. When you’re not
secure in your own status, you promote yourself
and list your accomplishments. When you’re
in a place of leadership, you minimize your
vulnerability by blaming others for failure
or by abusing the privilege you’ve been
given.
Yet
those of us who follow Christ must remember
our security comes from God’s strength alone.
Our well-being comes from knowing an all-powerful,
all-good God who orchestrates all things
for His glory.
So,
today, if you feel less than, inferior,
that you can never measure up, look not
to yourself but to the greatness of Christ.
If you feel vulnerable, small, or insignificant,
remember that Jesus arose from a place of
obscurity. If you feel weak, unsure, and
unknown, draw your strength from God. God
specializes in lavishing grace upon unworthy
people. He delights in doing great things
through the one the world would pick last.
Are
you able to bridge the proven theories of
science to the proven nature of God? Chapter
26
Science
is knowledge about the physical, chemical,
and biological universe and the bridge that
connects it is our complete trust and confidence
in God that he is the creator of it all.
Are
you able to maintain your integrity when
your character is being questioned? Chapter
27: 1-6
Job
27:1-6 New International Version
Job’s
Final Word to His Friends
And
Job continued his discourse: “As surely
as God lives, who has denied me justice, the
Almighty, who has made my life bitter,3
as long as I have life within me, the
breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will
not say anything wicked, and my tongue will
not utter lies. I will never admit you are
in the right; till I die, I will not
deny my integrity. I will maintain my innocence
and never let go of it; my conscience
will not reproach me as long as I live.
Always
tell the truth. Learn to take responsibility
for your actions. If you make a mistake,
own up to it immediately and do whatever
it takes to right the situation. Keep your
word, and don't make promises that you know
you can't keep.
Five attributes of integrity
— honesty, accountability, reliability,
transparency, and ethics — are the building
blocks of a strong and principled character.
Upholding these attributes in personal and
professional life leads to trust, respect,
and a better society.
What
is a good definition of honesty?
Merriam-Webster
defines honesty as "fairness and straightforwardness
of conduct" or "adherence to the
facts". The Oxford English Dictionary
defines honesty as "the quality of
being honest." Honest is, in turn,
defined as "Free of deceit; truthful
and sincere... Morally correct or virtuous...
What
does having accountability mean?
The
term accountability refers to the acceptance
of responsibility for honest and ethical
conduct towards others. Biblical accountability
begins with taking responsibility for one's
own actions and making a conscious choice
of allowing God and others to help in accomplishing
what is right. Accountable to God. Asking
God for protection was a sign of dependence
on God and accountability to him. See also
Romans 14:12 and Hebrews 4:13 ...
What
are the 4 key areas of accountability?
Accountability
comprises four core components: participation,
evaluation, transparency, and feedback mechanisms.
This means accountability is achieved when
goals exist, ownership is delegated, transparent
evaluation occurs, complete transparency
ensues, and regular feedback exists.
Reliability?
Someone
who is reliable typically exhibits traits
such as punctuality, consistency, honesty,
dependability, and a strong work ethic.
They follow through on their commitments,
communicate effectively, and can be counted
on to fulfill their responsibilities.
Transparency?
To
be transparent means to share your thoughts
and opinions honestly and respectfully.
Transparency is an approach to communicating
and forming relationships that emphasize
being direct with people.
Ethics?
What
are the six ethical teachings of Jesus?
Honesty,
humility, authenticity, truthfulness, promise-keeping,
and sincerity are aspects of integrity that
Jesus referred to in his teachings and parables.
When our beliefs, words, and behavior are
congruent, we act as a whole person and
do not pretend to be something that we aren't.
Deeds match our words.
What
areas of your life do you need more Godly
wisdom and understanding? How are you implementing
your reverence for God into it?
Job
Chapter 28:28 28 And he said to man, 'Behold,
the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and
to turn away from evil is understanding.
'" 28 And this is what he says to all
humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true
wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.
'”
Wisdom,
Desire wisdom with all of your heart (Proverbs
2:3-5 ).
We
must REVERENCE God’s ways, by Study and
learn God's Word (Psalm 19:7 ).
We
must ASK for the wisdom of God. True wisdom
comes from God (Proverbs 2:6 ). Ask God
for wisdom (James 1:5 ).
We
must learn to TRUST Him completely.
THE
WISDOM OF GOD IS HUMBLING, wisdom of God
includes reverence, understanding, and trust.
Things
that are beyond our understanding, we can
concede that we’re unaware of the bigger
picture. We can trust that God, in His infinite
wisdom, has a beautiful picture in mind,
despite the view we’re privy to from earth.
We only see the ugly side of the tapestry
and shake our heads at the messes in life.
God
is a good God who works all things according
to His will.
He
knows the implications.
Romans
8:28 And we know that all things work together
for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.
His
decisions, decrees, and will are orchestrated
for people. Not just in view of His sovereignty,
His power, His goodness, His love, or His
compassion and desire to bless. It’s filtered
through His wisdom. This means He brings
about the best possible ends by the best
possible means for the most possible people,
for the longest possible time.
A.
W.Tozer summarizes this by saying:
“All
God’s acts are done in perfect wisdom, first
for His own glory, and then for the highest
good of the greatest number for the longest
time. And all His acts are as pure as they
are wise.”
Deep Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God's heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who God
is?
The
Book of Job helps us to understand the following:
Satan cannot bring financial and physical
destruction upon us unless it is by God’s
permission. God has power over what Satan
can and cannot do. It is beyond our human
ability to understand the "why’s"
behind all the suffering in the world. The
wicked will receive their just dues. We
cannot always blame suffering and sin on
our lifestyles. Suffering may sometimes
be allowed in our lives to purify, test,
teach, or strengthen the soul. God remains
enough, and He deserves and requests our
love and praise in all circumstances of
life.
How
are you able to maintain hope when justice
isn't served?
It
may be helpful to remind ourself that there
are a lot of wonderful things that people
do to make the world a better place through
God's help. Many people , churches, and
organizations are out there striving to
make a difference all the time. If a certain
injustice becomes your call to action, you
could be one of those people, doing your
best to help those in need. But even if
you choose to focus on helping yourself
to become a happier, more peaceful, and
more accepting person, that will make a
much more positive impact on your life and
the people around you than if you choose
to spend your life angry and holding a grudge.
Peace begins with God & you.
When
you recognize that we only get a glimpse
into the power of God, how does that shape
the way you view life on earth vs. heaven?
We
all know we will struggles, sickness, pain,
hardships on earth, but in heaven God will
wipe away every tear from our eyes, and
death shall be no more, neither shall there
be mourning nor crying nor pain any more,
for the former things have passed away.
How
can we maintain our integrity in times of
testing?
Acknowledged
faith, pray & seek God and stand on
God's word and his promise to us as his
children.
How
has being in the Word shaped your view of
wisdom and understanding?
If
you abide in My word, you are My disciples
indeed. And you shall know the truth and
the truth shall make you free (John 8:31–32).
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, we are so grateful
to see your glory being revealed in Your
Word.
Thank
you that we have this knowledge of who you
are and that we have direct access to you.
What a gift it is for us to never have to
feel as though you are not there. We simply
know you are.
I
pray that in times of injustice or unfairness,
that we will be able to continue to seek
you. Give us knowledge on how we can be
more socially responsible and how we can
contribute to a better society. We fully
trust that you will bring justice one day,
even if we are not physically here to see
it. Your Word says so, and therefore we
agree.
Thank
you for helping us to find and see our worth
in you so we are not dependent on what others
think of us. I pray that we will be able
to hold fast to our integrity and righteousness.
But in the areas of our lives where we are
not righteous, help us to make it right
so that we do not have anything holding
us captive. You desire us to live in freedom,
so I pray that you will set the captive
free today.
And
I pray that we will continue to see your
Greatness and Majesty woven throughout the
tapestry of creation and in the everyday—through
a smile, through the innocence of a child’s
laughter, through the very air that we breathe.
Help us never to take for granted what the
world views as “small” but what is so necessary
for our very essence.
May
our hearts always be humble before you,
in full submission, reverence and fear,
knowing that you are in control of all things
and that you have our best interest at heart.
Thank you for loving us and for caring for
us. I pray that as we keep our hearts postured
in this way, that you will pour your wisdom
and understanding into our lives.
Job
chapters 29-31 highlight Job’s memory of
his glory days, the continued case for defense
of his righteousness in the present, and
a final plea for his future.
In
chapter 29, Job takes a walk down memory
lane, recalling how blessed of a life he
lived in his “glory days.” He felt that
at one time, God was for him, providing
guidance and protection. He was well-respected,
had a good reputation, was full of wisdom
and dedicated to justice—a far cry from
the state he is currently in.
In
chapter 30, Job crawls back into his hole
of lament, where he describes his current
suffering and mockery by those around
him. In this moment of desperation, he cries
out to God with deep sorrow and begs for
relief from what feels like a round of body
slamming by God.
In
chapter 31, Job makes his final appeal,
noting his life of righteousness. He has
maintained pure thoughts, treated people
fairly, had a faithful marriage, treated
his servants well, helped the needy, trusted
in God more than riches, never gloated over
the ruin of his enemies, opened his home
to travelers, and faithfully stewarded his
land. He declares that he is ready and willing
to be held accountable if anyone would be
willing to hear his case with honesty.
LIFE
PRESERVER | Job 29:18-20
At
one time, Job felt that he had it all—he
was blessed by God, well-respected in the
community, he lived righteously, and he
was wealthy. He felt nothing could go wrong
and that he would die happy and content.
Now in his current state, all he has is
a memory as everything in his life is wasting
away. But he still holds on to his mustard
seed of faith, so it seems as though his
blessings never overshadowed his love and
devotion to God. God is his life preserver
in the midst of a dark and stormy sea. Heart
Check.
If
all was stripped away from you today, what
would be your life preserver? Would you still
have hope to hold on to?
REFLECT
| Job 29
Reflecting
on your past is not a bad thing, depending
on what you’re focused on. We can either
look back and say, “Boy, I sure wish we
could go back to the good ol’ days,” or
we can look back and say, “Wow, look at
where I once was, and look at where God
is taking me.” Charles Spurgeon put it this
way: “We are prone to engrave our trials
in marble and write our blessings in sand,”
meaning we tend to focus on the bad and
let the good things in life slip right through
the fingertips of our minds. Heart Check
When
you reflect on your past, what is engraved
in marble? Trials or blessings? What about
today?
The
enemy wants nothing more than to get you
to think that God is not for you. But the
promise we have to hold on to is that He
is changing us from glory to glory.
Whether
you feel like your glory days are behind
you, or that you’re living in them right
now, remember, the best days are yet to
come.
SHELVED
| Job 30:11
Job
likens himself to a loosened cord, or like
an unstrung bow that has been put on a shelf,
rendering it useless. There may be times
in our lives where we feel as though we
have been “shelved.” We believe we have
gifts and things to offer, but
they
tend to go unnoticed or underappreciated.
Trust me, I’ve been there. But the important
thing is that we remember whose shelf we’re
on. If we’re placing all of our worth in
whether or not people approve of us and
our giftings, that is where we will be left
feeling defeated. But if we know that we
are on God’s shelf, we know that it is only
temporary, and as long as we are allowing
Him to re-string us, to restore our strength,
and to put us to use for His glory, we will
be content in those times of waiting. Heart
Check.
Do
you feel as though you've been shelved?
If so, take a moment to reflect on whose
shelf you're on.
MORAL
INTEGRITY | Job 31
Closing
statements have been made, and the case
with his friends is not put to rest. Through
his final plea, we see that Job’s life truly
was a life lived with integrity. It makes
you really think about whether your life
would be a testament to righteousness. Heart
Check.
When
you look at Job's life, do you fair with
or fall short of his moral integrity?
Deep
Dive
How
have you seen God’s heartbeat in today’s
reading? Does it challenge or affirm your
understanding of who God is?
When
you look back on your life, what are the
greatest blessings? What have you learned
from trials?
Does
Job’s past life inspire you to live differently?
Do
you think Job’s cries for help are beneficial
or detrimental to his mental health?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for
being the same God today as you were in
the glory days.
Thank
you that you will be the same God tomorrow,
but we will walk into even greater glory,
as long as we stay close to you. Thank you
for watching over us, shining in us and
through us, and lighting our path when the
road seems dark. May we never fail to recognize
you in the midst of what seems to be a grim
outlook.
Thank
you, that even as Almighty God, you still
call us friend. What a great joy it is to
know that we can come to you as one who
is close like a brother. I pray that when
we look back on our lives, that we will
not only be able to see the many blessings
that have been engraved in marble, but the
many times you brought us through the trials
of life.
May
we, like Job, always live a life of integrity,
building solid reputations, being generous
and kind to those in need, treating people
fairly, leading others with a gentle confidence,
and comforting those who mourn.
I
pray for those who are questioning their
identity, and I come against the enemy and
his desire to make them stray from you.
May we not be swayed by public opinion but
stand up under truth. And for anyone who
feels as though they have been “shelved,”
I pray that you will let them know today
that you are simply preparing them for something
even greater.
For
anyone who is emotionally or physically
feeling pain, will you comfort them and
ease their burden. Take away any pain and
we cry out for healing, as your word declares
that you are our Jehovah Rapha, our Healer.
By your stripes, Jesus, we are healed. We
declare and claim that today.
We
are grateful to be in a relationship with
you today and ask that you will continue
to reveal to us our shortcomings but also
your grace in the midst of it. Help us to
see how we can make it right in this life
so that we don’t need to live in worry about
the next.
If
there is any hidden sin within us, we give
you permission to shine your light on it
today, as we want to walk away from this
better than we were when we came in.
In
Job chapters 32-34, we hear from a silent
bystander, Elihu, whose anger has been welling
up within as he listened to the previous
arguments. He begins a lengthy rebuke on
Job and his friends.
In
chapter 32, a silent bystander Elihu has
had it up to his ears with this hamster
wheel of a debate between Job and his friends.
Being younger than they, he had remained
silent up to this point and now he begins
his lengthy rebuke on all four men. He asserts
that wisdom comes from God and not by age
and vows to speak the whole truth without
partiality.
In
chapter 33, Elihu begins his rebuke to Job,
assuring him that he won’t be too hard on
him. However, while he provides a beautiful
depiction of the Savior to come, it is predicated
upon his implication that Job has not listened
to God through his pain and possible dreams.
In
chapter 34, Elihu continues to infinite Job’s
words and use them out of context. While
he claimed he would go easy on him, he actually
comes down hard on Job for being rebellious,
ignoring wise counsel, and demanding his
way with God. Elihu’s discourse lines up
with the idea of the other three friends,
that God is just in bringing punishment
upon the wicked. Elihu ends by saying that
Job should be held accountable for all the
sin he’s racking up.
ANGER|
Job 32:1-5
Elihu
didn’t have the privilege of sitting behind
a screen and being able to type out his
angry comments whenever he wanted. He had
to wait his turn, and the entire time, his
anger was welling up within him. And it
was righteous anger—you can tell by his
response. He doesn’t start spewing accusations
but speaks slowly… maybe a little too slowly
(five chapters!!!). Heart Check.
How
do you react when anger begins to well up
within? Are you able to control it? Or do
you immediately spout off?
AGE
OF WISDOM | Job 32:6-10
Elihu
challenges traditional wisdom by saying
that age ain’t nothin’ but a number. He
recognizes that there are some old folk
that act like toddlers and some younger
who are sprouting spiritual gray hairs.
He was making the point that true wisdom
doesn’t come with age but rather by the
Spirit of God. Heart Check
Are
you able to respect the "wisdom"
that comes from someone younger than you?
Or if your younger, are you able to remain
confident around those who are older?
The
enemy wants nothing more than to get you
to think that God is not for you. But the
promise we have to hold on to is that He
is changing us from glory to glory. Whether
you feel like your glory days are behind
you, or that you’re living in them right
now, remember, the best days are yet to
come.
SILENT
ANSWERS | Job 33:13
Elihu
is rebuking Job for complaining that God
isn’t answering his pleas. What we have
to remember is that God always answers us—His
answer is either YES, NO or NOT YET. Just
because we can’t hear Him doesn’t mean He
doesn’t hear us. Heart Check
How
do you deal when God's answers seem silent?
PAINFUL
PURPOSE | Job 33:19-21
While
Elihu is implying that Job’s pain is perhaps
a rebuke from God, we can draw some wisdom
from this—that there can be found a purpose
in our pain. I am not saying that God will
inflict pain in order to make a point. But
we can shift our perspective on the pain
we feel. You see, it’s easy to sail through
life when everything is roses and butterflies.
But the moment you hit some thorns, you’re
jolted awake again. Pain can be a good thing
because it tells your body that something
isn’t right. In fact, because leprosy would
kill nerve endings, it was discovered that
the loss of fingers and toes and noses wasn’t
actually from the leprosy itself but from
rats that would feed upon the flesh of those
who couldn’t feel it. So sometimes we need
to feel a little pain so that we go to the
doctor and get well. Sometimes it will be
the pain in our lives that brings us back
to the Great Physician.
Are
you able to reconcile purpose and pain?
MY
WAY | Job 34:33
I
remember going to my Filipino uncle’s house
when I was little, and it would be a karaoke
fest every weekend. My Uncle always sang
the “My Way,” that rings “I did it my way,”
with the singer claiming to have no regrets
about life because he lived the way he wanted.
And Elihu is rebuking Job by asking, “Do
you really think God should do things YOUR
way?” And I couldn’t help but ask myself,
how much of my life am I living my way.
So let that serve as a Heart Check.
How
much of your life are you expecting God
to do things your ways?
Deep Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God’s heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who God is?
What
can we learn from Elihu’s restraint and
response in today’s keyboard warrior society?
Can
you tell the difference between righteous
and unrighteous anger?
When
is a reaction warranted and what should
it look like?
How
can you determine when God is speaking through
dreams and visions?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, Thank you for
being our Defender when we kicked to the
ground.
Even
in the midst of those who may have good
intentions with their rebukes, we know that
you have the full story and you’re the one
who knows the whole truth and nothing but
the truth. I pray that our eyes will always
be open to that as well.
May
we also see the value in every generation,
knowing that wisdom does come with age but
it doesn’t always mean that our age determines
our wisdom. So I pray that we will honor
those who have gone before us, paving the
way, while also welcoming the fresh perspectives
of those who are coming up after us.
I
pray that we will never be the type of people
who rebuke simply for the sake of looking
or sounding good. Help us to always go about
it in a godly way, with love and grace.
And help us also never to think so highly
of ourselves that we begin to twist and
misinterpret what others say based on our
own agendas, the way that Elihu has done
here. Give us discernment to be able to
test the spirit of those who may speak against
us.
Forgive
us where we thought we knew better than
you and demanded our own way. I pray that
we will always maintain a submissive heart
that desires your purpose and will for our
lives, for you are indeed greater than we
are.
Help
us always to be open to hearing your voice,
whether through dreams and visions or through
our pain. But I pray that we will never
confuse what it means to have a healthy
fear and respect for you but never a heart
of terror. And when we go through seasons
of silence, help us to trust that you are
indeed speaking in the quiet, even if we
can’t hear it.
Thank
you for letting us see a glimpse of you
today, Jesus. You are indeed our merciful
mediator, the one who accepts us, delivers
us, restores our righteousness, redeems
our soul, works for our good, and is extremely
patient with us. We are eternally grateful.
In
Job 35-37, we hear the final words of Elihu
as he continues his exaggerated condemnation
of Job before breaking into a declaration
of God’s awesome wonder and majesty.
In
chapter 35, Elihu continues in his harsh
and faulty condemnation of Job, claiming
that Job misunderstands God’s justice. He
claimed that God does not gain anything
from our sin or righteousness, nor does
he listen to prideful or empty cries. He
implies that Job has pridefully and wrongly
sought justification from God.
In
chapter 36 Elihu boasts that he is “perfect
in knowledge” that comes from God Himself.
He then extols the greatness and mystery
of God, declaring that He destroys the wicked
early and gives prosperity to the righteous.
With this said, he implies that Job’s suffering
is due to his failure to repent, and if
he would only turn to God, he would be restored
to prosperity. The chapter ends with an
ominous look at God’s presence in nature
and weather.
In
chapter 37, Elihu breaks into celebration
as he proclaims God’s majesty and His divine
control over nature. He may be drawing from
a potential storm around him to illustrate
this. In doing so, he tries testing Job’s
limited knowledge through a series of questions.
Elihu’s final words are a call to all people
to fear God.
CONSTANT
COMMUNION | Job 35:9-11
Heart
Check.
Do
you call on God in both the good times and
the bad? Is your communion with Him constant?
PROSPERITY
| Job 36:11
Here
we go with that prosperity gospel talk again.
Elihu claims that if we simply listen and
serve God, all of our days will be lived
out in prosperity. While this can be true,
it is not absolute. Or is it? It depends
on how you view prosperity—whether it is
based on worldly wealth, good health and
an abundance of possessions or a growing
faith, joy, peace, and hope in what is to
come. Heart Check.
How
do you view prosperity?
HIS
MAJESTY | Job 36
While
Elihu’s intent is to squash Job into repentance
by comparing his feeble nature to the majesty
of God, the best thing we can do is to look
for the good or to look for the heartbeat
of God. Because he does do an incredible
job at illustrating His wisdom and power
through creation and weather. But these
things are so often overlooked when we are
constantly consumed with our own dealings
in life. Heart Check.
How
often do you reflect on the majesty of God
our Creator?
VIEW
OF GOD | Job 33:19-21
Elihu
ends his celebration of God’s majesty as
our all-powerful Creator with a call for
all to fear God. If you’re new to the Bible,
this can raise a lot of questions. What
does it mean to fear God? Does this mean
I should be scared of Him? No.
The
Hebrew word for fear here is or , which contextually means to be in
awe or to have reverence and be in wonder
of. It’s recognizing how small we are in
comparison to our Great God. And yes, once
we are face to face with the reality of
this, there should be some natural fear.
In fact, we will later read about people
falling to their faces in fear when they
were met with the glory or presence of God.
But in His good nature, He was always right
there to comfort them in the midst of it.
This is why we have to understand the fullness
of God, as best as we can. Heart Check.
What
is your view of God? What characteristics
stand out the most?
Deep
Dive
Do
you believe our actions affect God? In what
ways?
How
do you reconcile God's sovereignty (reign
or control over all things) and how we choose
to live in response to it? Does it really
matter?
Do
you believe that repentance can lead to
a prosperous life? In what ways?
Are
you to perceive the infinite wisdom and
power of God? Are you accepting of our inability
to perfectly understand it?
Does
God's power and sovereignty bring you comfort
in hard times?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, Your infinite
wisdom and awesome ways are indeed beyond
our ability to understand.
We
do recognize that who you are and what you
do transcends our limited ability to comprehend.
But while we may not fully know the why
or the how, what we do know is that you
love us, that you are just, that you are
gracious, and that you are merciful.
I
pray that we will gain a better understanding
everyday of who you are but never try to
rise above your majesty. Forgive us where
we have doubted your goodness or questioned
your actions.
Help
us to be a people who don’t only call on
you when things are bad but constantly come
before you with the desire to be in relationship
with you, especially in times of success
or prosperity. May we never lose sight of
you, as the Giver of everything good in
our lives. Forgive us where we have taken
that for granted.
I
pray that we will be able to see your face
in the midst of every aspect of nature,
recognizing your awesome design and purpose
in it.
And
may we heed the call today to maintain our
humility before you and to always live in
reverence, awe and wonder, knowing just
how small we are in the midst of your greatness.
We praise you.
Job
38-39 marks a turning point in the book,
where God, who has been vocally absent,
now comes on to the scene to give His perspective,
leaving no one to presume any longer.
In
chapter 38, God begins answering Job with
a series of questions that bring Job back
to a place of reverence, rather than equal
footing with God. He asks Job where he was
when He laid the foundations of the earth,
He declares His power over every aspect
of nature and also how He puts a limit on
wickedness. By exposing Job’s ignorance
in comparison to God’s omnipotence, God
is gently rebuking Job for his complaints
against God.
In
chapter 39, God continues a 60-question
series, asking Job if he created the perfect
order and balance in creation. God uses
vivid imagery of animals like the wild donkey,
an extinct wild ex, the ostrich, the horse,
and majestic birds like the eagle to make
his point that his divine wisdom spans far
beyond human understanding.
SECOND-HAND
KNOWLEDGE | Job 38:1-4
God
starts off by saying, “I’m sorry, were you
a fiy on the wall when I created the heavens
and the earth?” In other words, are you
the general contractor, the architect, the
carpenter? What’s interesting is that none
of us have first-hand knowledge of what
God did, yet many of us walk around like
all-knowing experts in the way that we bite
back at each other with our expertise. Heart
Check.
Do
you understand your place as a recipient
of second-hand knowledge? Does it keep you
in place of humility? Or do you find yourself
lording it over others?
Q&A
| Job 38
God
asked a lot of rhetorical questions here,
but He answered none. And I think that He
sometimes doesn’t give us the answer, because
He simply IS the answer. But because we
can also be like 5-year-olds who ask why
the sky is blue, and when we’re told, “It
is due to a phenomenon known as Raleigh
scattering where electromagnetic radiation
is scattered by particles of wavelengths
much smaller in size,” we’re left completely
confused. It’s the same way we won’t understand
the answer even if He tells us the straight
facts. His ways are so much higher than
ours. Most of the time, we don’t
actually want His answer. We simply want
Him to give us what we want. “Give me more
money, give me a spouse, give me happiness,”
and then we wonder why we’re never happy.
Because our expectations are all wrong.
If we’re coming to God only for what we
can get from Him, rather than coming to
Him because He simply IS everything we need,
then the answer will never make sense. Heart
Check.
Do
you feel you have the right to question
God? What kind of answer are you expecting?
MYSTERY
OF GOD | Job 39
It
amazes me that some people, namely unbelievers,
will go through life, completely missing
out on the awestruck wonder of nature. Even
our perspective begins to get clouded, or
we become desensitized to it at times. But
how in the world does an eagle know to build
her nest high up? How does she know that
in order to make her babies fly, she first
has to rattle them out of the nest and let
them fall for a bit before swooping in to
rescue them? They don’t have YouTube tutorials.
So it must be God. Heart Check.
When
you look at nature, are you able to see
God's handiwork in the mystery of it? Or
have you been desensitized?
Look
around today, and try to be hyper aware
of God’s hand where you live.
Deep
Dive
In
what ways were you able to see God's heartbeat
throughout this reading? Does it challenge
or affirm your understanding of who God
is?
Why
do you think God answered Job first?
How
do you view the gap between man's knowledge
and God's?
Take
a look at each one of the animals in chapter
39. How can their distinct qualities compare
to human behavior?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, we recognize your
sovereignty over the profound mysteries
of creation and the universe.
I
pray that every time we see a storm looming,
the boundaries of the seashore, a sunrise
or sunset, the billions of stars in the
galaxy, that we will be reminded of your
great power. May it never become so common
to us that we lose sight of your ability
to control all things, especially the miniscule
details of our lives.
When
our minds begin to ponder the mysteries
of life and death, help us to come back
to trusting you and the things that we do
know—that we need to personally know you
Jesus so that we can have a firm footing
on the road to heaven.
Forgive
us where we have ever thought that it was
our right to demand an answer from you.
We know that your ways are higher and beyond
our human ability to understand. Even with
the greatest of researchers and scientists,
our understanding will always pale in comparison
to your great wisdom.
Thank
you for giving us just a glimpse into your
mind and heart today.
In
Job 40-42, God continues to assert His authority,
sovereignty and power over all of creation.
He poses rhetorical questions to Job that
set him in his rightful place of humility.
This leads Job to deep remorse and repentance
which prompts God to restore Job’s life
two-fold and bless him with a new family.
In
chapter 40, God silences Job when He gives
him his direct attention once again. He
begins another series of rhetorical questioning
to address some of the crucial errors Job
made in his speeches. He also challenges
Job to take on His tasks and see where that
would leave him in his own questioning in
the end. This put Job in his proper place
of humility before God.
In
chapter 41, we are reacquainted in more
detail with the sea creature Leviathan.
As an untamable and powerful monster, scholars
have attributed its identity to that of
a crocodile, whale or dinosaur. However,
by the end of the chapter, this creature
is identified as a fire-breathing dragon,
which some say is a symbol of Satan himself.
God ultimately stresses His control over
Leviathan, forcing Job back into a place
of humility.
In
chapter 42, Job answers God with simple
confession and humility, acknowledging God’s
greatness and seeking His forgiveness. God,
in turn, rebukes Job’s friends and advises
Job to intercede and make a sacrifice on
their behalf. God then restores Job’s fortunes
to double of what he had before and blesses
him with 10 more children, three of which
are the most beautiful daughters, and Job
rests after living a blessed and prosperous
life in his latter days.
CONDEMNING
GOD | Job 40:8
How
has Job condemned God? Particularly in chapter
24, Job was citing all of the injustice
and lack of social order without consequence
that he saw in the world. As his friends
assumed that Job’s suffering could be credited
to God’s punishment for sin, Job had to
condemn God in order to uphold his own innocence.
Also, through Job’s questioning of what
God was doing, the assumption is that he
felt God was wrong for allowing him to go
through this pain.
Have
you ever felt that God was wrong in something
He did or allowed to happen? Job 40:1-8
DISQUALIFIED
| Job 40
In
the end, God has challenged Job to take
on his role for the day. This only leaves
Job to realize that he is completely inadequate
and unable to even come close to what God
can do. He has been disqualified. Heart
Check.
When
you think about your own abilities, do you
feel it qualifies you to be in a place of
judgement or knowing what is best? Or do
you, like Job, feel disqualified? Job 40:15-24
GOD’S
POWER | Job 41
In
the end, God is declaring His power and
authority over even the greatest and most
ferocious beast that mankind has ever known.
It’s easy for us as bystanders to read this
and be God’s cheerleader as we wholeheartedly
agree with Him… until we are the ones in
the ring with evil. Why is that?
Why
are we able to trust God's sovereignty and
power for everyone else but not ourselves?
SIMPLE CONFESSION
| Job 42:3
I love that Job didn’t try to make any
excuses for himself. He simply said, “I’m
sorry, I was wrong, please forgive me.”
This is powerful and will quickly defuse
an escalating situation. But it also takes
a lot of humility and self-control if the
other person should continue to press the
matter. Heart Check.
How
easy is it for you to practice simple confession?
Are you able to apologize quickly? Job 42:1-3
FIRSTHAND
ENCOUNTER | Job 42:4-6
It's
incredible that up to this point, Job has
been defending his innocence, integrity,
and righteousness, despite knowing God.
But now that he’s actually face to face
with him, it brings him to a place of humility
like he’s never known. Heart Check.
Have
you encountered God in such a way that brings
your entire spirit into the dust and ashes?
Job 42:4-6
INTERCESSION
| Job 42:7-9
It’s
interesting that God tells Job how to intercede
for his friends. I’m sure that even if he
knew what was right, the last thing he wanted
to do at this point was beg God NOT to punish
them. So perhaps that’s why God needed to
give him a little direction. But this is
beating right out of God’s chest, where
we are able to see the power of intercession.
God hears our prayers for other people.
It doesn’t mean that He will answer them
the way we think He should, but why not
die trying? Heart Check.
How
often do intercede for others? Do you truly
believe that God hears your prayers? Job
42:7-10
Deep
Dive
How
can we reconcile our own inability to understand
what God is allowing to happen and God's
sovereignty and goodness?
Would
responding in question be an effective response
for us today?
How
would you explain God's sovereignty and
omnipotence (unlimited power) to one who
is new in the faith?
Are
you able to leave vindication to God and
fully trust in his promise to restore?
Date
of Writing: The date of the authorship of
the Book of Job would be determined by the
author of the Book of Job. If Moses was
the author, the date would be around 1440
B.C. If Solomon was the author, the date
would be around 950 B.C. Because we don’t
know the author, we can’t know the date
of writing.
Purpose
of Writing: The Book of Job helps us to
understand the following:
1.
Satan cannot bring
financial and physical destruction upon
us unless it is by God’s permission.
2.
God
has power over what Satan can and cannot
do.
3.
It is beyond our human ability to understand
the "why’s" behind all the suffering
in the world. The wicked will receive their
just dues.
4.
We cannot always blame suffering
and sin on our lifestyles. Suffering may
sometimes be allowed in our lives to purify,
test, teach, or strengthen the soul.
5.
God
remains enough.
6.
He deserves and requests
our love and praise in all circumstances
of life.
Key
Verses
Job
1:1, "In the land of Uz there lived
a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless
and upright; he feared God and shunned evil."
Job
1:21, "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."
Job
38:1-2, "Then the LORD answered Job
out of the storm. He said, 'Who is this
that darkens my counsel with words without
knowledge?'"
Job
42:5-6, "My ears had heard of you but
now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise
myself and repent in dust and ashes."
Brief
Summary: At the beginning of the book of
Job is a scene in heaven where Satan stands
before God. God asks Satan, “Have you considered
my servant Job?” (Job 1:8), and Satan immediately
accuses Job, a righteous man, of fearing
God only because God had prospered him.
“Strike everything he has,” Satan says,
“and he will surely curse you to your face”
(Job 1:11).
God grants Satan limited permission
to put Job to the test. Why do the righteous
suffer? This is the question raised after
Job loses his family, his wealth, and his
health. Job’s three friends Eliphaz, Bildad,
and Zophar, come to “comfort” him and to
discuss his crushing series of tragedies.
They insist his suffering is punishment
for sin in his life. Job, though, remains
devoted to God through all of this and contends
that his life has not been one of sin. A
fourth man, Elihu, tells Job he needs to
humble himself and submit to God’s use of
trials to purify his life. Finally, Job
questions God Himself and learns valuable
lessons about the sovereignty of God and
his need to totally trust in the Lord. Job
is then restored to health, happiness, and
prosperity beyond his earlier state.
Foreshadowings:
As Job was pondering the cause of his misery,
three questions came to his mind, all of
which are answered only in our Lord Jesus
Christ. These questions occur in chapter
14. First, in verse 4, Job asks, "Who
can bring what is pure from the impure?
No one!?" Job’s question comes from
a heart that recognizes it cannot possibly
please God or become justified in His sight.
God is holy; we are not. Therefore, a great
gulf exists between man and God, caused
by sin. But the answer to Job’s anguished
question is found in Jesus Christ. He has
paid the penalty for our sin and has exchanged
it for His righteousness, thereby making
us acceptable in God’s sight (Hebrews 10:14;
Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Job’s
second question, "But man dies and
lies prostrate; Man expires, and where is
he?" (vs. 10), is another question
about eternity and life and death that is
answered only in Christ. With Christ, the
answer to ‘where is he?’ is eternal life
in heaven. Without Christ, the answer is
an eternity in “outer darkness” where there
is “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew
25:30).
Job’s
third question, found in verse 14, is “If
a man dies, will he live again?” Once again,
the answer is found in Christ. We do indeed
live again if we are in Him. “When the perishable
has been clothed with the imperishable,
and the mortal with immortality, then the
saying that is written will come true: ‘Death
has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where,
O death, is your victory? Where, O death,
is your sting?’” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
Practical
Application: The Book of Job reminds us
that there is a "cosmic conflict"
going on behind the scenes that we usually
know nothing about. Often we wonder why
God allows something, and we question or
doubt God’s goodness, without seeing the
full picture. The Book of Job teaches us
to trust God under all circumstances. We
must trust God, not only WHEN we do not
understand, but BECAUSE we do not understand.
The psalmist tells us, “As for God, His
way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). If God’s
ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that
whatever He does—and whatever He allows—is
also perfect. This may not seem possible
to us, but our minds are not God’s mind.
It is true that we can’t expect to understand
His mind perfectly, as He reminds us, “For
my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For
as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways and
my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah
55:8-9). Nevertheless, our responsibility
to God is to obey Him, to trust Him, and
to submit to His will, whether we understand
it or not.
that
we would not be outwitted by Satan; for
we are not ignorant of his designs. (2 Corinthians
2:11)
One
of the most sobering facts about life is
that all humans have a supernatural enemy
whose aim is to use pain and pleasure to
make us blind, stupid, and miserable — forever.
The Bible calls him “the devil and Satan,
the deceiver of the whole world . . . the
accuser” (Revelation 12:9–10), “the ruler
of this world” (John 12:31), and “the god
of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4).
He
is our “adversary [who] prowls around like
a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”
(1 Peter 5:8). Yet, in the most appalling
and unwitting bondage, the whole world willingly
“follows the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit that is now at work in the
sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). At
his most successful, his subjects march
obliviously to destruction, and take as
many with them as they can.
The
“good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18) that I wrote
about under the title “Awake and at War”
includes the daily resistance of this enemy
(1 Peter 5:9; James 4:7), the daily refusal
to give him an opportunity (Ephesians 4:27),
and the daily stand against his schemes
(Ephesians 6:11).
Satan’s
Leash — and Impending Doom
God
is sovereign over Satan. The devil does
not have a free hand in this world. He is
on a leash, so that he can do no more than
God permits. In effect, he must get permission
— as in the case of Simon Peter, where Jesus
discloses, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan
has asked to have you, that he might sift
you like wheat” (Luke 22:31). And the case
of Job: “The Lord said to Satan, “Behold,
Job is in your hand; only spare his life”
(Job 2:6).
So
evidently God sees the ongoing role of Satan
as essential for his purposes in the world,
since, if God willed, Satan would be thrown
into the lake of fire now, instead of at
the end of the age. “The devil who had deceived
them was thrown into the lake of fire and
. . . will be tormented day and night forever
and ever” (Revelation 20:10). His complete
defeat is coming and sure. But not yet.
Unwitting
Servant of Our Sanctification
God
intends that part of our preparation for
heaven be a life of warfare with hell. He
calls it a “good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18)
and a “good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12). It
is good, not because we might be killed
(which we might! — Revelation 2:10), but
because these fire-fights refine the gold
of our faith (1 Peter 1:7), in life and
death.
God
is the great General in this warfare. He
has given us the walkie-talkie of prayer
to call for help: “Take . . . the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times” (Ephesians 6:17–18).
He
sees behind enemy lines, and knows exactly
the strategies that will be used against
us. He has written them down in a wartime
manual “so that we would not be outwitted
by Satan.” The reason we will not be outwitted
is that “we are not ignorant of his designs”
(2 Corinthians 2:11).
Primer
on Satan’s Strategies
If
you need a refresher for what those “designs”
are, here is a summary. May God make you
a mighty warrior! May he “train your hands
for war and your fingers for battle” (Psalm
144:1).
1.
Satan lies, and is the father of lies.
“When
he lies, he speaks according to his own
nature, for he is a liar and the father
of lies” (John 8:44). The first time Satan
appears in the Bible in Genesis 3, the first
words on his lips are suspicious of the
truth (“Did God say, You shall not eat of
any tree in the garden?”). And the second
words on his lips were a subtle falsehood
(“You will not die”). John says that Satan
“has nothing to do with the truth, because
there is no truth in him” (John 8:44). We
are dealing with the essence of falsehood
and deception.
2.
He blinds the minds of unbelievers.
“The
god of this age has blinded the minds of
the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing
the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:4). So he not only
speaks what is false. He hides what is true.
He keeps us from seeing the treasure of
the gospel. He lets us see facts, even proofs,
but not preciousness.
3.
He masquerades in costumes of light and
righteousness.
In
2 Corinthians 11:13–15, Paul says that some
people are posing as apostles who are not.
He explains like this: “Even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light. So it is not
strange if his servants also disguise themselves
as servants of righteousness.”
In
other words, Satan has servants who profess
enough truth to join the church, and from
inside teach what Paul calls “doctrines
of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Jesus says they
will be like wolves in sheep’s clothing
(Matthew 7:15). Acts 20:30 says they will
not spare the flock, but will draw people
away to destruction. Without God’s gift
of discernment (Philippians 1:9), our love
will be suckered into stupidity.
4.
Satan does signs and wonders.
In
2 Thessalonians 2:9, the last days are described
like this: “The coming of the lawless one
by the activity of Satan will be with all
power, and with signs and wonders of the
lie.” That’s my awkward translation.
“God intends that part of our preparation for
heaven be a life of warfare
with hell.”
Some
translate it “with false signs and wonders.”
But this makes the signs and wonders look
unreal. In fact, some people do say that
Satan can only fake miracles. I doubt it.
And even if it’s true, his fake is going
to be good enough to look real to almost
everybody.
“God
intends that part of our preparation for
heaven be a life of warfare with hell.”
One
reason I doubt that Satan can only fake
his miracles is that in Matthew 24:24 Jesus
describes the last days like this: “False
Christs and false prophets will arise and
show great signs and wonders, so as to lead
astray, if possible, even the elect.” There
is no hint that these “signs and wonders”
will be tricks.
Let
your confidence be grounded in something
far deeper than any supposed inability of
Satan to do signs and wonders. Even real
signs and wonders in the service of anti-Christian
assertions, prove nothing, even when they
are done “in the name of Jesus.” “Lord,
Lord, did we not do many mighty works in
your name?” To which Jesus will reply, “I
never knew you; depart from me, you workers
of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:22–23). The problem
was not that the signs and wonders weren’t
real, but that they were in the service
of sin.
5.
Satan tempts people to sin.
This
is what he did unsuccessfully to Jesus in
the wilderness — he wanted him to abandon
the path of suffering and obedience (Matthew
4:1–11). This is what he did successfully
to Judas in the last hours of Jesus’s life
(Luke 22:3–6). And in 2 Corinthians 11:3,
Paul warns against this for all the believers:
“I am afraid that as the serpent deceived
Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be
led astray from a sincere and pure devotion
to Christ.”
6.
Satan plucks the word of God out of people’s
hearts and chokes faith.
Jesus
told the parable of the four soils in Mark
4:1–9. In it, the seed of the word of God
is sown, and some falls on the path and
birds quickly take it away. He explains
in verse 15, “Satan immediately comes and
takes away the word which was sown in them.”
Satan snatches the word because he hates
faith which the word produces (Romans 10:17).
Paul
expresses his concern for the faith of the
Thessalonians like this: “I sent to learn
about your faith, for fear that somehow
the tempter had tempted you and our labor
would be in vain” (1 Thessalonians 3:5).
Paul knew that Satan’s design is to choke
off the faith of people who have heard the
word of God.
7.
Satan causes some sickness and disease.
Jesus
healed a woman once who was bent over and
could not straighten herself. When some
criticized him for doing that on the Sabbath,
he said, “Ought not this woman, a daughter
of Abraham, whom Satan bound for eighteen
years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath
day?” (Luke 13:16). Jesus saw Satan as the
one who had caused this disease.
“God
is sovereign over Satan. The devil has no
free hand in this world. He is on a leash,
and can do only what God permits.”
“God is sovereign over Satan. The devil has
no free hand in this world.
He is on a leash, and can do
only what God permits.”
In
Acts 10:38, Peter described Jesus as one
who “went about doing good and healing all
who were oppressed by the devil.” In other
words, the devil often oppresses people
with illness. This too is one of his designs.
But
don’t make the mistake of saying every sickness
is the work of the devil. To be sure, even
when a “thorn in the flesh” is God’s design
for our sanctification, it also may be the
“messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7).
But there are other instances in which the
disease is solely attributed to God’s design
without reference to Satan: “It was not
that this man sinned, or his parents, but
that the works of God might be displayed
in him” (John 9:3). Jesus feels no need
to bring Satan in as the culprit in his
own merciful designs.
8.
Satan is a murderer.
Jesus
said to those who were planning to kill
him, “You are of your father the devil,
and your will is to do your father’s desires.
He was a murderer from the beginning, and
has nothing to do with the truth” (John
8:44). John says, “Do not be like Cain,
who was of the evil one and murdered his
brother” (1 John 3:12). Jesus told the blameless
church at Smyrna, “The devil is about to
throw some of you into prison. . . . Be
faithful unto death, and I will give you
the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
To
put it in a word, Satan is blood-thirsty.
Christ came into the world that we might
have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).
Satan comes that he might destroy life wherever
he can and in the end make it eternally
miserable.
9.
Satan fights against the plans of missionaries.
Paul
tells of how his missionary plans were frustrated
in 1 Thessalonians 2:17–18: “We endeavored
the more eagerly, and with great desire,
to see you face to face; because we wanted
to come to you . . . but Satan hindered
us.” Satan hates evangelism and discipleship,
and he will throw every obstacle he can
in the way of missionaries and people with
a zeal for evangelism.
10.
Satan accuses Christians before God.
Revelation
12:10 says, “I heard a loud voice in heaven
saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God and the authority
of his Christ have come, for the accuser
of our brothers has been thrown down, who
accuses them day and night before our God.’”
Satan’s defeat is sure. But his accusations
haven’t ceased.
It
is the same with us as it was with Job.
Satan says to God about us, They don’t really
love you; they love your benefits. “Stretch
out your hand and touch all that [they have],
and [they] will curse you to your face”
(Job 1:11). Their faith isn’t real. Satan
accuses us before God, as he did Job. But
it is a glorious thing that followers of
Jesus have an advocate who “always lives
to make intercession for them” (Hebrews
7:25).
Satan
Will Not Win
Those
are some of Satan’s designs. The path to
victory in this warfare is to hold fast
to Christ who has already dealt the decisive
blow.
1
John 3:8: “The Son of God appeared to destroy
the works of the devil.”
Hebrews
2:14: “Christ took on human nature that
through death he might destroy him who has
the power of death, that is, the devil.”
Colossians
2:15: “God disarmed the principalities and
powers and made a public example of them,
triumphing over them in him.” In other words,
the decisive blow was struck at Calvary.
Mark
3:27: “No one can enter a strong man’s house
and plunder his goods, unless he first binds
the strong man.”
Revelation
20:10 says one day the warfare will be over:
“The devil . . . [will be] thrown into the
lake of fire and brimstone . . . and will
be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
(See Matthew 8:29; 25:41)
Resist!
James
says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you!” (James 4:7). How do we do that?
Here is how they did it according to Revelation
12:11: “They have conquered him by the blood
of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
for they loved not their lives even unto
death.” They embraced the triumph of Christ
by his blood. They spoke that truth in faith.
They did not fear death. And they triumphed.
The
New Testament highlights prayer as the pervasive
accompaniment of every battle. “Take . .
. the helmet of salvation, and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
praying at all times in the Spirit, with
all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians
6:17–18).
“Do
not be outwitted by Satan. God sees behind
enemy lines and tells us all we need to
know to not be ignorant of Satan’s designs.”
“Do not be outwitted by Satan. God sees behind
enemy lines and tells us all
we need to know to not be ignorant
of Satan’s designs.”
As
the close of this age draws near, and Satan
rages, Jesus calls us to wartime prayer:
“Watch at all times, praying that you may
have strength to escape all these things
that will take place, and to stand before
the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). Similarly,
Peter makes an urgent call to end-time prayer:
“The end of all things is at hand; therefore
be self-controlled and sober-minded for
the sake of your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).
Even
Jesus fought against the devil on our behalf
with the weapon of prayer. He said to Peter
in Luke 22:31–32, “Satan has asked to have
you that he might sift you like wheat, but
I have prayed for you that your faith may
not fail.” So Jesus illustrates for us the
opposition of a specific satanic threat
with prayer.
And,
of course, Jesus instructed us to make prayer
a daily weapon for protection in general:
“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil” (Matthew 6:13). That is, deliver
us from the successful temptation of the
evil one. Do you confront the designs of
the devil with the focused and determined
power of prayer?
No
Neutral Zone
The
question is not whether you want to be in
this war. Everyone is in it. Either we are
defeated by the devil and thus following,
like cattle to the slaughter, “the prince
of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2),
or we are resisting — “resist him, firm
in your faith!” (1 Peter 5:9).
There
is no neutral zone. You either triumph “by
the blood of the Lamb and the word of your
testimony,” or you will be enslaved by Satan.
Therefore, “Share in suffering as a good
soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3),
and “wage the good warfare” (1 Timothy 1:18).
Pray without ceasing!
The
Lord Jesus is no less a warrior today than
in the days of old. So I urge you again:
Come to him as willing soldiers of the Prince
of Peace and learn to say, “He trains my
hands for war” (Psalm 144:1).
Prayer
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, you are the God of glorious endings.
But
you are also the God who was there before
any of us ever were and you remain with
us in the middle, all the way until the
end. Thank you for being the same God who
held Job in your hands when the enemy tried
to do him in. Thank you for not allowing
him to be defeated. You knew he could handle
it and because of that, his life would be
a testament to your faithfulness to take
what the enemy meant for evil and turn it
for good.
Thank
you that even when he desires to steal,
kill and destroy, you have already won the
war, and he will not get what he wants.
Our
minds are still blown as to how great you
really are. But according to what we can
comprehend, it brings us to our knees in
humility. We recognize your power over every
living thing, great and small. We recognize
your rule over the spiritual arena and even
where battles wage in our minds.
Forgive
us where we have tried to assert control
over any situation or power in our lives.
Help us always to surrender to you and trust
that you are at the reins. We know that
nothing and no one can stand against you
and that you can do all things.
Thank
you that there is nothing that anyone can
do, nothing that we can do to thwart your
purpose. Sometimes we think we have messed
up our lives so badly, but we aren’t even
powerful enough to do that.
Thank
you for giving us second chances, to repent
when we have been ignorant, or even when
we have blatantly walked into sin. We are
so grateful for your correction and for
your willingness to hear our prayers as
we cry out in desperation. Thank you for
hearing our prayers when we intercede for
others. Help us to be mindful of those we
can be praying for. I pray that we will
grow into even greater prayer warriors.
Teach us how to pray, Lord. Until then,
we will simply come to you in simplicity.
And
we thank you for giving us hope that our
latter days will be better than our former
ones. What a glorious hope we get to look
forward to!
Genesis
12-15 marks the beginning of God’s calling
on Abram and Sarai to bear a new nation
and a new people. Through this great nation
Israel, God promises to bless the rest of
the world through it. Through these chapters,
we see the first tithe, the first war, and
the foundation that will lead to the coming
of Christ.
In
chapter 12, God gives him seven promises
of blessing and protection. As he and his
wife Sarai traveled to Canaan, they were
met with famine and continued south to Egypt.
Out of fear, Abram faltered in his faith
and urged his wife to claim to be only his
sister and not his wife in order to protect
them. God plagues Pharaoh’s household to
protect both Abram and Sarai and they are
sent out of Egypt unharmed.
In
chapter 13, Abram and Sarai head back to
their place of dwelling and worship. As
he and his nephew Lot began to increase
in herds and fiocks, a dispute arose between
their herdsmen. Abram generously o£ered
Lot his own land of his choosing. Lot chose
the fertile plain of the Jordan Valley and
Sodom, while Abram sets up another tent
and altar in Hebron. God reminded Abram
that the land in its entirety was given
to him alone.
In
chapter 14, a battle breaks out between
a confederacy of kings, with Chedorlaomer
and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah leading
each side. Lot and his family were captured
in the midst of it. Abram forms a small
army to rescue his nephew and the other
captives. After doing so, he is met by Melchizedek,
the priest of Salem, to whom he pays the
first tithe and gives and receives a blessing.
Abram refuses to accept any plunder o£ered
by the king of Sodom in exchange for the
captives.
In
chapter 15, God makes His covenant with
Abram. He promises to be his shield and
reward and to give him a child that will
be his heir, which will be innumerable.
When God reminds Abram of the land He has
brought him to, Abram asks God for confirmation,
expressing some doubt in the promise. He
gives Abram instructions on preparing a
sacrifice and prophecies in a dream about
400 years of both suffering and freedom
for his descendants. The Lord then confirms
His covenant with Abram through a visual
sign over the sacrifice.
PROMISES
| Gen. 12:4
Abram
went. God’s promises were enough to inspire
his obedience. He didn’t need proof. He
went in faith, and this will be the vital
key to his great name. His righteousness
will hinge on his belief in God. To me,
this is incredible, because I wonder how
many of us would leave everything behind
and walk by fath. Yet, that’s what Jesus
has called us to. Heart Check.
Is
God's promise enough to lead you to obedience?
What promises do you live by?
I encourage you to make a list of 3-5
life verses, marking the ones that are essential
for this season.
TENT MENTALITY | Gen. 12:7-8
Notice that Abram didn’t stop to lay
a foundation or put his fiag in the ground.
He pitched a tent—a temporary dwelling.
Because he knew this wasn’t his final destination.
He knew this life was temporary. And it
kept him from rooting himself too deeply
into this earth. Sometimes we can do that—we
think this life is all we have, and so we
invest everything we can into earthly dwellings,
thinking that it will bring us happiness,
and then when it doesn’t, we start the hamster
wheel all over again.
Most of us don’t have a tent mentality.
But we should! Because we are merely pilgrims
or sojourners who are simply passing through,
just as Abram did here. If we could get
our minds set on our final destination,
then we could sit back, relax and enjoy
the ride. Heart Check.
Do you find yourself pitching a tent
in this life? Or is your foundation set
here on earth?
STRENGTHS | Gen. 12:10-13
It always piques my interest that Abraham,
the “Father of Faith,” struggled in the
area of faith. He was amazing at trusting
in the distant promises, but his faith faltered
when potential issues were knocking at his
door. The very place of his strength was
also the area of his greatest weakness.
This is crucial for us to see because if
we aren’t paying attention to this, we too
can fall in a moment of weakness when there’s
no dependence on God. Most of us have got
our weaknesses nailed down—we know where
we need help. But do you know where areas
of strength are? Have you ever taken inventory
of it? Heart Check.
What are your
strengths? What areas of
your life do you find yourself less dependent
on God? How can you keep those areas surrendered
to Him?
AT THE FIRST | Gen. 13:4
When we mess up, we are going to do one
of two things—run away in shame or go back
to where we first started—back to the beginning.
Abram chose the right path. He went back
to the place where he built the altar and
put his stakes into the ground. I just had
one of these moments last night. I tend
to drive in silence in my car, no music,
no podcasts, just quiet. And I love it.
But my drives used to be my moments of worship,
where I would sing at the top of my lungs
and shout hallelujah and cry, and I wanted
to go back there to that sweet place of
surrender. And when I did, there was the
greatest release in my spirit. Sometimes
we have to come back to that childhood home
in our hearts and do the things we did at
the first. Heart Check.
Do you remember the sweetest moments
of surrender in your life? The things you
did at the first? Do< you need to go back there?
Some of you might be in that sweet spot
now. Or maybe you’re making your way back.
Some might be looking for that place and
don’t know where it is. Stay put. Don’t
leave. Stay in His word. Start playing worship
music. He will meet you when you take those
baby steps. And there is something so precious
when you are back in His arms as a child
once again.
What would you have done if you were
in Lot's shoes and given first choice?
GLORY OF SUCCESS | Gen. 14:21-24
Abram denies all of the plunder that
the King of Sodom is o£ering in exchange
for the people. This is a typical ploy by
the devil. He will try to lure us in with
the things of this world in exchange for
our souls. And it can be so subtle and so
“normalized” today, that we completely miss
that his dirty little hands are involved
in it. He wants us to strive for success
and will even be our cheerleader the whole
way so that we will think that we have done
it on our own. But Abram knew better. He
refused to allow any glory to go to anyone
but God. Heart Check.
When you look at the times you were winning
in life, who did you give glory to? Who
are you working for now?
RIGHTLY CLOTHED | Gen. 15:6
Abram has just questioned God, but the
beautiful thing is that even when Abram
faltered a little bit in his faith, he had
a deep-seated belief, and therefore God
counted it to him as righteousness. The
term righteous literally means rightly clothed.
And the Bible says that when we are saved,
we too, are clothed with robes of righteousness.
We don’t need to work to buy a new wardrobe.
But we can quickly de-robe ourselves when our mouths get
the best of us, or we take o£ grace
and kindness. But thank God that where sin
abounds, grace abounds even more, and we
always have the opportunity to put on a
better outfit. Heart Check.
Are you rightly clothed today? Are your
word and thoughts aligned with righteousness?
Deep
Dive
What
lessons can we learn from Abram's first
journey to Canaan?
What
character traits of Abram do yo admire?
Do
you see wealth as a blessing or potential
problem?
Do
you think Abram's moments of doubt were
justified?
How
do these chapters influence your trust in
God's timing?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, You are the Promise
Giver and the Promise Keeper.
Thank
you for the many promises we saw in this
reading today. We are so grateful for your
calling on the life of Abram, as it lays
the foundation for the coming of Christ.
This isn’t just about history or an age-old
covenant. It is still so foundational for
our lives today. Help us to continue to
see Israel through your eyes and for what
you intended it to be from the beginning.
This isn’t condoning the evil that exists
there, but it is understanding that the
nation as a whole is still the apple of
your eye.
I
pray that we will stay focused on what is
important. Keep our eyes focused on heaven
as we sojourn through this life, knowing
that it is only a temporary home. We know
that when we long for bigger, better and
greater, it is because we are longing for
our final destination in heaven. We know
the enemy wants to keep us stuck in the
pettiness of the world, but we refuse. We
will rise above it and resist Him by remaining
true to your Word and promises. Thank you
that we have something better to look forward
to. But I pray that while we are here, we
will be a people who share your heart with
the world. One of kindness and grace and
mercy.
Forgive
us where we have doubted your promises.
I pray that we will have a deep-seated belief
like Abram and be able to move past moments
of doubt. Help our unbelief and I pray that
we will walk by faith every single day.
Thank you Jesus for dying for us so that
we can be clothed with robes of righteousness.
We didn’t have to do anything but simply
believe that you came, died, and rose again,
so that we could be forgiven and be given
eternal life. We are so grateful.
And
I pray that we will have hearts that fight
for unity. Help us to be a true family,
one that seeks to make peace when fires
start to erupt. Help us to go after those
who are taken captive.
Help
us also to be faithful in our tithe and
generosity, knowing that when we are, you
will liberate us from greed and selfishness
as we seek you first and foremost. We know
that when we are faithful in little, we
will be faithful in much.
And
as we take hold of our own promised land,
may we not shortchange ourselves by failing
to take authority of the entire promise.
May we not stop short, for there is a harvest
beyond the borders that our eyes can so
faintly see. What an honor it is to be a
recipient of your grace. For that we thank
you.
Do
you hear God waking you up and calling you
to higher ground? Or are you hitting the
snooze button on your calling? Genesis 19:17-20
Are
you looking back or struggling to flee your
life or old ways? Genesis 19:26
Have
you ever been tempted to lie or bear false
witness out of fear? What were the conseqences?
How can we avoid this in the future? Genesis
20:1-2
Look
up integrity, both in description and its
use in the Bible. How much weight do you
put on living a life of integrity? Genesis
20:4-7
If
you were given the choice between God's
presence and a life of wealth, which would
you choose? Knowing that we have the gift
of His presence, are you living as if you're
the richest person alive?
Deep
Dive
What
does God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah
say about how He views immorality? Where
do you think He stands today?
How
do view homosexuality and the treatment
of those who may struggle with it?
Why
do you believe God intervened in Abimelech's
potential sin with Sarah?
Why
do you think Abimelech gave so much to Abraham
after he lied to him?
What
does today's reading teach you about faith,
divine intervention and provisio, and relationships?
Are
you aware of the internal struggle within?
Are you able to identify the opponets? Genesis
25:21-23
Are
your hungry pangs from the flesh or the
spirit?? Are you forcefeeding this desire
through implude or patiently feeding the
spirit as you wait for the promise? Genesis
25:29-34
Is
there anyt
is
there anything in your life where the Lord
is telling you, "Don't go there"?
Genesis 26:2
What
footprints are you leaving for your childeren?
Genesis 26:8
Deep
Dive
Do
you think God's early blessing on Jacob
and Esau affected Rebekah's attitude toward
her sons?
How
does parental favoritism affect families?
Woul
you take advantage of someone's momentary
weakness the way Jacob did?
What
are your thoughts on the impact that our
decisions can make on future generatioons?
What
character traits if Isaac stand out most
to you? How can they be applied to your
life?
Genesis
32-34 tells the account of Jacob wrestling
with God and being renamed by God from Jacob
to Israel. Jacob and Esau reconcile after
a 20-year feud, and a horrible crime against
Jacob’s only daughter Dinah is committed.
In
chapter 32, Jacob is met by a host of angels
on his way to his homeland. Knowing he must
pass through Esau’s home of Edom and that
there may still be hostility, he sends messengers
and gifts of peace.
Jacob
is warned that Esau and a camp of 400 men
are heading his way. Afraid for their lives,
Jacob appeals to God for protection and
devises a plan to appease Esau. That night,
Jacob wrestles with a man of God until morning,
not letting go until he receives a blessing.
Jacob prevails and walks away with a limp
and the new name Israel.
In
chapter 33, Jacob continues limping home,
strategically positioning his family and
possessions along the way, with his favorites
Rachel and Joseph in the back. As he comes
face to face with Esau, Jacob bows down
in humility while Esau rushes to embrace
him. Jacob o£ers Esau gifts before
they part ways in peace. Jacob settles just
outside the Promised Land in Shechem, where
he builds an altar and calls this place
El-Elohe-Israel.
In
chapter 34, while Jacob’s only daughter
Dinah goes into Shechem to seek out fellowship
with other women. While there, the prince
of Shechem defiles her and begs for her
hand in marriage. Completely enraged, Dinah’s
brothers devise a scheme to “agree to the
marriage” if all the men of the city become
like them through circumcision. When they
agree and are circumcised, Simeon and Levi
plunder the city and kill all the males
within it while taking captive the women
and children. Jacob rebukes his sons for
this unrighteous vengeance.
Heart
Checks from the video
PANIC
OR PRAY | Gen. 32:6-12
This
account is so real to me, seeing that Jacob
panicked first before he prayed.
It
doesn’t make it the most ideal way to react,
but it shows that the man who will represent
the nation of Israel was human, even after
he was clearly shown that he had supernatural
protection. But once he came to his senses,
that fear turned him to see God, and he
prayed a very specific and powerful prayer
based on God’s promise.
When
faced with fear, do you panic first? Or
Pray? What do your prayers consist of?
WALK
WITH A LIMP | Gen. 32:22-32
While
this was likely a physical wrestling with
God, there was a whole spiritual bout taking
place as well. Why did this need to happen?
Because
all this time, Jacob had been doing things
his way—he had faith, just as Abraham did,
but also moments of weakness and doing things
on his own strength. God needed to touch
him in such a way that would leave a lasting
reminder of where he came from and who he
needed to lean on from here on out. He needed
to be spiritually transformed so that God
could come through on His promise.
Jacob
dealt with the pain in his hip, but it’s
here where he finds his purpose in that
pain. What about you?
Have
you ever wrestled with God? Did you walk
away with a limp?
PRESSURE
VALVE | Gen. 33:8-11
Here
we see Jacob heaping these gifts on to Esau
in hopes of getting some grace in return.Aren’t
you so glad that we are freely given grace,
where no gifts or works are required in
order for our lives to be spared judgment?
Because
of what Jesus has done, we are saved by
grace and not works. But sometimes we can
get trapped in the pressure cooker, where
we think that if we don’t check o£
all the days on the reading plan or answer
all the heart checks or pray certain prayers,
we are somehow going to be rejected.
But
let’s release that pressure valve with a
Heart Check.
Are
you adding pressure to your relationship
with Christ by bringing gifts to his table?
Or you dining in faith?
I HAVE
ENOUGH | Gen. 33:8-11
I
love that both Esau and Jacob’s lives testify
to their faith. Both said these words, “I
have enough.” And the Bible says that “Godliness
with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim.
6:6).
Neither
of them wanted to take or keep the gift
of the other. But I also wonder if this
was a statement of unworthiness. I struggle
with receiving gifts. So much that I have
a pile of unopened mail, because I look
at it as a “reward” for when I am able to
finally get ahead of the game. But I also
realize that when I do that, I am denying
a blessing that someone is so graciously
trying to bestow upon me.
So
this is my confession to you so that I can
be held accountable in this Heart Check.
Do
you feel as though you "have enough"?
Is this because you're content or because
you feel unworthy to recieve more?
HOLD
YOUR PEACE | Gen. 34:5
In
the middle of all this mess, we see some
maturity in Jacob in this one line that
says, “He held his peace.” This is a stark
contrast to what we are about to see in
his sons.
But
this always stands out to me when I read
it because I have had to learn the hard
way throughout my life to protect my peace.
Between social media, the chaos in the world,
everyday struggles, there’s enough to disrupt
that peace within us and get us acting a
fool. What about you? Heart Check.
Do
you need to holdyour peace today rather
than acting on impluse? What can you do
to tighten your grip on it?
Deep
Dive
Do
you believe angels still protect us today?
Do
you believe Jacob was sincere in his desire
to reconcile with Esau?
Is
spiritual transformation necessary in the
Christian faith? Have you experienced this?
How
does Jacob's faith walk inspire you?
How
do you reconcile righteous anger with unrighteous
vengeance?
How
could this unjust act against Dinah have
been avoided or dealt with in a better way?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for knowing us better
than we know ourselves.
We
have all at one time, acted without righteousness,
out of anger, or with a desire to seek vengeance.
We know that your Word says that vengeance
is yours, so I pray that if we have been
wronged in any way, that justice will be
served.
Thank
you for your continued protection upon our
lives. I pray that we will be able to recognize
your presence that surrounds every single
day. Help us not to react to situations
out of fear, but to respond in faith, that
is enacted through our prayers.
Thank
you for showing us how to pray today—for
showing us how to come to you in humility,
to ask specifically for what we need, and
to declare the promises that have been spoken
in your word. I pray that our actions of
faith will follow suit.
We
thank you for the times of wrestling, where
we may not have understood what you were
doing or where you were leading us. But
we thank you that in our own struggle to
get to you, we are now secure in our new
identity. For those who are still seeking
what that means, I pray that you will whisper
their new name in their ears today. Help
them to understand who YOU have created
them to be. And I pray that they will begin
to walk it out.
And
even if it means we walk with a limp, we
do so with you as our crutch, the one who
holds us up and gives us strength where
we are weak. Help us always to lean on you
in everything we do, never losing sight
of the time that you touched our lives and
transformed our hearts to the likeness of
you.
Thank
you for the gift of grace, where we are
not required to bring anything but our obedience
to your throne. I pray that you will continue
to show us what that means.
Help
us to hold our peace today, wherever we
are. You are our strong tower, our refuge,
our calm in the midst of the storm. We hold
tight to you today, digging in our heels
where the enemy may be trying to plunder
our lives. We will continue to resist as
we worship you, our God Almighty, El Shaddai.
What's
in your bag thats needs to be buried? What
extra weight are you carrying that might
be holding you back?
When
you go to church or Bible Study, are you
truly seeking God or Just something or someone
to make you happy?
Is
there anyone in your life who you feel the
need to tear down out of jealousy or eveny?
Are
you longing or asking for bigger sleeves?
Have you considered what comes with it?
And do you trust that if you should you
not get it, it's because it's not God's
best for you?
What
is your intent whenyou share your successes
or favor in life?
Deep
Dive
Do
you believe Rebekah's words of "Give
me a child or I shall die" (Gen. 30:1)
and Jacob's curse of "Anyone who has
household idols will not live" (Gen.
31:32) played a role in her death?
How
can the purification process be applied
to our lives today?
What
purposes do genealogical sections hold?
Do
you feel Joseph should've held back from
presenting his dreams? Do you believe he
had ulterior motives?
In
chapter 38, Judah has three sons Er, Onan
and Shelah, to a Canaanite woman. Judah
arranges a marriage between Er and a Canaanite
woman Tamar. However, Er is struck down
due to his wickedness before Tamar is able
to conceive. Onan is given to Tamar out
of familial obligation, but he defies his
father’s demand to give her children and
is also struck down. Judah promises to give
Shelah to Tamar when he is of age, but it
never comes to pass. Tamar, therefore, disguises
herself as a prostitute and conceives to
Judah after luring him in. Judah leaves
his identifying possessions as a pledge
for payment, which are used by Tamar to
prove he is the father. She is spared judgment
by Judah once he realizes this, and she
gives birth to twins Perez and Zerah.
In
chapter 39, Joseph is taken to Egypt to
become a slave in the house of Potiphar,
an o£icer to Pharaoh. Because the
Lord was with Joseph, he succeeded and found
favor in the eyes of Potiphar and was therefore
entrusted with all that he had. Potiphar’s
wife tries seducing Joseph, but when he
refuses, she devises a plan to trap him
when they’re alone. Joseph is put into prison
for “defiling Potiphar’s wife,” where he
also finds favor with the prison warden.
In everything Joseph did, the Lord caused
him to succeed.
In
chapter 40, Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker
are sent to prison with Joseph. Both have
dreams that they can’t find meaning with,
and Joseph interprets their dreams for them.
The cupbearer's dream indicates that he
will be restored to his former position
of honor in three days and the baker’s dream
indicates he will be put to death in three
days. Joseph asks the cupbearer to remember
him when he finds favor with Pharaoh in
hopes of being released from prison. Three
days later, on Pharaoh's birthday, both
these dreams come to fruition, but the cupbearer
does not remember Joseph.
Heart
Checks from the video
GRACE
| Gen. 38
Why
is this account of Judah’s life right in
the middle of Joseph’s story?
I
believe it serves as a way to contrast the
life of Joseph. It’s similar to the way
jewelers showcase a diamond against a black
background—when the light shines through
it, it’s so much more brilliant against
the darkness. But the even greater picture
here is one of grace. We won’t hear much
of Judah’s life from here on out, yet Jesus
is named the Lion of Judah. And Tamar and
her sons will be listed in the genealogy
of Jesus.
Aren’t
you so grateful that all of our mistakes,
doing things our own way, all of our selfishness
is not enough to completely cut us off. Jesus
pulled us into the family when He died on
that cross. We too are links within that
lineage. Heart Check.
Where
do you see God's grace bestowed unto you?
FAITHFUL
STEWARD | Gen. 39:1-6
One
of the greatest character traits of Joseph
is the way that he was a faithful steward,
no matter where he was or what his circumstances
were.
He’s
just been taken out of a pit, sold into
slavery, he’s about to be put back into
prison, yet he is still able to earn the
favor of everyone around him. And it’s because
he isn’t a negative nancy, moping and whining
about what’s so terrible in life. He instead
focuses on what he does have and remains
content. He keeps his head down and just
works for the glory of God. Paul drives
this point home too—he says that whatever
you do, whether in word or deed, do it all
for the glory of the Lord (Col.
3:17).
God’s not gonna get glory if we’re always
complaining our way through life. Heart
Check.
Are
you faithfully stewarding what you have
been given? Or are you more focused on what
you don't have and what is wrong in life?
FAVOR
| Gen. 39
Have
you ever heard the term “favor ain’t fair?”
You’ll
hear it jokingly thrown around in church
circles to imply that God will give favor
to whomever He pleases and it ain’t fair,
so deal with it.
And
while this phrase is partially true, it
can also dilute God’s desire for relationship
and partnership with us, which will take
some faithfulness on our part. Again, while
God can and will give favor to anyone He
wants, the Bible also says that He gives
it to those who are humble, upright in spirit,
who tremble at His word (Is. 66:2); or those
who bind love and faithfulness around their
neck (Pr. 3:1-4); or those who seek good
(Pr. 11:27) or seek wisdom (Pr. 8:35) and
have good understanding (Pr. 13:15). And
these are things that generally happen behind
closed doors.
It’s
the time spent on their knees and in the
Word or in intimate worship—that’s where
favor is being poured out. Or even in the
times of being thrown into a pit by others
or sold into slavery and still faithfully
enduring—God is watching and He is storing
up that favor.Heart Check.
When
you see someone's blessings, do you chalk
it up to favor? Or do you see their faithfulness
as well?
Deep
Dive
Do
you believe Judah was sincere in offering
he last son in marriage to Tamar? What about
in his confession in the end?
How
do you view Tamar? Do you believe her actions
were justified?
Have
you seen divine favor manifested today?
Why
do you think Joseph interpreted their dreams
for them? Was this for his benefit?
Our
gracious Heavenly Father, what a gracious God you are.
Thank
you for redeeming our lives, and for welcoming
us back with grace every time we’ve taken
a detour in life. Forgive us where we have
partnered ourselves with today’s Canaan,
coupling our thoughts and actions with things
that are ungodly or unholy. Forgive us where
we have blatantly dishonored or disobeyed
you in any way. We are grateful for the
undeserved mercy that you’ve given to us.
For
those who may feel as though they’ve been
unjustly treated, I pray that you will vindicate
them so they are not kept under a dark veil.
You have come to set the captive free, and
we are so grateful that we are not held
down by old societal customs that would
leave so many grieving today,
Thank
you for the freedom to be able to seek out
our own husbands or wives, but I pray that
you, as our Father, will guide those who
are seeking a spouse to the one who you
have created for them. May we not go seeking
them out in the wrong places or with selfish
hearts. We know that a marriage is the most
holy covenant we can make outside of our
relationship with you. May we be wise in
protecting that.
Where
we may have given a piece of ourselves away,
and where our identity may have been questioned,
will you restore those missing or stolen
pieces. Thank you Jesus for making us whole
again. We are a new creation in you. I pray
that others will see that as well, and that
we will not carry the marks of our pasts.
Even where you may have set us free, please
free us in the minds of others.
Thank
you for the favor you pour out into our
lives, especially when we faithfully partner
with you and steward both the blessings
and the pitfalls in life. We know that you
withhold no good thing from those you are
righteous and that you give favor to those
who diligently seek you. I pray that we
will always be able to recognize your Presence
that is with us so that we can keep our
eyes focused on our haves and not our have
nots. I pray that we will be content in
every circumstance and be able to be a blessing
to our workplaces and wherever we may dwell
or enter.
We
are aware that the enemy will try to detract
us from that favor by throwing temptation
into our faces, so I pray that we will be
strengthened by your Presence daily to fiee
and not linger for even a second. Help us
never to compromise or even entertain the
thought, as innocent as it may seem at the
time. Keep us pure in our thoughts and actions.
Thank
you again, Jesus, for letting us see you
through Joseph’s life. I pray that we will
live out our lives in service to you, just
the way that you did for us. May we use
the gifts that you’ve given to us for good
and never shy away from sharing the Word
in its entirety. I pray for churches today
to come back to the sweetness of the Word,
for it is here where healing and salvation
will come. We don’t need to preach self-help
messages or ones that are perfectly formulated—your
Word will do that on its own and so much
more. We don’t want to miss out on a single
thing. And we especially don’t want to miss
the importance of understanding that hell
is real and repentance is so necessary.
May we never forget this.
And
may we always remember you in both the good
times and the bad. I pray that we won’t
simply come to you when we need to be freed
from something only to forget you when the
shackles are cut o£. May we always
treat your body and your blood with the
highest honor, coming in communion on a
daily basis, not symbolically but in reality.
We want to walk with you all day, every
day, trusting in your diving plan for our
lives.
Genesis
41-42 marks the turning point in the life
of Joseph as he is raised up out of prison
into an honored position in the courts of
Pharaoh.
In
chapter 41, Pharaoh has two dreams, one
about seven thin cows eating seven plump
cows, and another with seven skinny ears
of grain consuming seven plump ears. In
his troubled spirit, he calls for interpretation
but finds none. The cupbearer “remembers
Joseph” in this moment, and Pharaoh sends
for Joseph to interpret his dreams.
Joseph
warns Pharaoh that the seven plump cows
and grain are seven years of prosperity
that will be followed by seven years of
harsh famine, as depicted by the seven skinny
cows and ears of grain. Joseph also advises
Pharaoh to collect a 20% tax in order to
store up enough grain to survive the famine.
Joseph is hoisted into prominence, as
second-in-command,
only subject to Pharaoh. Pharaoh gives Joseph
his daughter, through whom Joseph bears
two sons Manasseh and Ephraim. During the
famine, all the nations came to Egypt to
buy grain.
In
chapter 42, the famine is in full force,
and Jacob sends his sons to Egypt to buy
grain. All but Benjamin go, and none of
the brothers recognize Joseph, who is governor
over the land. Joseph tests his brothers
by calling them spies and demands for Simeon
to be held captive while the brothers bring
Benjamin to him to prove otherwise. The
brothers return home to report to their
father and upon returning, they discover
their payment for grain has been returned
to their sacks. Jacob grieves the “loss”
of his sons Joseph and Simeon and the potential
loss of Benjamin; he therefore refuses to
send Benjamin o£ with them. Reuben
pledges the life of his two sons should
Benjamin not return safely.
Heart
Checks from the video
HOLDING
CELL | Gen. 41:1
Can
you imagine being Joseph?
He
must’ve had so much hope when the cupbearer
was released, trusting in his word that
he would remember him to Pharaoh. Yet he
didn’t… at least not yet. And Joseph is
left another two years in the holding cell.
Sometimes life can feel this way. You’re
holding out hope, and yet time just keeps
on slipping away. But we see in the Bible
time and again, where the greatest blessings
often followed periods of waiting. And it’s
the ones who are able to be faithful in
these times of feeling forgotten who receive
the greatest reward. Heart Check.
Are
you in a holding cell? Are you able to trust
in God's timing while you wait?
Are
you prepared for a famine? How can we prepare
for both spiritual and physical famine?
DISCERNING
& WISE | Gen. 41:39
Here,
the most powerful man of his time, understands
the value of having both knowledge and wisdom.
There’s
a diference—knowledge is the food but wisdom
is the digestion of it.
It’s
knowing what to do with the knowledge. It’s
been said that knowledge is only the diagnosis,
but wisdom is the cure.
Today
we have access to so much knowledge without
even lifting a finger. We can ask Siri or
Alexa anything and we will likely get an
answer. But I truly feel that we are becoming
less and less wise because the Bible says
that wisdom shows itself through good works
done in humility (James 3:13), yet we know
that the closer we get to the end, people
will become more and more prideful.
And
if the Bible is God Himself, and wisdom
comes from His mouth, the farther we get
from the Word, the less wise we become.
But there’s hope here—because the deeper
you get into the Word, the wiser you become.
Heart Check.
Do
you feel you are becoming more knowledgeable
and also wiser, the more you get into the
Word?
GUILTY
CONSCIENCE | Gen. 42:21
The
fact that Joseph’s brothers are bringing
up their past sin shows that this weighed
heavily on their spirits for a very long
time.
A
guilty conscience will do that—it will keep
you imprisoned into thinking that every
little thing is a punishment from God. But
the Bible says that there is no condemnation
for anyone who is in Christ Jesus (Rom.
8:1).
We
are cleansed by the blood when we come in
repentance and freed from our past mistakes.
This is why some have called the conscience
the “sundial of the soul,” because if you
think about a sundial, it can only give
an accurate reading in the sunlight. Just
as our conscience is only reliable when
God’s light shines on it. But the devil
will try to be an impostor, as he disguises
himself as an angel of light, and that’s
where he and all his lies will come in and
try to convince you that you are still held
under that condemnation. Heart Check.
How
is your conscience doing? Is it declaring
itself guilty or has it been set free?
HEART
CONDITION | Gen. 42:26-28
While
they shouldn’t really be blaming God here,
we do see God’s hand in this testing of
their hearts.
God
is always working on both our hearts and
the character that springs from it.
The
Enduring Word commentary says that in times
of testing, a deceptive heart would’ve hidden
the money, a lying heart would’ve made up
a story, a proud heart would feel it was
deserving of it, and a superficial heart
wouldn’t think anything of it. But here
we see the brothers feeling as though their
hearts have failed. Heart Check.
What
is the condition of your heart? What would
you have done if the money was found in
your sack?
So
you feel as though everything is against
you? Or do you trust that God will work
it out for good?
Deep
Dive
Where
do find meaning in warning signs or confusion?
How
do you reconcile "God will provide"
with working to prepare?
What
emotions do you believe were running through
Joseph when he was initially reunited with
his brothers?
Why
do you think Jacob did not want to send
Benjamin?
Why
didn't Joseph immediately reveal his identity
to his brothers?
Do
you see Joseph's plan as a sick joke or
a well-intentioned plan?
Heavenly
Father, thank you for never forgetting us.
Whether
we are of doing our own thing or unjustly
thrown into a pit, your eye is always on
us, just as it is with the sparrow. We put
our trust in your perfect timing, knowing
that you will work out everything for good
for those who love you and are called according
to your purpose. I pray that we will not
grow impatient in the holding cell, for
we know that it is in the waiting room where
we are being prepared for something greater.
We know and trust that if you ever need
to get us up out of an impossible situation,
you most certainly have the ability and
the compassion to do so.
Thank
you for the supernatural gifts that you
give to us. I pray that we will use them
wisely and always be discerning in every
circumstance. And when these gifts are manifested
in a way that brings awe to the world, I
pray that you will always be at the center
of that. May we always give you all the
glory for whatever we accomplish. We know
that it is never by might, nor by power,
but by your spirit that we are able to succeed,
so we acknowledge that today. But we also
recognize that you have given us these gifts
so that we can DO something with them. May
we never become complacent or apathetic.
That is not trust or faith. But instead,
faith moves, and it moves in step with you.
I
pray that you will continue to reveal yourself
to us, both through your word and supernaturally.
May we never close ourselves o£ to
the ways that you desire to speak to us.
Help us to hear your warnings and to prepare
for the days of famine. Give us the foresight
and knowledge in order to store up properly,
all the things that we will need should
it ever happen. At some point, most of us
will face a spiritual famine, so I pray
that our storehouses will be full. Thank
you for supplying our every need.
Help
us to trust in your sovereignty and your
appointments of authority. We know that
all authority is subjected to you, and we
will not fear those who are in power here
on earth. Our knee will only bow to you,
and we look forward to the day when all
nations will finally surrender. We pray
for every tribe and tongue to recognize
you before it is too late. Lead them to
repentance through your kindness. We pray
for missionaries and those who are going
throughout the world to declare your gospel.
Keep them safe in the mission field and
give them favor.
Thank
you for knowing us better than we know ourselves
and for hearing our voice, even when our
consciences are full of guilt. Will you
set us free today Jesus. May we forget what
is behind and strive toward what is ahead.
Help us to press on toward the goal for
the prize of the upward call.
Should
we face testing along the way, I pray that
our hearts will be full of honesty and integrity
so that we will not fear the lie that the
enemy may be trying to whisper in our ear.
Give us an increase in discernment and wisdom
today, for we stand in awe and in healthy
fear of you today.
Genesis
43-45 continues the account of Joseph and
his brothers, with a focus on the appeal
for Benjamin to be brought to Egypt.
In
chapter 43, Jacob instructs his sons to
go back to Egypt to buy grain. The brothers
insist that they must return with Benjamin
or they will not be allowed in. Judah pledges
his own life in return for Benjamin’s safety,
and Jacob relents. Upon their return to
Egypt, Joseph has his steward prepare a
feast, wash his brothers’ feet, and feed
their donkeys. When Joseph sees Benjamin
face to face, he withdraws and weeps with
compassion. Joseph seats his brothers in
birth order at their table and Benjamin
is given a portion five times as much as
the others.
In
chapter 44, Joseph performs one last test
on his brothers as he sends them back to
their father. As they are being sent away,
Joseph has his steward place his silver
cup in Benjamin’s sack. When the steward
catches up with them on their journey, he
“accuses” them of repaying evil for good.
In good conscience, the brothers declare
that whoever holds the cup shall die, but
when it is found in Benjamin’s sack, they
return to Joseph in remorse. For fear of
causing his father deadly grief, Judah appeals
for mercy and pledges his life as a slave
in place of Benjamin.
In
chapter 45, following Judah’s intercession,
Joseph finally breaks his concealed identity
to his brothers and declares to his brothers
God’s purpose in all that has happened.
He pleads with them to bring their father
back to Egypt to dwell in the land with
them. Pharaoh declares that he will give
the family the best of all the land before
Joseph sends the brothers o£ with
hefty provisions for their journey. Jacob’s
spirit is revived and he agrees to go to
Egypt.
Heart
Checks from the video
HIS
TABLE | Gen. 43:17-28
While
Joseph is behind the scenes preparing a
feast for his brothers, they’re trembling
in fear, worried that he’s about to take
them out. I don’t blame them—after all,
they still have guilty consciences. But
their view of why they’re at the table is
all wrong. It’s the same way that Jesus
invites us to dine with him at his table—to
commune with him. It’s the place where grace
and mercy and forgiveness has already been
laid out before us. A lot of people think
they can’t come to the table because they
haven’t yet washed up. You’ll hear people
say, “I’ll go to church one day, but if
I go right now, the place will catch on
fire” or “let me get things right first
and then I’ll come.” Yet He tells us to
come as we are. Come with your sickness—He’s
the Great Physician and will heal you. Come
with your sin—where sin abounds, grace abounds
more. Come with your baggage—His yoke is
easy and His burden is light—so you can
take a load o£. We don’t get well
before we go to the doctor, we go because
we have something that needs fixing. Heart
Check.
What
is your view of his table? Do you feel you
can come and dine with Him at any time?
BIGGER
PORTION | Gen. 43:34
Why
is Joseph giving Benjamin the bigger portion?
Perhaps it’s to see if they will react in
the same manner that they did when Joseph
got the coat of honor. He didn’t cast judgment
based on their past, he gave them a chance
to prove they’ve changed. He’s giving them
a retake on the failed exam. Would they
still be envious and jealous? Or would they
be able to rejoice with their little brother?
This would prove their spiritual maturity
the same way it does with us. When we can
weep with those who weep and rejoice with
those who rejoice. Paul says that this is
one of the marks of a true Christian (Rom.
12). Heart Check.
Are
you able to rejoice when others around you
get a bigger portion? Or does it stir up
hostility or jealousy?
DON’T
BE ANGRY | Gen. 45:5
We
continue to see the traits of Jesus within
Joseph. He tells them not to be distressed
or angry with themselves, or in other words,
forgive yourselves as I have forgiven you.
And I’m sure seeing Joseph face to face
is stirring up painful memories that they
never thought would present themselves in
the fiesh. Yet here they are. The trigger
has been pulled. Some of us can forgive
others but we have a hard time forgiving
ourselves. Heart Check.
Are
you still distressed or angry with yourself
for things you've done in your past? Are
you being held down by condemnation?
FORGIVENESS
| Gen. 42-44
In
the end, this is one of the greatest redemptive
stories in the Bible that reveals massive
forgiveness and grace for a grave sin that
occurred more than 20 years back. I wonder
how many of us are still carrying around
unforgiveness for something that happened
to us so long ago? We will say things like,
“I forgive but I will never forget.” But
the danger with that is that it leaves a
foot in the door for the barrel of a gun
to be perched, just waiting for the trigger
to be pulled. That isn’t true forgiveness.
Heart Check.
If
you were face to face with someone who wronged
you long ago, how would you react? What
does this say about forgiveness in you heart?
Deep
Dive
How
does Joseph's life inspire forgiveness,
reconciliation and resovle within families?
What
is the significance of Judah's role?
Do
you feel Joseph's testing was excessive?
What
moved Joseph's heart to finally surrender
his identity?
Do
you believe God was directing Joseph in
all the testing or was this his own human
inclination? Do you believe we should test
others in this way?
We
are so grateful for this, especially when
we have resisted or even unknowingly worked
so hard against it. Thank you for your grace
and mercy in that and for your persistence
in pursuing us anyway.
Thank
you for transforming us from selfish, greedy,
envious, jealous, conniving, deceitful people
to ones who are content and able to rejoice
with those who rejoice. If we still struggle
with this, I pray that you will continue
working on us. Help us not to feel condemned
in any way or feel so defeated that we give
up. We never want to stop short in this
walk with you.
Thank
you for continuing to invite us to dine
with you at your table. One of the greatest
gifts you’ve given to us is the ability
to have communion, and so I pray that we
never take it for granted. Help us to not
wallow in our sin or faults but simply recognize
the points of weaknesses that need strengthening
in you. Forgive us, purify us, cleanse us
now from our past. Help us also to forgive
ourselves, for sometimes we are the last
ones we give that grace to.
Thank
you that every time we come into your presence,
it is an opportunity to be washed, refreshed,
and fed. It isn’t why we come, but in your
kindness and abundance of grace, you always
give back more than we could ever bring.
And
while the tests in our lives may feel as
though we are straining or may be a little
painful, we welcome them, because we know
it is our second chance to pass where we
have failed in the past. I pray that we
will show up at the time of test preparation
so that we are ready when that day comes.
I
pray that we will be a people who are not
cynical but trusting of others’ true intentions.
We don’t want to be naïve but wise
as serpents and innocent as doves. I pray
that we will continually fight for unity,
restoration, and reconciliation the same
way that you do. May we carry your heart
in all that we do and say. Help us to forgive
completely and not just partially, for we
know that is not true forgiveness. Where
families have fallen apart, will you bring
them back together today in Jesus’ name.
Genesis
46-47 continues the account of Joseph and
his family, with a focus on the reunion
between Joseph and his father and the family’s
new settlement in Goshen.
In
chapter 46, Jacob sets out with his entire
family to Egypt. He stops in Beersheba to
worship, where God reassures him that he
does not need to fear. God reafirms the
promise that He will make Israel into a
great nation and bring them back into the
Promised Land. The descendants of Jacob
are named, totaling 66 who left Canaan and
70 total who would live in Egypt (including
Joseph’s family). Jacob and Joseph have
an emotional reunion, and Joseph instructs
his family to declare to Pharaoh that they
are shepherds so that they will be able
to live apart from the Egyptians in the
land of Goshen.
In
chapter 47, Joseph brings his family before
Pharaoh to gain official permission to dwell
in the land of Goshen. Jacob blesses Pharaoh
and Joseph settles his family with all necessary
provisions. As the famine grows more severe
in Egypt, the Egyptians run out of money,
forcing them to exchange their livestock
and land for grain. When all the land is
sold to Egypt (with the exception of the
priests’ land), the people become servants
and are given seed to sow in the land. Joseph
sets up a system of taxation of 1/5 to be
given back to Pharaoh. The Israelites multiply
greatly and prosper in their land of Goshen.
As Jacob grows older, he establishes an
oath with Joseph that would require him
to bury Jacob in Canaan.
Heart
Checks from the video
SPECIAL
PLACE | Gen. 46:1
Before
Jacob goes on his way, he worships. Beersheeba
is like a Chevron where he’s gonna fill
up his gas tank. Because remember the significance
of this place—it was here where Abraham
planted the tamarisk tree and where Isaac
built an altar and received a special promise
on his life. It was a special place that
was marked—the family knew where they could
go for these special moments. Heart Check.
Do
you have a special place carved out for
your time of worship?
BE
A BLESSING | Gen. 47:7
Here
we see Jacob being obedient to the promise
and likely the prompting of the Spirit to
be a blessing to the nations. This amazes
me because he could’ve just shown up and
ridden o£ into the sunset. Again,
what a di£erence we see in his character
from being one who just takes and takes
to now being generous in his heart. Heart
Check.
When
you show up somewhere, do you look for ways
to be a blessing? Or do you show up to recieve?
WISE
MANAGEMENT | Gen. 47
In
the end, we see the benefit of how Joseph
wisely managed both his position and the
land, and therefore, when crisis hit both
Egypt and his family not only survived,
but they prospered. While this is on a greater
scale, we have all been given a portion
in our lives and an opportunity to do well
with it. Heart Check.
How
well are you managing what you've been given?
How would you fare if crisis were to hit?
Deep
Dive
What
is the significance of the genealogical
record in chapter 46?
How
might we as Christians define ourselves
in order to be set apart from the world
without being self-righteous?
Do
you recognize God's divine guidance and
provision today?
How
is the idea of a central government gaining
power in times of crisis significanr today
and to end times?
Heavenly
Father, thank you for your promise for protection
& provision.
Because
we have this, we do not need to fear anything.
But we also see the importance today in
wisely managing what we currently have so
that if that day of crisis hits, we won’t
be left scrambling. Show us how we can be
good stewards of the gifts we’ve been given
and I pray we will be discerning of the
times, with eyes open to what may be ahead
but always fixed on you.
Just
as you told Jacob, we do not need to fear,
for you are with us. We know that you will
never leave us or forsake us. So if you
should ever tell us to get up and go, I
pray that we will be faithful the way Jacob
was.
I
pray that we will find a space that is sacred,
one where we are able to come to worship.
We know we can worship anywhere, but sometimes
we need a place to return to when everything
around us seems to be uncertain.
We
are excited to continue to learn and see
the significance behind this foundational
family. Every single one of them were a
part of your grand plan and purpose, so
may we never glance over any part of your
spoken Word, declaring it insignificant.
Thank
you Jesus for being our Advocate and Mediator.
It is only by you that we have access to
the Father, and we are so grateful for that.
I pray that we will always appeal to you
for our sanctification and the ability to
be set apart from the world. We know that
we are sojourners in this life, just passing
through, and this is just a temporary home.
But
this is not a reason to be indiferent or
apathetic, so I pray that while we are here,
we will also be fruitful and multiply greatly,
especially in building the family of God.
I
pray that we too will be a blessing everywhere
we go, always looking for ways that we can
honor and serve others. We know that when
we do that, we carry and refiect your heart
of kindness and generosity.
Continue
to draw us close so that we can be more
like you.
Genesis
48-50 wraps up the end of an era, concluding
with the blessings upon the tribes of Israel,
including Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh,
and the deaths and burial of both Jacob
and Joseph.
In
chapter 48, Jacob is drawing nearer to the
end of his life, and Joseph brings his sons
Manasseh and Ephraim to see him. Jacob inherits
the two sons as his own, bestowing a blessing
upon each of them. However, Jacob gives
the greater blessing of the firstborn to
Ephraim, declaring that he would become
a greater nation than Manasseh. Through
the blessing of his two sons, Joseph receives
a double blessing from his father and a
renewed promise of God’s continued Presence
and guidance.
In
chapter 49, just before Jacob dies, he gives
his sons individual blessings. He rebukes
Reuben for being unstable as well as Simeon
and Levi for their cruel vengeance against
Shechem. Judah receives the 2nd longest
blessing of praise. Zebulun has a seaside
destiny, Issachar will be enslaved, from
Dan will be judges and Gad warriors. Asher
will be bountiful and Naphtali full of hope
and joy. Joseph receives the greatest blessing
and Benjamin is compared to a ravenous wolf.
After the blessing upon the “12 tribes of
Israel,” Jacob asks to be buried next to
Leah at Machpelah before he takes his last
breath.
In
chapter 50, Joseph and his family mourn
Jacob’s death and have him embalmed in preparation
for his burial back in Canaan. Joseph seeks
Pharaoh’s permission to go and bury his
father, and he is sent out with a grand
procession, gaining the attention of the
Canaanites. After Jacob’s burial, Joseph’s
brothers appeal to Joseph for forgiveness
out of fear of retaliation.
Joseph
assures them that he is in no place to cast
judgment and that God has turned their evil
for good. Joseph asks to be buried in Canaan
and dies peacefully at 110.
Heart
Checks from the video
LEGACY
| Gen. 48:15-16
Anytime
someone of merit passes away, you will see,
for days and sometimes even weeks, news
stories and segments on Entertainment Tonight
or TMZ, all about their lives and every
little detail people can drum up about them.
But I love the simplicity of the days of
old—where a testimony of grace and a blessing
like this one of Jacob’s was the legacy
they would leave. Heart Check.
If
your life were to end today, would it be
a testament to the grace of God? What would
the reporters say?
GREATER
BLESSING | Gen. 48
We
can look at the blessing on the later born
one of two ways. Either we will take the
immature route and say it’s not fair, or
we will choose to see God’s heart in assuring
us that His ways are higher. When we do
that, we are able to sit back, exhale, and
be at peace with what He’s doing. Not only
that, but we might even be able to “I spy
with my little eye” a blessing in it. When
we filter it through the windows of heaven,
it’s almost as if God is showing us that
our lives on earth are like the firstborn—it’s
wonderful and blessed—but the second life
that is still yet to come has an even greater
blessing upon it. Heart Check.
Do
you see that the blessing of the eternal
life is greater than the first? Or are you
unable to see past what's here on earth?
FRUITFUL
| Gen. 49:22
We
are about to see that Joseph’s blessings
surpass them all. And I love how Jacob calls
him a fruitful bough. It made me think again
about being fruitful… the fruit of the Spirit
being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
Am I bearing these things? Heart Check.
Are
you a fruitful bough? What fruit can your
tree work to bear?
SHAPING
THE FUTURE | Gen. 49
In
the end, these “blessings” were more like
prophetic words being spoken, with some
of them being obscure and others evidently
fulfilled. But what we can see is that even
though there may have been redemption or
transformation within the sons, they are
facing the consequences of their actions.
This is a classic definition of “your sin
will find you out.” Even though we are forgiven,
we can sometimes deal with consequences
that can have widespread efects—in this
case, the actions of each son afected the
outcome of their entire nation. Heart Check.
Do
you consider the way you live and how your
actions will shape your future?
SHAPING
THE FUTURE | Gen. 50:20
Joseph
trusted in the sovereignty of God more than
anyone—this declaration that what his brothers
meant for evil, God turned it for good,
proved that. What an incredible testament
to his faith! Heart Check.
Can
you see past the evil of man to God's turning
hand of goodness? Does your reaction to
people reflect that?
Deep
Dive
How
does the blessing of Jacob refiect today’s
writing of wills or inheritances?
How
do Jacob and Joseph’s end of life dealings
make you view death or the temporary nature
of life on earth?
Do
you believe the individual blessings may
have invoked fear in Joseph’s brothers?
What does this say about their spiritual
growth? Was it just a lapse in faith?
How
can we learn from Joseph’s faith and trust
in God’s sovereignty and apply it to our
relationships today?
What
are your thoughts on honoring the wishes
of those who have passed on?
Heavenly
Father, what a beautiful ending to a book
of beginnings.
Thank
you for those who have gone before us. We
honor not only these founding fathers of
our faith, but even our own family members
and loved ones who have been called home.
Anytime we experience these losses, it leaves
such a hole in our hearts that can only
be filled by you. We know that the pain
we feel is just as temporary as this time
on earth. But it doesn’t make it hurt any
less. So I pray for those who are still
mourning or grieving a loss today. Surround
them with your love and your comfort. I
pray that you will wrap your arms around
them so that they can tangibly feel the
warmth of your presence. Give them peace
in their hearts, and strengthen their hope
that it is only a short time before they
are able to see them again.
We
are so grateful to be called children of
God. As we look at the blessings that were
spoken over each tribe of Israel, I pray
that we are able to hear our own blessing
that you speak over us. May your promise
to feed, guide, and watch over us as our
Shepherd be our testimony of grace always.
We know that every good gift comes from
you, so thank you for blessing us today.
I
pray that we will be fully present and aware
of our everyday dealings in life, knowing
full well that everything we do holds a
consequence. We want to walk in holiness
and honor you, but we know we will fail.
Everyone does. So help us to always get
back on track before we head down a road
that leads to destruction. I pray that we
can see past the point of both pain and
pleasure with eyes focused on eternity and
fixed on you. We don’t want to be unstable
in any way the way Reuben was, or impulsive
and angry like Simeon and Levi. We want
to be transformed like the child of praise,
leading others into a life of worship of
the Most High God. I pray that we will not
be judgmental of others or grouchy but rather
carry an Asher heart of happiness and joy.
We want to dance through this life like
a doe in the fields of Naphtali and be a
fruitful bough like Joseph.
I
pray that you will continue to mold our
hearts to the likeness of you. When we’re
attacked, mistreated, or taken advantage
of, may we have hearts that are full of
forgiveness and mercy, just as we saw in
Joseph. Help us to be more like him, which
is ultimately more like you, so that when
we breathe our last breath, it is one of
peace, knowing that we have left a legacy
of faith.
May
every step that we take from this point
forward be a step toward the promised land
of heaven.
Exodus
1-3 begins a new era of the Israelites,
accounting for their heavy yoke of slavery
in Egypt and the birth and commissioning
of Moses out of Egypt and into the Promised
Land.
In
chapter 1, the Israelites multiply greatly
from the original 70 who dwelled in Egypt.
With Joseph gone and a new king in place,
the Egyptians begin to view the Israelites
as a military threat and force them into
slavery. However, the more they press them,
the stronger they become. Pharaoh orders
two Egyptian midwives to kill all Hebrew
male newborns, but because they fear God,
they do not listen. Pharaoh then orders
all the Hebrew male newborns to be thrown
into the Nile.
In
chapter 2, a couple from the house of Levi
bears a son and hides him for three months.
When she is no longer able to, the child’s
mother builds a small ark and fioats him
into the Nile. While bathing, Pharaoh’s
daughter pities the child and calls for
a Hebrew woman (Moses’ mother) to nurse
the child for pay. Now an adult, Moses bears
witness to a brutal assault upon a Hebrew
by another Egyptian and strikes him dead.
Afraid for his life, he fiees to Midian,
where he witnesses another act of injustice
against seven sisters and defends these
daughters of a Midianite priest. The priest
gives one of his daughters Zipporah as a
wife to Moses and they bear a son named
Gershon. After the death of the king of
Egypt, the Israeiltes begin to cry out to
God, who hears their cry and remembers His
covenant with them.
In
chapter 3, as Moses is leading his father-in-law’s
fiock in the wilderness, God appears in
a burning bush and calls Moses to remove
his sandals in His Holy Presence. God assures
Moses that He sees the a£liction His
people are facing and promises to deliver
them. He commissions Moses to lead them
out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
God declares Himself as the I Am, the one
who is to be remembered forever. He gives
Moses a detailed account of future events
and their eventual victory over the Egyptians.
Heart
Checks from the video
SPOTTER
| Ex. 1:12
Once
again, here we see God taking what the enemy
meant for evil and turning it for good.
The Egyptians are trying to break the Israelites
down, but they’re only getting stronger.
It’s the same way our faith will grow in
the times of pressing and when we feel we
are under a ton of weight. Because faith
is like a muscle. And if you’ve ever lifted
weights or know anything about it, when
you press that weight and the muscles contract,
the fibers in the muscles actually tear—that’s
why you’re so sore the next day. As the
saying goes, no pain, no gain. If you’re
not lifting heavy enough to the point of
that tearing, your muscle won’t grow. But
we’ve got the greatest spotter with us.
He’s not going to let us crumble under that
weight. He will be right there at our breaking
point to take the load o£. But he’s
not going to force his way into that position.
A lot of us are under heavy weight because
we’re choosing other people to be our spotter.
Heart Check.
Who
is your spotter in life?
FEAR
OF? | Ex. 1:15-22
These
midwives have incredible courage. Their
defiance of Pharaoh put them in grave danger,
yet their fear of God trumped the fear of
man. The Bible calls us to be law abiding
citizens, except in the case where it will
result in disobedience to God, which was
the case here. This is why God blessed them,
despite their lying. He was focusing on
their goodness rather than their failure.
And today we are seeing the moral gap in
our justice systems getting smaller and
smaller, which will one day put Christians
in a similar situation.Heart Check.
What
would you do if you were faced between obeying
the law and obeying God? Does your fear
of God trump your fear of authority of man?
BUILDING
ARKS | Ex. 2:1-4
This
is the only place in the Bible aside from
Genesis, where the Hebrew word for ark is
used. This makes me wonder if Moses’ mother
knew the Word and built this miniature version
in the fashion while placing her faith in
the saving power of God? If you’re a parent,
we are all, at some point, going to have
to release our children. Our hope is that
we have created a solid foundation built
on the Word of God, so that when they are
released into the world, they won’t sink.
Heart Check.
Are
you fashioning an ark for your child's future?
Will their foundation be stable when you
let them loose into the world?
CONTENT
TO DWELL | Ex. 2:21
We
know that contentment is something that
is learned—it doesn’t come naturally. Here
we are talking about a man who is highly
educated, probably would’ve been in line
for the throne of Egypt, had all the riches,
and is now content in the desert with nothing
to his name. As long as we are looking for
fulfillment here on earth, we will never
be content because there’s nothing on this
earth that can fulfill what only heaven
can, and our emotions are fickle and will
lead us all over the place. Heart Check.
Are
you content to dwell where you are? In the
place you live? In the job you are working?
In your current situation? Where is your
heart fixed?
AUTOPILOT
| Ex. 3:4
Notice
the point that God called Moses… it wasn’t
until he turned to see what was going on.
Prior to this, he was on autopilot, walking
his fiock through the desert. I went to
my (pilot) husband this morning to ask him
what happens when they’re fiying on autopilot,
and something out of the ordinary appears
on their radar.
He
told me, “We assess the situation,” which
is exactly what Moses did here. He started
looking at the anomaly, probably trying
to figure out the greater meaning or perhaps
how it would a£ect his journey.
So
then I asked my husband, “What happens to
your senses at this moment?” He answered,
“They become heightened,” but it was what
he said next that hit the nail on the head.
He
said, “But you can’t become so focused on
that one thing or you will miss an alarm
somewhere else.” And there it was.
God
will turn on a light on our control panel
to get our attention and to heighten our
senses, so that when He calls, we will hear
His voice. But if we’re on vacation mode
or even if we are too focused on other things,
we’re going to miss the alarm when it goes
o£. It wasn’t the bush that changed
anything—it was the Word of God. Heart Check.
Are
you aware of the things God is trying to
show you? Can you hear His voice when he
calls? Or are you on auto pilot or too focused
on other things?
WHO
AM I | Ex. 3:11
We
will see time and time again that God will
send out the ones who say, “Who am I?” He
isn’t going to pick the people who are raising
their hand saying, “Pick me! I want to be
up there! I’ve got this!” He calls on the
one who knows that don’t “got this.” Because
where would that leave the I AM?
Jesus
says, “Blessed are the meek and poor in
spirit and pure in heart-- the ones who
hunger and thirst for righteousness.” They’re
the ones who will see God and be filled.
It’s the ones who have been broken to the
point that they know they cannot do a thing
on their own. I heard the calling on my
life more than 20 years ago, and there were
times in between where I thought I was ready.
I had it all in the bag. But it wasn’t until
I was broken and felt unusable when He finally
said, “Now’s the time.” Because I went from
a place of self-reliance to complete dependence
on Him. Heart Check.
Do
you feel as though you are qualified and
deserving of greater things? Or do you say,
"Who am I"?
Deep
Dive
Do
you see similaer moral dilemmas like which
the midwives faced? How would you handle
it?
Do
you believe Moses' mother truly believed
Moses would survive? How does that inspire
your faith today?
Why
did God use a burning bush?
What
does God telling Moses not to come near
show us?
Is
holy ground still significant today? In
what ways?
When
you think of God as the Great I AM, what
does that mean personally to you, both in
season and eternally?
Heavenly
Father, thank you for being everything we
need, the Great I AM.
I
pray that we will call upon you for every
need and in every season, especially in
the wilderness seasons. I pray that we never
allow ourselves to succumb to the feeling
of loneliness or unworthiness and give up
in those times. May we continue to work
and walk with you, knowing that as much
as might hurt, it is a season of preparation.
You are strengthening us for something even
greater.
I
pray that we will recognize when you are
trying to get our attention. Help us not
to be so distracted in life that we miss
your call. And as we trudge through the
desert, picking up dirt, I pray that when
we come before you, we will leave it all
at the door. May we never walk so casually
into your presence that we fail to acknowledge
that we are trampling on your holiness.
I pray that we will gain a better understanding
of what that means so that we can then find
our place of humility within it.
It
is because of you that we are even here,
existing in this life. You saved us. You
picked us up when we were abandoned. You
nursed us back to life. And now we know
that we have an even greater calling to
live out your purpose and to walk in freedom.
So I pray that we will listen to your guidance
and walk in step with you the entire way.
It
is because of your everlasting covenant
with us that you still hear our cries and
see our every waking moment. You see us.
You know us. And you’ll never forget us.
Thank you for that.
And
for those of us who feel like we aren’t
even worthy of being here, or of being called
by you, I pray that you will lift our heads
today to know that we have been set apart
for your divine purpose. We have seen how
you will use the uncommon, the weak, the
unlikely, but even in our unworthiness,
our answer is, “Here I am.” We say yes to
you.
Because
we know that you will be everything we need
along the way, and we trust in that today.
We know you are continually leading us to
higher ground and greater things. We set
our hope today on eternity.
In
Exodus 4-6, Moses is called to bring the
people up out of Egypt and into the Promised
Land.
In
chapter 4, after being called in the wilderness,
Moses has doubts in his own ability to speak
to the people and fears they will not believe
him. God shows Moses two signs—the transformation
of a staff into a snake and a healed
leprous hand—to convince the Israelites.
A third sign of turning the water of the
Nile into blood would be a declaration of
judgment should they not believe. Moses
continues to declare his doubt and God gives
to Moses his brother Aaron as a mouthpiece.
Moses sets out to Egypt to perform the signs
before Pharaoh and the people but warns
that Pharaoh’s heart will be hardened. On
his way to Egypt, God seeks to kill Moses,
so his wife circumcises their son to appease
God. Aaron and Moses are reunited and they
do as God commanded thus leading the people
to believe and worship.
In
chapter 5, Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh
declaring what God has spoken, to set the
Israelites free. Pharaoh defies both God
and their request and accuses the Israelites
of being lazy. He therefore increases their
labor by retracting the supply of straw
for bricks yet requiring the same quota.
The Israelites appeal against this cruelty
but are met with an even greater di£iculty.
They turn to Moses and Aaron as the reason
for their plight, and Moses questions God
in return.
In
chapter 6, God reinstates His purpose behind
what He is doing through Pharaoh. God rea£irms
His covenant nature with the patriarchs
and establishes His plan for Israel’s salvation,
redemption, deliverance, and possession
of the Promised Land. However, the Israelites
do not believe Moses due to their spirits
being so broken. Moses once again doubts
and protests his calling. This chapter also
provides a genealogical record of Israelite
leadership.
Heart
Checks from the video
WHAT’S
IN YOUR HAND | Ex. 4:2-9
The
question most people, Christian or not,
will ask at some point in their lives is
“What is my purpose?” We innately know that
there is a reason we are put on this earth.
I believe our purpose is directly linked
to our God-given gifts and abilities. Instead
of looking at what he had, Moses basically
was more focused on his weakness when he
asked, “How will I do this?” And God’s answer
is so simple yet so profound—“What’s in
your hand?” To me, this is two-fold. He
has given us natural abilities—we organically
know how to do certain things better than
others. Or we have a greater passion for
certain things. Some people are more artistic
than others. Some love math. Some can work
with their hands. Some are more organized.
Moses was a shepherd and he naturally had
the ability to lead people. But on the other
hand (literally), God wanted him to use
the very things he held in season. We all
have something before us or in our hands
right now that can be used for the glory
of God. Heart Check.
What's
in your hand that can be used for the glory
of God?
THROW
IT DOWN | Ex. 4:3
But
there’s another side to this—because some
of us will hold so tightly to MY purpose
or MY calling, that we begin to lose sight
that it’s actually God’s purpose and calling
on our lives. And instead of living for
Him, fully surrendered, we will instead
live for everything and everyone else—our
jobs, our families, even ministry. And so
there may come a time when He calls us to
throw it down. It happened to me when I
was o£ered the morning news anchor
position. And because I was putting that
job before my marriage and my family, my
hand had to be forced to let it go. And
it hurt. I thought my career would come
to an end. But it didn’t. God had a greater
purpose and He turned it for good. Because
I later saw that I was holding on to a snake—it
was about to bite. And it taught me to NEVER
do that again. And I always trust that God
will be there to say, “Now you can pick
it up again.” Heart Check. Is there anything
in your life that you’re holding too tightly
to that needs to be thrown down?
Is
there anything in your life that you are
holding too tightly to that needs to be
thrown down?
SPIRITUAL
INBOX | Ex. 5:1-2
Pharaoh
has zero intention to obey God, and therefore
he never will truly know Him. Because God
isn’t going to force himself into our inbox.
He’s going to send one email with several
notifications and if we ignore it, He won’t
keep spamming us. And many of us will say,
“God isn’t speaking to me,” or “I don’t
know what He wants me to do.” All the while,
He’s like, “Open the email I sent you back
in 2016, then we can talk some more.” Heart
Check.
Have
you checked your spiritual inbox lately?
Are you doing what God has ask you to do?
A
WASTE | Ex. 5:6-9
Pharaoh is declaring that his tasks and
his time are far more valuable than their
desire to worship. We see this mindset today.
Our accountant always tells us we give too
much to the church. Or the world will convince
us that we should not waste our time on
anything or anyone other than ourselves,
and so we get annoyed when the worship set
is too long, or we complain that the message
needs to be cut to 30 minutes, not an hour…
all because we “don’t have time.” But the
funny thing is, we all have the same amount
of time in the day as everyone else. Some
just value and will prioritize worship over
all the things, and they will relish in
the one hour that God gives them to spend
with Him out of 24. Heart Check.
How
much time do you spend in devotion to God
before it feels like a waste?
SURRENDER
| Ex. 6:2-8
This
whole section is our redemption story of
salvation. And some people look at Christianity,
and think we are living in bondage or under
the yoke of slavery disguised behind religion.
Yet we know that our lives in Christ will
experience far more freedom than we would
without His salvation. And not only for
this life but for eternity. Because when
we truly live our lives surrendered to Christ,
we are no longer held down by the desires
that once tugged out our soul. Something
changes within us. And if it hasn’t we need
to look at whether or not we’ve truly surrendered
that specific thing. Heart Check.
Are
you still living in bondage to something?
Have you surrendered it to God?
PERSISTENT FAITH | Ex. 6
Can you imagine being Moses, charged
by God to do a task, only to see what seems
to be a failed result? Sometimes we will
be called to do something and will see very
little change on the other side, yet we
aren’t called to be the ones who change
things. We are called to be faithful to
the one who will do the changing. A good
leader will be one who persists in the face
of a setback. Heart Check.
How
persistent is your faith? How quickly doyou
give up on God when you don't see results?
Deep
Dive
Was
Moses more concerned with his lack of ability
or did he actually have a lack of willingness?
Can
you relate to his doubts and fears? How
might one overcome them?
Why
did God still choose Moses?
Do
you believe Pharaoh truly didn’t know God
or was he simply being defiant?
Were
the Israelites justified in blaming Moses
for Pharaoh’s cruelty? Was Moses justified
in questioning God?
How
do you deal with someone whose spirit is
broken?
Heavenly
Father, thank you for your promise to never
leave us.
The
moment we believe in your “I Wills” and
receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we
too are under a covenant with you. We know
that we are no longer under the bondage
we once were. We have the freedom to do
whatever we want, yet our spirit is being
transformed into the likeness of you, and
so what we once desired, we no longer do.
But there are some things that we will still
deal with that need to be fully surrendered,
with all ties severed. Some of them because
we refuse to let go, but others because
they refuse to let go of us. We know we
have the authority to break that bond, and
so we declare today that we are set free.
Thank
you for giving us all the proof we need
that your power and presence is still as
evident today as it was to Moses. I pray
that our lives will be a living testimony
of that, by taking the gifts, talents, abilities,
possessions, and using them all for your
glory. Where something may be out of order,
I pray that you will help us to see it and
throw it down before it turns around to
bite us. We know that when we act out of
obedience to you, even if it’s something
we love, that in due time, you will have
us pick it up again if it is what is best
for us and if it is in your will. I pray
that we can trust in that.
Thank
you for taking our leprous lives, full of
sin, and covering it by your blood, allowing
us to come out fully restored and made new.
I pray that where others may have once seen
decrepit failing hands, they will now see
a new creation. May we refiect your glory
in everything we do so that we will not
subject ourselves or anyone else to your
judgment.
I
pray that you will help us to focus more
on strengths and less on weaknesses of both
ourselves and others. When we feel the need
to point out others’ errors, I pray that
we will first check ourselves and where
we may be faltering or failing to do good.
Thank
you for never giving up on us, as many times
as we doubt ourselves or even doubt you.
Forgive us for where we have done that.
Help us to see that when you call us into
something, and when we obey, you will give
us everything we need to be able to handle.
Even when we come face to face with the
enemy or even in the midst of a storm, you
will still be there holding us up and defending
us. Help us to keep our heads down and moving
forward rather than being tossed about by
the ever changing winds of life. We know
that if we do that, we will outlast the
ones who were trying to take us out.
May
we never consider time with you or the work
that we do as a burden or a waste. I pray
that we will be more considerate of others’
time and eforts that they are putting forth.
Help us to see beyond our own selfishness
and what we view as worthy of our attention.
Help us not to be like Pharaoh and think
that we could be something better.
And
I pray that we will be ever so trusting
in your timing in all things, knowing that
it is perfect. When we don’t see immediate
results, I pray that we will dig our heels
in a little deeper and continue pressing
in, for we know that you are about to break
through.
