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Posts Tagged ‘faith’

Beginning of Wisdom

Posted in Bible Study, God, Spiritual Growth, The Father, Trials, Vision, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 24-28, Beginning of Wisdom. Unlike most of scripture, the only way to properly read Job is in its entirety. The Bible is amazing in many respects. One of those is that it encompasses a variety of literary styles. In telling Job’s story and capturing the dialog of Job and his three friends, we see descriptions of God and His character that are opinions and not hard facts. The mixture of truth, half-truth, and misunderstanding about God is combined in a way that emphasizes foundational truth about God and His ways, but only when we read the entire story. If you are like me, it has taken multiple reads to get to the point that I can see this and not get tied up in the warped theology espoused by Job’s friends and, to a degree, but Job.

When we get to Job 28:28 I cannot help but release a big sigh. In my mind I have been trying to parse out the truth versus misunderstanding in each person’s dialog. Even Job speaks at times with more emotion and less faith than I am comfortable with. As an engaged reader it is a mental and emotional roller-coaster. But then I read a verse that I can hang my hat on. ‘And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”’ I find this truth throughout scripture. I find this truth in evaluating the world on a macro level. And I have found this to be true in my 65 years on earth.

LORD, you are the source of all wisdom. When things don’t make sense, when evil seems to triumph, we know we can trust you and trust your heart. You have made all things – seen and unseen. You exist outside of time – the past, present, and future are all now to you. We bow to you, acknowledging our great limitations and your limitless nature. That out of all this, that you love us and desire what is best for us, we humbly, reverently, give you thanks and offer you our lives. It is in the mighty Name of Jesus that we pray,

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Arguing with God

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 21-23, Arguing with God. It was freeing for me when I realized I didn’t need to act pious before God. As I grew in our relationship, recognizing that His love and forgiveness were way bigger than my sin and assorted stumbles in life, I became able to stop trying to be righteous. It made any perceived distance between us shrink and I began to understand what it meant to “walk with God”. And instead of striving and trying to act right against the current of the world, my fleshly desires, and the temptations of Satan, my heart and my mind became more desirous of pleasing my faithful Lord. Doing what brings joy to Him became my desire. Because I knew He loved me unconditionally AND knew all that I thought, it became totally fine to talk it out when I was unhappy, confused, angry or any other emotion that I had attempted to stuff when I was trying to act righteous.

I recognize this in Job today. He is ready to argue with God. We know He doesn’t have the whole picture and some of Job’s assumptions are not correct, but I am encouraged because He never loses faith in God. He may be ready to challenge God that He has made a mistake in punishing him, but He does not lose faith that God is there or that He will listen to Him. While very limited in the New Testament, lamentations are a common theme in the Old Testament. As many as 60 of the Psalms are considered lamentations and there is even one whole book that is a collection of distressed heart cries to God called Lamentations. Being honest with God, even if it is an argument we are going to lose, is the path to greater intimacy with the Lover of our soul.

Father, thank you, that we can be real with you. We do not need to hide how we feel. Beyond the fact that there is nothing we can hide, there is truly more mercy, grace, and love readily available to us, that we can only receive when we let down our guard and let you in. That you gently, lovingly, pursue us, encouraging us to open up, is truly a great gift. Even when we don’t fully understand what’s going on, we put our trust in you. You are faithful and true. Blessed be the Name of the LORD, our God! Amen!

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My Redeemer Lives

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, Spiritual Growth, Trials, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 17-20, My Redeemer Lives. Lately I have had this tremendous sense of gratitude that we live in a day and time when God’s progressive revelation of Himself has come so far. In the days of the Prophets, the understanding of God was limited to the Law and the mixed messages coming from true prophets and false prophets and priests. When the people were wandering in the wilderness, they had Moses and the stone tablets, but we saw how much weight that carried. That whole generation (except Joshua and Caleb) died because of their lack of faith. From Abraham to Moses, there was God’s promise to Abraham, but not a lot more to rest your faith on. So, for Job to proclaim this truth, years before God spoke to Abram (who became Abraham) in the midst of his great suffering, is a testament to his faith. And it is BIG faith statement.

I have this mental picture right now that won’t go away. I see a kitten hanging on the end of a rope. There is both terror and determination in the kitten’s eyes. The caption reads, “Hang in there, baby.” Job’s cry are the words the kitten is thinking as it dangles. And there is a reward as the rope is pulled up and rescue ensues. Our Redeemer does live and He is our Rescuer. Job may not be correct in saying his suffering is from God, but he is absolutely on target when he says My, and Our, Redeemer Lives.

Faithful Redeemer and Lord, we thank you that in all things and at all times we can trust you. Even when we are at the end of our rope, you are there. Psalm 139 comes to mind, you know me, you know us, and we are yours. Thank you for rescuing us, for sending Jesus to die that we might live. Thank you for redeeming us, purchasing us with a price far beyond our worth. We pause to let that sink in… You paid so much for us because you love us and you have good plans for us. Such knowledge is too wonderful, to amazing. But that is who you are… our wonderful, amazing, glorious Redeemer, Savior, and Lord! Amen!

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Patience in Pain

Posted in Bible Study, God, job, Spiritual Growth, Trials, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 14-16, Patience in Pain. As an engineer I see most things in a cause and effect paradigm. Having experienced God’s grace in many tangible ways, I fully count on His sovereignty to win the day and outcomes to be good, eventually. There are many Biblical promises such as Jeremiah 29:11 that point to this. God’s past actions and His present promises provide the framework for my belief that my current pain will be transformed into future blessing. Grief, suffering, and heartache are not to be denied, but they can be tempered and endured with the knowledge that the One who has been faithful will remain faithful.

I read the story in Acts 5 yesterday where the Apostles were beaten for preaching the Gospel. Their response to suffering the beating was rejoicing. How could they rejoice when their backs were bruised and bloodied? Because they were able to look beyond the pain to the wonderful work the Holy spirit was doing. They could see the kingdom of God growing. As I type, I get a glimpse of the millions of martyrs through the ages, and I realize that there has never been a tear shed or blood spilled by one of the Lord’s saints that hasn’t resulted in the kingdom expanding. What the enemy means for evil, God turns into good. That’s why we can have patience in the pain.

Father, we are so thankful that you walk with us through life, even carrying us when it gets overwhelming. Job’s friends could not see past their paradigm that had only an earthly cause and effect perspective. We know that you move in heaven and earth and sometimes we won’t see the great good you are doing until later… sometimes much later. We simply ask today that you will help us to grow in faith to exercise patience in the painful times. That includes not just our times of pain, but that of our friends, neighbors and people we meet. May your grace flow through us today. In Jesus’ Name.

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God in a Box

Posted in Bible Study, God, Trials, tagged , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 6-9, God in a Box. Both Job and Bildad state some things about God today that reflect a limited understanding of who God is. Job says that the pain inflicted upon Him is from God and is unjustified. We’ll see Job return to this theme as he continues to defend himself through the repeated accusations of his friends. The second repeated theme is in Bildad’s discourse as he accuses Job of some sin that he is being punished for. Both men say some things about God that are correct, but they make assumptions from their limited perspective that are not correct. The simplify Job’s situation as a black and white scenario when in fact there is lots of grey in the world… grey that can only be made sense of by trusting God’s got something He can bring out of the current “bad” to be some type of “good”.

Father, forgive me for the times I put you in a box, when I rely on my limited understanding to be the entire picture. Expand my faith to trust you even in the dark and even in the grey. You are faithful and true. I put all my hope in you. In Jesus’ Name.

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Dark, But Not Abandoned

Posted in Trials, worldview, tagged , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 1-5, Dark But Not Abandoned. Before I read the Bible through, Job was by far my least favorite book. In fact, it wasn’t until the third time reading the Bible through that I finally began to grasp how valuable the lessons from Job were and how good God was to give us this dark and painful story. Redemption comes, but not after many chapters and repeated conversations between Job, his friends, and finally God.

These first five chapters are dark and painful. There is an important takeaway that should be of some comfort. Satan, the Accuser, is limited in his malevolent power. We may wonder why God gives him permission to afflict Job but the fact that God has veto power gives us a picture of God’s sovereignty. There is nothing that comes upon us that has not been allowed by God. We know from the rest of scripture that God is good, loving, kind, and just, but all this is on a grand scale that our single point-in-time perspective might not be able to understand. God sees the entire picture. I don’t. My response is to trust His heart even in the midst of my hurt.

Father, in my finite awareness, help me to trust in your infinite goodness. You have blessed us with Jesus to die in our place, the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth, and opportunities galore to spread the good news of you in the world. When difficulties come, when darkness presses in, help us to lean into you even more. May the way we live and love and trust you be a beacon of light to others that the world may know that you reign above it all. In Jesus’ Name we pray.

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Arguing with God

Posted in God, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on January 9, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 21-23. It was freeing for me when I realized I didn’t need to act pious before God. As I grew in our relationship, recognizing that His love and forgiveness were way bigger than my sin and assorted stumbles in life, I became able to stop trying to be righteous. It made any perceived distance between us shrink and I began to understand what it meant to “walk with God”. And instead of striving and trying to act right against the current of the world, my fleshly desires, and the temptations of Satan, my heart and my mind became more desirous of pleasing my faithful Lord. Doing what brings joy to Him became my desire. Because I knew He loved me unconditionally AND knew all that I thought, it became totally fine to talk it out when I was unhappy, confused, angry or any other emotion that I had attempted to stuff when I was trying to act righteous.

I recognize this in Job today. He is ready to argue with God. We know He doesn’t have the whole picture and some of Job’s assumptions are not correct, but I am encouraged because He never loses faith in God. He may be ready to challenge God that He has made a mistake in punishing him, but He does not lose faith that God is there or that He will listen to Him. While very limited in the New Testament, lamentations are a common theme in the Old Testament. As many as 60 of the Psalms are considered lamentations and there is even one whole book that is a collection of distressed heart cries to God called Lamentations. Being honest with God, even if it is an argument we are going to lose, is the path to greater intimacy with the Lover of our soul.

Father, thank you, that we can be real with you. We do not need to hide how we feel. Beyond the fact that there is nothing we can hide, there is truly more mercy, grace, and love readily available to us, that we can only receive when we let down our guard and let you in. That you gently, lovingly, pursue us, encouraging us to open up, is truly a great gift. Even when we don’t fully understand what’s going on, we put our trust in you. You are faithful and true. Blessed be the Name of the LORD, our God! Amen!

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Why I Now Like Job – Understanding Suffering and God’s Sovereignty

Posted in Bible Study, Bible Study, God, Spiritual Growth, Trials, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Perhaps a better description of my attitude toward the book of Job is that I appreciate it now. It is still a pretty dark situation. I mean Job is a really good guy and he loses everything… except his wife who tells him he should curse God and die. At least he has that going for him. (Okay, sarcasm is a little harder to pull off in print, especially when you have as wonderful a wife as I do and I by no means am throwing off on wives, because mine is the BEST!)

Context is really important and I suspect that this idea of setting the context correctly will be something I repeatedly touch on this year. The setting for Job was some 400 years after the flood and still sometime before the LORD would call forth a specific person, Abram, and begin to reveal His plan of redemption through his family line. In this time there was an awareness of God or gods, but His progressive revelation of Himself was in an early stage.

As we saw in Noah’s interaction with God, i.e. following His instructions to build an Ark and then offering sacrifices upon leaving the Ark, there is a sense of a moral code that comes from God and some process of appeasing God in case we have broken that moral code. There was even a clear understanding that you could go far enough in breaking the moral code that God would wipe you out. Echoes of the flood remained these 400 years later. (Interesting side note, there are several global flood accounts from other ancient civilizations independent of the one captured in the Hebrew scriptures and our Bible.)

When we look at Noah, we see a man and his family rescued by God from a cataclysmic flood based upon Noah’s righteousness and faithfulness to God. And we also see punishment of wickedness to everyone else because they had devolved to a state of constant sin. With this memory of the flood and the reasons behind it still resident, it is not too much of a stretch to see how Job and his friends had a fairly black and white view of the world and God’s system of justice.

Through the story of Job, God reveals a more nuanced understanding of sin, loss, justice, God’s sovereignty, and His involvement in the lives of humanity. It is a major step in God’s self-revelation of who He is and sets the stage for His plan of redemption. I mentioned that I appreciate Job now, and I think the reason is because reading the stories in the Bible in chronological order as I am this year, it makes more sense how God was deliberate in rolling out His plan over the millennia.

Spoiler alert, we’re going to get to the end of Job and we are not going to be told why God allowed all these bad things to happen to Job. At least Job is not going to be told even though God speaks to him for several of the later chapters. However, the fact that his story is captured in the Sacred Scriptures is the reason. There are many lessons that can be gleaned from Job’s story which in itself is the reason Job had to suffer. A righteous man suffering for the benefit of others for the rest of time, that almost feels like a foreshadow of someone…

A few major takeaways from Job that I struggled to see when I just focused upon his grievous losses to begin the story. Today, they come through clearly.

God is sovereign. Satan, the Accuser, wanted to attack and hurt the righteous man, Job. God did not prevent it, but He could have. He did set limitations upon what Satan could do.

Satan, the Accuser, is malevolent and wants to hurt the righteous. He is a source of a lot of pain and loss in the world. He is restrained, but he still looks for ways to inflict suffering.

Suffering can come from multiple sources. We’ve already mentioned an active enemy, Satan. We also live in a fallen world where the brokenness of this world (think cancer) and the sin of others (think drunk driver taking the life of a loved one) can bring suffering upon us. And, as Job’s friends repeatedly accused Job of, we can bring pain upon ourselves with our bad choices and our sin.

God is relational. It is interesting that God provides quite the discourse at the end of the book. While God speaks to Job, the gathered friends benefit from God’s chastisement of Job as well.

God corrects those He loves. As I read the later chapters of Job, I can picture his head dropping further and further as he realizes how he has put the living God in a box based upon his own very limited understanding. My head droops a little too as I recognize that I am prone to do the same.

God can, and will, bring good out of bad. He does this for Job. He does this through Job to the generations of persons who have read and discerned God’s message through Job’s life. The apostle Paul may have even thought of Job when he penned the words in his letter to the Romans…‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ‘ Romans 8:28

My practical application of Job is pretty simple. When bad things happen in my life, I pause and take inventory, asking the LORD to reveal if there is any sin in me or any bad decision I have made that is bringing this about. This applies in many ways, not just big things. If my beloved and I have a disagreement, this self-reflection is key. And I often find that I do have some degree of ownership of the issue. I repent, i.e. change my mind. I own my part of the problem. And I engage from a place of humility.

After I have taken these steps, I then evaluate whether there is more I need to do. Prayer is key. In some cases, there is an aspect of spiritual warfare taking place and being aligned with the Holy Spirit is essential. In a few cases there is someone who is acting counter to God’s best. If I am to address, then I do so through much prayer and in humility. If I am not to be the person to address it, then I intercede for the person who is.

The bottom line in all of this is that I trust in God’s many promises and I stick as close to Him as I know how. In John 15 Jesus tells His disciples to “abide” in Him 11 times over those first 17 verses. Abiding is essential when loss hits us. There is comfort in abiding even when answers are not immediate. There is alignment in abiding when we are not sure of the direction we are to face. There is healing in abiding because we are with the great physician.

Job is still one of the less enjoyable books of the Bible, but it is so important in giving a balanced view of God and the world we live in. I appreciate Job’s life today and I am thankful for the lessons he can teach me about living in right relationship with my Heavenly Father.

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Scriptural Promises of Hope

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on January 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Any blog post written is only as good as the source material used. I wrote earlier today about the difference between Optimism and Hope. Hope has its foundation on the promises of God and the reality of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial life, death, and resurrection. Thanks to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for sending me a daily word of encouragement. I am forwarding these 15 scriptural promises they shared with me for you to read and use as a foundation for your hope today.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
—Jeremiah 29:11, ESV This was a life verse given to me when the entire office where I worked was notified we had been downsized. They said they needed us to stick around a few months for transition. That entire first week, this verse kept coming to mind unbidden. I knew it was the Holy Spirit building my faith for what was likely to be a challenging time. Because of this verse and other ways the Lord chose to encourage us, our hope never waned. In the end, after 15 months, they gave me a new job within the company that became one of the best jobs I ever had.

He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.
—1 Peter 1:3–4, ESV

Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
—Philippians 3:20, ESV

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
—Zephaniah 3:17, ESV

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
—Romans 15:13, ESV

They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
—Isaiah 40:31, ESV, I’ve lost track of the number of times I have sung this as a reminder of God’s mercy and grace when I was worn and weary. And every time His Word has lifted and refreshed me for my next steps. And I am still stepping because He is my strength and my refreshing.

And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you.
—Psalm 39:7, ESV

… waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ …
—Titus 2:13, ESV

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
—Romans 12:12

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.
—2 Corinthians 4:17–18, ESV, This scripture is such a comfort in times of difficulty. Sudden job loss, two near death episodes, a cancer diagnosis, and other challenges of life truly shrink to insignificance when compared to life with God that will go on into eternity. This life is but a prelude to the larger, brighter, better life God has prepared for His children.

The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
—Romans 8:18, ESV

Behold, I am coming soon.
—Revelation 22:12, ESV

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
—Romans 15:4, ESV

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
—Revelation 21:4, ESV

This I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
—Lamentations 3:21–23, ESV, Context is important. Jeremiah wrote this as the southern kingdom of Judah has been crushed, most of those not killed have been carried off into exile in a foreign land, and Jeremiah is left with a group of the poorest of the land with enemies all around ready to swoop in and crush whoever remains. His prophesies went unheeded yet came true. Even now the people ask for his prophetic word but then ignore it. If anyone had reason to lose hope and feel sorry for himself, it was the weeping prophet Jeremiah. Yet he reminds himself of God’s faithfulness and then hope rises.

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Is It Optimism or Hope?

Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, The Father, Trials, worldview, tagged , , , , , , on January 2, 2026| Leave a Comment »

As followers of Jesus, we are uniquely equipped for life in all it’s chaotic messiness. Being connected to the source of life and indwelt by the Holy Spirit gives us a perspective that transcends the loss, pain, suffering, and heartbreak present in this fallen world. It does not mean we don’t experience it or feel it. It simply means that we are aware that this life, all its highs and its lows, are but a precursor to the larger life God has in store for His children.

My boss often corrects me when I use the word hope about future prospects concerning work. I have pushed back lightly telling him that I cannot help but be a hopeful person because of my faith. I haven’t taken the conversation farther than this yet, but I think 2026 will see that happen. Today’s post captures the gist of what I want to say.

I will begin using the word “optimistic” when I am talking about work. Optimism is this recognition that things are trending in the right direction. Optimism is first cousin to hope in that it believes there is a desired final destination and the path we are on leads to it.  There is confidence that the path is correct and the destination will be reached.

Hope is bigger than optimism. Hope is grounded confidence that the final destination is not only desired and good, but that it will be reached no matter what. That grounding is in a person, Jesus, and a path, following Him as revealed in His Word.

There are two key differentiators between optimism and hope. They are 1) what happens when the path becomes difficult and the final destination is in doubt and 2) what is the source of the confidence.

Optimism is largely based upon circumstances being right and things working out in a particular way. Optimism usually includes a good bit of intervention on our part to keep things moving toward the desired destination. Optimism can also be seriously eroded when circumstances wane and turn against us. Because it is based upon reaching a final destination, when that becomes “unrealistic”, optimism can fail.

Hope, at least Biblical hope, is not based upon circumstances. It is based upon God, His promises, and most especially, God’s Son – Jesus. Because we have an amazing record of His life and His words to us, we can learn the path He has called us to. He warns us about the inevitable challenges on the way, but He promises to be with us. He tells us that He who has overcome the world will be with us in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Hope is not eroded when circumstances seem to fail. If anything, hope shines brighter when circumstances fail.

There are three cardinal virtues Paul mentions in his first letter to the church in Corinth. In chapter 13 we read, ‘And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.‘ This trio of virtues build and strengthen the body of Christ, the Church. They also demonstrate in a powerful way the reality of our final destination – eternal union with God, the Lover of our Souls.

While it is good to be an optimistic “glass half full” kind of person, the true blessing and joy comes from knowing Him and allowing that relationship to fill us with HOPE!

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