Job

Rachael has seemed down in the dumps a bit over the past two days but it has not wilted her desire to work.  She is doing some neat things.  Nancy and I, reading from different places in the scriptures have been meditating on God's mighty power.   Hanna, practicing her flute-a-phone was the entertainment today for a social gathering of about 15 patients!

After Job has asserted his integrity, stating his own righteous walk, Elihu a young man rebukes Job after Job's other 3 friends stop talking to Job as it is written in 32:1 "So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then the younger Elihu speaks much truth but with the wrong heart for it is told in 32:2 "But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God."
Think of a couple of older guys working on a car engine, quite sure that they know which part is bad.  The younger mechanic is watching what they are doing.  Their efforts exhibiting futility, the older gents hope for a way to a graceful exit.  Agreeing that the engine is some new type that nobody can fix, they give up.  The young upstart yanks the wrench out of the hands of an elder and begins to work in the engine, on a different part with an attitude.  Cranking the wrench, pounding the engine block, lacking a seasoned touch and technique he treats the engine like a nemesis restrained for a beating in a road house brawl.  Sort of how a younger Christian might become if not under regular discipleship and remaining humble in his approach to others when sharing the gospel or mature Christians choosing to disrespectfully admonish someone.  With self righteousness being their impetus they fail to give the same grace to others that Jesus gave them.  I have done just that in my time, been there and bought the tunic!  Young Elihu 'took the wrench' if you will.  He 'Bible thumped' Job with anger at Job's condition and response.  Though offering much truth, Elihu was harsh and disrespectful.  'There is a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way of death', just because you are right does not mean your way is.  When everyone had their say, then God spoke.  Man did he speak!   Check it out in Job 38!  God tells Job of creating the earth then moves to space and reminds Job just who it was that made the stars and constellations.  God returns with his run through the wringer of rhetorical  questions to the earth, its weather systems and his sovereignty.  Then in 40:4-5 Job answers and says

"Behold, I am of small account;
what shall I answer you?
I lay my hand on my mouth.

I have spoken once, and I will not answer;

twice, but I will proceed no further.”

One might think that such a statement would be a response that would be pleasing to the Lord yet God continues.  He speaks of the Behemoth and the Leviathan, the most feared creatures of their day.  He tells Job of their design, their ferocity and His complete control over them.  Job; like Jacob in his zeal, wrestling for a blessing that he could not steal or Peter 'round the fire on the seashore answering to Love, finally had more than knowledge about God, he saw God for who He is.  Anyone who is broken to the point of abandon to God has echoed in heart the words of Job when he says:

I know that you can do all things
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

6 therefore I despise myself,

and repent [fn1] in dust and ashes.”

A prayer in my heart over the past few days had been 'Lord, we are really relying upon you.  We are doing OUR best to remain righteous in our walk.  Nancy and I are sharpening each other.  Sometimes we are sharpening the wrong end but we quickly turn around.  Lord, we pray, we serve, we thank, we praise, we do allot.  Why then? '  It now makes me ill in spirit to think of such self focus.

Like Job With Rachael's increased cognition has come some sad days.  She acknowledges these days when asked.  She has thoughts that need to be taken captive.  Like each of us, she can fall into a sorrowful self focus and who wouldn't in her condition?  How much less are any of us suffering than those of such poor health?  Yet, either sick or well, we struggle.  After a talk today we all agree, we want to give God the glory for all things.  It is not at all about us.  It is not at all about what Rachael is going through, what Nancy is dealing with, what I am feeling, it is about Christ in Him Crucified!  It is delighting in the Lord.  It is abandoning to Him continually all our fears and cares.  It is about denying the self, killing the flesh, denying the fears, the worries and lifting up that burden that is our instrument of death of those things and follow Christ.  "It is no longer I who live"; said Paul, "but Christ who lives in me!"  A continual denial of the self.
We know God, so much is known about Him, 'You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder!' writes the Holy Spirit through James.  So what is beyond knowing God or as Job put it "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear" He heard and it is also true that 'faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God'.  So what is the difference between hearing about God, having knowledge about Him, loving him, being 'saved'  and as Job put it 'seeing' God?
Brokenness.  As God says in Job  1:1

'There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.'

He was blameless and upright in the eyes of God.  God calls Job his servant in 1:8, Job calls God his redeemer in Job 19:25.  Job was saved.  Job had faith, the kind of faith that comes by hearing.  Why then would he have to 'see' God?
All I know is what the Bible says and what we have gone through.  We are all saved in our family, yet following this incident, there is a deeper abiding in the Lord than we have known.  From the night of January 1, we had no where else to go.  There was no entertainment to lift our spirits, there was no earthly relationship to help us along, there were no answers, there was us and Jesus.  There were so many little things.  There was a still small voice that spoke via Psalm 20 in where our trust needed to be.  We had to give it all up to Him.  Today if you ask Rachael, "Who gets the glory?"  She will tell you "God".  Our eyes remain fixed on Him and in anticipation of what is next.

I am going to be leaving my teaching position at Calvary Chapel School at the end of this school year.  With the workload of school beyond the hours that we teach, there is not enough time for that wonderful ministry and the demands set forth with Rachael's needs.  I do not yet know what I will be doing and as I have done in the past, toss my future in God's hands, not as an irresponsible act, but as a step in faith.  He will setup my next role in work.  The ministry is pretty well defined.  Nancy has already left her position at the school and has been attending to Rachael full time since the accident.  We remain abandoned to Him.  Yes we will stumble and get a focus for the time on ourselves or maybe on some worldly desire but we keep a sharp lookout for such things and dismiss them quickly.  There are times it is not easy.  Christ always offers the lighter burden, we just have a hard time rolling the old pack off our backs on occasion.

God is being and will continue to be glorified in this.  Rachael continues to improve each day and I promise more footage soon.  Nancy is rock solid and we are making plans for Rachael's mobility and further rehab and eventual trip home sometime in July.

My prayer for you is that you dismiss yourself from the many trappings in life that we think are of a high priority.  Stay away from coveting 'things', be thankful for a swallow, being able to sit up, going to the bathroom when you want, where you want, chewing and eating.  So many things like our very breath we do without a thought.  Yet it takes much thought.  It took the thought of Him who breathed life into dirt and made us in His image.  "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Please pray for us as well that we continue to be and seek to be abandoned to Him who sits on the throne!  There is not a molecule that he does not know about, there is not a thought he does not see.  He is the almighty God, maker of heaven and earth!  Invisible, huge, always existing, all knowing and every place.  Yet, for a while He made Himself a man to suffer like none have ever suffered to die with our sins and rise again from the dead, victorious.  Why sulk?  Your sins have been forgiven!  Accept this gift from  God.

How To Delight Yourself In The Lord:

If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath
from doing your pleasure  on my holy day,

and call the Sabbath a delight

and the holy day of the LORD honorable;

if you honor it, not going your own ways,

or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;

14 then you shall take delight in the LORD,

and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; 

I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”      Isiah 58:13-14

What Is The Result?

Trust in the LORD, and do good;

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. [fn2]

4 Delight yourself in the LORD,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.      Psalm 37:3-4

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.