Job
In Dust and Ashes
For most people, the book of Job records the account of one of the most patient men who ever lived. He endured the loss of his children, his wealth, and his health, and yet he refused to curse God and would not be bullied into saying that he deserved all of this for some sin,…
Read MoreA Not-So-Mythical Creature
When the LORD spoke out of the whirlwind to Job, He humbled him by asking a series of questions about creation that demonstrated God’s power and man’s weakness. He spoke about the various ways in which the weather demonstrated His strength and control. Then He began describing powerful animals He created to demonstrate that, despite…
Read MoreA Hippopotamus It is Not
The book of Job presents a powerful account detailing the havoc God allowed Satan to wreak in one man’s life in order to demonstrate that physical circumstances can be completely unrelated to a person’s spiritual well-being. The lengthy discussion between Job and his friends provides insight into the assumptions and problems of the ancient doctrinal…
Read MoreHorsepower
Throughout the LORD’s lengthy questioning of Job, He provides numerous examples from nature to demonstrate His own power through the power of His creation. In Job 39 he includes a series of illustrations referring to various animals that we tend to take for granted. At both the beginning and ending of the Disney movie Secretariat,…
Read MorePrepare Yourself Like a Man
Man up. Years ago, those two words could hardly constitute a sentence. The combination of a noun and a preposition simply do not have what it takes to pass grammatical muster. But then someone very clever found a way to make “man” a verb too. Man up. The phrase may be of recent invention, but…
Read MoreGreat Things We Cannot Comprehend
The technological advancement made possible by modern science boggles the mind. The information available at our fingertips on a smartphone we take for granted, despite how brief a time we have enjoyed this technology. Rarely do we consider that we now hold in the palm of our hands far more computing power than what put…
Read MoreRighteousness in Perspective
When we find ourselves in the midst of difficulty and distress, feeling sorry for ourselves can quickly dominate our mindset so much that we decide we are being treated unfairly. It often proves to be our natural first reaction. When we do not get that promotion or raise, we assume that whoever did undermined us…
Read MoreTerms of Repayment
The human experience is riddled with instances of hardship, trauma, turmoil, pain, and suffering. With very few exceptions, these ultimately will intrude on everyone’s life. However, despite this undeniable record, as individuals we seem to live as if we believe we can beat the odds. Rather than accepting these challenges as part of life, we…
Read MoreShowing Respect
The patience of Job and the unwarranted attacks against him by his three friends dominate the majority of the book of Job; however, the thirty-second chapter introduces a man often overlooked. Elihu appears practically out of nowhere. Up to this point in the account, we tend to envision Job sitting on the ground with Eliphaz,…
Read MoreA Covenant with My Eyes
During the time of his trials, Job endured sorrow and suffering, ridicule and reproach, but the wild accusations of sin leveled against him by his own friends clearly upset him—as we surely can understand. They had charged him with a multiplicity of sins, assuming the worst due to the suppositions of their erroneous theology. In…
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