Well this is it for me folks!

This is my last day to blog for the month of January. Yesterday was my beautiful wife’s birthday. Her mother gave her a color Nook and I asked if I could put a book on it. I put the Chronological One Year Bible on it of course! 

For those of you that have purposed to read daily this year I want to encourage you. You can make it through the year. It’s okay if you missed some days. You are still developing discipline.

It’s the end of January, the ends of Job’s story.

Job 42

Job Responds to the LORD

 ¹ Then Job replied to the LORD:

 ² “I know that you can do anything,
      and no one can stop you.
 ³ You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
      It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
      things far too wonderful for me.
 ⁴ You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
      I have some questions for you,
      and you must answer them.’
 ⁵ I had only heard about you before,
      but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
 ⁶ I take back everything I said,
      and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”  Job 42:1-6

Job said that he had only heard of God before but now he has seen Him with his own eyes.

I have heard of God too. I have experienced God in my life. But I have not seen Him either. I have seen His creation and His works!

Oh I just started singing this as I was blogging! <-------- Click me!

 ¹⁰ When Job prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes. In fact, the LORD gave him twice as much as before! ¹¹ Then all his brothers, sisters, and former friends came and feasted with him in his home. And they consoled him and comforted him because of all the trials the LORD had brought against him. And each of them brought him a gift of money^[g] and a gold ring.
 ¹² So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. Job 42:10-12

Okay. You just read Job 42:10. What are your first thoughts of his brothers, sisters, and former friends? (Hint: encouraging you to comment)

I am encouraged when I look at this blog’s statistics. We have had page views from Indonesia, Germany, Russia, Australia and other countries. Maybe even Rio Vista!

I want to encourage you to read this blog today as well. If mine sometimes does not make sense, his always will.There is a fresh blog from Africa!

Pastor Rick's Blog <------- Hey click me too!!!

Have a great day everyone!!!

Here comes the Judge! Here comes the Judge!

¹ Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind:

 ² “Who is this that questions my wisdom
      with such ignorant words?
 ³ Brace yourself like a man,
      because I have some questions for you,
      and you must answer them.  Job 38:1-3

The Amplified Bible says “   ³Gird up now your loins like a man, and I will demand of you, and you declare to Me.”

The Captain Random Paraphrased Edition says “Put on you Big Boy pants Job.” Time for a knowledge check!

God starts questioning Job. Is there a hint of sarcasm here?

 

 ²¹ But of course you know all this!
   For you were born before it was all created,
      and you are so very experienced!  Job 38:21

You can even detect it in this translation:

²¹ ¡Con toda seguridad lo sabes,
      pues para entonces ya habrías nacido!
      ¡Son tantos los años que has vivido! Job 38:21 (Nueva Versión Internacional)

We seem to all go to God with our prayers of petition, intercession, …….wait let me use non “churchy” words. We ask for stuff, complain about stuff, sometimes we thank God for stuff and that is all good. He wants us to come to Him with anything.

But what would you do if He said that He had a few questions to ask you. Are you prepared to stand before Him and answer Him? What are some of the questions you would hope He would not ask?

One more day of reading and we have completed January! Congratulations everyone!

 

Today’s readings:

JOB 38:1-40:5

Tomorrow’s readings:

JOB 40:6-42:17

You’ve Got A Friend

¹ Then Elihu said:

 ² “Do you think it is right for you to claim,
      ‘I am righteous before God’?
 ³ For you also ask, ‘What’s in it for me?
      What’s the use of living a righteous life?’

 ⁴ “I will answer you
      and all your friends, too.
 ⁵ Look up into the sky,
      and see the clouds high above you.
 ⁶ If you sin, how does that affect God?
      Even if you sin again and again,
      what effect will it have on him?
 ⁷ If you are good, is this some great gift to him?
      What could you possibly give him?
 ⁸ No, your sins affect only people like yourself,
      and your good deeds also affect only humans.  Job 35:1-8

I read this about 4 times and kept thinking about the testimony of Mark Hall of the band Casting Crowns. He was talking to God and he told God that he didn’t need him because there were so many other people more talented and gifted that him. Mark said that God told him “I don’t need you, I want you!”

The above passage reads “If you are good, is this some gift to him?” I keep thinking about that.

I get to serve a youth group alongside some other adults who sincerely care for every single one of them. One gentleman, I will call Jim (because his name really is Jim), always invites them to attend a worship service with him on the weekend.

I ask the students to bring a friend each week and they will come up to me and say “Hey Rick I brought a friend!” sometimes it might even be 3 friends. They love their youth night so much that they want to bring friends. Jim loves our God so much he wants to bring friends!

We don’t have to go to God empty handed. We can go to him holding the hands of our friends and say “Hi God! I brought some of my friends!”

Let’s help gather the lost sheep! Also be a GOOD friend. Check up on them frequently. Ask if they need anything or if you can do anything for them. But don’t ever do it if you are expecting something in return. A gift is not something you give and expect to be given back to you.

Have a wonderful day today!

Today’s readings:

 JOB 35:1-37:24

Tomorrow's readings:

JOB 38:1-40:5

Hey go ahead! No one is watching!

²¹ “For God watches how people live;
      he sees everything they do.
 ²² No darkness is thick enough
      to hide the wicked from his eyes.
 ²³ We don’t set the time
      when we will come before God in judgment.
 ²⁴ He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone,
      and he sets up others in their place.
 ²⁵ He knows what they do,
      and in the night he overturns and destroys them.
 ²⁶ He strikes them down because they are wicked,
      doing it openly for all to see.
 ²⁷ For they turned away from following him.
      They have no respect for any of his ways.
 ²⁸ They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention.
      He hears the cries of the needy.
 ²⁹ But if he chooses to remain quiet,
      who can criticize him?
   When he hides his face, no one can find him,
      whether an individual or a nation.
 ³⁰ He prevents the godless from ruling
      so they cannot be a snare to the people.
 ³¹ “Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned,
      but I will sin no more’?
 ³² Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me.
      If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?  Job 34:21-32

Are there things you might do because no one is watching?

Have you ever gone in a department store and started looking around for surveillance cameras? Some stores have them everywhere. Even though I am not committing a crime it still feels weird to know that someone is watching me as a pick up items to look at. Watching my every move.

How does it feel that God does that every minute no matter where you are at? Does it make you feel weird? Are you conscience of it at all times. Are there some things you are doing that you would want to change?

Today’s readings:

JOB 32:1-34:37

Tomorrow’s readings

JOB 35:1-37:24

Ladies will you please help us?

 ¹ “I made a covenant with my eyes
      not to look with lust at a young woman.
 ² For what has God above chosen for us?
      What is our inheritance from the Almighty on high?
 ³ Isn’t it calamity for the wicked
      and misfortune for those who do evil?
 ⁴ Doesn’t he see everything I do
      and every step I take?

 ⁵ “Have I lied to anyone
      or deceived anyone?
 ⁶ Let God weigh me on the scales of justice,
      for he knows my integrity.
 ⁷ If I have strayed from his pathway,
      or if my heart has lusted for what my eyes have seen,
      or if I am guilty of any other sin,
 ⁸ then let someone else eat the crops I have planted.
      Let all that I have planted be uprooted.
 ⁹ “If my heart has been seduced by a woman,
      or if I have lusted for my neighbor’s wife,
 ¹⁰ then let my wife belong to^[a] another man;
      let other men sleep with her.
 ¹¹ For lust is a shameful sin,
      a crime that should be punished.
 ¹² It is a fire that burns all the way to hell.^[b]
      It would wipe out everything I own.  Job 27:1-12

It is hard being a male in today’s world and not be bombarded with images of women that would cause us to experience lust. It’s not just the technology. It is also what females are wearing in public.

There is so much on the market to enhance the natural beauty of a woman with makeup, perfumes, and clothing and then you have hair salons, nail salons, etc. 

What are the parents letting their daughters wear out in public or post on the internet?

Aside from all that today here is my main point. If it was an issue back in Job’s day then you can imagine what a challenge it is for us men today. I don’t actually know what the garments the women wore looked like back then. How form fitting it was or how nice their nails were. But I am sure they were more modest, less fragrant, not surgically enhanced, manicured, etc., as  compared to females today.

I’d like to take Job to the mall today and ask him what he thought after people watching for 1o minutes. After 30 minutes of stuttering he might get a few words out.

Lastly I want to say that we do appreciate you ladies for taking care of yourselves and we do appreciate your God given beauty. I'm not saying you all need to go "Little House on the Prairie." It’s just there that are those in the world today that makes it a challenge for those men like Job, myself and men I know and respect that want to stay pure in action and thought.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Today’s Reading

JOB 30:1-31:40

Tomorrow’s reading:

JOB 32:1-34:37

WE NEED HELP, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

An age old issue is found in today's reading. I will post around 6:00pm (cst) today.

I'll be back!!!!!

Those were the days!!!

Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way

That song came to mind when I read this segment:

 

 ⁷ “Those were the days when I went to the city gate
      and took my place among the honored leaders.
 ⁸ The young stepped aside when they saw me,
      and even the aged rose in respect at my coming.
 ⁹ The princes stood in silence
      and put their hands over their mouths.
 ¹⁰ The highest officials of the city stood quietly,
      holding their tongues in respect.

 ¹¹ “All who heard me praised me.
      All who saw me spoke well of me.
 ¹² For I assisted the poor in their need
      and the orphans who required help.
 ¹³ I helped those without hope, and they blessed me.
      And I caused the widows’ hearts to sing for joy.
 ¹⁴ Everything I did was honest.
      Righteousness covered me like a robe,
      and I wore justice like a turban.
 ¹⁵ I served as eyes for the blind
      and feet for the lame.
 ¹⁶ I was a father to the poor
      and assisted strangers who needed help.
 ¹⁷ I broke the jaws of godless oppressors
      and plucked their victims from their teeth.  Job 29:7-17

Okay we know there was only one person to walk this earth that was blameless. But in Job we read what a righteous dude he was (nod to the 70’s).

Can anyone else tell me if they think maybe, just maybe Job could have had a little pride going on when he was “The Man”? Could that have been his sin? *

It would be one of mine and is sometimes. But I try to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5

*If you don’t want to answer that then tell us what your plans are for the weekend. I have some friends going to Ethiopia. I will be praying for them. I am going to a Family Summit. I am going on a field trip to the U.S. Mint with my daughter’s 2^nd grade class on Friday. I need to work the Stock Show in sometime.

This is not a link so don't try clicking on it

But this is!!!!!! 

Have a groovy day!!!!

Today’s readings:

JOB 26:1-29:25

Tomorrow’s readings:

JOB 30:1-31:40