ESTHER AND JOB

Well, today I have time to do some catching up on my blogging.  I finished Esther and Job, but need to write down a few thoughts.  I'm hoping you are enjoying this.  It takes time and effort each day but I do enjoy writing down my thoughts.  A few years ago, I went through my Bible and wrote down everything I had underlined and circles and noted, and filled a notebook with such things.  I keep thinking that one day I will do it in such a way that it makes a devotional commentary on the Scriptures, but that's someday....   Here are a few thoughts: 1) BAD ADVICE- In Esther 5:7, Haman's wife, Zeresh, and his friends tell him to build some gallows for Mordecai.  Then in Chapter 6:13 they say to Haman:  "thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him."  Wow!  In one chapter they say you are going to win and in another chapter they say, you are going to fail!  That is the problem with going just anywhere to get your advice.  Why not go to a man of God and ask his advice based on Scripture and his knowledge of God??  It works!! 2) DIDN'T RECOGNIZE HIM- When Job was covered head to toe with boils and was in such misery, his friends came to him and in 2:12 of Job it says: And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept;"  They looked at their dear friend, and didn't recognize him!!  I don't think we scrape the surface of the sorrow of Job.  We cannot fathom the depth of his hurt and pain.  But.... God could, and did.  He also knows our hurts and cares just as deeply.  Take heart dear Christian!! 3) QUESTION AND ANSWER- In Job 14:14, Job asks a question:  "If a man die, shall he live again?"  So many have asked that question before, and the Bible gives us a very clear answer.... YES!!  But Job also has the answer, for in chapter 19:24-27 he says: "I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me."  Yes, we will see God.... but we must be sure that we have trusted Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior.  What a glad reunion day that will be!! 4) YES!!  Another question is posed in Job 22:3.  It asks:  "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous?"  And the answer is yes, God delights in the righteous!  Psalms 4:3 says:  "But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself:"  Yes, God delights in the righteous!!  This is why it is so important to be righteous, when you could easily not be when no one is looking, but God sees all of the time, and delights in the man and woman who decides to live righteous to the best of their ability.  The answer is YES!! 5) IMPORTANT- What is important to you??  Job said in 23:12, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food."  Does God's Word mean that much to you??  Is it that important to you??  I heard a missionary say just last Sunday Night, "What you delight in is what you spend your spare time doing?"  I have thought a lot about that.  My spare time... what do I do?  I thought about the fact that though I read the Bible many chapters daily, I seldom spend my spare time reading it.  I need to re-examine my spare time, so that "I esteem the words of His mouth..."  How about you??  I'm confessing my failure... now it's your turn!! 6) SONGS IN THE NIGHT- I love it.... hate it!  Job 35:10 says "Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;"  The context is saying that in the midst of your trials, God will give you a song in the night (your darkest trials), and that I love dearly!!  But, I often find myself unable to sleep because I have a song in my mind that plays over and over again, and usually I only know a few stanzas of it.  Over and over and over.... I'm glad it's a Christian song, but I like sleep too!! Well, so much for catching up.  Hope you have a blessed day in Christ!!  I'm excited about the day.  God is sooooo good!!   Pastor Mike Mutchler