JOB & PSALMS

It is Wednesday morning, and I finished up Job and got into Psalms.  Here are just a few thoughts: 1) THE EAR AND THE EYE- Job says in Job 42:5, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear:  but now mine eye seeth thee."  We have grown up with the ear (we hear people talk and teach about God); but that must move to the eye. (We must see God for ourselves.)  Our faith is not founded on that which we have heard, but that which we have experienced for ourselves and seen God working in our lives for ourselves.  The ear gives us truth from others; but the eye, lets us see God for ourselves.  We need the EYES of FAITH! 2) THE TIMING OF GOD'S TURNING- In Job 42:10 it says:  "And the LORD turned the captivity of JOB, when he prayed for his friends:  also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."    Now, these same friends Job had called "miserable comforters" in Job 16:2, and in Job 19:2, he says:  "How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?"   These "friends" of his had caused him a lot of grief and kept laying the blame for Job's trials at his feet.  BUT, the Bible still says that the LORD turned the captivity of Job, WHEN he prayed for his friends."  Are you willing to pray for those who have hurt you?  Perhaps God is withholding some of His great blessings until we pray for those who have hurt us the most.  Just a thought. 3) SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP- Psalms 4:3 tells us that we can have a special relationship with God.  "But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself:  the LORD will hear when I call unto him."  God sets apart the godly! Why not try to live as godly as you know and let God show how much He enjoys your godly living?  His Word is true! 4) DON'T DIG PITS  In Psalms 7:15, it says:  "He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made."  In Proverbs, it says:  "He that diggeth a pit, shall surely fall into it."  Don't dig pits!  A pit was a trap for someone else, but the idea is that if you with malice in your heart set traps for others, you will be the one who gets trapped!  Don't do that.  When people hurt you, cheat you, lie about you, just walk on.... just live your life without a second thought about their deeds.  You will then not be affected by what they do and your continued life will negate all the bad they have said anyway.  Don't let bitterness get you into the pit digging business, it is a risky business to be in because it always traps you!!  Do like Job, and pray for them! Well, I've got to go.  Have a blessed day!!  Pastor Mike Mutchler