JOB & PSALMS

Today is Wednesday and it is cold outside with a thin layer of ice over cold ground with some snow scattered around.  This morning, I started reading in Job 26 and read into Psalms 5.  Here are just a few thoughts:   1) I REMEMBER WHEN- Job says in Job 29:2 "Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;"  Then the whole chapter goes on to tell how it used to be.  He remembers when people honored him and the good that he would do at every opportunity.  He remembers when God blessed all that he did.  Sometimes we too get caught up in act of "remembering when".  Especially when things are not going so well, we tend to look to the past to see when times were better and we enjoyed the blessings of God.  Remembering good times are fine, unless we are escaping the present by doing so.  Our life is present and future... and so we must go on.    2) REMEMBERING-REFLECTING-REASONING  These three words describe chapters 29, 30, and 31 of Job.  In chapter 29, he remembers how it was.  In chapter 30, he reflects upon how it is.  Verse one sets the stage for the chapter:  "But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock."  The whole chapter goes on to reflect on how poorly Job is now treated.  vs. 9- "And now am I their song, yea, I am there byword."  Then, chapter 31 we see Job reasoning.  Verse 3 sets forth the reasoning:  "Is not destruction to the wicked?  and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?"  Job is thinking... do I really deserve this?  Then he starts stating things like that found in verse 5- "If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit;"  Then Job could understand his plight.  Now in this chapter of REASONING, Job says "IF" 20 times!  IF I had done this or this, or that, then I could understand this judgment from the hand of God.  Brethren.... don't try to reason out God!  Just accept it from His hand knowing His ways are higher than our ways.  Give in and go on!   3) A NATURAL WAY TO UNDERSTAND CHASTISEMENT- In Chapter 34, Elihu, one of Job's friends says in verses 31 & 32, "Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:  That which I see not teach thou me:  if I have done iniquity, I will do no more."  Now, this did not apply to Job; but, it could well apply to any of us.  We should acknowledge when we have been corrected of God and let Him know we have learned our lesson and will not be found doing that sin again.  This is a natural way to deal with God's chastening of us.    4) PRAYER CHANGES US- In Job 42:10, we read:  "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."  He prayed for his friends, but God used it to change him!  Prayer not only helps our friends we pray for, but it helps us be changed by God as we pray for others.  Never forget that God us using our prayers to change somebody, and that somebody is often... us!   5) CONFIDENCE IN GOD- Psalms 3:6 says:  "I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about."  Here David is expressing great confidence in God's ability to take care of him.  We would do well to not fret and worry about our opposition, but trust soley in the LORD our God!