JOB

Well it is Tuesday.  We didn't get to have our conference because of the storm warning put out by every news channel in Portland.  The little bit of snow did come, but the snow came later at night after our service would have been over and it did leave some snow on the ground this morning, and it is cold outside like they said it would be.  The sun is also shining brightly and the skies are blue and cloudless.  Anyway, we will not be having a service this morning.  To all who were hoping to attend, I can only say we hope to reschedule sometime.    I'm reading in Job today, and here are a few thoughts:   1) AN UNIVERSAL QUESTION- Job 7:17, "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest se thine heart upon him?"  David asked it this way in Psalms 8:4  "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?  and the son of man, tht thou visitest him?"  This looks to be a question that evey man asks at one time or another.  We we think of the immensity of all that is created... what is man?  Abraham said:  Genesis 18:27 "And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes:"  Isaiah says we are like the grass of the field: Isaiah 40:7 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass."  So the question that comes to all of us is "what is man?".  We are nothing!  Only valuable because we are loved by the Creator and sought out by the Savior, and sealed by the Spirit.  Wow!    2) WHO FINDS WHO?  In Job 11:7 it says:  "Canst thou by searching find out God?"  Good question.  We know the Bible says:  Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."  And then we also read:  Proverbs 1:28 "Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:"  So who finds who?  Anyone who sincerely seeks after God can find Him, but not because they are such good seekers, but because God is looking to reveal Himself to anyone willing to seek Him.  So God does the finding, not us.  And He even gives us the desire and ability to seek after Him.  So it is God who moves us to seek, and it is God who then finds us.  He is seeking all men, but only some respond by seeking Him in faith.... these find Him!!   3) A SOFT HEART- Job 23:16 says:  "For God maketh my heart soft,..."  In this passage Job is taking about a heart that is hurt, sore, bruised... soft.  But the truth is also in Scripture that it is God who gives us a soft heart to love, to care, to empathize, to weep, and to act for the good of others.  We need soft heart.  Usually it is our hurts, our bruises, and our sore hearts... that make them soft for others.  Our pain helps us be mindful of the pain of others.  We need soft heart.  It would be nice if we would allow God to soften our hearts without having to have our hearts bruised, and hurt.  Our degree of yieldedness makes the difference.  Like having two children.  One you have to spank to shape his will, the other you speak to and their will is broken.  Let us be children God needs only to speak to!  We must have a soft heart.   Well, so much for today!  Hope you have a blessed day.  Pastor Mike Mutchler