Job

Hi, I have been busy purchasing a house, working many hours at work and of course, deep personal thoughts. I have been studying "Job" for a long time and learned about my own sufferings and learned patience through them.

Job reads like history. It talks about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. It communicates to us his friends' interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with which Job dealt. What's interesting is that other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. The Lord's point to Job, at the end of the book, is that he is the all-powerful Creator. He is the loving Sustainer. And he is the perfect Ruler. He created the Universe, and he knows how to govern it as well.

Through the book of Job, I have learned about Job's example of Faith. God made a point to the devil and to the whole world of people who have ever read that account. And the point is this, that true saving faith is not dependent on positive circumstances. God is making a point with Satan and to make the point He uses Job and the point is to show the strength and the continuity and the unwavering character of true saving faith, true love for God. The person who really loves God is not the person who loves God because of what he gets, but the person who loves God because of who He is.

There is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to me that I am not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything. Faith is accepting God's Will. There is confusion between the determined Will of God and a Christian's responsibility as a Christian.

From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. The point of the story of Job is about God's Sovereign. Not really about Job. People always focus on Job more than God's sovereign. Jesus said clearly about a penny's worth of sparrows compare to us. Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. If God can control with those two sparrows, then He will do the same for His children as well. In reality, the blessings are from God, the Holy Spirit-and using that person as an instrument to do God's will and plan.

God's divine intervention (i.e. trials) goes BOTH WAYS. All circumstances can turn people to God. Scriptures reveals that no trial, no disease or illness, no accident or injury reaches us apart from God's permission. Christians can answer like Joseph to his brothers who sold him into slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” There are some who seem to look on the gloomy side and never able to do respond in faith to life's problems, instead, they grumble about the trials that they forget God's powerful grace.

Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament (Genesis 50:20), Joseph told his brothers who sold him into slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” God will take advantage of Satan's evil desires and motives to accomplish His will. The Bible clearly teaches that God knows beforehand what we will need and He will provide beforehand according to His will. God is absolutely powerful, that God is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, that God is immutable, never changes, that God is all wise, perfectly just, holy, righteous. God is ruling all things to work together for our good and His purpose.

The fact of the matter is the visible providence of God has no respect of persons. It doesn't discriminate between believers and unbelievers. Plane crashes, boat sinkings, train accidents, car collisions, heart disease, cancer doesn't discriminate between a sinner and a saint, or between a sinner and a sinner.

Choosing a Church, Love and Doctrines

The clarity of a view on a given doctrinal subject is a valid consideration in selecting a church. No doctrine is more important to evangelical theology than the doctrine of justification by faith alone—the Reformation principle of sola fide. Martin Luther was used by God to develop, what theologians call "soteriology" the doctrine of salvation. He was a "soteriologist" and the truth of the matter is that the Reformation was a soeteriological reformation, that never touched the field of ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church).

Martin Luther called it the article that determines whether the church is standing or falling. No one person is the repository of all divine truth and that all of us are made, to some extent, incapacitated because of our humanness. Paul wrote, "No man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11). Christ Himself embodied or established every doctrine that is essential to genuine Christianity. The hardest thing in Bible study is to divorce myself from all my presuppositions and take every text purely on its own merit.

We have to remember that its not the scriptures that are corrupted. Its a man's heart that is corrupted. Intelligence, reason, and choice. Studying the scriptures requires the Holy Spirit which is inward, not outward. The Holy Spirit is within us believers, Christ dwells in our hearts, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith.

Two-way relationship with God requires our submission, obedience and love to Him. The WORD is Jesus Christ. God's Word (the Bible) sometimes wounds us deeply and it is imperative because through the Bible, God speaks loudly. The Bible illumines the dark corners of heart and mind by exposing sin but reveals the way of rightousness. The Word of God (Bible) rebukes in order that we may see our faults. When a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. If we didn't feel the conviction and didn't have the motivation to change from "within", then we should be concerned whether we are truly saved or not. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." The condition of the heart determines how receptive a person is to the gospel. The Holy Spirit is the key. Faith comes as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit-He quickens our hearts to believe. Apart from the new birth, there can be no true faith. Without the Holy Spirit, our faith and our works are NOTHING.

We can fake other people but we can't fake to God. It is important to understand that our hearts are the state of our "flesh". Our flesh search for pleasure, pride, passions and selfish motives. Our hearts are like a garden with beautiful flowers and plants. As with all gardens, the hearts must be kept free from weeds and insects. God is not impressed by our works or how we worship. In 1. Samuel 16:7, The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance (i.e. works), but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)."

When we argue and disagree, we will know what kind of a Christian others are and what kind of a heart they have. We always argue over things that we love, or that we disagree. If a Christian is not careful and forget. 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In order to "revere" the Word of God (Bible), we are to submit to the Holy Spirit who is the Author of the Bible. Jesus said in John 6:63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Everyone is different. Some may consider one extreme and the other is not while another person is the opposite. We are not to persuade people to follow certain extremist views of doctrines because only God can take care of that based on each individual as the Holy Spirit convicts their hearts. Practicing charity (love) is a toughie depending on someone's view from where they are sitting/experiencing.

Legalistic, Liberalistic and Moralistic

My today's devotion:

Legalistic: My own concept of obedience makes me feel very safe that if its part of my life, I will impose on others. If they are not following my formula of legalistic beliefs, they are not being obedient according to my understanding of the Scriptures.

Liberalistic: I rationalize that certain rules, regulations, laws (ceremonial) and/or any other concept of commandments in the Bible do not apply today. If I see it does not apply, then others are not being obedient according to my understanding of the Scriptures.

Moralistic: I am following my resolutions according to my understanding of the Scriptures that being radical and focusing on agendas to accomplish God’s will even though I understand this is a “self-effort” rather than “grace-power”.

When we trivialize the Scriptures, we reduce God’s Commandments of our Christian Life to formulas (legalism) which lead me to be “proud” of my efforts, or we rationalize away the demands (liberalism) which makes me comfortable with my life, or we fabricate a list of things (agenda) we are going to do for God (moralism) which makes me tired, all three (legalism, liberalism and moralism) replaces God’s grace and need for Jesus Christ. If we allow ourselves to the bondage to a corruption of nature (i.e., legalism, liberalism and moralism), then we are not free as the Bible defines it.

My This Morning Devotion

God is not impressed by my appearance (1. Samuel 16:7). The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT). Jesus even said that appearances can be deceiving (Matt. 23:27), therefore we are not to judge others by their appearances (James 2:2-4)because Paul wrote "The trouble with you is that you make your decisions on the basis of appearance." 2 Corinthians 10:7 (NLT). Inner beauty is more important than physical beauty (1 Peter 3:1-6). Christians are warned to be careful about their welfare because they should care more about spiritual than physical welfare (1 Tim.2:9-10). In Proverbs 21:2, "People may think they are doing what is right, but the Lord examines the heart." (NLT). God is looking for Christians who will worship Him from their hearts, minds and bodies. The heart is where God meets us because that is where we make our decisions. Our hearts are where our desires and motives are located. It is important to understand that our hearts is the state of our "flesh". Our flesh search for pleasure, pride, passions and selfish motives. The heart is the source of our emotions, thoughts and motives.

God's purpose in redeeming me is not to make my life happy, healthy, and free of trouble. It is not an escape from my physical pains because God's purpose is to make me more like Christ. He chose to allow me to have deafness, multiple sclerosis and other trials. My daily life always face some obstacles in the way because Jesus doesn’t want to destroy my will, but to sanctify it. I have learned to understand the true nature of the Christian life which is unpredictable and expanding everyday. Bad things happen to everybody because we are living in a sinful world. Things will go wrong, they will go wrong all the time and that God has given us the grace to survive. God has given us the grace to sanctify us. God uses suffering to perfect His power which the Bible referred this as "Power is perfected in weakness". God is saying "You should not have self-confidence and trust in yourself in the sense you believe you're capable of anything eternal that only I can provide grace and power."

Paul reminds me that spiritual training is this: "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But God said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me". (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). Paul wanted the thorn removed but God wanted to teach Paul that "the sufficiency of His grace" in the worst of human circumstances is that when a person is weak in a temporal sense while the person is strong spiritually by God's Grace in eternal sense. If I keep forgetting the basic meanings of God's grace, I would become a bitter, angry, and cantankerous person just because things are not going "my way". Grace teaches me that I am to continue to rejoice and praise God even in the midst of my trials and suffering in this earthly life! This is related to the Beatitudes of a "happy paradox" to focus on God's power to control my thoughts.

So, how I do I endure through my trials? This is all up to me and my attitude. I need this reminder.

My Personal Devotion (Mostly for me)

I am one of many Christians who have a bad habit to get into the habit of trying everything before taking our problems to God. God should come first because God first will head off many a bad situation. However, I am trying. As A.W. Tozer once said "our Lord will not save those whom He cannot command!", in this case, I am rephrasing Tozer's quote, "our Lord will not help those whom He cannot command". Often, I am one of those Christians who take everything for granted. Decisions are in view of consequences that that we suffer from the consequences of our own blindness and selfishness. There is a close cause-and-effect relationship between deeds and consequences. No right-thinking person would try to deny this. I am seeing many Christians who are behaving like arrogance, lack of charity, contempt, self-righteousness, Christian snobbery and fault-finding. People often judge other people based on their doctrine rather than spiritual. (I myself catch myself doing at times). All things else being equal, a Christian will make spiritual progress exactly in proportion to his or her ability to criticize himself or herself.

Most Christians forget what Paul said, "But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment" (1 Corinthians 11:31). We escape the critical judgment of God by exercising our own critical self-judgment.

A.W. Tozer said it beautifully with this quote.

The only proper attitude for the learner is one of humble self-distrust. "I am ignorant," he says, "and am willing to be taught. I am wrong and am willing to be corrected." In this childlike spirit, the mind is made capable of improvement.

The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

When you judge others, you define yourself. Unknown

Diplomacy and attitude in this society

In relating to "Mistaken Identity" story about two girls. One survived and one died that I posted earlier today. It is amazing to me how both parents behaved with positive attitude towards one another during their toughest 5 months since the accident. I am seeing "this is not about 'me' but rather about 'all of us and God'".

To me diplomacy in this world is being graceful towards others regardless how I think of them or how I feel about them. Learning to love and accept others is an important part discipleship. God through my Mediator, Jesus Christ have established a meaningful intimate friendship. I have learned to understand that God is the deeper life and much more than "faith systems". I have learned that as a Christian, I must decide whether I will put my emphasis on what is important in God's will more than my will. The Holy Spirit have taught me to be humble in situations and be fruitful in bearing one another with love.

One of the most important lessons I have learned as a Christian that a Christian life cannot be lived individually.

Why?

Because, in Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together."

The spiritual people within the church are to come alongside the fleshly and lift them up. Its not about what I am going to gain from God but rather I am cared by others as I am. A church is an assembly of believers. Just like a family, a local church is our spiritual family. It is only in the local body to which one is committed that there can be the level of intimacy that is required for spiritual growth with brothers/sisters in Christ "to love and good deeds." Only through that kind spiritual initamcy where we can encourage one another. A church is an assembly of believers and is made up of real spiritual people. Now.. when we are talking about "spiritual Christians", we need to figure out what kind of "community" within a local Church. If the people are submitting to the Holy Spirit, who will give them fruit. Quality is measured by the Christ-like living of a local church members. The primary reason to become a participating member is not to gain a personal advantage, but to identify with the characteristics of biblical maturity and commitment to the mission and future of a local church.

When you read their stories like "Mistaken Identity", you can't help and think about other similar stories around the world. One of my favorites is Corrie ten Boom's stories. Corrie ten Boom was schedule to die in Nazi Camp like the rest of family did, but came out of Nazi prison alive due to clerical error through God's divine intervention. Through Corrie ten Boom, God was glorified through Corrie's ministry through many years until the day she died. Her ministry is still alive even though she is no longer with us physically but she is in heaven.

People just refused to see God allow evil to happen for His Glory. An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance in trouble, which is very different. The bad events are circumscribed by a loving providence and God promises to use them all for His ultimate good for HIS GLORY. There is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to me that I am not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything. Faith is accepting God's Will. There is confusion between the determined Will of God and a Christian's responsibility as a Christian. In Isaiah 55:8-9 God says, "My thoughts are completely different from yours, and my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts." God is adjusting our history to His purposes. He knows what He's doing. I have to learn to trust His will, His power to do His will, and His timing to do it when the time is right--and not until then. That's the essence of real faith. God carries out His will in His perfect power and timing.

People forget the Story of Job (or they refused to believe). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. The point of the story of Job is about God's Sovereign. Not really about Job. People always focus on Job more than God's sovereign.

Jesus said clearly about a penny's worth of sparrows compare to us. Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. If God can control with those two sparrows, then He will do the same for His children as well. In reality, the blessings are from God, the Holy Spirit-and using that person as an instrument to do God's will and plan.

Over the years, I have seen God's interventions that I thought they surely could happened but didn't since God had another plan. Everything that happens in our lives (including trials) somehow fits into the plan of God. Most of the time, God allows evil to happen, other times, God divinely intervene situations when He has a plan that will Glorify Him.

One of the reasons I disagree with Word of Faith doctrines is because they don't believe in God allows that kind of suffering for Christians. Even though the word "suffering" have been mentioned many times throughout the Old and New Testaments. The concept of the unity of all things written in the Scriptures that God will reconcile all things (i.e. sufferings) unto Himself. Truth wounds through life's experiences as well as from the Word of God. The truth resolves some difficulties and creates more difficulties. Without sufferings, Pride will always gets in the way of God's glory. We suffer to keep down pride (2 Cor. 12:7). Suffering is a process as Scriptures said “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).

Grace and Suffering

In Lisa's wonderful post in her blog today about Sharing Grace in the Face of Illness and I responded with a comment that we have a wonderful community that will support one another and share ourselves so that they are not alone.

Trials basically teaches me to bear others who are facing similar situations(2 Corinthians 1:3-7.)

Trials come to humble us that we must realize that God allows trials in our lives share our burdens with others.(James 1:3-4, and 12)

Trials come to us to teach us to value the blessing of God from His perspective to enable us to help others in their suffering and to make us better able to assist others in their own suffering.

God allows us to learn by experience to help others.

I have said in the past and I will repeat. Trials (of all kinds) are often a two-sided coin. One side trials may be viewed as coming from God to bring out the BEST in us (See: Gen. 22:1-2, 15-18; Hebrews 11:17). On the other side of the coin, Satan attempts to tempt us and trials to bring out the WORST in us (see: James 1:13-14).

Suffering is a process in our lives that “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).

How do I endure through my trials?

Grace (See 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).....God said "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses (i.e. illnesses), in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Only God can overcome my suffering situation as long as I trust in His GRACE.

The real question here is, when God gives me the grace to handle the sufferings of my life, did I allowed Him?

That's the issue.

Irrirtating Life

If knowing answers to life's questions is absolutely necessary to you, then forget the journey. You will never make it, for this is a journey of unknowables -- of unanswered questions, enigmas, incomprehensibles, and, most of all, things unfair. ------ Jeanne Guyon, in *Spiritual Torrents*

Life itself can be very irritating. I like when I heard a fellow Christian who said "God can be irritating". There have been times that irritations leads me to depression and I have been there. Daily life is an irritating game, and we’ve no choice but put up with them and play them in order to survive. Sometimes, it is my fault for having unrealistic expectations. One of my major irritated beef is people's ignorance. Most of the time, I am very tolerate and able to handle irritating people along who rub me the wrong way but ignorance bothers me the most. I try to remind myself that I was one of them once that I should understand how irritating they could be at times. At times, I just feel if I'm irritating othres like my family, friends and co-workers. AT times, being irritating cause me to feel down and wondering if I can continue to cope.

Along with "Humor", how do I build my confidence up and become less irritating so that I can really cope with my life? I read somewhere that I need to stop falling into the trap of over analysing everything, and pondering things too much. The subject of my human emotions and circumstances, God does not play with my emotions unless He was trying use my circumstances to improve my own character and faith. Whatever comes out of Him is all good and only good. The causes for my circumstances are often God-given opportunities for my spiritual growth.

Paul explains in 1 Cor. 10:13, "These has no testing taken you but such as is common to man; but God will, with the testing, also make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

One of my favorite verses that I often use to remind myself is 2 Corinthians 12:9 says "God said 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." I love Marja's translation of that verse "My grace is all you need; for my power is strongest when you are weak." When I am most aware of my own weaknesses, I am more inclined to collapse into God's strength and experience His amazing grace who gives me peace. God's Grace is a wonderful feeling. God promised me that He will not to allow anything into in my life that will be too much for me to bear (1 Cor. 10:13), He will work out everything for my good in the end (Rom. 8:28), and "perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish" me in the midst of my sufferings (1 Pet. 5:10).

Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love. Eric Liddell

What is Fatalistic Attitude? And how do you determine.....

which attitudes are fatalistic?

Sometimes I notice that distrusting of the medical system can bolster fatalistic attitudes.

Another thought is that to some people that "trusting the providence of God can bolster fatalistic attitudes".

To me, whatever we want from God, if God didn't make it happen, it didn't happen. If God wanted it to happen, it would happen. It's not fatalism. It's a confidence in providence. The fact of the matter is the visible providence of God has no respector (discriminate) of persons. God's providence is always that we shouldn't be surprised to find this a mysterious paradox of what happens around the world for His purpose. What we may need (or want) often will not fit with God's will. In In Ephesians 1:11, "He works all things according to the purpose of His own will." 'Providence" means God’s faithful, moment-by-moment control over everything He has made to ensure that everything He has created are going according to His will. He is active in every detail of it. He’s active at every moment. He doesn’t stand back and let things happen because He decides to intervene if something or someone is not going according to His will. He governs the world moment-by-moment through providence, so that everything that happens, every detail of our life occurs by God's divine providence or by God’s express permission. He is in control of everything. Even the bad things that happen to us are circumscribed by a loving providence and God promises to use them all for our ultimate good. God does everything--He governs everything.” God doesn’t just sit back and wait until He wants to act and then do it through a miracle.” God constantly intervenes in our lives through providence.

Scriptures reveals that no trial, no disease or illness, no accident or injury reaches us apart from God's permission. Christians can answer like Joseph to his brothers who sold him into slavery, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Something to ponder :)

Sunday Morning Spiritual Thoughts: Striving through bumpy road.....

When I was growing up, never really had a cold until I moved away from my parents house. I was very athletic, swam for 30 plus years and road cycling 25 to 100 miles every weekend. When I was healthy physically, I have learned nothing about about real life until recently. My deafness which I was born with, is not an illness but rather a disability. Looking back. I was very healthy and was able to do anything that a "normal able" people could do but hear. I hardly missed any work, I was able to my daily activities. I was able to do many things that more "disabled" person may not be able to do so. Until later in life that is. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2002. Today, I am healthy but do get sick at times however, there are days that MS can affect my daily activities. Many people asked me how do I cope, I responded that I have learned to cope with God's grace.

I have seen people who overcame their situations into positive regardless the situation. I also have experiences by overcoming my own situations as well. God's knowledge of my own discouragements are more than just knowledge; His knowledge is more personal, warm, and compassionate. He knows every pains I have been facing. Inside me, I know I am not alone because He is with me. Making a strong conviction to decided on what is affecting me, my attitude is to move on by living in faith. Accepting God's purposes and plans of God however He sees fit in my life. My faith is to believe Him and allow Him to adjust my life according to His will. I am to be aware of obstacles and hindrances I would be facing throughout my life that will throw me off balance. What should motivate me is like an athlete who trains for the Olympics to win a gold medal with such self-discipline and willing to face the challenges. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul reminded me that God is able to provide unlimited grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in every everything I do. For when I am weak inside me, God's grace will make me strong. Like a journey of a child with his father, a child is unable to imagine events but a child will know and trust his father.That's how I am with God. Learning from great faiths in the Bible, I saw that their circumstances did not control them that they have reacted to their circumstances which clearly show what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were. They actually understood God's grace. God is adjusting my own history to His purposes. He knows what He's doing. I have to learn to trust His will, His power to do His will, and His timing to do it when the time is right--and not until then. That's the essence of real faith.

I have been studying about a man name "Job" in the Old Testament for a long time and learned about his own sufferings and how he coped them. Job reads like history. It talks about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. It communicates to us his friends' interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with which Job dealt. What's interesting is that other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. God's main purpose in redemption was not to make my life happy, healthy and free of trouble but rather His main purpose was to rescue me from my sin that I was born with by transforming me from within to the image of Jesus by the power of His Grace. God has given me His grace to sanctify me through the sources of "thorns" which are weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties in my life. Through God's GRACE, my life will be go through "Perseverance that must finish the work so that I may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4). James says count it all joy when I fall into various trials cause trials will provide God's perfecting work. Peter says after I have suffered a while the Lord will make me perfect. God uses suffering to reveal my spiritual condition. Reading the beginning of Psalm 23 that stars with "The LORD is my shepherd", in John 10 explains that Jesus is my Shepherd that He releases me from fear (John 10:1-8, 11-13), He satisfies my spiritual hunger (John 10:9-10), and He brings me together with others to the flock (John 10:11-18)

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.

1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The main thing to understand and remember is that Jesus is MY SHEPHERD that He will supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19) and that He knows everything about my life (Ps. 139:3), cares about me (1 Pet. 5:7), has the power for every difficulty (Ps. 62:11), is perfecting me to be like Christ (Phil. 1:6), and that nothing escapes Him (Ps. 147:5), that will lead me to be stable, not anxious living.

With that, I am not thankful that I am deaf however I am thankful because in my circumstance of my deafness, I have communicated with other deaf people to know Christ as Jesus said in John 9:3 "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

That's what I am to be thankful for. I am not thankful for what I am experiecing but I am thankful in what I am living in through God's grace.

God reminded me of His promises through the Bible:
Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Spiritual thanksgiving is that I can rejoice because I do count in God's promises for me which are greater than my own trials. In the Old Testament, God taught me examples of GREAT faiths listed in Hebrews, Chapter 11 which is a chapter everyone may know called "Hall of Faiths".

We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. (D.L. Moody)

"Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody; 40 years learning he was nobody; and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody." DL Moody