Job 5-10
When I read Job, I realize once again how thankful I am for the Word of God. Just think what our lives would be like if we had to speculate about our Father, His character, and his purposes. That’s the way it was with Job and his friends. The only thing they had to go by was experience, and they just had to guess what life was all about. Of course they knew nothing about Satan.
That’s why the emotional roller coaster goes on and on. The friends jump around from topic to topic, and so does Job. Poor guy.
Eliphaz is trying to give Job advice. He says that “man is born for trouble.” But then he goes on to say that if it were him, he “would seek God.” And he winds up saying that “God is disciplining Job, and he should not despise it.”(All in Chapter 5)
Job’s answers come first with deep anguish. “Would that God were willing to crush me.”(6:9) But then with a reminder that he has not spoken ill of the Lord.
As Job continues, he rebukes his friends for not caring more. “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend.”(6:14) Then he gets back on the subject of what God is doing, questioning the continual trials.
Bildad then takes his stand, saying that Job has to be in sin to be going through all of his trials. And Job counters with his credentials of righteousness.
More speculation.
I am so thankful that He has made Himself known to us. Aren’t you? We are so fortunate to live in our day – when His Spirit is actually living inside of us – and we have His Word to guide us. We are blessed!
Acts 8
We get a glimpse into the life of Saul before he knew Jesus. He was still a zealous man, but for the wrong cause. He was zealous for the cause of the Jewish leaders and for the persecution of the Christians. He had never met Jesus, but believed what the leaders told him and he thought he was on God’s side.
When the devil thinks he is bringing destruction to God’s kingdom, our Father always turns it around on him. The persecution of the church caused the people to scatter to other places. they were running to safety, but they were also scattering the word.
So Philip landed in Samaria – and those natives loved it. He was preaching and healing. Many paralyzed were getting healed.
When Peter and John joined the crowd, they began praying for the people to receive the Holy Spirit. The Word doesn’t say exactly what the demonstrations were, but we can be sure that the baptism was obvious, because Simon the magician wanted to buy the power to give the Holy Spirit. Needless to say, he was rebuked.
We wind up the chapter with Philip following the direction of an angel to go to Gaza and minister to an Ethiopian eunuch. So he tells the Ethiopian of Jesus and even baptizes this man, before being translated to Azotus. (He disappears and “finds himself” in Azotus).
Can you imagine the excitement these early Christians felt? So many supernatural activities. Their lives truly represented the kingdom of God.
I’m believing for more of the same in our generation. In countries where there is less sophistication and less busyness, more signs and wonders are reported than in our western world.
I want to see all that our Father has for us.
