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Daily eMail Devotional
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Job 23:8-12 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.It is a paradox that at the times when we need God the most, that it seems like He is the hardest to find. We struggle with what and how to pray. It seems as if the ceiling has closed in upon us instead of the windows of Heaven opening up for us. We cannot find the words to express our fear, our pain, or our burden. This is what the Bible is talking about when it says “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26) Even when all we can do is groan, the Holy Spirit understands and brings our need to the Father for us.
The reason that we cannot find God is not because He has moved away from us. God is right there where He has always been. The Bible tells us that He does not move or change; “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee… Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrew 13:5,8) God does not move away from us, we move away from Him. Job came to realize that the place he would find God was in the same places where he had always found God. He said that “My foot hath held His steps, His way have I kept, and not declined.” You will find God in your devotions, in your prayer time, in church and Christian Fellowship, and in being sure that we do not go “back from the commandment of his lips”. Often when people become depressed or go through difficult times, they turn to food to find solace. Job realized that true and lasting solace can only be found when we esteem “the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”
By the way, our theme song for this month is based upon verse ten. It was written by Ron Hamilton (aka Patch the Pirate) right before he went into the operating room to check out a suspicious spot on his eye. At the time he did not know whether it was cancer nor if he would lose the eye or not (he did). Listen carefully to the words of the song the next time you sing it.
Aloha in Christ,
Pastor Wayne
Don't Forget -
