Thoughts from God’s Word

Meditations on the Book of Job

Chapter 1

Job:
• he is blamess and upright
• he feared God and shunned evil
• had 10 offsprings – 7 sons and 3 daughters
• had 7000 sheeps and 3000 camels
• had 500 yoke of oxen and 500 female donkeys
• he is the greatest of all people of the East (in today's economy, he was Bill Gates in richness!)
• did daily burnt offerings for each son and daughter for sanctification (just imagine the amount of animal blood flowing everyday!)

- God and Satan was aware of Job. God and Satan can be aware of us too!
- God and Satan talks about people, especially God’s people
- Satan skims through the earth and checks what’s going on (he is not all knowing, not all powerful, and not all present - only God is!)
- God puts a hedge of protection on Job’s life. 3-layers: around him, around his household, and around all on every side (God protects Christians too, under His wings, by His angels, with His mighty shield)
- Satan challenges God and asks permission to take out the first 2-layers (a true Christian could not be possibly demon possessed, God is in control of Christian lives)
- Satan does not waste a second once permission is given to touch God’s people (Satan is more than happy to destroy you, and he does not take a day-off until he makes you fall down)
- In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong (v.22) - that's the true mark of God's people. Life here is temporary, we're not home yet, our destination is heaven!

Man-made Marks in Heaven

The only man-made thing in heaven are the scars and wound marks in Jesus' body.

Our Father in Heaven

Jesus commanded us to pray when He said "... therefore, pray", even when God already knows what we "needed". The Father God also wants to hear what we "wanted" for we are His children and He delights in our prayers.

Matthew 6: 9-13
… For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.

Our Father, Creator of the heavens and the earth, we worship and glorify Your Holy Name. Even as the angels proclaim You as Holy, holy, holy! help us to do the same. For You alone are the Most High God, You alone are worthy of praise, You are the Alpha and the Omega, You are the Sovereign and Everlasting God, and there is none like You. Your Name is lifted up on high in the praise of Your people. We honor You Lord.

Give us this day our daily bread.

We thank you Lord for the daily provisions You are giving us – the food, the shelter, our families. Thank you for Your mercy and grace – they are new every morning. We come and refresh ourselves in You. Thank You for the new life You’ve given us, thank You for the salvation we have in Jesus, thank You for the new day. Thank You for the air we breathe, thank You for Your creation, the trees, the flowers, the birds, the things that we normally see around us but don’t appreciate. Thank You for our finances, the job we have, the health, the strength, the wisdom, and the ability to work. Thank You for keeping us safe in our travels and troubles. Thank You for the trials that make us strong and dependent on You. Thank You for the joy and peace You give us. Thank You for the Word that guides us and the Holy Spirit that convicts us. Thank You for Your faithfulness and loving kindness. Thank You that we have a Great God and we need nothing else.

And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.

Make us a better person and not bitter. Give us Lord the ability to love, to forgive, and to extend our patience. In the world full of hatred and anger, help us to forgive – when we wake up in the morning, on the road, at work, at school, at home, and even when we ponder alone. Help us to remember the forgiveness You are giving us each day – it’s just overwhelming when we think how gracious and merciful You are. Help us to extend that forgiveness to others – and by loving them instead.

And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.

Temptation is all around us, help us Lord to withstand and to keep a pure mind and a pure heart. Make us strong to resist and run away from temptation in every way we can. Deliver us Lord according to Your grace when the devil tempts us.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For the rest of the day, help us to honor You Lord by the way we live – to glorify You for You alone are God, now and forever. Amen.