Date: Friday, June 06, 2014
Today's Chapters: Job 31-33
Message Title: Never Give Up Hope

Sometimes it can seem like God is no where to be found, the more you try to reach Him, the further He seems to be. Once in a while I say to God, “I am not leaving this spot until You talk to me, until I get an answer.” I cry, I praise Him, I seek forgiveness for possible hidden sins, and yet, no answer. However, I do get a sense of hope after all that, I think that is why God does not answer us sometimes, He wants us to have hope that even though we do not see or hear Him He is still with us. “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 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 8:24-27.

Job was just about out of words, there was not one thing he could say that would convince his friends that he was not a hypocritical liar, hiding some wicked sin that caused the trial he was facing. There seemed to be no end to the cruelty of the people who made his suffering even more painful and miserable, but, the most troubling to Job was that it seemed that God did not hear him. He starts questioning his own faithfulness to God, wondering if there really was some hidden sin, perhaps from his past, that was causing all this. “Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands; Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.” - Job 31:3-8.

When we are facing trials, especially the longer we are in them, quite often, we do start retracing our steps, wondering if we are or have done something in the past that is keeping us from seeing an end to them. As much faith as we have in God, we really start questioning Him when there seems to be no end in sight. Can I tell you, that there is an expected end, and it will be a good one. We just cannot keep blaming ourselves or putting ourselves down because of our circumstances, God knows when it is time for us to be relieved of them. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Job had no more to say, he was exhausted spiritually, mentally, and physically, he just wanted rest, his friends had no more to say because he still insisted that he had not sinned. The whole time a young man named Elihu sat there observing all that was being said, he begins to speak, acting as the moderator between them and God, expressing his anger toward them all. “So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment. Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.” - Job 32:1-3,7-10.

Elihu was angry at Job because he claimed that he was justified by his actions and was sinless. Job knew that he was not sinless, but he had a right to defend himself against their claims. Many times we are going to be subject to persecution over things we have not done, people are going to accuse us and try to get us to admit to things we did not do. We do have a right to defend ourselves, in fact, we really have a mediator that already stands in our defense, our mediator is Jesus Christ, and He defends all who believe in and accept Him. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” - Hebrews 9:14,15.

When we knowingly sin we can understand judgment from God, when we are afflicted once in a while we can understand that maybe we did something unknowingly and that was the cause of it. However, when we are afflicted over and over again with no hope of an end that is when we start thinking, “What is going on?”. The more we try to find relief the more afflicted we become, we wreck our brains trying to figure out what we did wrong. Then comes the discouragement and self affliction upon ourselves, God does not want us to be that way, He doesn't want us wallowing in our sorrows and beating ourselves up trying to figure things out. He wants us to live, trusting Him, knowing that our hope in things getting better will, in fact, get better, and we will be better for not giving up.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” - Romans 5:1-5.

Today's Prayer: God, Sometimes is seems as though I can never get through to You, I call You and call You, only to get no answer or the complete opposite of what I had been hoping for. I know everything is in Your will, and that You have an expected end , but sometimes is seems just hopeless. I do not want to lose hope in You or an expected end, I want to live my life joyful, singing praises to You, with complete confidence in You ending this chapter of my life and starting a new one. Lord, give me Your Holy Spirit power, He is the only one who can keep me hopeful for an expected end. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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