God is with us in the pain

Bible Reading (August 1 2024)

• Job 2-3
• Proverbs 15
• Hebrews 10

What Spiritual Gift has God given for me to thank Him and praise Him for in worship today? (Rom 1:11)

Heb 10:3-4 But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Heb 10:12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Heb 10:14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

Heb 10:17-18 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Heavenly Father, thank you that you have put my sin as far away from you as the east is from the west! (Ps 103:12) As our high priest, you offered yourself to pay a debt you did not owe. In my place condemned you stood to pay a debt I could not pay! (Rom 8:3-4) By your one offering you made me perfect forever (Heb 10:14) And you promise that you will never again remember my sin or lawless deeds. (Heb 10:17) Thank you Lord Jesus for your incredible gift! May I never take it for granted!

What encouraged me in my faith? (Rom 1:12)

Job 2:3 Then the LORD asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil. And he has maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause.”

Who was that inflicted pain on Job in chapter 1? Was it not Satan? (Job 1:12) “All right, YOU may test him. Do whatever YOU want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” It was Satan who did the testing. And yet, here in chapter 2 God takes credit for it!

Prov 15:3 The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

No matter how abandoned we feel, the Lord is watching, and he does feel our pain. Whether God plans the pain or not (a discussion for another day), He feels our pain. Satan did the pain inflicting, but God says, “you urged ME to harm him without cause.” God felt the pain Satan inflicted on Job as if God had done it himself! He took credit / blame for what happened to Job. He did not abandon Job. He was with Him in the midst of all of it and He felt Job’s pain!

Gracious, loving heavenly Father, may we always remember that you are watching everything, keeping your eyes on both the evil and the good. There is nothing that happens in our lives that you do not have a hand in. Although this may, at times, cause us to question your love, may it never cause us to doubt your love. Lead us back to the truth that you are with us, you take personal responsibility for the things that touch our lives, and you promise to ALWAYS use them to build our character (Ps 105:16-19) and to conform us more and more into the image of Christ. (Rom 8:28-29; Eph 4:13)

What spiritual fruit does God want to work in me and in those I share this with today? (Rom 1:13)

Prov 15:11 Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the LORD. How much more does he know the human heart!

When I suppress my emotions and my feelings, and refuse to face them, God still sees and knows what’s going on in my heart. There is nothing hidden from Him! So, why do I try and hide it? Maybe I am hiding it from myself, not wanting others to see my hurt, not wanting others to see I am weak? Nothing is hidden with God. David let it all out before the Lord (Ps 69:16-29). Job too, was not reserved in his complaints to God. (Job 3:25-26) So, why do I? Why do we?

Regardless of how I feel, the truth is the anchor for my soul, not what I feel! David always came back to God being his rock, his fortress, his strong tower! (Psalm 61:2-3 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. (NLT)) So it should be with us!

Heb 10:33-38 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. “For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

I pray today that no matter the trial, no matter the hardship that you will never “throw away the confident trust you have in the Lord.” That you will continually have in mind “the great reward that God has in store for those who endure.” (Heb 3:12-15) I pray that you will continue to grow in this thing called “walking by faith,” (Gal 5:16) and the “not I but Christ life.” (Gal 2:20)