Who Do You Say? Reading With the People of God #19ნიმუში

Remembering the Blessed Life

Have you ever looked back at a time in your life when things were so much better, and now find yourself complaining to God about your current problems, pain, losses, and asked why Lord?

Job 29 offers a pitiful look back at a past life as he recalls having lived in great abundance and favor before his world unraveled. Now destitute, Job continues recalling that time when his days "were washed with milk, and the rock poured out for me streams of oil" (v. 6 NRSV). His influence was far-reaching; elders rose in his presence, and princes held their peace. He was a beacon of righteousness, the community's advocate for the poor, the fatherless, and the widow. He "put on righteousness, and it clothed me" (v. 14 ESV).

This chapter is a contrast to Job's current suffering, serving as a reminder of the depth of his loss. And it provides us insight into the nature of a life well lived in alignment with God. Job’s prosperity was not merely material, it was rooted in justice, compassion, and a genuine sense of God’s presence. Job walked with God, and God's "lamp shone upon my head" (v. 3 ESV).

Wow! May we learn a valuable lesson here. A truly blessed life, as seen in Job’s testimony, is measured not just by our comfort, but by our character. It is a life of integrity, where we use our influence to uplift others and our resources to meet needs. A life where God's light guides our path, and His nearness is our greatest treasure. So it was with Job - may it be with me!

While we may face seasons of hardship and loss, like Job, we can hold onto the memory of God's past faithfulness and His promise of future restoration; either in this life or if it be His will, not until heaven.

Our current trials do not negate the reality of His grace in our lives. May we strive to live with such integrity and compassion that even in our darkest moments, we can look back and know we honored God with our lives. He remains our Redeemer, and He is still in control.

I love the Mercy Me song entitled “Even If” (Mercy Me, 2017, Album: Lifer) - “ Even if the healing doesn’t come”. I hope I can endure if ever I must say like Job (13:15 KJV) “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in Him” – Amen!

Praying: God help us turn away from false teachings, the lies from the enemy, and grow faithfully in holiness, trusting in Your promises and the unmerited favor in the gift of Your Grace and Forgiveness.

The Sixth & Seventh Viles

Revelation 16:12 through 17:18 presents a sobering, terrifying, and apprehensive vision of the end times. Viles of wrath, rivers of blood, scorching fire, sores, pains, darkness – wow! I cannot imagine such things. These all are focusing on God’s final judgments and the eventual fall of Babylon the Great. What a stark reminder to us of our Lord God’s Almighty omnipotence! “True and righteous are thy judgements” (v. 16:7 KJV) We know that all earthly powers, plans, and systems, built upon rebellion against God, are ultimately temporary and destined for destruction. The pouring out of the final bowls of wrath in chapter 16 signifies the completion of God's judgments upon a world that has rejected His authority. With the sixth vile (v. 12) we see imagery of the Euphrates drying up and the gathering at Armageddon depicts a final confrontation, not just between earthly forces, but between humanity's rebellion and God's ultimate power. The refusal of people to repent, even in the face of these cataclysmic events, underscores the depth of our human stubbornness and spiritual blindness.

The overarching message is God's ultimate control over history. Even the forces that oppose Him are, in His mysterious way, acting within His sovereign plan to bring about His purposes. The eventual destruction of Babylon by the very powers that supported her demonstrates the self-destructive nature of rebellion against God.

For us believers, this passage serves as a call to discern where true allegiance lies. It cautions against placing ultimate trust in the temporary systems and allurements of this world, symbolized by Babylon. Instead, it directs our hope and loyalty to Jesus, the Lamb of God, who is the true Lord of lords and King of kings. Let us not fear but be encouraged to live lives that reflect our heavenly citizenship and remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God's justice will ultimately prevail, and our eternal redemption is secure.

Jesus Changes Everything!

Primer contributed by Rick Ripley, Ministering Elder, Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla