Daily stock tip

You claim you are pure in the eyes of God. O that God would speak and tell you what he thinks. O that he would make you truly see yourself, for he knows everything you have done. Listen, God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve. Job 11: 4-6

They have a term for it. It’s called “adding insult to injury.” Someday, I’ll write a book on the subject. I endured my share of it growing up.

The setting was where Zophar, one of Job’s “comforters,” was explaining why all these calamities had befallen him. “Bottom line, Job? It’s because you’re such a wicked sinner. God isn’t even giving you what you really deserve!”

I grew up in a church that placed an emphasis on miracles and prayer for the sick. They would often form a “healing line” for those in need of prayer. I had polio as a child, so I would go through the line time after time. When I wasn’t healed, inevitably, I would hear one of two explanations. I didn’t have enough faith, or there was sin in my life.

Now, before I continue, let me say I am not knocking healing. I believe very much that God heals today but in His plan, he chose to let me go through life with a disability.

But like I was saying, I cannot count the times well-meaning church members, in an attempt to explain why I was not healed, would accuse me of having sin in my life. My only question, “Who doesn’t?” There’s only one person I know of who didn’t and it “twernt me!” If God went around crippling everyone who sinned, all I can say is, “Buy stock in crutches. Dump your tech stock and invest in wheelchairs.”

Now before I get indicted by the SEC for giving investment advice without a license, I have to wonder, “What terrible sin did I commit at age two that warranted being hit with polio?” Unless it was the time I threw my bottle out of the crib.

In today’s verse, Zophar is blaming Job’s calamity on sin. “Job, it’s your wickedness that brought this on.”

I got four words for you, Zophar. “Look in the mirror, Dude!”

Okay, that was five. But today is buy four, get one free day.

No, it was not about sin. There was something much bigger going on behind the scenes. Job’s life was the focal point in a conflict between God and Satan. How he responds to his adversity will determine if the Father and all the angels of Heaven rejoice or if Lucifer and all his demons get bragging rights.

Aren’t you glad Job’s faith remained strong?

Whatever you’re going through today, my friend, you stay strong too. You never know what’s going on behind the scenes.

 Stay strong, you hear?!

 

Brother, can you spare some change?

I came naked from my mother’s womb and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything, and they were his to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1:21

Job is one of my favorite Bible characters. In my book, he is a superstar! There’ll never be another Joe Montana. There’ll never be another Michael Jordan. And there will never be another Job!

Here is a guy who had everything; wealth, influence, an incredible family! He was at the top of his game. Then he lost it all. His computer crashed. The hard-drive wasn’t backed up. His life savings was in Enron. I’m looking for words to describe a worse-case-scenario. Let’s just say, Job was finished.

Now, it’s one thing to find yourself penniless when you’ve never known wealth. But here’s a guy who was one day on Forbes list of wealthiest people and the next, he’s pushing a shopping cart down the sidewalk, sleeping on a park bench.

So what was his attitude?

Job stopped, took a deep breath, stepped back a pace or two, looked at the big picture, and said, “What’s the big deal? It wasn’t mine to start with. It’s all God’s. He can do with it as he sees fit.”

What an amazing attitude!

Philippians speaks of Jesus much the same way. Read it for yourself. He was in the form of God but did not grasp or demand to keep his rights as God but made himself into a servant and submitted to death on the cross. But then, God elevated Him to a place of highest honor.

Later, we will find that God also greatly rewards Job. But right now, Job can’t see it coming. He can’t read the back of the book to see how the story will play out. Still his faith remains unwavering.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. (Job 13:15)

I’ll never come close to being a Job. Maybe you will. But his story gives me inspiration. Something to shoot for.

Nope, there’ll never be another Babe Ruth. And there will never be another Job. But we can try!

 

Hurry up and wait

Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord … Psalm 27:14

It happened again this morning. I got in line at the grocery store and it stopped moving. New clerk. She couldn’t figure out the credit card machine.

So I bounced over to the next line and it comes screeching to a halt. The lady in front of me can’t find her checkbook.

Meantime the first line is now moving. The guy who was behind me is walking out the door with his bag of groceries. That would have been me!

Am I the only one this happens to?

And why is it that every time I’m heading for the ten items or less line, ten people or more cut in front of me? 

I really don’t like waiting in lines. I don’t like sitting at red lights. I don’t like waiting for the check to come in the mail.

And to be honest, I don’t like waiting for God to answer my prayers. So I take matters into my own hands and then I really make a mess of it. 

God allows us to wait for a reason. There may be areas in our life that need tweaking. Or a major overhaul! Some pride, immaturity, wrong attitudes. And He can’t give us the desires of our heart. Not just yet.

So we learn patience, understanding, perseverance. We change our attitudes. Let go of bad habits. Develop new disciplines.

And then when He sees the time is right, the light turns green, the check arrives in the mail. God answers our prayers.