Walking under dark clouds

" Darkness is all around me,

thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere." - Job 23:17 NLT

When I read this verse, for some reason I could literally see a man walking and looking up at the dark clouds above him. It was Job. And for some reason, I started to cry. When we are at a place of hurting and feeling alone, we do feel like we are walking under dark clouds. Oh poor Job. This man felt like God was not with him. In verse 3, he said, " If only I knew where to find God." Oh Job, I can so relate to what you say. When we are struggling and hurting, we sometimes do wonder and ask, " God, where are you?" I believe in my heart, that is what Job wanted to know. He was willing to go to God's court and present his arguement. How many times would this man have to do that? Job was saying that his suffering would be more bearable if he knew why it was happening. If there was a sin for which he had to repent of, he would. I am reminded of when I was a little girl and i was blamed for doing something wrong, I would say over and over again, " I didn't do! I didn't do it!" I wonder if that is what Job was wanting to tell God, " I didn't do it Father! I didn't do it!" I still do not understand the patience that Job had through out this difficult and heart breaking time in his life. I would have developed alot of anxiety. No matter what he was feeling and walking through, he feared God, acknowledged His power, and he maintained his integrity. Even though he felt at the moment that God was not there with him, he did not lift his arms up and say, " Okay God, I'm out of here!" He continued to walk through the fire and under the dark clouds. I know that this man will one day see God's light shining through the dark clouds. And that right there gives me hope that one day I will look up and no longer be under dark clouds. I dont know why, but i wanted to share this thought!!

Written by Liz Chavez

The Ancients Longed For What We Have

Do we realize what we have? No, I mean do we really truly realize what we have? I know the unbeliever has no clue, and so I can’t hold them accountable, but all of us new creatures in Christ…do we not know that we have something so valuable, so special, so beautiful, a precious commodity worth going to the greatest lengths to have?

Yes, of course our salvation which gives us eternal life is the pearl of great price as Jesus mentioned in the parable while referring to the kingdom of heaven. But do we realize how much that salvation truly gave us? It gave us a connection to God. It made it possible to speak personally with Him. Before we were covered by the blood of Christ, there had to be so much work, so much sacrificing and still only the High Priest could get close to Him. But because of Jesus, we not only can draw close to Him, and speak personally to Him, but we can even expect an answer from Him. We can now go confidently before the throne of God and bring our requests to Him. Do we realize what we have being on this side of the cross?


For centuries, the children of Israel had to follow their system…their sacrificial system, but at least they had a promise that it wouldn’t always be that way. What about before the children of Israel? Were they just oblivious to the fact that they could not get close to God? Of course they weren’t. Even the most ancient of religions knew that they couldn’t get close to God so they would devise their own ideas of how to strive to please Him…or at least strive to please who they thought was a god or gods as evidenced in the many pagan religions.


However, there were those who knew of the one true God even before Abraham was called out. There were surely those who kept the knowledge of God after the dispersion at Babel. We at least know that Abraham brought tribute to Melchizedek who was a priest of God the Most High. But we also know of Job. Now, whether Job lived at the same time as Abraham or before him or even after, it doesn’t matter. What we do know is that he lived a long time ago and he was not a descendent of Abraham and therefore not of God’s chosen people to whom His Word would be revealed. Yet, he was called an upright man, and man of integrity who hated evil and was devoted to God.


So, he knew of the One True God, but did he realize that he couldn’t get close to him? Did he realize that man lived in hopeless separation from the Almighty? Did he understand that there would someday be a way to bridge that gap? Whether or not he understood that it would someday happen, he did long for it. In fact, he longed for it so badly that much of his lamenting sounds, dare I say, prophetic.


I see it first in chapter 7 where he longed for God to forgive all his sins and give him a clean slate. He longed for what we have. Then in chapter 9, he wished for an arbitrator, someone to come between him and God, so that he could bring his case before the Almighty. He longed for what we have. He’s so frustrated by chapter 13, that he said that he’d do it anyway. Without a mediator, he’d still attempt to go to God himself. He was determined to, but then he reminded himself that it’s not possible. He knows that God remained hidden and silent because of the list of sins going back to his youth.


But by chapter 14, he asked if there’s life after death, and he said that if there was, he’d suffer through anything for it. He desperately desired to live a life where God is a friend who watches over him and forgives his sins to the point of locking them away. He longed for what we have.


Then when he’s told by a so-called friend that his talk was ridiculous, that he was disrespecting God and trivializing the rituals of religion, he answered with another cry for what we have. He cried out for One who would represent mortals before God, for Someone in heaven who knew him inside and out, but yet could still clear his name. He cried out for a Champion, a Friend…Someone to stand up for him…Someone who would bridge that gap. He desperately longed for what we have.


He not only longed for it, but he believed that it was possible. He knew, as it states in chapter 19, that his Redeemer lives. And he knew that one day his Redeemer would take His stand on the earth. And when that day comes, Job said that he knows that he will get to see God with his own eyes.


We have so much. We’ve been given so much. I just don’t think we realize exactly how much we have. May be it takes seeing how desperately someone longed for what we have in order for us to realize how precious it is, how great it is, and just how much it’s worth. Job knew what he didn’t have, and oh how he longed for it! It makes me wish I could reach through the pages of scripture and pull him into this side of the cross so he could have what he needed during his time of misery. Well, it makes no difference for Job now, because he’s absent from his body and present with the Lord. He’s already with the living God. So, I suppose the best way to honor his story is to never forget exactly what we have.


In Job 16:19-22 (The Message) Job says…


"O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me! Don't muffle my cry! There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name—My Champion, my Friend, while I'm weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor.


Amie Spruiell 10/22/2010

Having a cup of coffee with good old JOB!

What would I do to be able to sit and have a cup of coffee with Job?? I would first of all write down alot of questions I would ask him. Granted I have only read 21 chapters of his book, I still can not believe what this poor man has gone through. I would first ask him questions about his so called friends. I would just love to know where he met these friends of his. Have they been friends for years?? I can see myself sipping on some coffee while he was giving me answers. Not only would I question his friendship with these guys and how he was able to put up with their so called "words of wisdom "speeches, But the main question would be, "Job, how did you do it"?, How did you survive such a major storm in your life? What was it?? Did you really know that in your heart that God was taking care of you? I would love to see the look on Job's face as he was hearing these questions. What would be his answers though?? I know there would be some silence and a sigh coming from Job because he would have to revisit a hard time in his life. I have learned that revisiting past devastation's is required when you are going through the process of healing. I can not imagine losing my children like Job did. I imagine that would be a very hard topic to talk about. We all know at the end of his book, God restored everything Job lost, but I get a feeling that deep down in his heart, he was hurting for the fact that he lost his children at the beginning of his storm. I can go on and on with my thoughts, wonders, and questions, but bottom line is that , God is good! Our circumstances may change, we may loose everything and not see the light at the end of the tunnel, but God remains the same!! I have shared it before, my heart aches for this man, but God blessed him and saved him.