Conforming To The Image of Christ

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KJB Daily DevotionFollowing Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 15, 2018
Chapters: Job 40-42
Message: Conforming To The Image of Christ

Hello My Friend,

I have a confession to make, I just spent the last two hours fussing at God and asking Him why everything I do has to be a challenge. You know, as blessed as we know we are, and as strong as we know our faith, that does not stop us from having our pity parties every now and then when all we seem to be doing is fighting one challenge after another. Know this, we are going to face a lot of challenges as we walk with Christ, many quite frankly, are due to the devil trying to get us to walk away from Him, but never forget, God is in control, He will not let the devil afflict us all the time, and He will bless us as we defeat these challenges with Him. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” – Romans 8:28-29.

 

to be conformed to the image of his Son,” Conform; Made to resemble. There is the key right there, God challenges us so that we resemble His Son. Okay, so, we do not always understand these challenges, especially when they afflict us physically, every day I am reminded of the grace of Christ as I walk in pain. People will tell you that God does not speak to us like He did before Jesus came here, but I disagree. The reason I disagree is because I have had God speak to me, in fact, shout at me. For months Job was afflicted, not only physically, but mentally, and spiritually as well, he could not understand where God was and his four friends condemning him did not help the matter. Then God decided it was time to end all this, He was done hearing his friends speaking as if they knew who He was and falsely accusing Job, and it was time that Job understood that some things come without explanation. God speaks, He demands that Job answer Him, but all Job could do was say how unworthy he was and that he had no answer for Him.

Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said, Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further. Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.– Job 40:1-14.

and declare thou unto me.I did not have a tornado in front of me when God spoke to me, but I was laying on my bed in severe pain not knowing if I was going to make it through the day. I will never forget that day and I never want to because it was the day I understood that God did not want my life to end that way, that He had better plans for me, ones that involved serving Him. Disannul; To make void; to deprive of authority or force. God’s judgments do not always have to do with sin, many times they have to do with challenging us to trust Him, especially when we do not understand what is going on. Job answers God, just like we all do when we discover that He has been with us the whole time.

Then Job answered the LORD, and said, I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.– Job 42:1-6.

I understood not; things too wonderful for me,Job could not say anything, but acknowledge that there are many things in this world that cannot be explained. You know, God knows us by name, He knows the way we take, our characters, dispositions, what we can handle, and He uses challenges as a means to not only bring us closer to Him, but to mold and shape us into the image of His Son. God brought Job to the realization that he was not meant to know all the answers to life’s problems, he just had to trust Him and keep living the life that he had been living. After Job was put to the test and passed, his friends did not pass, God confronted them on the way they treated him.

And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.– Job 42:9-10.

also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.We may be challenged as God makes us to resemble His Son, and we may be challenged as God attempts to get us to trust Him more, and we may even be challenged as the devil attempts to halt our faith, but with every challenge comes victory, as we grow closer to Him. Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” – I Peter 4:12-14.

Jesus Christ Magnified: “He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.” – Job 40:19.

Today’s Prayer: God, I know that your hand is in everything and I am trusting You to get me through every challenge. I admit sometimes instead of handing things over to You I get impatient and prolong things more with trying to deal with them myself. I know with these challenges You are doing several things, working on me to become more like Your Son, getting me to trust You more, and showing the devil that I will not forsake You, but sometimes it is a challenge just to keep my faith up. Lord, give me Your power to let go of the fight to try to handle it all on my own and just hand it all over to You. Give me patience to wait for You and let me not get weary in serving You. Let me find comfort through these challenges I am facing and remind me to pray for everyone who challenged me on the way. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,

Christina

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