When Christ is Your Strength

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King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date
: Monday, January 10, 2022
Chapters: Job 22-26
Message: When Christ is Your Strength

Hello My Friend,

In this life we go through so many things, some of us more than others, sometimes for no reason at all. The more and longer we suffer the harder it is to see God in the midst of our troubles. And this is why so many people walk away from God, if they cannot see Him, then they give up on Him. Let me tell you, God is always faithful, He loves us and never gives up on those who love Him. A true believer may get discouraged and have some days of sorrow, but will never forsake God because they know He will show Himself mighty before them, [But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.- Isaiah 40:31]

You see, the longer we take trying to fix our problems without God the longer we will suffer, and the less we will see God. God is in no way punishing us because we have not called out to Him, if anything, we are punishing ourselves because we have not called out to Him. God wants to help us, but He will never force Himself to help us. As we continue in the reading of Job, Job’s friends are responding to his telling them that the affliction he is facing is not the result of some hidden sin that he refuses to confess. Eliphaz, speaks out again, he thinks that Job must have done something really bad for God to afflict him so badly, and saying that He will justify him is only making matters worse, but if he repents, then God will surely forgive him.

[Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect? Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment? Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. – Job 22:1-5,21-23,26]

[If thou return to the Almighty,] God is so good and gracious that we can mess up a thousand times a day, and as long as we are repentant, He is faithful and just to forgives us. And He is so good and gracious that even if we did fall away from Him we can return to Him, and He will be right there to welcome us with open arms, but people need to stop jumping to conclusions and assuming that because someone is being afflicted that they have some hidden sin. No one, but God, knows who truly has received Christ as their Saviour, they pretty much show that by their actions and how they treat people. No, we are not always going treat people right, but if we do not understand it is best to say nothing at all rather than make assumptions based on own prejudices, [Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. – Romans 14:1-3]

Eliphaz believed that every time Job spoke he only made things worse on himself, that if he would just repent, God would turn things around for him. And just because people are suffering with affliction that does not mean they are living secret sinful lives. Job responds with this very sentiment.

[Then Job answered and said, Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning. Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me. Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me. There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge. Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined. – Job 23:1-11]

[No; but he would put strength in me.] Do you know what the most incredible thing is about our salvation by grace, through Christ? We can stand before God clean, unblemished, and not one iota of sin covering us. Jesus Christ removed every sin! When we stand before God, it is not our wretched flesh that He sees, it is the blood of His Son. We are justified by our faith, and no one can take that away from us. Period! That is unless we believed in Christ in vain. I heard a preacher say last night that the only sin that God will not forgive is rejecting Christ. We may not see God when we are facing one affliction after another, and we may even be all alone because people do tend to remove themselves from us when we are being afflicted, but we will be able to stand before God and plead our case because it is not us that pleads it for us, it is Christ, [Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.- Romans 8:33-34]

[My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept,] Praise God, that we do have Jesus fighting for us, and even if we do fall all day long, He is right there to pick us back up. I do not care how many people tell me otherwise, anyone who has truly received Christ as their Saviour will not fall completely away from Christ because they belong to Him, and He does not let us go, under any circumstances. The longer we walk with Christ the more we wonder if the life we are living will ever come close to reflecting Jesus, but He does know the way that we take, and while it may not be perfect, it is one that leads to eternal life. This is what Job is trying to literate to them, and at this point, he is beside himself, wondering how the wicked can just ignore God and be blessed while he is having to deal with all this and no explanation whatsoever.

[Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days? Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow’s ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together. Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways. They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn. And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth? – Job 24:1-4,23-25]

[Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks,] It is a known fact, and history will prove it, that a nation that fears God is prosperous and protected by Him. The world and religion hates that and will do anything to remove that truth from even the history books. It is quite sad really, they rather live in poverty and see endless people suffer than admit that God is in control. Nevertheless, God knows all and sees all, but that does not mean He pays attention to all. Think about it, would you pay any mind to someone who is constantly criticizing you, wants nothing to do with you, and in fact, is against everything you stand for? They may be exalted for a while, but they too will face Jesus, but the judgment is far worse than anything we whom are saved will receive, [If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. – 1 John 4:20-21]

I did something that I had not done since we broke up, and that was pray for my ex and his family. We may not be together, and he certainly did not treat me right for a long time, but I do not hate him, and forgive him. That is the love of Christ that makes that possible as I would definitely hold a grudge and get even with him if it were my own flesh dealing with it. I do not know how long Job’s friends sat with him, but I imagine it seemed like a lifetime to Job as Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad constantly criticized every word he spoke to defend himself. Now, Bildad speaks a third time, questioning Job when he said that he knew he would be justified before God.

[Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said, Dominion and fear are with him, he maketh peace in his high places. Is there any number of his armies? and upon whom doth not his light arise? How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? – Job 25:1-4]

[How then can man be justified with God?] Just exactly how can we be just before God? Jesus Christ, of course. And what about those who were here before Christ came here in the flesh and gave His life for us? Their faith also, of course, [For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. – Romans 4:13-1620-22]

You see, Job had never been though anything like this before. When you think about the things that Job speaks about you get a sense that things were not much different back then from what they are today. No one really had a zeal for God, and those who did, were faced with opposition. Although Job felt like God had taken away his understanding of what was going on, he knew that the Spirit of God was in him. Job was not about to let any of these men make him believe otherwise.

[But Job answered and said, How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength? How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisdom? and how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is? Hell is naked before him, and destruction hath no covering. He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing. He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. He divideth the sea with his power, and by his understanding he smiteth through the proud. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand? – Job 26:1-3,6-8,12-14]

[but the thunder of his power who can understand?] There are many things of God that we will never understand, that even science cannot explain, and with good reason. It is all about faith, God wants us to trust and depend on Him, even when we are the cause of the affliction. So many people get what I call is saved in the moment, they never fully accept Christ as their Saviour, but do so at the time with the assumption that they will not suffer anymore, then when more affliction comes they walk away quickly. First of all, as long as we live here on earth no one is exempt from suffering because that is the result of sin and part of the curse we all are under. Second, Christ never promised an end to our pain here, but He did promise to be with us and give us the strength to endure it until He brings us home. And third, we cannot expect Jesus to turn things around if we are not willing to come to Him for help, [For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:8-10]

Today’s Prayer: God, When trouble comes, and I cannot understand the purpose of Your plan, not a moment goes by that I do not feel sorrow when I complain to You only to realize that it had nothing to do with me. You know the way that I take, and while I know I mess up a lot, You are always faithful and just to forgive me when I come to You in repentance. Lord, keep me humble, it is Your Son in me that keeps me faithful, that helps me take that extra step, that gets me out of bed in the wee hours of the morning, that, has me praying for those who wrong and falsely persecute me. even when I want to give up, You give me the strength I need to rise up. Thank You for Your grace, for loving me, and never giving up on me, and for always being there when I need You, I do not even want to know where I would be if I were not walking with You daily. I love You, and pray this in Your name, Jesus, Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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