Word of Beard

'The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first.' Job 42:12

Light recap on Job's story: Dude was wealthy and wise - Crap hit the fan big time - He sought Gods response.

After reconciliation we find Job holistically better off than before. Faith and suffering go hand in hand (Philippians 1:29) and it appears, at least in Job's story, that God's desire was to save the best years of Job's life for the latter half.

With a little grace let me stretch that idea a bit - Is this your attitude? Whether you've been blessed up to this point in your life or you've been suffering. Whether you've passionately served the Lord or regretfully run. Whatever you're story, are you willing/planning on allowing God to glorify Himself through you in the latter part of your life and in turn be infinitely blessed?

My wife and I have decided to seek out joy in the Lord and in life. That is our 'latter half' New Year resolution. To experience joy.

Blessing happens in many forms and even aids in the healing process. Whatever His eternal storehouse pours out on you, are you willing to step up to partake in it.

'Back in '82, I used to be able to throw a pigskin a quarter mile.' Uncle Rico wasn't able to move on and experience authentic joy for most of the latter half of his life - he lived obnoxiously in his past 'glory days'. Know that the Lords 'glory days' never end and you and I are eternally a part of them. Now is a great time to make the latter half of life significantly more worthwhile.

Read the story of Job. It's heart wrenching and a fantastic display of how God interacts with those who truly know Him. Watch Napoleon Dynamite for more on Uncle Rico.

Good Job

In the OT book of Job, Jobs friends assumed that direct, personal sin was the cause for his troubles: his dead children, his bitter wife, the festering sores over his body, his destroyed vocation and lost wealth...

Yet Job knew he was blameless. They were wrong in their assumptions, their judgements. Job had honored the Lord in all he did, in fact, this was the very reason God allowed Jobs persecution. Not sin but sanctification.

We struggle through the same issues today right? Pain, loss, evil, assumptions, judgement...

Good people suffer and hurt. Good people also thrive and live peaceful and productive lives.

Bad people suffer and hurt. Bad people also thrive and live peaceful and productive lives.

All good, even the good that bad, deceitful, evil people experience comes from the Lord. Regardless of Gods direct role in the goodness bad people experience at times, everyone on earth has the opportunity to experience goodness simply because God exists. His hand is on the earth and everything in it. He holds all things together and His presence - love, righteousness, purity, humility, goodness - affects all of creation regardless of it's moral conduct or awareness of Him.

The same is true for good people. Because God is, goodness is. Though Scripture speaks of Gods desire to bless those who truly do follow Him and live out His Truth. Absolute blessing will eventually come to those who are 'good' according to His divine nature.

When the day comes that the Lord removes His hand from the earth...then and only then will those alive experience absolute darkness - an eternal void, empty of anything righteous.

Job wasn't simply a good man though. Yes his friends were wrong but he wasn't simply a nice guy. He was a man who new the Creator of goodness, justice and righteousness. He was grounded, not in the knowledge of the reason for suffering, but in the Source of Life beyond the suffering.

It will continue to happen, suffering that is. But if you ask someone who has experienced the knowledge of Christ and who has faith that His love conquers all...you'll discover a mysterious response to suffering. Job had the same response.

Read Job - Particularly the Lords response in the final chapters.

Go Ahead...Point that Finger

'Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?' Job 40:8

'If this God allows ________ to happen he is clearly not a God I want to follow.' Many of us have heard or even said this regarding some offense or pain that affects us personally, philosophically, emotionally. That God is unfair, unjust or simply blind and ineffective in real life...this is usually our own attempt at making sense of life yet in the process putting our wisdom and worldview far above the Eternal God.

My view of justice is based on 30 years of life in Midwest America, a democratic-republic, ideas of equality, tolerance, rational explanations and a loving God in a naturalistic environment. I have one legal, cultural, social, religious point of view in world full of views. Who am I to corner the market on justice? Who am I to stand outside creation and point a finger, scolding the Lord for living out to a system I don't fully understand?

But our thoughts are not like His. Our ways are not like His. (Isa. 55:8)

We will never understand each and every action taking place upon the earth and beyond. Though when we're united with Christ our minds/attitudes/hearts/worldviews are renewed and can begin to fathom His total sovereignty over the good and the bad, the righteous and the evil.

'Good teacher,' says a young man to Jesus who immediately corrects him, 'No one is good - except God alone.' If no one is inherently virtuous but the Lord can we really justify our imperfect actions and thoughts and beliefs in light of perfection? Now if you don't believe in God then who cares about justification right? But if there is a God, as all of creation signifies, then discrediting His righteousness is a far more dangerous undertaking.

Aaahh - 'to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.' (Tim. 1:17)

A Great Job

'My witness - advocate - intercessor - friend...'

Job is confident that his friends sitting with him in ash and dirt trying to comfort through confrontation are in the wrong. He's also confident that in the heavenly realms there is One who is working to right the unimaginable wrongs he is suffering through.

He doesn't abandon his faith because God has already proven Himself. He mourns, cries-out, pleads his case, defends his sinlessness, even hopes for death...but he doesn't abandon what he's known to be true.

As the apostle Paul said - there is One God, One Mediator between man and God...Jesus Christ, the One who is, was and is to come. The second person of the Trinity worked on Jobs behalf and is now interceding for us. For the good of all those who know Him and have responded to His call!

This is our God...a God who never changes.

From Job 16:19-21 NIV/NKJV

Job Cries Out for Jesus

'If only there were an arbitrator, one who would lay his hand upon us both (God and Job) and mediate - one who would spare the rod of the Lord and allow for dialogue between us...' (Job 9:32-35)

Without knowing it Job was crying out for a Savior. He was describing the role of the Messiah to come, Jesus, the one who stands in the gap between man and the Father staving off His wrath and reconciling man to Him.

Job knew suffering - he knew the blessing of God - he felt the effects of sin on the world. He simply wanted the freedom to speak with God, to plead his case personally and hear a response.

Christ is the mediator. He comforts us in our suffering. He sits with God the Father in heaven. He is the intercessor between us. We don't have to fear communicating with God. We don't have to feel trapped, unable to plead our case. We have an eternal arbitrator.