So, after all that I have talked about, here is a last thought to leave you with.
When you are falling, who or what are you trusting to catch you? When you are struggling, are you going to trust God or is he going to have to come talk to you to prove his power like he did with Job?
I know for me, I want to trust God, but I sometimes doubt God's faithfulness, because I make him too small. Here is a video that might help you refocus and realize God's amazing faithfulness, love, and protection:
Imagine a little 3 year old girl who is playing outside in the front yard of her house. Her mom is in the garage cleaning, but she goes inside because the phone is ringing. An unknown man walks up and grabs the little girl and tries to take her to his truck. The little girl kicks the man and gets away, but instead of running to her mom, she runs into her room and seeks comfort from her dolls. You are probably thinking right now, that would never happen, the girl would obviously go to her mom. But, how many times do we do that with God? Instead of turning to God when our lives are out of control, we run to other things that we think will comfort us, like music, movies, friends, or food. In extreme cases, some even resort to cutting, drugs, or alcohol. But as Christians, we shouldn't and don't need to turn to anything but God.
If you are going through a tough time, first go to God. Pray and read God's word. Really. It's not just a church thing...praying and reading God's word is how we grow. The Bible is God's love letter to us. Read it.
After seeking God, it can also help to seek help and advice from your pastor, your parents, or godly friends. But, ultimately, God is the one in control and he is the one who can help you the most. So, pray to and trust God...he will protect you when that scary guy tries to kidnap you (this doesn't mean that it won't happen, but God will be with you through it).
You may be thinking, I've heard this a million times. How can I know he can be trusted? C'mon. God isn't some dude looking down from heaven laughing at our stupidity. He made us. He died for us. He loves us. SO TRUST HIM ALREADY!!!
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out! 34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?” 35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?” 36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Here are a couple of really encouraging verses that show that God will be there for us, because he cares about us so much!
Matthew 10:29-31
29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
God knows how many hairs are on my head!!! That's how much he cares about us!!!
Friday, May 13, 2011
What hard times have you or others gone through? (Please comment!)
This video clip is so mind boggling! I don't know how anyone could watch this and not believe in God. This is only a segment of the whole video by Louie Giglio, but I encourage you to watch the whole thing...it will give you a new view on life, yourself, and God. Yesterday in my post, "What's this blog about?", I mentioned Pleiades, briefly. Pay attention at about 6 minutes into this video...Giglio talks more about Pleiades.If you are interested, Giglio does have more videos, one of them called "How Great is our God", which is also amazing!
This video reflects the passage I am using for my project: Job 38:31-38. The video uses verses in the passage from Job 38, which shows the context of my passage. This video shows, like my passage, how great God is. Enjoy!
Hey!!! This blog is for my Bible project at Blackhawk Christian School. For my project, I have to give an observation, an interpretation, and an application for a passage in the Old Testament. I hope this helps and challenges you to grow in God...because he is awesome!! I would love it if you commented, and it would help me in my project too. Enjoy! Here is my passage:
Job 38:31-38 (New International Version)
31 “Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades? Can you loose the cords of Orion?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water? 35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’? 36 Who endowed the heartwith wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind? 37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens 38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
So, what does this passage even mean?
Well, first we have to start with the background story (aka the historical context)...
So, there was this guy named Job. Job wasn't just some ordinary guy...he had it all:
2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. (Job 1:1-4)
Not only was Job a wealthy man, but also a godly man:
This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom. (Job 1:1b, 5)
This doesn't mean Job was perfect, because we know from scripture that 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). But, he really did follow God in his life.
This guy seems like he had it all, and he did, until...
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.”
8 Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”
9 “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. 10 “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
12 The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:6-12)
Doesn't sound so good for Job, does it? Well...it wasn't, in fact, it was horrible! Satan caused many bad things to happen to him, including...
his oxen stolen
his donkeys stolen
his sheep killed
his servants killed
his camels killed
his sons and daughters killed
painful sores all over his body
So...when we look at our lives compared to Job's, they don't look so bad:
a bad grade in math class
a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend
sickness once in a while
a divorce of parents
I'm not saying those things aren't hard, but compared to Job, we have it easy. Some of us may have experienced the divorce of our parents, or the death of a friend or family member. But, most likely, those things didn't all happen at the same time. For Job, he lost almost everything, all at the same time. He lost his animals, he lost his kids, he got a disease. All he had left was his wife and a few friends, who don't end up being any comfort or help to him at all.
So, think about your life. In what areas are you complaining about that really don't matter at all? I know for me, I find myself complaining about stupid stuff, like my clothes, my food, or my circumstances. I have had hard times, but nothing has ever compared to what Job had to go through.
If you are really struggling with something, especially if you are having trouble trusting God, PRAY!!! God really does hear us, and he will answer us, even if it's not what we wanted or expected. He wants us to talk to him, to tell him what is going on deep down. He cares, and he's the only one who can really help us. Besides, how can we have a relationship with God if we don't ever talk to him? Try that with a friend...see how it works. I'm guessing things won't go too well. It's the same with God,so tell him what is going on!
So, back to Job. When all this bad stuff happened to him, he didn't lose his faith, at least at first. His wife told him to blame God for what was happening, and his friends told him that he was suffering because of his sin. Both of them, as I'm sure you know, were very wrong. But, Job didn't give in to them...he didn't reject God, and he continued to trust him.
Of course, this doesn't mean Job was happy go lucky. He was sad, discouraged, upset, and confused. After a while, when nothing got better, he started to doubt God and his faithfulness. He didn't understand why everything bad was happening to him, and why it wasn't getting any better. He even got to a point where he regretted even being born.
After much bad advice from Job's "friends", and Job becoming very discouraged and doubtful toward God, God decides to speak to Job. God asks Job many questions concerning the creation. He asks him about the earth, the animals, and the heavens; he also asks him who has the ability and wisdom to create and control the Universe. Obviously, Job is blown away by God's power, and he realizes that God is always in control.
So,what does this all have to do with the passage mentioned at the beginning of this blog?
Well, the passage, Job 38:31-38, is part of the conversation between Job and God. In this specific part, God is asking Job about the heavens- the constellations and the weather. Let's look at it again, but this time in detail:
31 “Can you bind the beautiful Pleiades?
Pleiades- A star cluster that is a part of the constellation Taurus. It is made up of around 500 very bright blue stars and is one of the closest open star clusters to the earth.
Here is a picture of Pleiades. Pretty awesome, right?
Can you loose the cords of Orion?
Orion- This constellation is also named “the Hunter”, because that is the shape of the arrangement of stars in it. Betelgeuse, Rigel, and the Great Nebula are all included in the Orion.
Here is a picture of Orion...I'm sure you've seen this one before.
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons
or lead out the Bear with its cubs?
Inside the Bear and its cub are the big and little dippers. Heard of them before?
Here's a picture of the Bear and its cub:
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
-how the universe was created and set up;how the universe works
Can you set up God’s dominion over the earth?
dominion-control;sovereignty;power
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
-command rain to come on the earth
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
-send the lightning to earth
36 Who endowed the heart with wisdom
or gave understanding to the mind?
endowed-gave;provided
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
water jars of the heavens- rain
38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
-when the earth becomes dry
Do you have a better understanding of the passage now? So, now that we understand the passage, it is now time to interpret it.
What is happening?
God is questioning Job about the universe, proving to Job of his sovereignty, power, and control. Through these questions, Job is humbled and becomes in awe of God. He realizes that he can trust God in any circumstance, because God is in control and he has wisdom beyond compare. The interpretation shows us God's power,control, and wisdom.
Lastly, we must look at the application.
We've looked at the passage and made observations. We've interpreted it.
So what? What's the point? What do I do with it?
This passage shows that we need to trust God NO MATTER WHAT!!! He is in control, so we can trust that he will take care of us. He has the best in mind for us (but this doesn't mean we will have easy, perfect lives), and he has wisdom so much beyond our own. When you are going through a hard time, like a death of a someone close to you, the divorce of your parents, doubt in God, or trouble with a certain sin, TRUST IN GOD!!! He won't let go of you...he is always near. Also, remember that the tough times will make you stronger! Just like a carabiner holds you up when you are rock climbing, God will always hold you. When you have doubt or fear, the caribiner is there to protect you, and will catch you if you fall-so will God.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
