Tag: God’s Purpose

The life of man on earth 7.0 (the visit)

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I have been writing about the life of man on earth. It is a series that delves into the life of Job.

Today, I continue with Job’s friends’ visit.

Job’s friends came to visit him after his calamities, and they were surprised at how they found him.

He was their friend, and of course, was a wealthy fellow. So, the condition they saw wasn’t a good one.

They cried and kept mute for days without saying anything. 

There are good and bad sides to how Job’s friends responded to his new condition.

Sometimes, all you need to do to help someone is to say nothing. Keep your mouth shut!

You don’t know whether your words might hurt more or alleviate the problems.

Job’s friends tried to keep mute, but they could not sustain themselves for a long time before they start ranting.

We can learn to speak less and listen more.

These days, everyone wants to speak. Everyone wants to “be heard” There’s no crime speaking your mind, but in the multitudes of words, we often misspoke.

Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. Proverbs 10:19

Lastly, entertain only friends who are going to lift you and not pull you down.

It is, for me, a daily decision because you cannot tell which friends are going to be nice to you “down the stretch” In a short time, most friends are cool, but not many cannot sustain themselves for a long time.

So, what type of visit are you entertaining today? What friends are you keeping?

The life of man on earth 6.0 (the discouragement)

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Some people barely live their life, and many are almost giving up on life. 

Trust me, I am right there with you, but Job was much more right there with you.

Job experienced the most bizarre situation in life when he lost everything in a day. Everything!

Job’s wife told him to “curse God and die” That’s his wife telling Job to give up!

Then Job’s wife said to him, “Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” Job 2:9

I believe Job wouldn’t expect this elevated level of discouragement, but he wasn’t discouraged.

The bible says that Job did not sin against God despite all his calamities.

Life is not that easy.

You made every effort to succeed, but there are many challenges and discouragement easily set in. You are not alone.

Job’s friends did not help the matter. Instead, they make it worse. I know some friends are not encouraging in times of need. Job had a similar experience too. So, you are not alone.

David was so stressed because everyone that surrounded him was against him, but he encouraged himself. Encourage yourself too!

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

Jesus was also stressed out in His last days that he persuaded the disciples to pray. No, they didn’t! And the temptation was too much for them to bear as they all abandoned Him when He needed them most.

So, you are not alone; I am sure of this. Many people are going through what you are passing right now.

Be strong and take courage because there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

Peace!

Trust in man or trust in God

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First, talk to God, then to any man about your challenges (and that is if you need to).

Often, we want to help others, but we are incapable because we lack the ability or the means to help. However, God can do all things.

“I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

Jesus said that “with God, nothing shall be impossible. So, trust God to overcome those challenges and those lingering problems. 

God will use different means to help you or send help to you, including man, but trust Him first and wait for Him to do so. 

Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. Psalm 37:34

For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Man often fails to help, but we know that the supreme being is incapable of failure.

While trust in any man that can disappoint. While would you talk to any man about your troubles when you can speak to God?

Sometimes, people want to help but cannot often do so.

Your help is God, who has everlasting strength.

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength Isaiah 26:4

The life of man on earth 5.0 (the real enemy)

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The devil is real. Evil people exist, and terrible things do happen.
Good people often suffer. Many innocent people are in prison and jail for wrongful accusations.

In fact, good people suffer for being good. Imagine that!
Job suffered for being a righteous man in his time. The devil falsely and intentionally accused job.

Satan replied to the LORD, “Skin for skin! A man will give up everything he has to save his life. Job 2:4

Yes, the devil is the real enemy!

Therefore, rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you in great anger, knowing that he has little time.” Revelation 12:12

Satan has been an evil person for a long time. He hates everything God created.

He enjoys inflicting pain on people. He lies and steals. 

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

He doesn’t have mercy on his victim. He doesn’t hear the cry for help.

Sin causes a lot of problems for man, but Satan is the magnifier of all evils.

He has some power because when he fell as an angel, he retained few angelic qualities.

“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. Isaiah 14:12

He is a spirit. So, you can’t see him with your naked eyes. He can influence the mind through actions. If he can see a pattern, he capitalizes on it to influence subsequent behaviors.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
 
He cannot control you if you don’t allow it, but he can manipulate you if you allow him. He influences through lies, deceit, and fear.

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Romans 6:16

So, the real enemy is not your neighbor or the next person on a bus or the train.

The real enemy is not your immediate family members or people from your village.

What he does is to poison people’s mind and makes them think and do havoc. So, since he is not in a physical form, he uses people to do his work. Evil people are influenced and used by the devil.

Your victory lies in aligning yourself to the supreme God.

Terrible things happen and await those who don’t believe in the saving work of God.

Job survived the devil’s schemes and onslaught, so can you.

The life of man on earth 4.0 (why terrible things happen to good people)

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Good people live in the same world that evil/bad people live.

In my last post, I gave three causes of wickedness. They are sin, Satan, and evil people.

When God was about to punish Sodom and Gomorrah, he spared no one. The only reason he spared Lot and his family was Abraham’s intercession.

The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do Genesis 18:17

Abraham started talking to God about Lot and his family from verse twenty-three.

Abraham approached him and said, “Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? Genesis 18:23

So, without impactful and continual prayers, terrible things and challenges do happen to good people all the time.

David is an example of how good people suffer. He suffered a great deal from enemies.

I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with my tears. Psalm 6:6

My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. Psalm 6:7

Another example is Jesus. Jesus prayed to stay alive to complete his work on earth.

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. Mark 1:35

We are all going to face challenges in life, and terrible things do happen to good people.

Based on the examples I gave, the solution is prayers. David prayed, and Jesus prayed.

Although Job was a good man, he experienced the most bizarre situation in one day when he lost everything.

Deliverance came in the end. Your deliverance and help will come and will come quicker than you expected in Jesus’ name.

Commit yourself to more act of prayer by checking my prayer bank

 

The life of man on earth 3.0 (the wrecking machine)

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Although we established that God is good and does not cause terrible things to occur, he often allows them to happen. If you read my last post in isolation without my introduction or following up with me on the subsequent posts, you might get confused.

Job did nothing wrong, but it was the devil who accused Job when he asked permission from God to try/test Job’s faith and consistency.

Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Job 1:9

Satan caused a lot of havoc in our lives. I call him the wrecking machine. He doesn’t stop working. He has a lot of demons working on his behalf. So, his havoc is enormous.

You need to realize how important this is so that you can stand your ground against every work of darkness.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

Remember, Job did nothing wrong at the time Satan attacked him. Therefore, challenges are not always because we’ve done something wrong. It might just be the devil doing his thing.

Just pray and ask God for help in this instance. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:19

 

The life of man on earth 2.0

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Today, I expand on my last post. I am discussing the life of Job, a good man in his own time.

The next lesson we can learn is that God is a good God, and He is NOT the cause of terrible things that happen in our lives or our world. 

I understand the difficulty of this narration, but we have established that God is good, and everything He does is good.

When God created the world and everything in it, they were all in undamaged shape and working perfectly.

Assuming God is the cause of your woes and problem, why do we have to pray to Him?

Do you go to consult the help of your problem-causer? No! Instead, you seek help from someone who you know is nice to you.

Even those who do not believe in God often shout the name Jesus! when they are in trouble.

Everyone often exclaims: “oh my God!” (Shorten for omg) when in danger, trouble, or confusion. So, if God causes it, why do we call on Him for help subconsciously?

So, what causes our pain in this life?

Sin causes the foundational problem of man. For instance, when a man robs a bank, he gets caught and punished for the crime. If you sleep with your neighbor’s wife, he gets mad and drags you down, etc. Sin causes most of the problems we face in life, and therefore there are laws in the land.

Satan causes other problems on earth. He is a manipulator and a liar. He has come to steal your things (Joy, Peace, Money, etc.). He is out to kill (causes physical injury, death through any means) and destroys everything on his path.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. John 10:10

The last person that causes man’s problem is man himself. It could be you or the next person to you or the other person who knows the person that you know.

So, the next time you are in trouble, shout to God for help. He cares!

Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. Psalm 55:22

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

The next time, we go deeper into the case of Job. 

Peace!

 

A sophisticated world

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The world has changed since the time of the old and is still evolving rapidly.

God still works mysteriously in and around the world to effect His infallible words and purpose.

The believers are affected in many ways. Unfortunately, there is little choice.
The believers are affected not because God is not with them or for them but because the world is against them in many ways.

However, the significance of how desperately wicked the heart of man cannot be over-emphasized. 

The causal effects of many evil happenings in the world are not because God is incapable of doing anything. Instead, it is because man is constantly wreaking havoc ever since creation.