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Tag Archives: Exhortation
Daily Encouragement
As I begin my yearly trek through the mountainous terrain of the book of Job, I bring with it certain expectations as well as an eagerness to see new things. As I prepare for this week’s sermon from Hebrews 5:11-14, I feel the warning there to be careful not to become dull of hearing. I’ve read the book of Job at least 20 times but like hearing the flight attendant on the plane explain the safety measures that I no longer listen to because I’ve heard them many times, I don’t want to do that with God’s word.
The simple but complex question that comes to mind from Job is that of Satan’s question concerning Job:
Job 1:9-10 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”
In other words, does Job only trust God for what he can get out of God? If trusting the Lord meant that he got nothing out of it or even worse he suffered because he feared God and turned away from evil would he continue to trust and fear the Lord.
The book of Job answers that question for Job. He passed the tests. It however doesn’t answer that question for us. How are we doing in the daily tests from the Lord? Would we stay with Christ even if we get nothing out of it now but must wait until the end? What if our obedience causes us to suffer? Will we give up?
We ought to continue to grow through the tests. If not we might stumble:
2 Peter 1:8-11 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Keep trusting the Lord and the fruit of your faith will blossom into gardens of righteousness for the glory God.
Daily Exhortation
James 5:1-6 is a sad reality that exposes the lure of pleasure in this present life by way of unrighteousness. Take a look.
James 5:1-6
[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. [5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
A few observations: Misery is coming. Therefore they ought to be very troubled by that coming reality. It seems they have so much that it’s just lying around getting rusty and moth eaten but much is never enough.
They’ve either gotten this excess by withholding due payment for services they had hired others to do or they already have excess and continue to pile up their riches by withholding the rightful payment of services rendered. Either way, both are wrong in the eyes of God.
Look, it’s not that we cannot enjoy pleasures now in this life. The problem is that we would do evil to pursue pleasure. It would be like us wanting to go to the Vols football game this weekend but robbing a bank on the way to Knoxville to pay for the tickets or let’s say we had the money but it would take away from our family’s needs. Do not pursue pleasure by doing evil.
But don’t miss the last verse. It seems the righteous live in light of future pleasures that will have no end. They do not resist the rich who do them evil. They expect to be taken advantage of in this world. But one day, that will be over forever. Disadvantaged now but only advantage on that glorious day.
Do not fret in the day of trouble. The Lord is with you and the sufferings of this world cannot compare with that glorious day for those who long for Christ’s return.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
[17] For this light *momentary affliction is preparing for us an *eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, [18] as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are *transient, but the things that are unseen are *eternal.
The Word Is Not Imprisoned 