Tag: Redeemer lives
The Best is Yet to Come!
Scripture reading for August 24: Job 42:8, 10-12 “Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And My servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken what is right, as My servant Job has.” . . .”And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him. And each of them gave him a piece money and a ring of gold. And the Lord blessed the later days of Job more than his beginning.”
For me, a good story has an interesting beginning and a happy ending. The story of Job is one of the oldest recorded in the Bible, set before the time of Abraham. Job was a man of faith and prosperous and known for his righteousness and generosity. Satan, the villain, comes before God and accuses Job of serving God for what benefits God blessed him with. God allows Satan to afflict Job, taking first his family and possessions, and then his health. His wife becomes bitter and his friends turn against him by accusing him of harboring sin or wickedness as the cause of his sickness and trials.
But God did not fail Job, even in these trials He had allowed Satan to bring. God gave Job faith to stay true. He revealed to Job answers to his deepest needs for a Redeemer and an Advocate. He showed him that even after death, resurrection would occur and he would behold His Redeemer with his own eyes on the earth. (Job 19:25-26) In the end, He answered Job’s prayer to meet with God by coming near and questioning him. The questions were to reveal to Job God’s greatness, power, and eternal plans and to bring Job to new levels of faith and prayer. After repentance and praying for his friends, Job was restored double all that he lost! Even in this, we see God’s amazing mercy. Job had more children–the same amount as he lost. This implied that he would see his children he lost again in heaven! The best is yet to come! Amen!
Resurrection power in the Gospel!
Scripture reading for February 8th: Matthew 27
Key Scriptures for over-comers: Matthew 27:50-53 “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He gave up His spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.”
Jesus was not murdered by Roman soldiers, He willingly gave up His spirit to the Father after suffering for the sins of all mankind. When His own obedience to the Father was complete, Jesus was released from His suffering and shame. This event was so powerful that the first event recorded by Matthew was the tearing of the thick veil on the temple. This was significant to Jews, because that veil had covered the Holy of Holies so that only the High Priest could enter, once a year for the sins of the people. Now the final sacrifice was completed, a better sacrifice that would satisfy God’s justice forever!
An earthquake also occurred which split rocks and opened some tombs of holy men and women of the past. This earthquake shook the realm of the dead to the core! Death could no longer hold those who by faith had looked to God for His salvation!
Observations for over-comers: Never forget the power of the Gospel message and the story of Jesus’ suffering and death for our sins! It has power to raise the dead and cause spiritual earthquakes that open the way to intimacy with God! “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; . .” (Job 19:25-26)