Women in the Word

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2/23/2016 8:07 pm  #101


Re: Job

Job 39
 
God commands all creation. It is amazing to think of all God has done.
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Often we need to be reminded just how amazing God's creation is and that without Him, we can do nothing. What act of creation causes you to be filled with awe and humility?
 
When I went to Yellowstone I was in awe of what God has created. I was standing at the top of a raging waterfall and I could only think of this song by Chris Tomlin I think.
 
The lyrics say, “mountain maker, star creator, You made it all, said let it be, and it was, all that we see, the sound of Your voice, the work of Your hands, You do all things well.”
 
Can you imagine that, that God made all of this by His words. And indeed He still commands all by His Word and none of His Word will fail.
 
My husband and I like to hike and explore. And I would also add New Zealand and Alaska as places that just leave you in awe of God’s work.

 

2/24/2016 9:37 am  #102


Re: Job

Job 40
 
40:2 "Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him? He who rebukes God, let him answer it."
We can sometimes think that God has gotten things wrong and that we need to correct Him. We act as if we have a better understanding of how things should be. How can anyone have a better understanding than God?
 
40:8 "Would you indeed annul My judgment? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?
We can think that we are more righteous than God. After all, we would not do x, or we would not allow y, etc. That is really our attitude when we question how God can allow things, like we are more righteous than God. That we know better than Him what is good, right, or just.
 
40:14 Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you.
If we think we are greater than God, then we should save ourselves. We should fix our own problems. We see this in our society, people want to save themselves according to their own understanding, according to their own strength, without God. How has that gone for us?
 
40:10 Then adorn yourself with majesty and splendor, And array yourself with glory and beauty. (NKJV)
40:10 Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity; clothe yourself with glory and splendor. (ESV)
 
Looking at these word in the Strong’s as well as standard dictionary, I see these things about God:
 
- Majesty (supreme greatness or authority; sovereignty, ruler)
- Splendor (brilliant distinction, imposing pomp or grandeur)
- Dignity (elevated rank)
- Glory (honor, or distinction, a state of great splendor, magnificence)
- Splendor (brilliant or gorgeous appearance)
- Beauty (the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind)
- Other synonyms used for these words include: excellence, and exaltation
 
In light of this description of God, who are we to correct God, condemn His righteousness, and think that we are greater than He to save ourselves?

Optional GMG Discussion Question: God confronts Job because of the state of his heart and the words he had spoken against Him. Share a time when God confronted you because of the state of your heart and words you had spoken.

I think frequently. I think that is what prayer is for a lot of times. To show me my heart and help me get my heart aligned with God's heart. God shows me my bad attitude towards someone, or unforgiveness, or pride.

Most recently, it was my bitterness or resentfulness towards those people who were overseeing that disastrous foster child placement I mentioned in the past.

Even when I felt the bitterness was gone, I realized later I still had a dislike and disrespect for the people. I needed to believe the best of them and just give them some grace and have a softened attitude and heart.

That does not mean that I do not objectively know that they made mistakes, it is having a different attitude towards them as a person despite that fact that they made mistakes.

     Thread Starter
 

2/24/2016 5:53 pm  #103


Re: Job

Haven't been able to post in a couple of days -- but I've been here reading!

Chapter 38   The long awaited moment -- we hear from God Himself!

The book of Job began with storms in Job's life.  In one day:

At the hand of man (but the instigation of Satan), some of his servants were slain and his animal taken
Fire fell from heaven and burned up more of his servants and his sheep
Again, at the hand of man, his camels were taken and more servants killed
Finally, a great wind hit the home of one of his son's while all his children were there - and they all died

Two of the "storms" were at the hand of man and two were weather related and appeared to be at the hand of God.
Yet in all this Job did not sin, nor charge God foolishly (1:22).

At some point later, Job himself is stricken with boils.  Again Job did not sin with his lips (2:4).

But then Job was with his peers...at times he began to blame God for what was happening to him.  God didn't do any of it.  But Job didn't know that.  Instead it seems that at times he forgot that God is wholly good.  That He IS love.  (Makes me cringe when I think how sometimes when I'm with my peers, a "different" me comes out too and how easily I can forget that God is wholly good).

This chapter opens with another weather related storm - but this time the storm is from the LORD as He speaks to Job from a whirlwind (Strong's: hurricane, a tempest).  The LORD doesn't mince words when He asks Job about his words which were spoken without knowledge and proceeds to remind Job of who He really is - the all powerful, all mighty Creator. 

So I contemplate the various storms in life we all face - are we too quick to blame God?  Even our insurance companies call tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms "acts of God"!  When someone dies, are we too quick to say, "The Lord took him home"?  When nations or terrorists attack, are we too quick to say 'this must be God's plans' or 'God's judgment'?   In our storms, are we took quick to say, "God, why are you doing this?". 

Will we, like Job, regret our words?  Do we, like Job, need correction through a whirlwind?  If we do, would we hear even His voice?
 
 

 

2/24/2016 6:17 pm  #104


Re: Job

Job 39

Love this chapter about some of God's critters.  The verses that are speaking the loudest to me are vs.13-17:

Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich? Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust, And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them. She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers: her labour is in vain without fear; Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to these verses.  I used to be a major birdwatcher, so maybe that's part of it. I don't know for sure what it is, but something keeps "niggling" at me with these - especially the part that says God has deprived the ostrich of wisdom and understanding.   Because she does not have wisdom or understanding, she doesn't consider the danger her eggs are in and acts as though they are not even hers. 

As I type these words, I am beginning to see a picture.  A sad picture.  A picture of so many mamas today. Mamas who are hardened and so concerned with self, they don't realize the danger they have put their own children in. They lack wisdom and understanding. They lack the fear of the Lord  and the knowledge of the Holy... 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Heavenly Father, please send workers into the fields to harvest these mamas for Your Kingdom - that they would fear You and have knowledge of You, that they may be adopted into Your family and raise their children with wisdom and understanding as You desire of them.  And thank you, Father, for those like TBG who are willing to be mamas (and papas) to raise with wisdom and understanding the hurting children of these mamas. 

 

2/24/2016 6:29 pm  #105


Re: Job

Chapter 40

S:  
Behold, I am vile: what shall i answer thee?  I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. (40:4)

O:  In chapter 21:5,  Job, wanting his friends to listen to him, tells them to lay their hand over their mouth.  Now he is realizes he needs to do the same thing to hear God. 

A:    Couple thoughts... 

...be careful what we ask of others - if we are not willing to do it ourselves, we maybe shouldn't be asking them

...if we're talking, we're not listening.

K:  Help me Father to think before I speak and to be a better listener - especially to You!

 



 

 

2/24/2016 6:47 pm  #106


Re: Job

TBG wrote:

Optional GMG Discussion Question: God confronts Job because of the state of his heart and the words he had spoken against Him. Share a time when God confronted you because of the state of your heart and words you had spoken.

I think frequently. I think that is what prayer is for a lot of times. To show me my heart and help me get my heart aligned with God's heart. God shows me my bad attitude towards someone, or unforgiveness, or pride.

Most recently, it was my bitterness or resentfulness towards those people who were overseeing that disastrous foster child placement I mentioned in the past.

Even when I felt the bitterness was gone, I realized later I still had a dislike and disrespect for the people. I needed to believe the best of them and just give them some grace and have a softened attitude and heart.

That does not mean that I do not objectively know that they made mistakes, it is having a different attitude towards them as a person despite that fact that they made mistakes.

Love this!
 

 

2/25/2016 10:38 am  #107


Re: Job

LoriMI wrote:

But then Job was with his peers...at times he began to blame God for what was happening to him.  God didn't do any of it.  But Job didn't know that.  Instead it seems that at times he forgot that God is wholly good.  That He IS love.  (Makes me cringe when I think how sometimes when I'm with my peers, a "different" me comes out too and how easily I can forget that God is wholly good). 

Good point and it is so easy to get into a mode of complaining when we are around other critical people. It is like their critical nature can be contagious.

LoriMI wrote:

So I contemplate the various storms in life we all face - are we too quick to blame God?  Even our insurance companies call tornadoes, hurricanes, and other storms "acts of God"!  When someone dies, are we too quick to say, "The Lord took him home"?  When nations or terrorists attack, are we too quick to say 'this must be God's plans' or 'God's judgment'?   In our storms, are we took quick to say, "God, why are you doing this?". 
 

I have always felt the same way. I had a lady ask me if I thought it was God's that she was still single. She was a godly women that desired to be married to a godly man. I told her not necessarily. Sometimes things are just the result of a fallen world. People are sinful and there are consequences to sin. But that is a deeper issue that is already being debated heavily over at GMG Weds post.

But I agree that we should not be too quick to assign God as the reason for everything that happens.

     Thread Starter
 

2/25/2016 10:42 am  #108


Re: Job

LoriMI wrote:

I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to these verses.  I used to be a major birdwatcher, so maybe that's part of it. I don't know for sure what it is, but something keeps "niggling" at me with these - especially the part that says God has deprived the ostrich of wisdom and understanding.   Because she does not have wisdom or understanding, she doesn't consider the danger her eggs are in and acts as though they are not even hers. 
 

I did not reflect much on those verses, but by you pointing them out I started to think about them. I guess what I was thinking is that we think we are wise in our human wisdom, but we are foolish. God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the humanly wise. And yet in God's goodness He cares for us even in our human limitations.

     Thread Starter
 

2/25/2016 10:43 am  #109


Re: Job

Job 41
 
41:10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me?
 
We are intimidated by wild animals and do not dare to come up against them. Then how dare we come up against God? How much more should we be intimidated by God’s power?
 
I guess our intimidation with His power is offset by our confidence in His love. So we know He loves us, forgives us and will ultimately not hurt us. This emboldens us to come up against Him. But we must still remember His power and authority and respect Him for His rightful place. And we must not test God and presume upon His goodness.
 
41:11 Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.
 
God does not owe us anything. Everything is His, not ours. We do not have “rights” to anything. Everything is gift from God and is in His discretion to give and control.
 
41:33-34 On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.
 
I don’t know what this creature is, but I can make an analogy to nature, space, or weather. We cannot even control this world, what makes us think that we can or should control God?
 
Optional GMG Discussion Question: Everything belongs to God.  We must never forget the depth of this truth. How do you remember that nothing truly belongs to you, and that all has been given to us by God?
 
I think I see this in my life in two areas: loved ones and personal talents.
 
When I worry about my loved ones it can be heartbreaking. But, I remind myself God loves them more than I could even comprehend. I cannot even comprehend the depth of God’s love for them. So, if I am worried and want to the best for them, how much more does God care for them and want their best. This helps me to give my loved ones to God and trust regardless of the outcome.
 
The second area is with individual talents, gifts, and achievements. I remind myself of my failures and faults and realize that I could have done nothing without God’s strength and gifting. And that these gifts are not inherent in me because of anything special about me, but are a gift from God and God working in me. It is His work, not mine and for His purposes.

     Thread Starter
 

2/25/2016 10:53 am  #110


Re: Job

TBG wrote:

I have always felt the same way. I had a lady ask me if I thought it was God's that she was still single. She was a godly women that desired to be married to a godly man. I told her not necessarily. Sometimes things are just the result of a fallen world. People are sinful and there are consequences to sin. But that is a deeper issue that is already being debated heavily over at GMG Weds post.

But I agree that we should not be too quick to assign God as the reason for everything that happens.

Yes! 
Thanks for pointing out the discussion on GMG. 
 

 

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