For the past few years, I have awakened and spoke with God virtually
every day, just a brief, "Mornin', Lord. Thanks for seeing me through
the night." I am not sure if it can be called praying, worshiping, or
praising but either way the communication is there. No, He's not spoken
to me in a thunderous voice and there have been no flashes of lightening but
just the same, sometimes I feel as if He is everywhere in the room.
My next step is brewing up a cup of coffee, sitting in my chair and
spending a few minutes reading in His word and contemplating what I've
just read.
Sounds pretty holy, doesn't it? Well, if that's what I wanted, then
that's my reward. That would be fine as long as the winds and turbulence of
the world isn't distracting me. Will my little daily devotions walk me
through the gauntlet of challenges ahead?
I recall the story of Job. God said there was none like him but
Satan argued that it Job's faith and love for Him was because he'd been
blessed with wealth, family and friends and that if those things were
gone, Job wouldn't be so lovey-dovey with the Lord then. What would
happen if all those things were suddenly removed?
The challenge was on so the Lord gave Satan permission to afflict Job
with all sorts of problems but under the condition that he could not
take his life. As the story heats up, messengers come with the news
that a great storm came, blew down the dwelling with all his children in
it and no one survived. Also, there as a fireball that came down and
consumed all his livestock and all was gone. Job, ripped his garments,
pile ashes on his head and cried out, "Naked
I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord
gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
It's
one thing to lose possessions. You can deal with that by adjusting
yourself to a new normal but when he became afflicted with sores on his
body, things now had gone from economics to a very personal physical
way. His own wife just even said to him, "Job, just curse God and die!", yet he
did not sin against God. Now, the last of his family had now turned on
him. What about his friends?
Along
came three of his friends and a younger guy who sat with him a while.
Each of them reviled him and strongly hinted that he was not the man of
God he pretended to be. Job refuted each of them, sending them into a
tizzy, and still proclaimed the holiness and his everlasting faith him
Him. Job still had not sinned.
Eventually, God restored Job's wealth and family and Job lived a ripe old age.
In
a way, if we isolate ourselves from the world, perhaps we can wrap up
in a spiritual cocoon and ignore those things of the world and be
oblivious to it all, but that's not how most of us are built. We have
to continually deal with both physical happenings as well as emotional
challenges such the afflictions of those near to us as well as our own.
How then do we continually overcome and still hold fast to Him who made
us?
There are some
things to avoid in wrapping ourselves in that spiritual cocoon. Both in
Christianity and religions of the world, some would cloister themselves
as monks high on a mountain or lock themselves in a man-made retreat of
brick and mortar devoting themselves to becoming deeper with God. But,
that's not how He created us. He designed us to procreate, to live
and to worship with one another and to enjoy the life he gave us. Sure,
He called special people out to be His voice on earth for the purpose
of vocalizing his will but they too, ate, drank and breathed the air
which he created for us.
I've
had a few trials but none like that of Job. Right now, there is a
calmness to my sea of life but storms will come and I pray that my faith
will not sink in the high waves. He put me here for a purpose as he did for all.
Our job is to walk in his ways, love one another, forgive one another,
and have compassion. Compassion on those near and dear to you,
compassion on the stranger, and yes, compassion on those who seemingly
despise you.
All
these things I can do while enjoying that second cup of coffee,
watching my children and grandchildren accomplish things with the
talents he gave them, while knowing that it was God, who gave us all
these things.