02272021 God Is Great

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our great God. There is no one and no power greater.

Lesson #27. God's greatness is beyond our comprehension. Job gave an extended description of God's greatness in 26:5-14.

Even the evil spirits tremble before God, unable to escape His power and presence (vs. 5-6). God stretched out the universe in the middle of space and hung the earth on nothing (v. 7). God keeps the water encapsulated in the clouds (v. 8). God makes clouds thick enough to hide the brightness of the moon (v. 9). God has created night and day, so that sections of light and darkness are constantly progressing around the globe (v. 10). The heavens (storms?) tremble at God's commands (v. 11). God can quiet the raging storms of the sea (v. 12). He speaks storms into silence and calmness (v. 13). He controls every creature (v. 13).

Pondering these acts of greatness leaves us in awe of God's power. He established the vastness of systems that men cannot begin to comprehend. He keeps the entire universe in order. He controls powerful natural elements that man has no hope of controlling. No being, either natural or supernatural, is able to stand before Him. We are amazed by what we see of God's power.

Yet we see so little. Our understanding is so shallow. Job declared, "Lo, these are parts of his ways: but how little a portion is heard of him? but the thunder of his power who can understand?" (v. 14). We are amazed when we see only the smallest bits of God's greatness. We can't possibly comprehend or appreciate even what we do see. How much more must God be doing that we can't see or comprehend?

Yes, God is incomprehensively great. What does that mean for those who are suffering? It means everything!

It means that God is great enough to prevent suffering and probably has stopped many trials before they started. It means that God is great enough that He could have prevented this one if it had been His plan. It means that God is great enough to stop this one any time He chooses. It means that God is great enough to manipulate this one and keep it confined to the boundaries He determines. It means that God is great enough to use even something hard to accomplish His good purposes. It means that God is great enough to sustain us even on the hardest days. It means that God is great enough to reveal His glory through the suffering. It means that God is great enough to encourage, instruct, and call others through our experience. It means that God is great enough that someday He will end all suffering and will forever bind Satan and sin and evil.

God's greatness is a great comfort and stabilizer in the midst of trials. We don't need to solve things on our own. We don't need to figure things out on our own. We don't need to survive on our own. We don't need  to achieve victory on our own. Thank God that we have the mighty creator, sustainer, and controller of the universe at our sides! May the great God support and sustain you this week.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02202021 Clinging to the Bible

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the greatest Author of all time. God has written a masterpiece, the Bible, and has given it to us for our help.

Lesson #26. Clinging to the Bible is essential. We need the Bible every day and in all situations, but in the midst of a trial, we need it more than ever. Our need increases with the intensity of the trial. Job declared that God's words were the most important thing, even more than food. "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed [treasured] the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (23:12).

Why is the Bible so critically important? In particular, why do we need the Bible so desperately in the midst of a severe trial? Job gives us that one verse, declaring the importance of God's words, and his experience illustrates many reasons, but Job himself does not state them. To develop the concept, I turned to Psalm 119, which reveals many reasons for treasuring God's Word in a time of trial.

First, for refuge. "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119:114). When there is nowhere else to hide and no other source of shelter, God's Word guards and protects.

Second, for stability. "The bands of the wicked have robbed me: but I have not forgotten thy law" (Psalm 119:61). "Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction" (Psalm 119:92). The Bible is what anchors the believer. It is what does not change in the midst of the swirling changes. It is what keeps frail man from collapse.

Third, for guidance. "Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors" (Psalm 119:24). "I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation" (Psalm 119:99). So many questions and decisions arise in the midst of a trial. God's Word gives answers, wisdom, counsel, insight.

Fourth, for comfort. "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word" (Psalm 119:28). "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened [revived] me" (Psalm 119:50). God's Word has the inexplicable ability to minister to hurting hearts, to assuage grief that seems inconsolable, to give hope where there is none.

Fourth, for peace. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165). Trials threaten peace, but the Bible rises to the challenge. The timeless Word of God arises as a steadfast and stabilizing pillar.

Fifth, for refreshing and renewal. "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103). "I am afflicted very much: quicken [revive] me, O LORD, according unto thy word" (Psalm 119:107). God's Word can do wonders for a broken and hurting spirit. It can infuse new life, new vigor, new strength to continue on.

Sixth, for joy. "Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage forever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart" (Psalm 119:111). Who would expect joy in the middle of a trial! But the words of God are so uplifting, so full of wonderful truths, that they can give joy even in the midst of heartache.

Seventh, for deeper understanding. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Psalm 119:71). "I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies" (Psalm 119:125). Trials take the theory of God's Word and make it abundantly practical. The application of God's truth in real-life situations deeply reinforces in the heart what was previously known only in the mind.

Eighth, for deeper commitment. "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Psalm 119:67). "I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened [revived] me" (Psalm 119:93). When God, through His help and His Word, brings a Christian through deep waters, there is a new soberness about life. There is a new focus and gratitude that strengthens the believer's faith and commitment.

Ninth, because of the danger of sin. "Thy word have I hid [treasured] in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11). Temptations are plentiful during a trial, and regular dependence on Scripture helps to meet and defeat those temptations.

Tenth, because of the danger of drifting. "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments" (Psalm 119:10). "Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood" (Psalm 119:118). Many believers stand strong for years, only to crumble and even walk away from God under an intense battle. Man is not strong enough on his own to face that potential danger, but a firm reliance on the Bible and commitment to its truth will grant protection and will keep the believer faithful to God.

Eleventh, for help in responding to others. "So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word" (Psalm 119:42). One of the most difficult questions of man regards why God allows suffering. When Christians are able to suffer, grounded in biblical answers, they are able to address the questions of others. In particular, they will have answers for those who are skeptical of or inquisitive about Christianity.

Twelfth, for encouragement to others. "They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word" (Psalm 119:74). It has often been said that those who are suffering encourage those who seek to minister, rather than the other way around. This ability stems in large part from Bible-based thinking by the sufferer, especially as he seeks God's help more constantly and more dependently. Because the Bible is so alive and so treasured at the moment, it spills out to bless others.

Yes, the Bible is absolutely needed in a time of trial. We believe that Job had no written word of God, only what had been passed down orally, yet he clung to those words. Oh, the wonder of what we have at our disposal! God has given us great abundance to help us in our time of need.

May God open your eyes in a special way as you look into His Word this week. May He give you ALL that you need for your spirit.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02132021 Right Wisdom

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our all-wise God. I did not realize when I started this week's study how it would speak to my heart, but I think it was an important lesson for me as I continue to wonder about our pastor's death and why God didn't choose to work differently in response to our prayers. I needed this one, and I pray that it will be a blessing to you as well.

Lesson #25. God's wisdom in doing the right thing is beyond question and independent of man's influence. In other words, there is no doubt that God always does right, and God knows what is right without needing man to advise or correct Him. How man and God view the same situation can be quite different, but it is God's vision that is perfect and man's vision that is flawed.

Even in the midst of his struggle, Job knew this was true. He asked, "Shall any teach God knowledge? seeing he judgeth those that are high" (21:22). Listen, Job instructed; God is the one entrusted with making even celestial rulings, those of the absolute highest level. Not even heavenly beings overrule or influence God. How much less would mere mortals be adequate or able to counsel God on what is right?

Job knew this was true, even though he didn't know exactly how to interpret it in his situation. Job clearly had struggles with the application of this truth, and his comments and complaints revealed that this truth didn't always SEEM true. At times his train of thought got derailed, crashing into words through which he seemed to contradict this truth. But the battle to return to truth is the key; truth must be held as the bedrock. Job had to remind himself of truth and choose to believe it even when he didn't fully comprehend it.

Of all the friends, Elihu, the fourth man and youngest of the group, best conveyed God's message. Elihu got frustrated with the inadequate attempts of the other three to adequately answer Job's questions or objectively listen to his protests. When Elihu spoke, he gave an introduction to God's own response, in which God would confirm and reiterate many of the things Elihu had said.

Elihu made several statements related to the concept of God's rightness in wisdom. Elihu recalled Job's words that asserted God was treating him unjustly, and he responded, "Behold, in this thou are not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man" (33:12). If man sets up a construct that implies or requires that God is wrong, then man is wrong, because God can never be wrong. In such a case, there has to be something that man does not understand, some truth that he is not taking into account, or some aspect that is hidden from his sight.

Elihu later admonished all four men, "Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. Yea, surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment" (34:10-12). Many times, man will not understand that, but the truth does not change. God never does wrong, no matter what it seems like. Elihu continued, "Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?" (36:23). There is no appropriate answer to such a question - no answer except "no one." No one can have any standing for rebuking God. Not only would such a rebuke against deity be wholly inappropriate, but the accusation itself would be faulty. As confused and hurt and disappointed and frustrated as man might be, when it really comes down to the consideration of telling God that He did something wrong, man simply has to wilt inside and admit that such a thing is not possible.

Elihu spoke again: "Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict" (37:23). God indeed is exalted far above man's position, power, wisdom, and righteousness. Man might make wrong judgments for various reasons, whether willful or unwitting, but God never does. God never does a wrong thing. God never pronounces a wrong sentence. God never oversees a wrong response. His character will not allow it.

If God is so wise and if He cannot do wrong, then what He has done is right. Always. Many situations of life may be too complex for man to interpret or may have hidden divine purposes that man can't understand, but the facts do not change. God cannot choose the wrong response. And He does not rely on man's input to tell Him what the right response is.

Man does not understand. In fact, man is so limited that he cannot understand. He simply needs to yield to the One who does. He needs to admit that God is right. What happens when man yields and accepts? God gives grace. Oh, yes, abundant grace to heal, to believe, to move forward. "For God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God" (1 Peter 5:5-6). "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God" (James 4:6-7). Yes, God, You are wise and You are right.

May God bless you this week and give you the grace to accept from Him what is beyond your understanding. Thank God that He doesn't make mistakes! What trust we can have in such a God!

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

02062021 Does God See?

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our all-seeing God. The hymn "Moment by Moment" truly states, "Never a trial that He is not there, Never a burden that He doth not bear, Never a sorrow that He doth not share, Moment by moment, I'm under His care."

Lesson #24. It can seem that God is ignoring our struggle. The operative word is "seem." In truth, God never ignores, but the sense of abandonment can be very strong. Consider the anguish of Job's words. "Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment" (19:7). "Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat! Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him" (23:3,8-9). "He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes. I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not" (30:19-20).

Job's cries of neglect are repeated and are spread out over many chapters. In the midst of discouragement and weakness, in the face of prolonged suffering, even a very godly man like Job uttered the soul-shaking statements above. Job knew what it was like to fail to see the divine help for which he was crying out. Job knew what it was like to have everything continue just as bad as it was before, and even worse. Job knew the depth of anguish when it seemed like he no longer had a connection or access to God.

This was one area where Job's friends had some truth to offer. They heard what Job was saying, and they confronted him by repeating his words. Eliphaz remembered, "And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? Thick clouds are a covering to him, that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaven'" (22:13-14). In response to Job's assertion that God was so high that He was hidden and inaccessible, Eliphaz acknowledged, "Is not God in the height of heaven? and behold the height of the stars, how high they are! (22:12). Yes, God is high, but that actually places Him above all so that He can see all.

Elihu also confronted Job with his own words. "Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him" (35:14). Elihu knew that the issue wasn't whether Job could see God or not. Job's lost sense of connection did not mean that God wasn't listening or didn't have an answer. To the contrary, God was aware of all the details. Job's case was before God, and God knew exactly what He would do. Job simply needed to wait for Him to declare the answer in His time.

Elihu also gave this reassurance: "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings" (34:21). Job may not have seen God, but God saw Job. So it is with us. We might not see God, but He sees us. God sees every step, every detail. No part of our struggle escapes His view. God is always watching, and He sees everything. God knows what He is doing, and He is working a wonderful plan. Our limitations don't correspond to or create any limitations with God.

Scripture is filled with verses that remind us of this wonderful truth. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Psalm 34:15). “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?” (Psalm 94:9).

No matter how dark the night may be, no matter how long the storm lasts, no matter how silent heaven may seem - God is always there. God always sees and always hears. Not a single moan or cry is lost to His ears. Not a moment of our struggle goes unnoticed. How could He possibly ignore His children that He loves so much?

May you be exceptionally aware of His presence this week as He watches over you and walks beside you.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA