04242021 Might and Love

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God who is both strong and gentle. How wonderful that He can be both at the same time!

Lesson #35. God's might does not contradict His love. "God is mighty," Elihu states in 36:5. God exercises control over the earth. For example, "with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted" (36:7). God oversees the life events that concern men, including times of terrible illness such as Job was experiencing. It might have been tempting for Job to think that God's power had come to the forefront in his situation at the expense of His love.

This was not the case. Elihu clarified that God shows both might and love. "Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any" (36:5). The all-powerful and all-controlling God does care about people, and He especially exhibits His care toward those who choose to follow Him. Elihu shares several demonstrations of this.

First, God gives right judgment to His people. "He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor" (36:6). At some point the wicked will face the consequences for their wrong actions, and at some point God will bring about the right solution for those who are afflicted.

Second, God constantly watches over His people. "He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted" (36:7). God always sees His people. He is always aware of what is happening to them. He never stops intervening on their behalf. Just as God establishes kings, God also establishes and exalts His people.

Third, God delivers His people. "And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in the cords of affliction" (36:8). God's desire is to bring His people out of these difficulties, and He will work to accomplish that, which may require some intervention and correction.

Fourth, God helps His people to understand their spiritual needs. "Then He sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded. He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity" (36:9-10). This caring act of God extends even to those who have not previously followed Him. God shows His love and forgiveness to all who will acknowledge their sin and turn to Him.

Fifth, God restores blessing to His people. "If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures" (36:11). Again, God's care extends both to His own people and to the lost. He is ready and willing to work tremendous changes in their lives. The end of the story can be very different from the current scenario.

Elihu summarizes these loving actions of deliverance and blessing in 36:15-16: "He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression. Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness."

One wonderful aspect of God's might is that when His love desires to change someone's difficult situation, God has all the power necessary to work a tremendous transformation. God can easily exchange affliction, oppression, and distress for freedom and abundance. That fact that He has not worked this change yet does not mean that He cannot change it, nor does it mean that He does not lovingly desire or intend to change it.

God's might is not merely what we think of as physical power. Also, Elihu says, "He is mighty in strength and wisdom" (36:5). God knows what is right. God knows the hearts of people. God knows the frailty of people. In His mighty understanding, God takes all of this into account, and He uses His understanding to determine the right actions. He then incorporates His physical might as He does what is right for those He loves.

God does understand and care about people. He will help the godly who want to live for Him. We do not know when His deliverance will come, but we know that God is fully able to bring it, and we know that someday He will bring it because He lovingly understands and desires what is best for His own.

May God grant you peace as you wait upon Him who loves you to finish the work He has started in you.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04172021 Songs in the Night

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of our personal and caring God. God takes notice of us, and His kind heart desires to help us. Even in the darkest times, we can know His comfort.

Lesson #34. God does give songs in the night to those who earnestly seek Him. The phrase "songs in the night" is comforting and well-known, but it is found within a context. Elihu has rather pointedly called Job to examine his speech; Elihu's "words without knowledge" evaluation both precedes (34:35) and follows (35:16) this admonition.

Job's poorly-chosen words have echoed those of all humanity. He has claimed to be right so strongly as to imply God was wrong (35:2, see chapters 9 & 16). He has complained that living righteously holds no benefit (35:3, see chapters 29-31). Elihu provides perspective, pointing out God's exalted position, and reminding Job that neither his wickedness nor his righteousness would change anything about who God is (35:4-8).

Elihu states that Job is crying out just like all of humanity cries out in times of suffering (35:9 & 12). In many cases, God does not answer those cries, not because He does not notice or does not care, but because of the nature of those crying out. Many who cry out do not have a relationship with God or a proper approach to Him. They are evil men with pride in their hearts, and their cries are empty (35:12-13). This was not the case with Job, but even Job's cries had an impediment. Elihu says that God does not respond to the cries of the wicked, and then cites Job's words of doubt, "although thou sayest thou shalt not see Him" (35:14 - see chapter 23).

Along with their rebuke, Elihu's words also hold hope. They give assurance that God will respond to the right kind of prayer from the right kind of heart. "Yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him" (35:14). Elihu is urging Job to call earnestly and sincerely and to wait patiently for God's answer.

The heart of the encouragement is found in verses 10-11: "But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?'" Here is the reason people don't receive answers from God; it is because in the midst of their complaint, they fail to acknowledge who God really is. For the most part, people simply do not pray this way. ("But none saith.") If they would pray this way, they would see the beautiful reality of the God they are acknowledging. There are three components.

First, "God my maker." This is clearly an acknowledgement of who God is, but it is also a comfort. Man is not just an accident; he was designed by God. If God makes a man, God knows that man's needs. God knows how to care for him. If God makes a man, He can preserve that man and help him. God has the power and the oversight to continue His interactions with His creations.

Second, "who giveth songs in the night." Sometimes man simply needs to choose to sing the songs in the night. He must remember truth about God and deliberately focus on it. Such exercises of belief are sources of comfort. Often, however, there is a very special sense in which God deliberately and tenderly ministers comfort to His children. He brings His truth to their minds - thoughts, verses, songs - when those people are perhaps too exhausted to focus, too overwhelmed to seek, too discouraged to hope, and too broken to do anything. In those settings, God brings a little truth about Himself. That truth becomes a song of comfort, healing, hope, and assurance. For someone to be reminded that he has a God who is what God is - this is the substance of heart songs. This is what can bring hope and joy in even the blackest night.

Third, "who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven." God does notice man and takes a special interest in Him. God helps man on his journey. God teaches man to be better than beasts. He is not a detached creator who leaves man to muddle through on his own. He is a God who follows through and who gives man every opportunity to develop a relationship with Him and have a meaningful existence on this earth.

This verse about "songs in the night" is in itself an appropriate "song in the night." It reminds us of who God is and of His deliberate interaction with and tender care of the people He loves. If we know this God and will cry out to Him in proper recognition, He will not only answer, but He will respond by giving us a song of comfort and hope. We must earnestly call and then expectantly wait for the song and answer that God will surely give.

May God give you many songs this week, both in the day and in night. May those songs help you to focus on Him and rejoice in Him as He guides you and cares for you each day.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04102021 On Man's Side

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God with the biggest heart in the universe. No one else can match the love that God has for mankind, even in his fallen state.

Lesson #33. Even in suffering, God is on man's side. Often, people mistakenly equate trials with God's displeasure. They might complain that God is ignoring them or doesn't care. They might attribute their difficulties to God's anger, cruelty, detachment, or apathy.

Nothing could be further from the truth. What God most desires for people is that they be rightly related to Him, that they have a vital and prospering relationship with Him. God might be required to take extreme measures to try to achieve that, and sometimes man's rejection of God's efforts results in a life of tragedy. Overall, however, God is faithfully working with men, even in (or especially in) the difficult times of life. God is calling men, instructing them, and trying to get them to walk in right paths, because He well knows the blessing of such a life.

Elihu summarized the concept this way: "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living" (33:29-30). Elihu stated that God regularly works with men, desiring to give them true life. God doesn't try to keep men in ignorance and doesn't reject the efforts and desires of those who seek Him. God wants growth and faithfulness, and He will repeatedly work with man to achieve those ends.

When Elihu speaks of "all these things" that God repeatedly does, what are those efforts of God? The previous verses have listed at least six components.

First, God speaks to man (vs. 14-15). "For God speaketh once, yea twice." God tries various types of communication, today primarily through the Bible or the Holy Spirit, but sometimes by means of another person by way of a testimony, sermon, encouragement, book, or other input. God wants man to have His truth.

Second, God opens men's ears to hear and absorb the instruction (v. 16). "Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction." It is a work of God's grace that He sometimes makes man's heart sensitive to His teaching. God brings conviction and deeply works His truth until men accept and embrace it.

Third, God influences man against wrong choices (v. 17). "That he may withdraw man from his purpose." There are choices so devastating that they can have life-long negative impact. God wants men to make right choices and to walk in paths that will benefit their spiritual walk. Whether it be through restrictions externally placed by others, through providential intervention, or through the work of internal conviction, God consistently tries to guide men into good paths.

Fourth, God keeps man alive (v. 18). "He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword." Sin, whether through personal choices or through the pervasive impact on the world, often brings physical death at an earlier-than-normal age. People who are dead cannot come to God and cannot turn back to Him. So God often extends life, perhaps even defying death, to give men more opportunities.

Fifth, God chastens man (vs. 19-22). "He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain." By nature, man is obstinate and defiant. He naturally rejects God and seeks his own way. Nevertheless, God loves man and wants a relationship with him. So He often does what is necessary to get man's attention and to drive man to the end of himself. This is not for the purpose of destruction, but with the desire for reconciliation.

Sixth, God intervenes to bring man back to truth and God (vs. 23-28). "To shew unto man his uprightness." Man often wanders and strays from truth. Sadly, some of those diversions are so extreme that they end in misery and destruction. That isn't God's desire. God wants reconciliation. God wants man to come back. God wants man to return to Him and to the truth he has known. God wants to restore man to a life of blessing and fellowship, of victory and rejoicing in God. God wants man to be able to give this testimony: "He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light" (v. 28).

Yes, God is on man's side. He wants the best for man. He wants him to walk in a right relationship with Him, which is the best possible scenario. God doesn't stand idly by and hope that will happen. Because God earnestly desires it, He puts forth deliberate effort to achieve it. That effort may require some methods that are difficult, but the end result is worthwhile.

Life is sometimes hard. There is no question of that fact. However, it is a mistake to assume that a hard life corresponds to God's displeasure or disinterest. The heart of God is beautifully revealed in this sermon by Elihu. God's heart is for man. God's heart is for reconciliation, relationship, and fellowship. God's heart is for right choices and a right life that will bring blessing. (If this is true even for those in rebellion against God, it is surely true for those who are trying to follow Him!) God uses means to achieve what His heart desires. The use of means, even those that are difficult, is an evidence of God's caring heart. God is trying so much because He loves so much.

Thank God for His patient care and intervention! He has done so much already in our lives. May we continue to humbly follow Him, so that He can continue His blessed work.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA

04032021 Explanation Not Required

Dear Missionary Lady,

Greetings in the name of the God of all knowledge. God knows and understands everything, even when we are left in a muddle of confusion.

Lesson #32. God doesn't have to explain. When life goes wrong, people naturally want to know why. They want to know the reasons. But there is no reason why God has to give those explanations.

Elihu presented this probing question: "Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters" (33:13). God is above man. He does not have to give answers to man, any more than the person in control in any realm has to give an explanation to those under him. The common people are likely not to understand the explanation even if the expert or leader gives it. Beyond the aspects of whether we deserve or would understand an explanation, God's failure to supply the reasons does not make Him any less God. Not explaining does not mean that He does not have very good reasons. Not explaining detracts nothing from His wisdom, His power, His love, His compassion, or any other aspect of His character.

Actually, withholding the explanation emphasizes God's sovereign control. God knows what He is doing. God knows why He is doing it. God knows how to best accomplish His objectives. Each of those are independent of man's help, input, understanding, or approval. Without man's being aware of what God is doing or why, God is able to independently accomplish every objective precisely in the way He determines best.

In fact, sometimes God tries to give some insight, but men don't comprehend. "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not" (33:14). The Scriptures contain many verses that do provide understanding of God's difficult actions (Romans 8:28, James 1:3-4, for example). A full knowledge of the Bible clearly reveals the reality of pain and imperfection in a fallen world. In the midst of their challenge, however, people often fail to take God's revelation into account, or they deem it insufficient to fully answer their questions. They struggle to make general concepts personally applicable. Some people are so engulfed in the intensity of their trial that they cannot absorb anything else, and frankly, some are just so dull that they do not or will not hear.

Sometimes God reveals some of His purposes, but limits the revelation. "In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the beds; then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction" (33:15-16). God knows best when to reveal Himself and who is ready for what knowledge. Maybe the revelation is partial or not completely clear. Maybe it is only for select people. God decides if, when, and how He will give revelation, and that may not correspond to human demands or desires.

Interestingly, Satan was right about one thing. Following God only when life is pure blessing is not really a test of following God (1:9-10; 2:4-5). Anyone can do that, and the following (or appearance thereof) can be very shallow. God wants to know, Will you trust Me when life goes horribly wrong? Will you trust Me if you never understand? Will you continue to follow Me in faith? That's what shows a genuine relationship with God.

God recently instructed me through consideration of the Hebrews 11 heroes. Those heroes had promises and direction from God. Nevertheless, they still suffered along the way, and they did not always see the answers or fulfillment. Some saw miraculous answers, but others died first. The same thing happens in our world today. Why are some healed but some die too young? Why are some delivered but some lose everything? Why are some protected but others die in tragic accidents?  

How do we reconcile the differences? How do we reconcile "Ask, and it shall be given unto you," "Ask anything in My name," and "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" with situations in which our prayers are not answered? What God showed me this week is that that's not my job. I might never be able to reconcile them, but I don't have to. God Himself is the only one who fully understands all the dynamics and the precise way in which everything dovetails to accomplish His work.

God understands how He can keep His promises and be true to Himself, while doing things that humans think fall short of that. God understands how different verses in His Word complement rather than contradict each other, and more practically, how negative life circumstances interact with His promises. The bottom line is that for all who follow God, even if they do not see the answers they desire in this life, eternity awaits. That's what those Hebrews 11 heroes focused on. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city " (Hebrews 11:13&16). There might be confusion and disappointment in this life, but one day all of that will disappear, and we will be united with the God who has always understood.

May our wise God accomplish all His plans in your life this week, and may you follow Him in forward-looking faith.

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt

member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA