Sporadic

It is a word that applies to my writing during this season of my life. If you have been following my blog for a while, you will know that when I am not posting each day, something out of the ordinary is happening in my life. If you do not see something posted for several days, generally that means there has been a change in the condition of my mother-in-law. That is my current situation. She has had hospital stays and is experiencing declining health. Hopefully, things will level out a bit in the next few days so I can get back to sharing with you what God has revealed to me in my quiet time about how to live an exemplary Christian life. Not that I do. But that is my aim. My desire is to grow closer to God and therefore to please him as I go through my earthly life.

I am not complaining about any challenge God has placed in my life at this time for that would be an egregious sin. It would be like thumbing my nose at a God who has given me so much and continues to bless me even now. I think about Job and how God allowed sadness and difficulty to test Job’s devotion to him. I have been reading the last five chapters of Job where God speaks to Job. It is four chapters of God reminding Job who he is before finally, in the last chapter, Job truly recognizes God is in control of all things.

“Then Job replied to the Lord: ‘I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.’” Job 42:1-2 NIV

Job then goes on to admit he had a knowledge about God before God’s instruction, but finally Job truly believed in him. Job recognized his position as a sinful man and repented. It wasn’t a surface, for the moment, repentance. It was a change of life experience. Job now understood who God is and placed God first in his life.

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5-6 NIV

So I challenge you to read Job 38-42. See God for who he is.

Lord, thank you for the many precious moments you give me during the storm of challenges this life presents. I ask that you continue to show yourself to me. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, give me the insight, knowledge and strength to place you in your proper position in my life—FIRST.