When Tragedy Strikes Part 1

 

Notice the title, "When Tragedy Strikes."

At one time or another you will go through some type of tragedy, but how are you to handle it?

Let's take a look at Job to gain some insight.

 

Satan stood before God one day.He had been roaming the earth.

 Why?

 He was probably looking for someone to test, at least that's what I gather from the text.

 

The Lord asked him if he had considered His servant Job.

He knew that Job was unlike any on the earth (v8). He was blameless, upright, feared God, and shunned evil.
 Isn't that amazing that God Himself viewed Job as all of those things. WoW.

Satan challenged Jobs character.
He told the Lord that the only reason Job was such a faithful servant was because he and his family were always protected,  the works of his hands were blessed, and he had no need or want because of his great wealth and possessions.

Satan told God that if He took away all that Job had that he would surely curse Him to His face.(v11)

So, the Lord gave satan permission to test Job with only one requirement; he could not lay a hand on Jobs person.

Did you see that?
The Lord gave satan permission to test Job.

He can do nothing unless he goes through God first.

Satan can do nothing to any of God's children without God's permission!!

That means that God still has control over what is going on in your life!!

He has allowed trials, circumstances, tragedies in your life for a purpose.

Why would God give satan this permission?

I believe, in Jobs case as well as yours, that He allows these things to grow your faith, to conform you into His Sons, Jesus', image, and to prove to satan that you are His faithful servant.

 

 

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:28-31

 

  

Let's look at what happened next....

Satan destroyed EVERYTHING that Job had....he killed his servants, livestock, and his children.

He took everything from Job. His status, his wealth, and the thing he loved the most, his childern...and that all on the same day.

Talk about tragedy.

 

But, what did Job do?

How did he handle to news of so much devestation?

 

"Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshipped,

And he said:

"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."

 

  

Did you catch that?

JOB WORSHIPPED GOD!!!

What an amazingly powerful testimony.

That's not to say that he didn't mourn for his loss. He definitely did, as you can see in the Scriptures above.

 

How do you handle tragedy, trials, circumstances?

Do you have such a close relationship with God that you handle them as Job did?

 

It's ok to mourn a loss. You are human. Just don't stay there.

This is your chance to glorify God, to prove your faith, and to let the whole world see Jesus.

 

 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4
 

Don't let your tragedy ruin your life.

I've been through many tragedies, but I've learned through them all, that as I continue to seek the Lord, knowing Him more intimately, and am obedient to what He has shown me, when the tragedies come I can rest assured knowing that He has a purpose, for me as well as those watching me, and is with me through it all.

 

 

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

What are Your Priorities?

Job was a man who was not only considered blameless and upright, but he was a man of great wealth. Not only did he have many material possessions, but he had a wife, 7 sons and 3 daughters. What fun that would have been at their family gatherings. :) He was certainly blessed beyond measure.

Job loved God and his family very much, and was very concerned with their spiritual well-being. He regularly  offered burt offerings to God according to the number of each of his children just in case they had sinned and cursed God in their hearts.

 

Although Job was a man of great wealth, that wasn't his priority.

His devotion to God was first and foremost and then his family came next.

He knew that wealth meant nothing. That it could be taken away at any moment.

He knew that His relationship with God and his families spiritual well-being was far more important than any amount of prosperity.

 

Are you chasing after money?

Is your relationship with the Lord taking a back seat to your endeavors to obtain wealth?

Is your family suffering because of of your desire to have more?

 

Money is necessary, but it should NEVER be the priority!!!

 

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and

into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

 

Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!

Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.

Proverbs 23:4-5

 

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then all these thing will be added unto you.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:33-34

 

"Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

"You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

"And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

"that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth.

"For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do--to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him--

"then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves.

Deuteronomy 11:18-23

Lessons from Job

Job 1

Job was a man who was blameless and upright. He feared God and shunned evil. (v1)

How can a person be considered blameless and upright?

What does it mean to fear God?

What does it mean to shun evil?

Our God is a God of love. He doesn't wish that any bad come to us. It's a matter of fact that, if we sin, we choose to be out from under the covering of protection that God shelters us with. When we are without His protection, because of our own doing, then whatever bad befalls us is on us.

A healthy fear of God is reverent.

Reverence means: a respectful, submissive attitude of mind resulting in affection and esteem for the person to which it is directed.

This reverence keeps us obedient.

Our fear of God is just like a child/parent relationship (should be). If we love our parents, we will show them our love as we are obedient to them. The same is true of our relationship with God.

"If you love Me, keep My commandments." John 14:15

Job had a healthy fear of God. He understood that if he said he loved God then he needed to prove it through the way he lived his life. This is why he was considered blameless and upright.

He loved God, therefore, he shunned evil. Shunning evil is easier than most people make it.

To shun means: to avoid deliberately; keep away from.

Do you see that?

Job deliberately avoided those things that would cause him to sin.

He made a conscience choice to avoid sin at all costs. Why?

Because he feared God.

Do you have a healthy fear of God?

Are you making a conscience choice to avoid things that could cause you to fall into sin?

Would God describe you as blameless and upright?

 

Blessed is he whose trangession is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Ps 32:1,2

 

 

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22,23

Home

Home (9/26/2009)

I get up each morning and put on my mask
getting to my life of daily tasks
I wonder if things will ever change
If I will ever have things rightly arranged

I want to give everything to you
I pray, I read, I don't know what else to do
I feel so lonely in this world
I just want to be home with You

With You is where I long to be
Only with You is where I will truly be happy
I want to see You, I want to hear Your voice
I'm desperate for You
Desperate to be with You

I know You still have things for me to do
That is obviously why I'm still here
but I feel like a stranger in this place
These feelings get worse every year

I can't wait to be home with You
where I know I belong
Where I can love on You daily
And sing You my song

I want to be home with You
With You is where I long to be
Only with You is where I will truly be happy
I want to see You, I want to hear Your voice
I'm desperate for You
Desperate to be with You

You

You (2/24/2009)

I want You to be my everything,
to make this world not mean a thing,
to speak to You every day, and to clearly hear what You say.
To read Your Word and let it speak to me, so You can make me who I was meant to be.
To do Your will above all, and not worry about the Law..
To always remember the price You paid,
the sacrifice of Your life You made.
To always do what I do,
to point the people around me to You.

Thank You for willingly laying down Your life,
for taking the beatings, the mockings, the strife,
so that everyone could come to know You,
to spend eternity in heaven with You.
May You reveal Yourself to them all,
may they listen to Your call...
May they know that You are the only way,
and accept You into their hearts today.

Salvation, Love, Truth, and Peace in Jesus Alone!

The Terror Within

The Terror Within

9/8/2012

　

Must I close my eyes?

Must I sleep?

The darkness use to bring me sweet slumber,

But those are days of old.

Now all it brings is terror, heart pounding fear.

I close my eyes,

horrible visions blur my sight;

visions of death.

My heart pounds as I run for my life.

I scream in terror

as I see those I love hunted.

I awake shaking, wailing, breathing heavily.

Anxiety overtakes me.

The visions are far too real.

Waking brings relief no more.

Oh, that the light of day

would bring peace to my soul.

Desperately I cling to You.

How I long for Your peace.

Give me rest...

My heart cries out in pain.

Oh, how I need You Jesus

to set me free from the terror within.

Let The Past Go

Let The Past Go (8/5/2010)

Lord, this life that you've given me is being wasted away,
thinking about the past and not living for today.

Help me to let go of the things I can't change,
Help me let go of the tears and pain.

I don't want to waste the new chance you've given me,
completely looking back, thinking of the way things used to be.

Help me to let go, to look forward to today.
Help me let go and to see things Your way.

Direct my steps, lead the way.
Heal my heart, take the pain away.
Heal my mind, so I can be made whole.

Help me let the past go.