December 27
Job 29 and 30
Did you miss me?
Everybody Loves the Good Ole Days.
“God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, but shouts
in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” CS Lewis.
I weighed myself Christmas morning and came to a startling conclusion. I need a new scale. There is no way I could weigh what that scale indicated so the only conclusion is that it must be defective. Is it too late to request gifts for Christmas? This is an emergency. As I peered over my burgeoning belly I started thinking about the good ole days of high school when the scale was much friendlier and I had to bend my neck to see my belly button.
Then I started thinking about the more recent “good ole days.”
Remember when mortgages were as easy to secure as junk mail and mortgage money flowed like honey through the streets of every new subdivision and condo project. New cars of every size and style were being cranked out of factories and car lots like Dippin Dots. Do those still exist? Anyway….
Cruise offers and ultimate vacation destinations abounded. In fact they cluttered our mail boxes almost daily.
New electronic gadgets galore were the staple of conversations as friends compared notes on everything from new iPods to wii games.
The good ole days, when Christmas gifts overflowed the base of the tree and kids were singing their favorite carols. “All I want for Christmas is a new game boy, a new game boy, a new game boy”…. and a Mac Book and a ….well you know.
Ahh the good life.. The good ole days when life was easy and distractions were plenty and credit was good and banks were friendly and when God seemed….well, normal.
It seemed like we were doing everything right, God was blessing us; life was good. Then the bottom fell out. Do I need to comment here? Whatever your bottom was it has probably been radically affected, and I am not talking about problems related to the scale here.
What happened… and why is this happening…better yet what is going to happen?
“What is going on God?”
During my daily reading this week I gained some valuable perspective from Job. He loved the “good ole days” as much as anyone. I invite, actually I challenge you to read Job chapter 29. Verse 2 sets the tone for the entire chapter.
“How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me.”
Job remembered the good ole days and longed for them just as you and I and any person who is struggling would.
And just like many of us, he lamented the troublesome “tough now days” as well. I invite, yes I challenge you again; blah, blah, blah… to read Job 30 (I am so glad my daily reading guides included these two chapters on the same day.)
Anyway, verse 15 sums up Job’s lament in the chapter.
“Terrors overwhelm me; my dignity is driven away as by the wind, my safety vanishes like a cloud.”
I lovingly refer to chapters like this as the “Clean pages.” There is not a whole lot of underlining going on here. I am sure I will never see a refrigerator magnet with this verse on it. Yet,these chapters have their place in the purposes of God as he works to form us into His people. They are vital in the understanding of God’s purposes in our problems.
And, if we keep reading we will discover that Job did, and we can, realize the Good News Days ahead that are as real as the prior two.
What changed for Job is what needs to change for us in order to experience the joy of renewal and the purposes of God in our life.
Job’s attitude is what changed. His ideas about his stuff… his wealth… his relationships….ownership… his sufficiency….his source!
Job viewed his behavior and his rightness as the source of his wealth and satisfaction. He thought if he just did things right… if he honored God regularly and loved others well… he would have all he wanted… and more, even to the point of sharing and supplying others. How noble! How admirable! How self centered! Why was he serving God?
What Job had to learn and we would do well to observe, is that God wants to be served and worshipped and revered not just for what rewards and personal benefits may be involved for us but, because He is God..because it is right! Because God is right and whatever He does is right. He is the Great Creator and Sustainer. He is the Grand Ideator and Life Giver. He is the Ultimate and Awesome power over all of creation. He is the Beautiful Lover and Forgiver but He is also the Great Judge and Justifyer as well.
Job had begun to judge God by the standard of his life and personal comfort. Now Job is being judged by the realities of personal trial and discomfort.
Job had become…I don’t know how else to say it….overweight with stuff and success; And he has suddenly stepped on the scale and doesn’t like what he sees. So like me, and you and anyone who has ever stepped on a scale and lamented the facts; we want a new scale. It must be the scale. It can’t be me. Can it?
Just a thought!
Merry Christmas
Dance with God
Yep!! It’s a good one dad. I love reading your thoughts. Thanks for taking time to share your insight. See you soon!
By: beverly howery on December 27, 2008
at 3:52 pm
Isn’t it amazing how when things don’t “go our way” we’re so quick to ask, “Where’s God?” – We’re pretty self-centered people.
By: Joe McGinnis on December 28, 2008
at 11:32 am
Thanks Joe. It is comforting to know you’re watching.
By: dougehrgott on December 28, 2008
at 1:56 pm
Yikes! I weighed myself this morning and heard my self asking God, “how did this happen?” Maybe I should spend more time with God’s word in my mouth for comfort instead of cookies! Doug, sometimes I wonder if you have xray vision and then I remember that God does and he knows I read your blog!
Thanks for sharing your wisdom!
shelly
By: Shelly on January 6, 2009
at 8:47 am
I have a different perspective on this topic. I have come to realize that I see more of God during the traumatic times in my life then I do when things are going smoothly. I don’t think it’s due to Him laying low while things are smooth sailing but it’s that I draw closer to Him when things are rough and He always is faithful to answer my seeking with His wonderous and majestic ways of love, care, and guidance. My family has recently experienced both tremendous pain and miraculous restoration. The pain of seperation is ongoing while my husband is incarcerated, yet there has been forgiveness, healing and joy for us and our children. God is good and we see that shine through more during what seems the climax of the war against us than ever before. Thank you for sharing Job’s experience and how we can learn from it! Congratulations on the position with Horizon! Their mission is one that I am passionate about but have not yet had the opportunity to do anything with. I would love to know how to pray for your work there and how I might get involved. Blessings to you, Deborah
By: Deborah Simon on January 7, 2009
at 7:13 pm
Thanks Deborah, I agree with your thoughts, the most important of which is that in we must let all of our struggles refocus us or remind us who ultimately rules and how we relate to Him.
Regarding Horizon, I invite you to visit their web-site if you have’nt already and watch the video there. Please pray for Sandy and I to finish raising our support and for wisdom to know how to begin creating the processes that will inspire and equipp people around our country to become involved in bringing Hope to a ravaged generation of African children. By the way, the Current in Carmel ran a nice article about Sandy and I and Horzon last week. you can see it at wwwcurrentincarmel.com then click on the pdf link. Probably will have to get last weeks edition from the archives
Dance with God
By: dougehrgott on January 7, 2009
at 8:16 pm