TRUST
Today’s Reading: Job 11-13
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
The gladiatorial games in the Roman Colosseum often included killing Christians. A person becomes like the “God” they serve. The one called “the god of this world” in Scripture is Satan. Those who serve his hateful purposes, regardless of the religion they profess, are worshipping Satan whether they know it or not.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Job 13:15a, 20-21
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…Only two things do not do to me, then I will not hide myself from You: Withdraw Your hand far from me, and let not the dread of You make me afraid.
Job had a clear conscience. Abraham, perhaps Job’s contemporary, “Believed in the Lord, and He (God) accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). This fact is repeated twice in the New Testament (Romans 4:3 & Galatians 3:6). It is reasonable to assume that Job had approximately the same revelation of God as did Abraham. In the key verses for today, we see Job’s total confidence in God’s actions, and also Job’s prayer for God’s constant hand of providence upon him.
Believers in the God of the Bible have been tested severely throughout the ages. The photo above depicts a time when God did allow His people to be killed. It’s been shown that in our time more followers of Jesus have been murdered than all of history. Muslims are killing Christians and each other in an unprecedented wave of Satan-inspired violence. In all this, God’s people have “TRUST” in God!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I pray fervently for strength for Your people in the Middle East and elsewhere who are being killed for Your Name’s sake. May they “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Lord Jesus, You have inspired me to read this prayer from Ephesians 6:10. Thank You for this encouragement. Also I’m thinking of the Apostle Paul who “fought with beasts at Ephesus” (1 Corinthians 15:30-32). Please continue to give to Your people, and to me also, the strength to endure, whatever may come our way. In Your Strong Name I ask these things, Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
The persecution of God’s people and extreme violence is not new to the Middle East. On one occasion, my father, Roy Mainse, arose one morning to find painted on his garage door in Assiut, Egypt, “You are dogs, we will kill you.” He went about his regular missionary duties just the same. God protected him. On another occasion, when the British ruled Egypt, he was in a village where the garrison of British soldiers had been killed. Their bodies were thrown in a cart and pulled through the streets, the killers shouting, “British meat for sale – cheap!” The violence in Egypt, Syria, and in other places is from the same source, Satan himself. My Dad told me of one time when those he had led to Jesus were in the process of erecting a church building. The enemies of the Gospel threatened to destroy it, even as it was being built. The men of the church who were building it put a chair in the middle of the structure and asked Dad to sit in it for several days while they built. Knowing him, he would rather have been building too, but he complied with their request. He said that the would-be attackers were circling the building, but it seemed that a force kept them back. The building was completed. The Scripture says, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Amen! While the Church of Egypt is a persecuted minority, it is still strong (click here for a report from Brian Stiller which aired on 100 Huntley Street).
Yours in full confidence that Jesus is building His church and all the powers of Hell shall not stop His Church! Amen!!! (Matthew 16:18),
David
P.S. Here is my favourite picture of seven of our eleven great-grandchildren taken in 2013. By the end of the book of Job, we will read that God blessed Job with many more descendants.
Great-grandchildren from left to right – Kaylin Stowell, Autumn Neilson, Noelle Neilson, Aliyah Stowell, James Stowell, Myles Neilson, Jadice Patterson.
Good morning saints. May you all be blessed this day.
Deanna, I want you to know I have been praying for you.
God is good. I praise his holy name.
Ditto !
Never Weep
May angels watch o’er you while you sleep,
May faith be so strong you never weep
And may love be in your heart so deep,
That happiness is yours to keep,
Then when the dawn begins to peek
May your day bring the love you seek
As you spread joy with words you speak
When you serve the Lord amongst the weak.
(GW) Bill Marshall/25-Jan-16
Wonderful picture of some of the grandchildren! Amazing story about Rev Roy Maines sitting in the building being built while receiving death threats. I would like to have seen what the persecutors saw/heard that kept them from following through with their threat! Praying for the Peace of Jerusalem. Bless you all.
Amen Doreen
That report from Brian Stiller was from Nov,2011,shortly after the harbinger of 9/11 but is still very relevant.We must not relax our praying for that region and for a revival in the whole western world as well.May God bless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgukTjyCMX8
PS:The children are gorgeous,blessings of love from God.Nuff said.
Lovely photo of David and Norma-Jean with their precious Gr Grandchildren
It is my grandson Gavin’s 18th birthday today. He is still not at home yet as he is having intensive therapy. It is the three months on the 2oth since we found out that he might not make it through the night. He had to have brain surgery but God intervened and he is now able to talk and do some walking. My daughter’s friends in San Antonio have been so amazing and I mean hundreds of them are praying. I don’t put-on as many comments as I used to as I am still fragile since hearing this news. I wish my husband and I could be with them but unfortunately he can’t travel because of health problems. He has the same leukemia as dear David had. Thank God he is stable at the minute .
I do pray for request when I see them. Blessings to all. Eleanor M.
Father God, I pray for Your special touch in Gavin’s life and in his grandfather also. May Your Perfect Plan for both come into being and may You be glorified through it. Nothing is impossible for You. Bless and strengthen Eleanor as well and give her Your Peace. Amen
Thank you Doreen I do appreciate your prayers. ❤️
Amen Doreen!
What a beautiful picture of David and Norma Jean with their Precious Precious grandchildren have a blessed day everyone amen
Eleanor it is indeed Gods Will that you are posting on this blog! I feel so humbled when someone asks for prayers, I know that God hears all, knows all, sees all,and I know that He has had a plan for Gavin before he was even born, we praise the Lord that we can say “Happy Birthday Gavin”, we pray also with thanksgiving in our hearts for Eleanor being in Gavin’s life, you share the Love of Jesus Christ with him and with all of us on this website;
we pray that Gavin will continue to get better and that he will also see the Word of God in his life and I pray that Gavin is comforted knowing that many, many people are praying for his body to heal and to continue to live a long and happy and healthy life, we thank God for everything that He is doing in Gavin’s life now and all through his life, all we can say is Thank You Lord for this healing; Thank you for loving us unconditionally; we thank you for Eleanor, in Jesus Name we Pray amen
Thank you Sah, your prayers for Gavin mean so much to me, may God Bless you as you serve Him and are so compassionate about praying for others.