Job 14 : 7—17 NKJV:
(7) “For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
(8) Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
(9) Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
(10) But man dies and is laid away;
Indeed he breathes his last
And where is He?
(11) As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
(12) So man lies down and does not rise.
Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.
(13) “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath has past,
That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
(14) If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service I will wait,
Till my change comes.
(15) You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
(16) For now You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
(17) My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover my iniquity.”
“Job was feeling very low when he cried out to God, wailing over the depths of his sin. We go through something similar when we feel the weight of the guilt of our sin bringing us down.
For us, thankfully, Jesus has already paid the price for our sin with His death and resurrection. Because of Jesus, our sin has been cast far away from us, to the depths of the deepest oceans and farthest distances.
Our sin does not have to weigh us down.
For all Christians, however, truly experiencing freedom from sin is a lifelong process. Initially, in baptism, we take on the new life Christ has offered us (see 2 Corinthians 5 : 17), but we’re still pulled to certain attitudes and actions from our old life. Those things that seem normal, even comfortable, are what we cling to the most.
In a process of growth, by the power of the Spirit within us, we begin to shed the ways of our old life. Sometimes it’s quite uncomfortable, but abandoning the old sinful nature is our goal. Thankfully the Lord Jesus “covers” our sin, even as He washes it away.
Lord, thank You for the freedom from my sin. I pray You continue to reveal yourself to me so I can walk in Your light and not in the darkness of my sinful nature. I want to be Your child in all I do and say, not a child of the world. Through Christ, amen.”
John Oxford
365 Devotions
Life and the living of it takes all of us up to the mountain tops where everything is good and wonderful and full of beauty. It is really exhilarating. It’s view is beyond most descriptions of it. This mental euphoria is something we want to cling to forever. Ah,…the mountain top! This is where we all desire to permanently live.
However, we must never forget the fact that life and the living of it is always dynamic,…it is always moving, growing, increasing, and diminishing on a daily and cyclical basis. There are no guarantees. Each day will possess its own blessings and rewards,…or its own curses and punishments. It is all a matter of timing, mental attitude, and circumstances that each human being must face and live with everyday.
There is much more negative in the world than there is positive. The world is a fleshly sinful and mostly negative place. That is because it exists on this side (the earthly physical side) of the eternal heavenly realm. Negative is passed on between and among other people at a much faster rate of travel than is positive. It takes three positives to lift up one negative. The negative side of life and things in life overpowers positive forces unless any given individual focuses, concentrates, and purposes his own thoughts, words, and activities toward a God inspired positive manner and way of living. It takes a developed Spiritual Root to your own life to enable you to totally grasp what I have just told you.
To receive God’s blessings and rewards, you have got to be on His side of life. Divinely produced rewards and inheritance can only come from an individual’s obedience to the Lords’ instructions. Such a created blessing comes only from increasing one’s personal level of applied faith.
Because of the always dynamic moving life we enjoy here on earth, we must also recognize that there will always be valleys,…deep valleys that we will traverse while living our own lives. Lots of ugly and unhealthy situations and circumstances loom in the shadows of these deep valleys of life. Valleys were never intended by our Creator to be permanent places in which man can reside. God’s Word tells us specifically …“Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,…I will fear no evil,…for thou art with me.”
Please remember that when you are in the valleys of life, God has you there for a good reason. Most of the time to teach you something more about life and the honest suffering for the glory of God. Valleys are the very places in life where God helps you to develop more character and where God helps prepare you for greater and more productive roles in the living of your own life. Now get this….while valleys are not good,…valleys are really good places for you to personally regroup and build your own character to higher and higher levels. This in turn enables you to grow and perform at a much higher and more productive level of living. So, while valleys appear to be the wrong place to be, they are most usually the very best place to be in that they provide the environment in which you can best hone your personal talents, abilities, life skills, and mindset. Never fear the valleys of life. Rather whenever you find yourself in one of these valleys of life, take advantage of them to grow yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually…..That is the real reason God Almighty has guided you down into the valley in the first place.
Once you finally figure out that it is OK to fail. It is OK to stumble. And it is OK to suffer great and painful blows and personal loss. Then you will come to realize that God allowed you to go through it all so that you will come out on the other side of the problems and challenges as a better man or woman for having suffered through the growth stages of your life.
Everything in your life happens for a good reason or purpose. God has got you right where He wants you to be! He has got you totally covered.
God’s Greatest Blessings to All of You…………….