Tag Archives: faith

Job, chapters 33-37

“But take care that rage does not lead you into spitefulness […] Beware that you do not turn to wrongdoing, choosing this instead of affliction.”
~Job 36:18, 21

Job’s young wise friend Elihu had a profound understanding of human nature.
Instead of questioning Job’s loyalty toward God, he analyzed the resentment Job seemed to be harboring against their Creator.
In his confusion and pain, Job had blindly gone along with his critics’ assumption that his suffering originated in God (Job 34:5).
This led him to adopt a defensive attitude instead of a humble one (Eccl. 7:7).
Elihu saw through this and patiently corrected Job, admonishing him of the dangers of such an attitude.
The Supreme Judge “never violates his justice and abundant righteousness,” (Job 37:23).
When facing trials in which it is difficult to distinguish right from wrong, it is important ‘not to become wise in my own eyes,’ (Prov. 3:7).
A human’s line of reasoning cannot be above God’s (Job 36:26).
Therefore, it would be completely illogical to lose faith in Him or to lose patience with his congregation.
Such an attitude might lead me to indifferently commit sins which I might then try to justify.
While it may not always be easy to explain my own suffering, Jehovah promises to ‘rescue me during my affliction, […] to draw me away from the brink of distress to a broad space, free of restriction’ (Job 36:15, 16).
Only with God’s blessing could someone ever find such a place, free of all suffering.
“Therefore, people should fear him. For he does not favor any who think that they are wise,” (Job 37:24).

Job, chapters 21-27

“Look! These are just the fringes of his ways; Only a faint whisper has been heard of him!”
~Job 26:14

Jehovah God promises eternal life to those actively learning about Him and his son (John 17:3).
When you love someone, you enjoy getting to know them even years after the relationship has been in effect.
Therefore, we can trust that to live forever will be a source of purpose, joy and satisfaction.
In a universe in which we are so young compared to our surroundings, how could we ever tire of learning about our Creator?
He has filled creation with such detail and balance as to keep us busy for time indefinite.
Let us take the time to get to know Him and his son, the “Master Worker,” through the beauty of nature (Prov. 8:30).
Doing this will remind us of our place in time and the universe, strengthening our faith so we can endure, as in Job’s case.

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Meditating on God's creation is both a humbling and faith-strengthening experience.

Job, chapters 16-20

“My adversary pierces me with his eyes.”
~Job 16:9

In his struggle to keep faithful, Job erroneously reasoned that Jehovah was the one testing his faith, and that God had made him a living target (Job 16:12).
The Bible clearly states, however, that “the eyes of Jehovah are roving about through all the earth to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him,” (2 Chron. 16:9).
So if we ever feel like God is ‘piercing us with His eyes’ because of a bitter situation we are living through, let us remember that God actually looks at us through the eyes of love (Rom. 5:8).
Amidst all his anguish, Job continued to put all his faith in his heavenly Father:

Even now, my witness is in the heavens; The one who can testify for me is in the heights, (Job 16:19).

Whatever trial we may be undergoing, let us face it with the confidence that ‘God is not unrighteous so as to forget our work and the love we show for his name,’ (Heb. 6:10; Gal. 6:9).

Job, chapters 6-10

“I reject this life of mine. It is all the same.”
~Job 9:21,22

Discouragement is one one of Satan’s chief, most effective tactics.
If we do not believe our service to God makes any difference, we are in danger of making self-centered choices instead of responsible ones.
While the loss of Job’s material possessions, his health and his family did not shake him to the point that he incurred sin, it did make him question his relevance.
“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression and be cheerful,’ I would still be afraid because of all my pains, and I know you would not find me innocent. I would be found guilty. So why should I struggle in vain?” (Job 9:27-29).
Job’s faith was starting to struggle, and if he kept on that course, his endurance would have suffered the consequences.
Heightening his challenge was his insomnia, which was so bad in itself that he preferred the peace of death over his unrelenting misery (Job 7:3,4,14).
In his defense, Job ignored the origin of his trials and erroneously attributed them to God (Job 7:17,18).
But because Jehovah knows just how much pain one individual can really bear, He eventually stepped in to adjust Job’s point of view (Jas. 5:11).
How wonderful it is to understand God’s word and know that ‘He is faithful and will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear’ (1 Cor. 10:13).
Through a clear understanding of Job’s experience, we can find comfort and hope and even endure the seemingly worst of trials, including deep depression (Rom. 15:4).
We can appreciate how relevant we really are to God and resist Satan’s tactic to make us think otherwise (Prov. 27:11).

Esther, chapters 1-5

“And who knows whether it is for a time like this that you have attained to your royal status?”
~Esther 4:14

Queen Esther’s adoptive father, Mordecai, asked her to risk her life by presenting the plight of her people before the king without her first being summoned (Es. 4:7,8).
Haman, a prince who had been appointed at the top of the king’s court, had conspired to annihilate all the Jews in the Persian kingdom, financing the extermination himself (Es. 3:8,9).
King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I), who badly needed the money offered by Haman to finance his war against the Greeks, did not know his favorite wife and only queen would be a direct victim of the genocide.
He had a strict policy regarding being approached at his throne; not even the queen would be exempt from punishment, and she had not been called for in 30 days (Es. 4:11).
When the king originally decided to select a new virgin as queen, over one year earlier, the list of confidants the king was closest to does not even mention Haman (Es. 1:14).
Still, Jehovah insured, through the loving care of Mordecai, that Esther came to the throne and eventually saved her people from their death sentence (Es. 2:7, 19, 20; 7:3-6).
God is always two steps ahead of whatever evil his enemies are planning.
It is impossible to thwart God’s purpose.

Nehemiah, chapters 9-11

“[…] They sinned against your regulations, by which a man will live if he observes them.”
~Nehemiah 9:29

It is important to participate with zeal in the ministry work, sharing God’s “regulations” with others, for they mean life to those who listen.
Not all will appreciate or understand God’s message, but some will respond to the “sayings of everlasting life,” (John 6:68).
Furthermore, when God’s principles guide our own choices, we can enjoy being alive in a spiritual sense (Lev. 18:5).
A healthy relationship with God can in turn bring us true happiness and is a glimmer of “the real life” Christians anticipate, a future life without pain or injustice of any sort (1 Tim. 6:19).
Jehovah God extended this opportunity to His People, giving them “righteous judgments, laws of truth, good regulations and commandments” that they could fully rely on to find peace and happiness (Neh. 9:13).
However, His people continuously rejected these by sinning, repenting and then returning to their sinful practices (Neh. 9:16-35).
Let us never show such a lack of appreciation for God’s undeserved kindness (2 Cor. 6:1).
Instead, let us live by observing His word.

Nehemiah, chapters 5-8

“Do not feel sad, for the joy of Jehovah is your stronghold.”
~Nehemiah 8:10

This verse has personally been one of the cornerstones of my faith.
But why did the audience feel sad to begin with?
“All the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law,” (Neh. 8:9).
It was the month of Ethanim (mid-September to mid-October), the start of the Jewish agricultural year, a month that marks many biblical historically relevant events.
It was a month of festivals.
This day started out with special trumpet blasts announcing a holy convention (Lev. 23:24).
The Jews in Jerusalem had but a few days earlier, against all odds, completed rebuilding the city walls (Neh. 6:15).
True worship was finally and officially ready to go fully back into effect.
When the scribe Ezra read the book of the law, and the Levites explained it, the people took it to heart (Neh. 8:2,3,7,8).
They understood what Jehovah was trying to tell them.
They were compelled to tears of sadness because of the errors of their ways.
But understanding God’s word was reason to rejoice, not cry.
The Levites helped them to correct their attitude, “so all the people went away to eat and to drink and to send out portions of food and to carry on a great rejoicing, for they understood the words that had been made known to them,” (Neh. 8:12).
When I personally experience sadness, do I make Jehovah’s joy my stronghold?
Understanding his word and serving him are not small reasons to rejoice in.
It is a beautiful privilege to form part of God’s people.
There is no better place to seek refuge than in the stronghold of the “happy God,” (1 Tim. 1:11; Ps. 16:11).

Ezra, chapters 1-5

“So they set the altar up on its former site, despite their fear of the peoples of the surrounding lands, and they began offering up burnt sacrifices to Jehovah on it […]”
~Ezra 3:3

When remnants of the tribe of Judah were sent back to their motherland to rebuild Jerusalem, it was not without opposition.
Their neighbors in Samaria, to the north, were particularly aggressive in their effort to stop the reconstruction (Ezra 4:1-6).
However, the Jews were ready to embrace their religious customs despite their fear.
We may have the legal right to practice our beliefs, but often we must do so in divided households or among neighbors who openly criticize us.
In other places, our brothers’ practices are openly being shut down by government entities.
God’s people have successfully faced religious oppression time after time, so it is possible to stand up to one’s fear of man and do what is right.

2 Chronicles, chapters 33-36

“[The king of the Chaldeans]
carried off captive to Babylon those who escaped the sword, […] to fulfill Jehovah’s word spoken by Jeremiah […].”
~2 Chronicles 36:20, 21

In chapter 36 we witness the rapid declive of Judah’s dynasty.
After King Josiah died in 629 b.C.E. there were no more good kings (2 Chron. 35:23-25).
Jeremiah, the prophet, was gradually subjected to worse and worse treatment as the kingdom became less and less reverent of Jehovah God (Jer. 36:26; 38:7-13).
Yet he never gave in.
He never stopped preaching the dire future that awaited those who did not repent (Jer 35:13-17).
He survived the destruction of the Holy City in 607 b.C.E. and kept serving as a prophet to his people (Jer. 40:5,6).
His determination to carry out his calling in such deteriorated circumstances serves as an inspiration to all of us struggling to actively take part in the kingdom witnessing work in a morally disintegrating world.

Learn more about Jeremiah through this free audio book.

2 Chronicles, chapters 10-14

“O Jehovah, it does not matter to you whether those you help are many or have no power […]”
~2 Chronicles 14:11

When the nation of Judah was attacked by Ethiopians, they were outnumbered at least 2 to 1.
King Asa did not turn to a pagan nation for help.
Instead, he relied on Jehovah:

“Help us, O Jehovah our God, for we are relying on you, and in your name we have come against this crowd.”

King Asa was convinced the best help he could get was only a prayer away because he had acted in accordance with God’s will throughout his kingship.
He knew Jehovah blesses those who serve him (2 Chron. 14:3-5).
More importantly, Asa considered it an attack not on his own sovereignty, but on Jehovah’s.
That is why he pleaded, “O Jehovah, you are our God. Do not let mortal man prevail against you,” (2 Chron. 14:11).
Jehovah intervened on their behalf and as a result, Judah was able to destroy its attackers (2 Chron. 14:12-15).
We can trust that Jehovah can and will hold his hand out to us when we face problems with solutions that are beyond us.
And when his people as a whole face a considerable threat, he defends them for the sake of his name and all it represents.
As a result, God’s people prevail even when odds are against them, so long as they demonstrate faith.