In search of God

Job 34:2-9, ‘Hear my words you wise men; listen to me, you men of learning. For the ears tests words as the tongue tastes food. Let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. Job says, “I am innocent, but God denies me justice. Although I am right, I am considered a liar; although I am guiltless, his arrows inflicts an incurable wound.” What man is like job, who drinks scorn like water? He who keeps company with evildoers; he associates with wicked men. For he says, “It profits a man nothing when he tries to please God.” Most of us think that we are generally good people, we go to church on Sunday, we pay our tithes, we support charity, are kind to others, do good and therefore believe that this should automatically give us a pass to heaven. But when most of us are faced with persistent hardships and trials, injustice, persecution and challenges, we tend to start grumbling, complaining to God that we do not deserve what we are going through and that He...

Job 33:14-28, ‘For God does speak – now one way, now another – though man may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men as they slumber in their beds, He may speak in their ears and terrifying them with warnings, to turn from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, to preserve his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones, so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal. His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden now stick out. His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death. Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, to be gracious to him and say, “Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him” – then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth. He pr...

2 Kings 15-17, ‘When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh my lord, what shall we do?” the servant asked. “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.’ One weapon the Devil uses against us when we are overwhelmed by a myriad of problems is loneliness. He causes us to be abandoned and neglected by our family and friends, leaving us feeling vulnerable and all alone. We are then prone to despair, anxiety, depression and fear, choosing to give up and succumb to our situation instead of persevering and forging ahead in the knowledge that our God is with us, even when we cannot see Him in our present circumstances. The Devil reminds us of the grea...

Romans 8:28, ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’ Do not despair if things look bad, do not lose hope thinking that you have messed everything up and you have no chance at reaping any good for in all things God plans good things for those who love Him. Just look at how in Adam man was lost in rebellion and disobedience, cursed to face eternal death because of the sinful life we led, yet in His divine wisdom and mercy and love, God came and lived as man in Jesus, showing us the example by which we should live and then redeeming us unto Himself by His death at the cross thus satisfying the requirement of the law that demanded death for sin and disobedience while giving us the gift of life eternal and clothing us with righteousness in Jesus Christ that we do not deserve. God knows that you are broken, you are a cracked pot and there is no other way that He would want you because only in your broke...

1 Corinthians 1:11-13, ‘My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; “I follow Cephas (Peter)”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?’ The body of Christ has become so stratified nowadays yet we are supposed to be one for how many bodies does the head, who is Christ Jesus, have but one. We have allowed our own petty differences, competitions and comparisons to confuse and inflame us to the point of hating each other rather than loving each other as commanded by the Lord. We are now followers of the servants of God instead of the Lord Himself. We have forgotten that the church is the fellowship of believers and now have limited into identifying ourselves with the physical church we attend. The church has been taken over by religion, where doctrine has become more importa...

Joshua 1:5-10, ‘“No-one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” So Joshua ordered the officers of the people…’ Moses was a great man of God and was able to do numerous miracles. After he died, Joshua, his assistant that had been groomed as successor was called to fill in the big shoes that Mose...

Psalm 51:16,17, ‘You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart.’ In the olden days of the Jews would offer burnt offering to God as an appeasement. Now let us ask ourselves one thing, why did God want the Jews to offer sacrifices for sin, thanksgiving, dedication, atonement and other such events, was it for the meat, aroma (the seen things) or was there more? Now before a person makes a sin sacrifice, for example, he has to be aware that he has sinned in the first place. After knowing his sin, then he has to be remorseful and sorry about the wrong he has done. But it does not end there, he has to be repentant; that is, being sorry enough to stop doing the wrong thing and then know that it is only He who needs to and can forgive our sins. That is why He accepted Abel’s sacrifice but rejected Cain’s. God desires that whatever we do; be it thanksgiving, seeking fo...