Quote from Forum Archives on June 20, 2014, 9:23 am

Posted by: info <info@...>

E-pistle

FreeWay Foundation            June 20, 2014

 

Pitiful Cries from job's broken heart

(Job 17:1-16)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

            1.  Job prayed to God, admitting that his spirit was broken, that his days

                 are extinguished, and that he couldn't get over his friends' reproach

                 . . . "Does not my eye dwell on their provocation?"  vv. 1-12.

            2.  Job blamed God for his friends' condemnation of him, saying, "You

                 have hidden their heart from understanding,"  vv. 3-5.

            3.  Job expressed his profound embarrassment that the people who

                 learned of his sufferings were mocking and insulting him, calling him

                 a hypocrite, vv. 6-9.

            4.  In despondency, Job cried out that his purposes in life and his heart's

                 desires were gone; yet there still remained in him a faint glimmer of

                 hope for his future justification, vv. 10-16.

II.  Meditation:  on some of Job's pitiful heart-cries

            1.  "My spirit is broken," v. 1.

            2.  "I have become one in whose face men spit," v. 6.

            3.  "My purposes are broken off," v. 11.

            4.  "Where then is my hope?" v. 15.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual implications of these heart-cries

            1.  David discovered:  "The sacrifices of God are a broken  spirit, a

                 broken and a contrite heart - - these, O God, You will not despise,"

                 Psalm 51:17.

            2.  The Jewish religious leaders spat in Jesus' face, Matthew 26:67, and

                 so did the Roman soldiers, Matthew 27:30 . . . a gesture of malicious

                 loathing and extreme contempt; genuine Christians can expect similar

                 persecution, John 15:20; II Timothy 3:12.

            3.  "It is God Who works in you both to will and to do for His good

                 pleasure," Philippians 2:13 . . . here Paul teaches that the Lord has a

                 purpose, a destiny for each person's life.  Missing God's purpose

                 (having it "broken off," as Job said is one of life's greatest tragedies!

            4.  The Psalmist wrote:  "You are my hope, O Lord God," Psalm 71:5;

                 Paul exclaimed:  "Christ in you, the hope of glory," Colossians 1:27;

                 and the author of Hebrews affirmed:  "This hope we have as an

                 Anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast," Hebrews 6:19.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Approach the Lord with a broken spirit and a contrite heart . . . in true

                 humility and repentance.

            2.  Expect, endure, and rejoice whenever persecution comes because of

                 my Christian commitment, Matthew 5:11-12.

            3.  Find, follow, and fulfill God's vision of destiny, His purpose for my life.

            4.  Look for "blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and

                 Savior Jesus Christ,"  Titus 2:13.

 

 

 

 

How to know god's will

(James 1:5-8, 17-22)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

 

I.  Concentration:  on what believers should do when they lack Godly wisdom

            1.  ASK OF GOD . . . He gives (answers) to all liberally, v. 5.

            2.  ASK OF GOD . . . He gives (answers) without reproach, v. 5.

            3.  ASK IN FAITH . . . not doubting or wavering, v. 6.

            4.  ASK WITH SINCERITY AND INTEGRITY . . . single-mindedness, vv. 7-8.

II.  Meditation:  on God's gifts (including wisdom)

            1.  God's gifts are always good and only good, v. 17.

            2.  God's gifts are reliable because He is unchangeable, v. 17.

            3.  God's will is that we understand (receive wisdom) about the world of truth

                 that brought us salvation, v. 18.

            4.  God's gift of eternal life in Christ makes believers a kind of firstfruits of

                 His creatures . . . "new creations," v. 18.

III.  Revelation:  on how believers should respond to God's gifts

            1.  Be swift to hear and slow to speak, v. 19.

            2.  Be slow to wrath, v. 19 . . . because "the wrath of man does not produce

                 the righteousness of God," v. 20.

            3.  Be repentant; laying aside wickedness and receiving with humility God's

                 implanted word, v. 21.

            4.  Be doers of the word, not hears only, v. 22.

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

            1.  Ask God for wisdom, insight, and spiritual perception as I seek to find

                 and follow His will for my life.

            2.  Believe that God is gracious, answering my prayer of faith and integrity

                 with His generosity and understanding.

            3.  Know that God's gifts always are good and beneficial for my spiritual

                 growth and fruitfulness.

            4.  "PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH" . . . Be a doer and not merely a hearer

                 of His word, especially His word of revelation to me regarding His will,

                 for God will not reveal to me His purpose and destiny for my life if I

                 continue to ignore it or to neglect following it.

 

 

Wit and Wisecrack: Mark Twain

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: epistle2equip-unsubscribe@welovegod.org