Operation World Prayer Team

To Me

Today at 1:02 AM

March 18 - Today we are praying for Brazil: Brazil: Population: 195,423,252 Largest religion: Christian Percent Evangelical: 26.3% For prayer information on Brazil, visit the Operation World website and remember to: Pray for the specific country needs: Catholics in Brazil number more than in any other country. Please pray for true Christianity to reign in Brazil and that many will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

WISDOM-POWERED BY JOB

• Job Chapter 28 leads us through this beautiful narrative and we shall start with Job's question.

Verse 12 " But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?  It is interesting that a man like Job is the one leading this discussion. In Chapter 1:8, God boasted to Satan,"Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." He was also very wealthy-he was the greatest man among the people of the East. Job is obviously qualified to lead this discussion. 

• In Verse 15 Job prepares his case, " It cannot be bought with the finest gold,nor can its price be weighed in silver."-Interesting!  Job was a very wealthy man so I thimk he knows what he is a talking about. Speaking from experience.

• In Verse 17-18 Job strengthens his position, " Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it,nor can it be had for jewels of gold. Coral and Jasper are not worthy of mention; the price of wisdom is beyond rubies." Clever Job! He is rightly pricing wisdom.

• In Verse 20 he repeats the question for greater emphasis and effect. "Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell?

• He lets the cat out of the bag! In Verse 23,28  " God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells ...And he said to man (if he cares to listen), the fear of the Lord -that is wisdom,and to shun evil is understanding." Whew!

May our Politicians, Professors of Science & Technology, New Age adherents,Humanists et al hear this. A word is enough for the wise. Did I say the wise?

IT IS GOD.

Job 13:15
" Though he slay me,yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face."

Most Christians and some non-Christians are familiar with the trials of Job. He lost his sons and daughters,his wealth and other resources were wiped out . Finally his health was attacked and he was left with virtually nothing except his hope and confidence in the LORD. Reading through Job's discourses with his friends or when he addressed God, I noticed that at no particular time did Job accuse the devil of being the source of his trouble. In the text above as well as others in this glorious book, Job constantly directs his thoughts and recriminations about his pains at God and not the devil. Was he unaware of the devil's existence or his capacity to do evil and unleash troubles for man ?I believe he was!

Why then didn't he? Job knew that his life was so entwined and held together by God that nothing would have happened to him without God's knowledge and approval. Satan in his case was a mere agent/servant but the LORD was and still is the Master of the universe. In Matt.10:29-30,Jesus said that, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head is numbered (by God)."

Key Lesson:  Our victory will come sooner if we spend more energy and time appealing to the Supreme Judge and less time arguing with the devil and his agents ( 1 Samuel 1:10-11).

PLEASE PRAY FOR NATIONS

March 07 - Today we are praying for Belgium: Belgium: Population: 10,697,588 Largest religion: Christian Percent Evangelical: 1.2% For prayer information on Belgium, visit the Operation World website and remember to: Pray for the specific country needs: Leadership in the churches is a challenge. Please pray that spiritual leaders will emerge in the church and that Belgium will once again experience Holy Spirit's revival that will lead to the salvation of many.

SELF WORTH & VALUE

If you really put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.

-Author Unknown

The Voice of a true Servant

Today at 3:06 AM

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.   ~ Mother Teresa

BUILDING SPIRITUAL CAPITAL

Job chapter 1 reveals a man described by God in verse 8 as blameless,upright and one who fears God but  battered by severe tragedy.Suddenly tragedy struck and his flocks were stolen and carried off by surrogates of the devil. Thereafter "fire of God" ( maybe lightning) fell from heaven and burned up his sheep and servants. The final blow in this chapter was the tragedy of the sudden death of all his children in one swoop.

What was intriguing for me was Job's response to these tragedies. In verse 21-22,Job said,"naked I came from my mothers womb,and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised. In all this,Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing."

HOW WAS JOB ABLE TO COPE WITH THIS SUDDEN CALAMITY?
I think that Job had all along been building up his spiritual capital that come handy in the day of trial. This he did progressively through:

•  Daily deepening of relationship with God.This builds faith for the rainy day.
•  Constant determination to obey the commandments of God. Obedience renews grace
•   Yielding daily to the will of God. This provides spiritual strength for the day of battle.

Job is among the cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. May we imitate the life of Job  as portrayed in the first chapter of the book of Job.