We have our hopes and aspirations for the future, but struggle to predict what will happen in practice with any degree of accuracy. We know that from the weather forecasts. For today or the next few days the predictions are usually fairly accurate, but once you look for a few weeks ahead or a few months it is an altogether different picture. On 9 December 1960 one of the United Kingdom’s longest-running soap operas began. After watching one or two episodes a TV critic of one the daily newspapers wrote the following: ‘It is unthinkable that the British population would be interested enough to watch the ordinary goings on in an average working class street in the north of England; and even twice a week it would be unspeakably boring.’ I think that author would be amazed to think that Coronation Street was still attracting huge audiences more than half a century later. However, it is unwise to be too critical of the mistaken judgements of others because the future is much harder to predict accurately, especially in 2020 in the light of the Covid-19 virus pandemic!
In the earlier part of Job 23 it is easy to see the frustration and at times the despair of Job as he cannot see a way out of the crisis he has been experiencing. In yesterdays’ message I gave some examples of prominent figures in the Bible as well as one of Wales’ most famous Christian ministers from the eighteenth century who had experienced this difficult time in his spiritual journey. If we go back a few more centuries into the medieval times there are many Christian leaders who wrote about their experience of ‘the dark night of the soul’. Their faith in God was very real, but there were times when they did not sense God’s presence with them.
There are also occasions like the famous walk to Emmaus on the first Easter Sunday, the day when Jesus rose from the dead, two thousand years ago. Two dispirited followers of Jesus Cleopas and his wife were going home from Jerusalem. They had heard others tell of Jesus being alive after death, but they were not inclined to believe it. A stranger accompanied them on the journey and asked questions about their sadness and then proceeded to give a Bible study on the Old Testament references to Jesus. It was only sometime later after the stranger had been invited into their home for supper and was praying over the food before them that they recognised it was Jesus (Luke 24:13-35). Then and now God’s people can be so low in their spirits that they fail to sense God’s presence with them. However, in Job chapter 23 Job shares from his experience two more things with us.
1. He remained steadfast in his faith in the darkness (Job 23:10-12) But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 11 My feet have closely followed His steps; I have kept to His way without turning aside. 12 I have not departed from the commands of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread. These wonderful words of testimony have not come from the lips of a man in the prime of life and for whom things are going well. On the contrary, he is struggling in the darkness, a plight made worse by the unhelpful advice of his friends.
Job is effectively testifying that God’s grace is sufficient to help get him through this hard time. Let us pause for a moment. We have the whole Bible, possibly daily Bible reading notes and many helpful Christian books to aid us in our walk of faith. Job had considerably less spiritual resources than us, but the little he had was sufficient to reassure him and keep him going on his faith journey. Are you and I making good use of the faith resources we have today? Let us not miss out on reading and reflecting on the Bible as we face the opportunities and challenges each day brings. May we also take time in prayer to bring our praises and our petitions to Him.
2. He begins to emerge from the darkness (Job 23:16-17) God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me. 17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face. Unless you know you are perfect! You like me and everyone else has made mistakes in the past. In our attitudes, speech and actions there are times when we got things wrong, possibly to the detriment of other people or ourselves. Yet God in His goodness truly forgives us our sins and gives us a fresh start in our lives – but sometimes we are not willing to let go and release ourselves from our past failures. Some other people, who by contrast have had great successes in the past, are unable to accept these times have finished and the present day is a different experience.
Others still who have gone through times of deep depression or some other form of struggles can lose hope that there can be a better future for them. Praise God that Job retained his hope in God’s goodness for the future. He resolved that his current experience of ‘darkness’ would not define either him or his future. I hope and pray that each one of us will be people of hope who believe that beyond this Covid-19 virus pandemic God has plans for our good and for His glory, for Jesus’ sake, Amen
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Light of the world’
The Christian life is not an easy life. There are occasions when we have exceedingly hard times to endure and our pleas for deliverance appear to go unanswered. Job here had grown weary of the superficial answers of his friends who wanted to give simple explanations for everything. Their motivation was good. They wanted to honour God. However, the way they sought to live it out in practice was deeply unhelpful to their suffering friend. There are times when other people simply need to know we care. They know we cannot fix their situation and are not expecting us to try and do something that is impossible. In his inner pain and weariness Job is pleading with God to intervene.
But he has a problem because there appears to be silence from God. If only I knew where to find Him…was his cry. There are similar words in Job 23:8-9: ‘But if I go to the east, He is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find Him. 9 When He is at work in the north, I do not see Him; when He turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of Him. We must be supportive and be found standing alongside a brother or sister enduring such times. There are many difficulties we cannot overcome, but equally trust that in time God can and will.
Job is not alone in this predicament. Many of the most godly and influential Christian leaders over the centuries have testified that they too have experienced the silence or felt absence of God. Martin Luther in his times of deep depression sometimes spoke of God as ‘the hidden God’. It was also something experienced by some of the Psalmists. Psalm 10:1 states: Why, Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? Another Psalm of David that uses similar language is Psalm 13:1-4: How long, Lord? Will You forget me for ever? How long will you hide Your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall. Isaiah too made this statement in Isaiah 45:15: Truly You are a God who has been hiding Himself, the God and Saviour of Israel. Christmas Evans (1766-1838), possibly the most talented preacher in Welsh Baptist history, and a great man of God endured this problem. He wrote that in 1795 after a year of coldness of heart and not finding God, he was on a journey in the mountains near Cader Idris (Dolgellau) in North Wales and felt compelled to stop and spend time with God in prayer.
He later recorded what happened that day: ‘The struggle lasted for three hours; it rose again and again like one wave after another, or a high flowing tide driven by a strong wind, until my nature became faint by weeping and crying. Thus I resigned myself to Christ, body and soul, gifts and labours -all my life – every day and evening hour that remained for me; and all my cares I committed to Christ. The road was mountainous and lonely and I was wholly alone and suffered no interruption in my wrestlings with God.’ God met with him again that day and the sense of His presence returned to Evans whose remarkable ministry continued throughout Wales. If these God-honouring people endured such times as these then we cannot assume it may never be our experience too for a season. What is so important in these times is to remember that God promises never to leave nor forsake us. He will keep His word.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Though trials may come’
We come to the middle of another week, here in Scotland we are entering the summer school holidays. It is good to take time today to thank God for the grace and strength He has given us to get through these hard times of recent months. We will do that at the start of our church prayer meeting on zoom this evening, before bringing our prayers to God.
Job 19:25 I know that my redeemer lives
In Job chapter nineteen verses twenty-five to twenty-seven there are some remarkable words. I know that my redeemer lives,and that in the end He will stand on the earth.26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! This is an amazing declaration of faith from a man who lived as long before the time of Jesus as we have lived after it.
However, these words must be appreciated from within their context. It is an exceedingly dark time for Job and he is struggling to come to terms with the judgemental and harsh attitudes of his friends. In fact the longer they continued to speak with him the more distressed he became. They did notice but instead of acting compassionately the opposite approach was taken. What had caused Job to feel he was in such a dark place at this time? How did he understand his situation? He felt that:
1. He was unpitied by his friends (Job 19:1-5) ‘How long will you torment me and crush me with words? 3 Ten times now you have reproached me; shamelessly you attack me (Job 19:2-3). ‘It was your fault Job that you are suffering’ is a simplistic summary of their arguments. Such an approach is cruel and pastorally inappropriate to begin with, but what is worse is that it was completely untrue. The most obvious lesson to learn from the actions of Jobs friends is not to assume we know everything about a situation. It is rare that we will know all the facts about particular situations. We must be very careful not to play God and judge others as they did with Job.
2. He was unpitied by God (Job 19:6-12) ‘Though I cry, “Violence!” I get no response though I call for help, there is no justice. 8 He has blocked my way so that I cannot pass; He has shrouded my paths in darkness (Job 19:7-8). Many a true child of God has had times when their prayers seemed to go unheard, when their cries to God seemed to bounce back unheard from the skies. You can be in a right relationship with God and living in an appropriate way and still experience this darkness.
Remember King David’s opening words in Psalm 22:1-2: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? 2 My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. It was not only David that uttered these words, Jesus on the cross uttered them (Mark 15:34). It is not our place in a situation of tragedy or extreme suffering to give ‘the’ or even ‘an’ explanation. It is okay and the right thing as a Christian to admit that we are deeply sorry a situation has occurred, and to offer our deepest sympathies. Job, like Jesus two millennia later, was leading a God-honouring life at the time his horrendous trials took place. There is a good reason there are Psalms of lament in the Bible. Sometimes we need that vocabulary when things are very far from ‘okay’.
3. He was unpitied by others (Job 19:13-22) This whole section is about Job’s perception of how other people felt about him. It does not mean this was an accurate understanding, but what matters here is that this is how Job understood this situation. He felt horribly alone. One comment I have heard many times over the years, from widows and widowers, for example, after the death of a spouse, is their sadness that some friends choose not to visit out of fear of not knowing what to say, forgetting that no form of words can act like a ‘magic wand’ and wave the troubles away. It is in this context that the precious words of Job 19:23-27 are located, not when all in life was sunshine and the dark clouds had vanished away!
4. His trust in God despite the situation (Job 19:23-27) I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end He will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! In that culture kinsman-redeemers could rescue a person from a precarious existence. To understand how that operated in practice read the short book of Ruth in the Old Testament where Boaz fulfilled that responsibility for Ruth. Job asserts his redeemer is alive and one day will stand on the earth.
As Christians we are privileged to have the New Testament and see the clear teaching that it is Jesus who will fulfil these hopes of Job (For example, Acts 1:7-11; Matthew 24, I Thessalonians 4:13-18). Job is declaring his resurrection hope that beyond this life is God’s new world where he will be so thrilled to meet God and spend eternity with Him. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:27c). Death for him was not something to fear because God had something better prepared for Him for the future. I hope and pray each one of us has put our faith in Jesus and consequently can share this glorious hope for the future.
Our song for reflection today is a solo version of Samuel Medley’s hymn: ‘I know that my redeemer lives’
A much more familiar song on this theme is ‘Blessed be Your name’
I am thankful to Claire McNutt for providing our prayer points for today
Pointers for Prayer
Give thanks for the people who introduced you to Jesus and who have helped you on your journey of faith. Pray for boldness and encouragement for our church family as we seek to share Jesus with others.
Give thanks for the positive progress made in Scotland after a significant reduction in covid cases and deaths. Pray that this would be sustained as restrictions are eased and pray for those parts of the UK where cases are rising again.
Pray for wisdom for the governments in each part of the UK and for the experts who provide them with guidance, as they make decisions about the future.
Pray for asylum seekers who have come to our country, that they would be treated with love, compassion and fairness. Remember all those involved in the incident in Glasgow last Friday. Pray for the recovery of those injured and also for the mental and emotional health of the asylum seekers, hotel workers, emergency services and medical staff who were involved in the aftermath.
Give thanks for the work of Wit and Helen (BMS missionaries in Thailand) that we heard about during our Sunday Zoom service. Pray for them as they try to re-establish their groups after the covid virus, for wisdom as they try to reach out to men in the community and that the new believers would grow in their faith.
Give thanks for the teachers and university/college staff who have worked tirelessly in exceptional circumstances and pray for strength and help as they navigate the possibilities for next term. Pray for times of rest and recuperation over the summer.
Pray for our young people who are due to start or go back to college/university courses after the summer, as they work their way through these changed circumstances. Pray for those who are now working as they adjust to life after leaving school and for those who are seeking work to help to fund their studies.
Pray for those in our church family who have ongoing health concerns, that they would receive the treatment, care and healing that they need. Please pray for Brian’s mum and Ali Torbet’s mum who have both had recent falls.
Pray for those who are struggling with the length of time they have been shielding and ask for God’s comfort and strength for them.
Pray for Brian, the deacons, the Youth Team and the Children & Families group as we all seek wisdom and guidance for our work in the future.
Pray for our church to be committed to looking to Christ, growing in Christ and sharing Christ as we move forward together into an unknown future.
We are all familiar with the term ‘witnesses’. If a serious crime occurs on the streets of our country the police officers responsible for resolving what happened and what conclusions should be drawn from them, at an early stage seek to find any witnesses to the event in question.
An eyewitness who saw what happened is invaluable. Many years ago there was a well-known Harrison Ford film set in the Amish Community in the USA that was entitled ‘The Witness’. In the film, an Amish woman’s young son on a rare visit to a city witnessed the killing of a police officer. The power of the testimony of this frightened young boy was crucial in solving that crime.
Job had become increasingly distressed that his friends were not accepting his claim that he was an innocent man who had lived an upright life. Their worldview contained a foundational conviction that assumed people to whom bad things happened must have done bad things to deserve it. Therefore, Job must be suffering as a punishment for his unknown misconduct. Job as a committed believer wants to believe that there is someone in heaven who will be his witness, who will advocate on his behalf. What did Job believe and what did he say on this subject?
1. There is a witness in heaven
Job 16:19-21 states: Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20 My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend.
What do we understand Job believes about the One who he believes is his witness in heaven? I know that Job is correct in his belief, because John the apostle writes in I John 2:1: My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
How did Job come to know this was the case given that he lived around two thousand years before the time of Jesus on earth? We may never know the answer, but sometimes we ourselves ‘know’ something is true even if we have no way of proving it.
If Job could take comfort from knowing that someone he cannot name is speaking for him in heaven, how much more we as Christians can be assured by it when we know it is Jesus, who gave His life for us on the cross so that we might be forgiven for all our sins and welcomed into God’s family.
Job speaks of this witness or advocate in this way: My intercessor is my friend … These words remind me of Proverbs 18:24One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. There are quite a variety of English translations of the Hebrew saying behind Proverbs 18:24, but the meaning is clear to those of us used to social media.
We may have many on-line ‘friends’, but how many are people we could turn to in a time of crisis? How many could we trust to share confidential matters and serve as accountability partners? By definition, the answer for us all would be very few of them. However, we can turn with absolute confidence in prayer to the Lord Jesus with all our needs and concerns. Why can we do this?
2. The work of our witness
At the heart of the Christian faith is the sacrifice of Jesus in giving His life for us, taking the punishment for our sins so that we don’t have to do so later. There is a big contrast for us to the example of Job. In Job 1:5 we have a glimpse into Job’s understanding of his faith and his concern for the spiritual wellbeing of his children.
It states: Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.’ This was Job’s regular custom. Why don’t we need to do something like that? Hebrews 10:11-14 explains why –because Jesus in one perfect sacrifice for ever did away with the need for the old sacrificial system. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time He waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice He has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy. Hallelujah! This is so amazing Jesus did it all in our place. Our witness in heaven now has already died in our place on the cross two thousand years ago so that we can be welcomed into God’s family, when we come to Him by faith in Jesus.
What does this mean now when we want to ask God for help and guidance in our lives today? The Bible states very clearly that Jesus understands the problems we face and in His time on earth modelled for us a way of living through the good times and the tough.
Even on earth Jesus was already praying for His first followers, for example, Simon Peter. (See Luke 22:31—32:‘Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you [you plural-The first disciples] as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you (singular), Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’
Therefore, we too can be encouraged in our prayers to bring our needs to God the Father through Him with the help of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 7:25 states: Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. This is the focus of the work of our witness in heaven today. Job in his day and we in ours can bring our prayers in the name of Jesus to God the Father with confidence, and know He will hear and will answer them.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Father I place into Your hands’
In life there are a lot of things that are uncertain. This is particularly true at the present time since the emergence of the Covid-19 virus pandemic. Our daily routines are in large measure so different to what we would have done at this time last year, for example.
Even those of us who have had the opportunity to continue working throughout this time have experienced some major changes to how we sought to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to us. What about the future? How certain is that? Who could say for definite when the lockdown measures will have been lifted for good? When will a successful vaccine be produced that will be available for all human beings on the planet?
The honest answer is that we don’t know the answer to these and many more questions. Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), one of the most famous American statesmen of his era once made this remark: ‘Only two things are certain in life, death and taxes’. I would be hesitant to disagree with someone so famous, but can we really be sure that in every human society since the first human beings walked this earth that there was some equivalent form of taxation imposed on human communities?
However, his second certainty was ‘death’. Here we have to conclude that on this point he certainly was correct, whether in his generation or ours today. We may live a relatively short time or to a good age, but our expectation is that one day it will be reported that we have died.
1. The fact we must face
In past generations up to and including the Victorian age, death was a reality which the vast majority of people faced openly and experienced regularly throughout their lives. Many children died in infancy or in their early years; others in a wide variety of circumstances in adult life, but few would have lived to what we would call the age of retirement. For the majority of people living with virtually no modern medical care there was an acknowledgement that if a major illness or pandemic entered their communities the death rate would be by our standards and expectations alarmingly high.
We have such high expectations of what the doctors and nurses and other medical staff can accomplish on our behalf today that we can be quite disappointed if even very seriously ill people don’t get better after a time in hospital. The Bible makes it very clear in Hebrews 9:27: …each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment… What does this statement mean? It means when we die we will stand before the Lord Jesus to give an account of our lives. Each of us needs to be ready for when our time comes.
2. The fears we may have
In Job 14:10-12, Job describes what happens at the end of our earthly lives. But a man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. 11 As the water of a lake dries up or a river bed becomes parched and dry, 12 so he lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, people will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
No matter how he softens the blow with the language used, the finality of death with respect to this life is abundantly clear. We get one turn to live. We have one opportunity to make the best of the circumstances we are born into somewhere on planet earth. Job makes reference to nature and highlights how plants and trees that appear to die can produce new shoots and gain a new life. But human beings show no signs of new life once we enter the grave.
Therefore, Job asked this urgent question in Job 14:14: If a man dies will he live again? Is this a question you have asked as well? If death is it and our existence is over then it is a difficult fact to accept, but it is only one of many tough things we have to face up to in life. However, although Job asked this open question there are plenty of indications in the book of Job that for the vast majority of his life he would have given a confident ‘yes’, had he been asked this question. What is your answer to this question?
3. The faith we should exercise
Later this week we will look at one of the passages that clearly indicate Job’s convictions about life after death; however, for now we have to accept that with the trauma Job had gone through he experienced times of doubt and uncertainty. It was not a sign that he had lost his faith, far from it, even the most holy and spiritual of people have bad days or may be afflicted with depressive illness. Job’s answer would be ‘yes’ to the question we are reflecting on today. He was not alone in the Old Testament in holding this view. David, the great King of Israel 3,000 years ago wrote in Psalm 16:9-10a: Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, 10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead.
Asaph, a prominent worship leader in the Jerusalem Temple at a similar time to David, wrote in Psalm 73:24: You guide me with Your counsel, and afterwards You will take me into glory.Isaiah, a leading Old Testament prophet wrote two centuries later these words in Isaiah 26:19: But your dead will live, Lord;their bodies will rise – let those who dwell in the dustwake up and shout for joy –Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.The witness of these leading witnesses of faith is clear: YES we will live again! However, acknowledging this truth has implications for our lives. We are accountable to God for our lives and will give an account to Him. He has asked us to put our faith in His Son Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour- have you taken that step? If not – can I encourage you to take it today, for Jesus’ sake Amen.
Our song for reflection is: ‘Because He lives (God sent His Son)’
We will be continuing the Prayer Livestream at 7.00pm on Sunday’s. This will be another significant time of national prayer for us. Please join in and, if you don’t already do so, would you let your fellowship know about this and put it on your social media. Click here to access.
JAM Kids’ focus:
Here is the new video series from Out of the Box for JAM Kids age group.
JAM young adults Ignite Live have a separate programme at 11:15am on the Zoom platform –parents of teenagers can get a link code by contacting Gary Torbet on garytorbet@btinternet.com
Call to worship
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ 11 All the angels were standing round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, 12 saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honour and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’
Revelation 7:9-12
We are grateful to Fiona Small for selecting the songs for worship for this service
Our opening song of praise and worship is: Come People of the Risen King
We continue to worship the Lord in our second song of praise and worship: Everlasting Arms
Opening prayer
Heavenly Father at this the start of another week we come with joy and thanksgiving to offer our praise and worship for all the wonderful blessings we have received as gifts from You. It is an incredible privilege to come with confidence directly into Your presence in the name of Your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. As sons and daughters of the King of Kings we are so grateful for Your goodness to us in the blessings of ordinary life, of food and water, clothing and shelter and so much more besides. Thank you too that so many of us have the gift of good health which we so easily can take for granted.
As human beings we come humbly before You confessing once more our sins of the past week, of thought and word and deed. Thank You for the blessing of forgiveness when we truly say sorry for them. We are conscious as human beings that in so many ways we have not fulfilled the responsibilities entrusted to us. Our failure to care adequately for the planet entrusted to our care has made life much harder for some of the world’s poorest citizens.
We have failed too to share equitably the natural resources of our world and collectively allowed a miniscule percentage of the population to own and control an ever increasing percentage of its wealth – too often at the expense of the most marginalised. However, despite our shortcomings You are at work transforming lives bringing people to faith in You through the work of the Holy Spirit opening our eyes to see our need of You.
Thank You for the growth of Your Church in remarkable ways over the last hundred and fifty years, especially in Africa and Asia, that we might see as a glimpse into the future prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk, who declared: For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). We thank you that Wit and Helen can join us today for our service all the way from Thailand. We ask Your blessing on them as they share with us today in our service, for Jesus’ names sake, Amen.
Let us say together the words Jesus taught His disciples when He said:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever Amen.
All Age Talk – Moraig Piggot
Normally last Sunday we would have been having our end of year celebration to give thanks to God for our children, young people and our children’s and families and youth work ministries. So this morning it is important to stop and do this. It’s easy with everything that has been going on over the last few months to forget about all the amazing things God was doing through our church in the local community and within our fellowship with children and young people.
We give thanks for our toddler groups, boogie babies, messy church, club 567, our creche, jam kids, jam, breakthrough, jigsaw, growing young leaders, deeper, young adults group… the list could go on. WOW how thankful we are to have such a busy and full schedule of activities for all these different ages and stages of faith.
We especially thank God for our dedicated and hardworking employees Claire and Gary and the great number of church members and volunteers who support them in their work.
Here is what is even more amazing though the Coronavirus doesn’t stop God’s work from continuing. So we especially want to give thanks this morning for how we have been able to still share HIS love and word with our children and young people in different way during this time. We pay tribute to Claire and Gary for how they have adapted their normal way of doing things to allow as many activities and groups as possible to continue.
Boys and girls and young people, I have said this before but I say it again, you have been super stars during these last few months and should feel very proud of yourselves and please know that as a church we are incredibly proud of you all. I am sure you were all very glad that on Friday online learning stopped and you now have a six-week break and it is very well deserved.
Teachers within our fellowship we thank you for your dedication to your job and the way you very quickly adapted to a new way of working. Now please put the laptops away and take these next six weeks to switch off and relax. Try not to worry about August because at the moment no one really knows what will be happening so let’s not think about it until then.
Mums and Dads, grandparents and everyone else who have been supporting children and young people with their online learning, I am sure you breathed a huge sigh of relief when Friday came knowing that your home-schooling days can stop for the holidays. We thank you too, I am sure God granted lots of people with lots of patience during this time!
Here though is what I want us all to remember and give thanks for this morning, our bible verse of the year Ephesians 3:20-21:
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
God’s power is at work in us and he is a God who can do more than we could ever ask or imagine. Since last June when we had our last celebration in church God has done some many wonderful things through his power within us in our children’s and young people’s ministries and God was never going to let a virus stop that. We don’t know when the normal we were used to will return or what things will be like in the coming months but what we do know is that we love, worship and serve a heavenly father who does know and he will guide us through.
So I would like everyone to make sure they have this verse displayed someplace in their home where they can regularly be reminded of the powerful God we serve and how much we should praise and thank him for everything he does for us and especially for how he is supporting and carrying us through these strange time.
Boys and girls I want you to go and make yourself a medal or certificate this morning, mums, dads, Claire, Gary, all our volunteers and teachers need to do this too, in fact we all should- and it needs to say “I am a child of God and through his power in me I will see wonderful things happen!”
This morning let’s remember to give God all the glory for everything he has done in our church and will continue to do. We have been through difficult and hard times before and are going through them at the moment, but HIS power and HIS love are more than sufficient to see us through. Amen.
All Age Song- My God is Powerful
Prayers for others
Thank you Lord once more for the privilege of praying for other people:
We continue to pray for wisdom for our Governments in Edinburgh and London as we slowly move in the direction of reopening shops and businesses as well as for those owners seeking to make their premises compliant with the new health and safety guidelines. We are very conscious that many employers may be struggling to make the right choices as to how many employees they can bring back from furloughing, knowing that others through no fault of their own may lose their jobs at this time.
We pray that the politicians may put in place schemes to help those affected find alternative opportunities for work or retraining for other careers. Likewise we pray that young people finishing school or high education that they may be able to find meaningful employment opportunities in the coming months.
We pray too for our schools in the light of the good news that it may be possible for all the children to get to school in the next school year. Lord we ask that you would give strength to the staff who have worked so hard preparing for an alternative approach to education in the next session, but who now at the end of term find themselves having extra work to do. We pray that they will all get sufficient time for some rest and relaxation over the summer.
We also remember those in our NHS and Social Care sectors as they seek to help prevent a second upsurge in cases of the Covid-19 virus in our land. We pray that there will be sufficient PPE and all other necessary equipment they require available before the winter begins; and that the track and trace programme being put in place can be effective. We thank you that the first human trials for a vaccine for Covid-19 have begun in Oxford. We hope and pray that it may be a success.
We pray for a renewal of strength for the staff whose health has suffered due to the pressures in their workplaces in hospitals and care homes in recent months. We pray too for Your comfort for the families whose loved ones have died while attempting to care for other through our health care provision in hospitals and nursing homes.
In our Baptist Union of Scotland we remember to pray for sister churches:
Galashiels BC – In this time of restrictions coupled with a pastoral vacancy, they are learning to do things differently. They thank God for Zoom services, being able to keep in regular contact with each other by phone and helping them find ways to serve their community. Please pray that they might know God’s guidance and presence in leading them forward in vacancy.
Garioch Church, Aberdeen – They are so grateful to God for new ways of meeting up, sharing together and supporting each other in these difficult times. They invite us to join them in praying for those who are working in vulnerable situations or pressurised contexts and also for those who are living alone, especially where they are unable to access online gatherings. Pray also that they begin to get some clarity about how to handle a gradual releasing of lockdown in due course.
Gerrard Street BC, Aberdeen – We pray for the fellowship at the Gerrard Street Church in Aberdeen as they seek to ‘move forward in discipleship and in mission’ during this season. Pray for wisdom as the church leadership consider how to do this during Covid-19.
We pray too for the ongoing work of the Christian Churches in our land that You will help each one prepare for the day when their premises reopen that we may have wisdom to make the right choices about the use of premises and also the online media many churches have used in recent months. Help us to make the right calls about our priorities so that we can retain contact with the new friends we have welcomed to online services and activities as well as regain physical contact with those who were required to take particular care during the lockdown period.
In particular we pray for other people with particular needs that are connected to our own congregation:
The Nyguist and Marshall families We pray that You would comfort and uphold them and other families recently bereaved at this time.
We continue to remember those waiting for medical appointments and treatment or surgery that has been delayed by the pandemic preparations. We pray that the surgeries of doctors and dentists and hospitals may soon be fully open again to treat those in need. We pray too for wisdom as they see to restore services while complying with the new safety guidelines.
We thank you for progress for those in our church family moving home and pray that their plans may now take place as they had been hoping earlier in the year.
We are aware of other, particularly older members who have ongoing health difficulties and pray for God’s strength for them at this time. We pray for those exhausted with heavy work schedules that you would renew their health and strength, and for those struggling with the limitations of lock down that you would give them Your peace at this time. In particular, we remember … In addition, we bring our own needs to You at this time … in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
Bible Reading
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
1 John 2:28 -3:10
Before we come to listen to God’s Word let us sing: What a friend we have in Jesus
The Message – Wit Boondeekhum
Pre-recorded message
I John 2:28-3:10
Religion teaches us what we have to do to reach to heaven. So it’s about dos and don’ts
But in Christ is about what God has done for us. We are reconciled to Him and He grants us a new status: to become His children. So it’s all about our relationship with him. When we look at the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us how to address to God as our heavenly Father.
The book of 1 John mentions a lot about God’s love; he loves us and wants to have a fellowship with us and furthermore, he wants us to love each other.
1 John 3 says that because of the Father’s great love lavished upon us, we are called to be children of God. This is who we are, we are His children. What a great privilege we have that we are His favoured ones, the apple of his eye. He gave his only begotten son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come and die for our sins. Let’s say together, “thank you God that we are your son or your daughter” Nothing will change who we are, no matter what we do. He loves us unconditionally not only he saves us but it’s as if he injects God’s DNA in us through the Holy Spirit so that we shall be like Him. This is God’s purpose that we shall be like Him when he appears again. Like Father like son.
That’s the reason why John keeps saying that we shall continue in Him. At the end of 1 John 2.28 it states that we may be confident and unashamed to be like Him at his coming.
Sin is like a deadly disease. It eventually kills. There are different degrees of symptoms. Some might not show any apparent symptoms, but it doesn’t mean that person hasn’t got the disease – a bit like Corona virus. Sin has consequences and it causes a severe result, which is separation from God and eternal punishment, but Jesus came to give us the cure through his death and resurrection.
For those who believe in Jesus shall not perish, but have eternal life. Because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and his Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us like God’s seed, God’s DNA, God’s vaccine which has been injected into us, so we are immune, the disease has no power over us, sin is powerless. For this reason as we continue to deepen our relationship in God we won’t keep sinning. However, if we choose not to abide in God and He in us, then we will continue in sin.
Two things Apostle John mentioned in the first section of chapter 3 are found in verse 10 “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother (and sister).”
So there are 2 characteristics of being the children of God. The former is righteousness, doing what is right and the latter is loving your brother (and sister).
He is righteous – Do what is right. (v.7) who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous
Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular. Temptation comes in every day, all the time and we must face how to react or respond to the temptation. How can we know what is right? Justice or injustice, right or wrong, moral or immoral. I don’t know about your situation, and what you do if you are tempted. What do we do if it’s not obvious? What about the grey areas?
No trials or pains are ultimately harmful unless they diminish our relationship with God. But the righteous will not let them do that. They let their trials draw them closer to God. They see His grace more clearly in the aftermath of pain; they trust Him more truly when obstacles hinder trust; they serve Him more sacrificially when it costs something. Through pain, we see Him better, and He becomes more real to us. There is no harm in that.
Nothing that the righteous go through is truly harmful if faith is maintained. But troubles are troublesome indeed to those whose faith is conditional. Their love of God depends only on what He does to make them feel good. Trials come to all, and our reaction defines us. Are we righteous or wicked? The test of pain will make it clear.
2. Love each other. Love is not just about words but also deeds. Love is always caring for others, serving others, and sharing with others. Someone who really loves you: Sees what a mess you can be; how moody you can get and how hard you are to handle …but still wants you!
A quote from the devotional book “Walk with God” by Tiegreen : When we became Christians, we may have found that we continually struggle to become Christ-like. Why? If our affections are set on Him as they once were on the trends and icons of our culture, wouldn’t a godly transformation be a natural process for us? Perhaps that is just the problem. Perhaps our affections are not entirely Christ-ward. We easily let our love grow stale, losing the excitement that newness and discovery naturally brought us at first. Other images – cultural trends and newfound interests – become the object of our infatuation, whilst Jesus subtly and imperceptibly passes from our adoration to our obligation.
When this happens, we find godliness more of a struggle. It is hard to let ourselves become conformed to the image of Jesus when we hold another image in higher esteem. Other passions pull us in other directions often making conflicting – or at least superfluous – demands on our character. Godly character cannot thrive in such a context. Our spirits will not fit into two molds simultaneously.
What image do you aim for? If you find any image other than Jesus shaping your soul, abandon it, it will hinder your growth. Find your identity entirely in Him.
Let continue in Him by abiding in Him, deeply living in Christ. Ask God for the grace to live in Him and continue to live in Him. Right now surrender it all to Him. Amen.
Our song before we come to communion is: Jesus Paid it All
The Lord’s Supper
Jesus invites all Christian who have committed their lives to follow Him to participate in this act of worship. The apostle Paul wrote these words of Scripture in I Corinthians 11:23-26 to guide our observance of Communion.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Prayer: Choose your own words of prayer to give thanks for the bread and wine that represent the costly gift of His body and blood for us.
Take the bread: Jesus said: ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.
Take the wine: Jesus said: This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’
Our closing song is: Because he lives
Closing Prayer:
Thank you Lord that you are building your Church around the world. We rejoice that there are more than two billion followers of Jesus all over the world. We thank you for those who have professed faith in you during these very difficult recent months and pray that many more people will make that choice for themselves soon.
We thank you for those involved in church-planting like Wit and Helen in Northern Thailand and ask that you would prosper their work and witness for you. We hope and pray that in the coming years many people in that part of Thailand will come to acknowledge Jesus as Saviour and Lord. We pray that too within our own community of Broughty Ferry and wherever your children are seeking to share the good news of Jesus, for His name’s sake, Amen
Benediction: The Grace
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore, Amen
Can you imagine a professional football game without a referee? Or a cricket match without an umpire? Or even the House of Commons without The Speaker to keep the politicians in order? Job some time into his crisis is feeling that God is so far away. He needs help from someone who understands him and can articulate his cause more effectively than he can to God. In effect, he is crying out for a mediator between himself and God. Job 9:33 states: If only there was someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together… Job is speaking here about:
1. The necessity of a mediator(Job 9:32-33)
Job is absolutely clear that such a person is necessary. They are needed to represent God to humanity and humanity to God. After all, God is all knowing, all powerful and eternal; the Creator and Sustainer of the universe; and Job, the representative human being is sinful, fallible, limited in knowledge and power, and in his present context in a place of incredible weakness and vulnerability. Job’s friends are convinced that he must have done something seriously wrong to be in such a difficult place.
By contrast, despite his occasional emotional wobbles and self-doubt, Job is convinced that he has lived a blameless life. Job 9:21a states: Although I am blameless, I have no concern for myself; yet his suffering continues with no end in sight. He has no comprehension of any bigger picture. He simply feels very hard done by with no means of rectifying his situation.
In his lowest moments he accuses God of injustice because of the obvious unfairness of life in this world. I despise my own life. 22 It is all the same; that is why I say, “He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.” (Job 9:21b-22). In the Old Testament era these concerns continued without any resolution, though there were pointers to the coming of a person who would address them, for example, Isaiah 52:13-53:12.
It is, though, in the New Testament that we see God’s clear answer to this plea. There was only one person who walked this earth who could qualify for this role to represent God to us and us to God. I Timothy 2:5-6a states: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.
2. The work of a mediator
What is this individual to do? Fans or players of particular sports could probably recite quite easily the main tasks a referee or umpire was required to perform. In terms of the responsibilities of this mediator, Job is not looking for someone who by brute force compels parties to accept his rulings on matters. He is looking for a genuine individual who can represent the concerns of each party to the other.
A ‘middle-man’ literally; in Job’s day there were community leaders who performed some of these roles. They would hear a case presented by two individuals, and after time for reflection would issue a binding judgement on both parties. God was so powerful and majestic that Job felt inadequate to articulate his concerns directly to Him. What was Jesus like to those who came humbly to Him to ask for His divine assistance in their time of need?
Matthew 11:27-30:27 ‘All things have been committed to Me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and my burden is light.’
This was Jesus’ mandate from God the Father, a work being continued in people’s lives through the work of the blessed Holy Spirit. Do you trust Him to represent your concerns to God the Father? There is no better choice.
3. The benefits of such a mediator (Job 9:33-35)
If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together, 34 someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that His terror would frighten me no more. 35 Then I would speak up without fear of Him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot (Job 9:33-35).
Job wanted a mediator to take away God’s rod from me. That is, not just to remove the problem he is experiencing, but also the apparent disciplinary consequences of God’s actions. There were times when Job felt emotionally and mentally overwhelmed with what he was going through and felt afraid of God – so that His terror would frighten me no more. What difference would this mediator make if they would intervene on his behalf? Then I would speak up without fear of Him… Job wanted to come directly into God’s presence without being afraid.
The wonderful truth we can experience as Christians is something Job desired for his times of prayer. The author of the book of Hebrews in Hebrews 10:19-22 states: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.
When we come through the one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ, we can come with an assurance that God will hear our prayers and will in His time answer them. Have you put your faith in Jesus? If not then why not do that today? You will be making the best decision of your life when you entrust your life to Him as your Lord and Saviour.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me’
Bildad, one of Job’s friends, had been speaking in the words recorded in the previous chapter (Job 8). He had a very simplistic approach to understanding how God worked in the world and how our behaviour impacts the course of our lives. Bildad’s view was that good things happen to good people and bad things to bad people. For this man, if you really are a good person then you will be blessed with reasonable health and material prosperity.
If everything goes wrong in life, as had happened to his friend Job, then although he, Bildad, couldn’t identify it, Job must have been guilty of some serious hidden sin for God to punish him like this with the loss of his children, his businesses and finally his health. It is difficult to read the words of Bildad and not feel Job’s pain. I would like to think that every reader of this message would be horrified by Bildad’s line of reasoning. Certainly the unknown author of the book of Job does!
However, the false prosperity gospel held by some people in every age is a twisting of biblical truth to use Bible language to convey a message that is completely untrue. God does honour those that honour Him, but we may live an exemplary life like Job and still see a business fail; still experience the searing pain of the death of one or more of our children or struggle to come to terms with the diagnosis of a serious health condition. Throughout his life Job although imperfect pleased God. In the latter stages of this book of Job this analysis is confirmed.
Here in Job chapters nine to ten the patriarch attempts to present a different perspective in his response to the charges of Bildad. In Job 9:2 he asks this question: But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? Job has no quarrel with Bildad’s main thesis that God always does what is right. He is equally convinced that God will not reject someone who has led an exemplary life free from sin and wrongdoing.
The problem we face, and which Job faced before us, is that none of us are perfect. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). When we point the index (or first) finger at another person, there are three other fingers that point back at us. Does this object lesson not teach us a simple point? Be very careful how we judge the choices of words or actions of other people. Other people make judgements about us and I assume each of us would want others to pass judgement fairly on what we say and so.
Job here imagines a courtroom where he could present his case before the jury. But he stops to consider that it is God with whom he is pictured as debating. Job 9:1-4 is a response to Bildad’s message. It states: Then Job replied:2 ‘Indeed, I know that this is true. But how can mere mortals prove their innocence before God? 3 Though they wished to dispute with Him, they could not answer Him once in a thousand times. 4 His wisdom is profound, His power is vast. Who has resisted Him and come out unscathed?
Simply claiming that we are better than some other people may be stating the obvious truth, but it would not get us very far in a court of law. Job knew that he had to be honest before God and trust Him to work out his future pathway through life. God would later honour him for taking that stance.
As followers of Jesus we know that God took action to bridge the gap between us and Him. Romans 3:23, cited above, is true, but in the person of Jesus we have someone who modelled for us how to live, before dying as a substitute for sinners on the cross outside the city wall in Jerusalem two thousand years ago. How can I be right before God, the question with which we began this brief reflection, is answered in many Bible passages including John 3:16-17: For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
I cannot be good enough in what I do to earn God’s favour, but thank God He sent Jesus to die in my place. Jesus was perfectly good and the one person who could die in our place and offer a sacrifice sufficient for us to be saved. This is the greatest good news in history. Have you received God’s gift of salvation? It is simple enough for a little child to receive it, but so amazing that a person of extraordinary intellect can struggle to grasp the extent of the amazing love of God towards us.
Our song for reflection today is ‘The power of the cross’
Do you ever stop and think about the significance or insignificance of your life? Some people appear to have the time and opportunity to consider their legacy. For the vast majority of us, though, our lives are often so full of activities that we rarely stop and reflect too deeply about the significance of the choices we are making and their impact upon other people around us. However, due to the recent Covid-19 virus pandemic many people have had to make significant adjustments to the way they were living.
For a number it meant they had much more time on their hands to think and to talk with close family members or to reflect on their own about the direction of their lives going forward. There is no doubt our society and many of us as members will be permanently changed by our recent experiences. Although it is easy to focus on what we may have lost, there are also things we have gained, both individually and collectively. However, like Job in his crisis situation, we in the midst of a virus pandemic have a chance to look at the question raised in Job chapter seven. What tentative or preliminary conclusions did Job reach?
1. The futility of life (Job 7:1-5)
Job’s immediate context was bad enough to make any one of us feel tempted to sink into deep despair. The language he uses to articulate his frustration, pictures a workman longing for his shift to end because he has lost interest in the work being done; or as a soldier wanting his term of service completed so he can return home to his family. But when he does get home his mind is so active he cannot sleep and in a state of over-tiredness he feels so weary. However, he is not at home but sitting outside on waste ground looking a right mess with sores and scabs (Job 7:5). We all have wake up calls about priorities of what really matters in life. The question is this – am I open to think seriously about what my life should be like in terms of my priorities? Do I give too much time to trivialities and neglect things that are much more important – like my relationships with close family members or supremely my relationship with God?
2. The brevity of life (Job 7:6-10) Our time in this life passes alarmingly quickly. ‘My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,and they come to an end without hope.7 Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath;(Job 7:6-7a) When you start in Primary School and someone tells you how long you will spend in schools before you have the choice to leave it will inevitably seem like an eternity! The young adult leaving school excited about the possibilities of employment and earning a salary can think they have years to enjoy life. But how quickly the years go by; Henry Twells (1823-1900) wrote this poem, attached to a clock case in the North Transept of Chester Cathedral in England:
When as a child I laughed and wept, Time crept. When as a youth I waxed more bold, Time strolled. When I became a full grown man, Time RAN. When older still I daily grew, Time FLEW. Soon I shall find, in passing on, Time gone. O Christ! wilt Thou have saved me then?
Amen.
No-one on their deathbed has ever wished they had spent some extra hours in the office, but too many have regretted not sorting our broken relationships with family members or fractured friendships; others had always planned to get their lives sorted out with God, but never got round to it. Now is the time, now is the opportunity. Seize the moment and do what needs to be done and end your life in the future having lived without regrets.
3. Addressing our biggest questions (Job 7:11-21)
What is mankind that You make so much of them,that You give them so much attention… (Job 7:17).
Psalm 8 in the Old Testament addresses the same question, but from a standpoint of praise to God for the wonder of His creation and of the place of humanity within it. Job chapter seven looks at the same subject from a much darker starting point. Job is feeling as if God had abandoned him. Or that God was punishing him for some unknown sin. The ‘why am I here’ question was understood in this moment as – is there any point me being here much longer? My life is pointless.
Of course Job will come though this difficult time, because we know how the story ends. But he needed to take the necessary time to adjust to his ‘new normal’. We too have taken time to come to terms with our lock down restrictions. But are there other things or relationships with other people to which we ought to turn our attention? One thing we can never recover when lost is our time. It is gone forever. Take time to ask God to direct your mind today so that your choices in the coming months and years are ones that are pleasing to Him.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘Will your anchor hold in the storms of life’
We have probably all had those dreadful dreams we call nightmares when life takes a decided turn for the worst. Although they may only last a relatively short time in the night, they feel like they have gone on for ‘ever’. What a relief to wake up and open our eyes and say thank you God that wasn’t real!
Unfortunately, there are people who wake up and have to face the dreadful reality that this person has died. Or that their job loss was confirmed in the letter send to them. Or that person who had bullied you in the school playground has been placed in some of the same classes as you in High School. The potential list of causes for concern is very long and we feel them more acutely during the lock down period we face following the spread of the Covid-19 virus pandemic.
For Job as an older man all the things he has worked for have gone. His financial security bound up in the possession of lots of domesticated animals all gone; his large family that had grown up. They were now adults so maybe Job was expecting a bit of help, or more help, with his business as he got older? What a tragedy they had all died in the terrible storm. Then to make matters worse, his health declined quite markedly and it is all becoming too much to take in. How many of us have also had these darker moments when we were struggling to come to terms with circumstances outside our control? Maybe someone reading this message is in that place today? How did Job react when he and his friends started to speak about what was going on in his life?
In Job three the chapter neatly divides into two halves. They are Job 3:1-10 and Job 3:11-26. In the former section the word ‘may’ is very prominent, and in the latter it is ‘why?
1. The speech or song of lament (Job 3:1-10)
The author of such a song is not wishing he was dead necessarily, but he is certainly wondering about the point of his life if this painful reality is all he has to look forward to in the coming years. For some of us who have had to be shielding in recent months and are only now starting to venture out, if we are in the later years of life, may have wondered what is the point of being alive if all I can do is sit around in the house, as one day so easily merges into the next one. In our calmer moments in our minds we know it won’t be for ever.
However, there are other times in our hearts or emotions that it feels like ‘forever’. We are human beings not machines. Therefore, there are days when we are really struggling to cope with all that life seems to deposit on our pathway. God didn’t condemn Job for the days when he couldn’t cope and said things that he wouldn’t have said in calmer moments. Neither will He condemn us in our struggles. In such times as these, reading Bible passages like Romans chapter eight might be the encouragement we need. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38a,39).
2. Why? (Job 3:11-26
There are fundamentally three ‘why’ questions here. Job 3:11: Why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb? Job 3:16: Or why was I not hidden away in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day? Job 3:20: “Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter?
His questions are about the beginning and the end of life. The first two relate to the most vulnerable months of life when a child is growing in its mother’s womb. God, why did I survive those vulnerable years to enter childhood and then adulthood if I have nothing better than this to look forward to? Then, the third question relates to the later years of life as an older man. In effect, saying: ‘God why are you keeping me alive in this mess? Might it not be better if I ended my life?
The effective answer to the first question, taking the book of Job as a whole, is don’t be overwhelmed God has a future for you. The best years of your life are still to be revealed and if they are not on earth they certainly will be in heaven. Grasping this truth, I hope will give us the assurance of God’s undeserved love to us in our good times as well as the tough. The last question is in effect: why am I still here? Why am I still alive?
In broad terms, the answer must be because God still has work for you and me to do. Do you need to be reminded of this truth today? Therefore, we can with real assurance go forward in confidence in God, knowing that He goes with us each step of the way. This does not mean our problems have gone, far from it, we may have to live with them for the rest of our lives.
When this is the case, it is worth turning to the assurance God gave Paul in II Corinthians 12:8-10: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Amen.
Our song for reflection today is: ‘How firm a foundation’
Pointers for Prayer
We praise God for the ongoing efforts of our health care workers to overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 virus in our communities. We pray also for other countries too seeking to overcome this disease
We pray for those teaching in our schools, colleges and universities, seeking to prepare for the next academic year at a time when the future is so unclear, together with young people and their families attempting to juggle work and family life alongside supporting their children in their school work.
We pray for employers and employees in so many workplaces with deep concerns how their work might take place safely in the coming months. We also remember those now out of work and young people seeking to gain their first jobs that each might find a place of work that fits their gifts and experience.
We continue to pray for the families that have been bereaved, in particular, most recently the Nyguist and Marshall families and ask for God’s strength and comfort in their time of sorrow.
We continue to remember those who are unwell and pray for God’s healing and restoration of health and strength, together with others keeping going in pain and discomfort as they await medical tests or an operation in hospital.
We pray for those struggling with continuing isolation in their homes or residential homes and older members of the church in particular who are finding the strains of recent months particularly difficult.
We pray too for the missionary families we are associated with and in particular pray for Helen and Wit in Northern Thailand as they join us by zoom for morning worship this Sunday 28 June 2020
We pray for ourselves and our families and our own specific needs; also that we always make time each day to read His word and spend time in His presence in prayer.
