March 15, 2024 – Where Were You?

“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed?’” (Job 38:1–11)

The interaction between Job and G-d has fascinated many for thousands of years. We want to see Job as a sympathetic person but the longer he and his friends argue and debate, the more frustrated we become with his complaining. But perhaps we are taking his situation in the wrong direction. Perhaps we need to see ourselves in Job and not over and against Job. Perhaps we need to be humbled by how little we know and how few things we are able to do. Perhaps we need to embrace the utterly laughable irrationality of ever thinking that we might be smarter than G-d. Do we dare shout at G-d “Where are you G-d?”

When we remember Job, we must remember three lessons:

1. Our friends will not always be helpful, no matter the good of their intentions. G-d however will never fail us.
2. Even when we suffer, we must always give thanks to G-d.
3. G-d is always with us, even when storms rage around us. Or as Paul reminds us in Romans 5: rejoice in your sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Pastor Dave

March 16, 2024 – You Get What You Need

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the gentiles who seek all these things, and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God[m] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:31-34

“It really is one of the sloppiest words used in human culture. If need means “essential for life,” then the vast majority of the things we say that we need we don’t actually need. You know this if you have children or are around children. Let’s say you’re a parent and you have taken your child to the mall (which is your first mistake). As you’re walking through the mall, your child sees the sneaker store and immediately makes a left-hand turn. Now, with nose pressed against the window of the store, he says, “Mom, I neeeeeeeed those sneakers.” You look down at his feet, which are encased in perfectly good shoes, and you say: “No, I’m not getting you those sneakers. You already have perfectly good shoes.” Now, when you say this, your child does not think: “What a wise mother I have been blessed with. She has seen through my distorted sense of need, has recognized selfish desire, and has lovingly rescued me from me.” No, your child lashes out against you: “You always say ‘no’ to me. I don’t know why I have to have the one mom who hates sneakers.” Then your child refuses to relate to you for the rest of the time that you are in the mall.” (“New Morning Mercies”, March; Paul David Tripp)

The Lord knows all and discerns our needs verses our wants. There is no fooling G-d when it comes to coveting some things and seeing others as essential. And we hear just this in Matthew 6. Jesus reminds us that we have a G-d who has a clear understanding of our true needs. It is so easy in this society to get needs and wants confused, and when we don’t get something we “think” we need, we are tempted to question the love of our heavenly Father. The comfort is that, by grace, we have been made to be the children of the wisest, most loving Father that the universe has ever known. G-d is never confused. G-d knows our every need because G-d created us and all things. We can rest in the grace that has made us G-d’s children, knowing that our place in his family guarantees that we will have what we need.

Pastor Dave