Tag: Psalms

Finding Your Voice

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation that scripture has more to say about studying and learning than first meets the eye. The classic statement on reading scripture appears in 2 Timothy 2:15; we learn from Paul that we should study scripture and be able to express our thoughts to others who do not understand the truth.

If we invest the time, we will benefit from reading the ancients wisdom.  How does this notion of ‘studying’ emerge in our life? It starts with the occasional emission of pithy observations in our favorite bible study (as we gradually find our voice). We sometimes surprise ourselves with the things that come from our heart. We wonder where they came from. Then God reminds us of the source.

The pithy stuff morphs into decisions about how we are to live our life (scripture gradually seeps into our heart, overrides our earthly thoughts). We could say that acquisition morphs to transformation. Acquiring information leads to a changed (transformed) heart. As a man thinks – a man is. You have heard me say this proverb many times in my essays. Take a minute and review Proverbs 23:7…

All who manage their thoughts and control that noise come out of the mouth will keep his soul from troubles (implied in Psalms 21:23). The righteous man consumes the wisdom of God to satisfy and feed his soul: but the belly of the wicked craves earthly prater (implied in Proverbs 13:25).

Decide to learn. Knowing God’s word helps us to see trouble coming and tiptoe around the landmines of false teachings and philosophies. Knowing God’s word helps us to see goodness when we are staring at it. When a man takes the time to press into the Word, amazing things start to happen. The journey starts when we decide we want to enrich our relationship with God. Success begets success. But, during the growth process it is not uncommon to compare ourselves with others. I suggest you refrain from comparing your learning pace to others.

Learning is an extremely personal process, detailed cookie cutter methods do not usually yield much fruit, we all grow at different paces, with different interests in the variety of topics discussed in scriptures. Proverbs tells us — The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out (Proverbs 18:15). Decide that now is the time to start. Now is the time to grow. Now is the time to crawl into God’s word.

Identify your initial learning targets.I think it is wise to develop a simple list of things in which you are interested. You probably have a vague idea of things you are interested in, but I suggest you make it more specific; with a list you can monitor your progress. A little success, documented, leads to more success.

Daniel tells us — To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds (Daniel 1:17).

In addition to the list, I suggest you declare a clear ‘why’ I want to know the stuff on the list. Having a clear goal defined will help you know when you have achieved the learning objective. Proverbs tell us — Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them (Proverbs 4:5).

You might have noted that I did not recommend building a formal, detailed learning plan. While this can be helpful for some efforts, I think in this case the level of effort would not bear much fruit. Planning everything out at the front does not leave much space for spontaneous pursuit of interesting stuff you did not know you wanted to explore. I can say for sure – you are learning goals will shift over time.

I noted in 1 Kings 3:5-10 an interesting exchange between God and Solomon — That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”   Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne. Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who does not know his way around. And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For whom, by himself, is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom (NIV).

I think it might be helpful to approach learning with Solomons willing heart. The first two objectives of learning are (1) Decide to learn and (2) Focus on your learning targets. There is more. In the next essay I will continue this line of reasoning. If you are interested, find the essay titled – Infusing the Mind.

I choose Jesus.

Be Still and Listen Carefully!

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation when pondering on the nature and range of events that occur during prayer, I have not used this tool as effectively as I could have over the years. Listening is not my strong suit, being a passive-aggressive alpha leads to the compulsive need to fill ‘dead air’ with something. The sound of my voice? Oopps…

I learned from Miles Davis, a jazz player, the melody is as much about what you do not play (silence) as it is about what you do play (sound). An improvised melody must have time for the listener to breathe, it is important to rest the listener’s mind, and gently lead the listener to the next line, the next paragraph.

This might be a bit too much ‘music speak’, but it strongly illustrates the notion of — be still and know I am God, be still and know, be still, just be… Know who you are waiting on (God), accept he will be reaching out to you (Know), get very calm (Still), open your ears (guard your heart, confirm all messaging with scripture).

When I postulate on prayer, listening is not the first thing I usually think about. But if we want to hear Him speak, we will need to stop talking long enough for God to get your attention. He wants to talk. He tells us stuff in scripture but has more. Listening patiently, trusting there will be communion, a message, a thought… Is not easy.

I learned a while back that we will do what we will do. Message or not, we will do it. Failure to get clear guidance will not impar many of us when it comes to the decision point. We will press on, try to get it right, and ask for forgiveness later.

The still small voice is not easy to hear, and perhaps, just perhaps we are not really asking for direction, we are consulting, asking for confirmation OUR plan is the right plan. Asking for confirmation is much different that asking for directions. If we have made up our mind, I think we may not hear the still small voice. Consulting for confirmation is different from dropping anchor and waiting on God before you move any direction.

Some people call this type of listening contemplative or reflective prayer. Sounds a little too much like a ‘new age’ thing to me so I just think of it as ‘getting still’ and letting God be God. Get still. Gettings still will shut out the noise, the ‘knowing I am God’ part is our clue to not empty our mind, but to focus our mind. Focus on the majesty and grandeur of God. This does require effort and practice. I find it a bit easier to do on my Walkabouts. Might not be the same for you, but that helps to keep me focused.

This ‘being still’ is active listening, it is shutting out all the things around us (I walk the same trail every day, I can walk that trail in my mind any time, any place). The trail helps me to shut out the distractions. This is key – I expect God to speak. Do not engage him — nothing is likely to happen. Engage and expect a response. We see a strong recurring theme in Psalms from David — My soul waits in silence for God only (Psalm 62:1); My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? (Psalms 42:2). I know he is God; I will be still and wait (implied Psalms 46:10)

No agenda? No prayer request to ruminate? God could say anything, God could ask me anything. Oh my. Dat is scarry. When we quietly wait on the Spirit, He may communicate extremely penetrating stuff—words of conviction, words of love, or no words at all – Just an overwhelming awareness of his presence.

David writes — You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11) Selah. I suspect I often do not stay in his presence long enough to hear his words of love; I blurt out my fears and a few thanks, then I move on — oblivious to this wonderful God, the One true living God who has slowed down and rested his hand on my head; only for me to move on. I wonder what I have missed. This is not easy. It takes a lifetime. Be patient with yourself. He is a deep pool of water.

I choose Jesus.

The Makers Mark

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It was my observation while reading Psalms — we quickly learn it is wise to talk to God about the cool stuff he has accomplished, our needs, and our struggles – then we seek insight from Him and His word. This is an intense encounter – This is meditation. Charles Spurgeon (a pastor from about 120 years ago) often said the Holy Spirit loves to illuminate the Son. For Spurgeon, this visual illumination came in the form of a prayer journal. As I recall, he would say our pencil is like a scalpel for our mind. If we take the time to write stuff down as we ruminate on something, God can and does become part of the formula. Write your internal conversation, ponder on the message, compare your thinking to the scripture you are thinking about. When we document things, we slow down our thoughts, we process more carefully, we hear more from the Holy Spirit. Try it — I suspect you will be pleased with the outcome.

Psalms 119:9-16 (paraphrased) says — How can a person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. As I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have taken the time to hide your word in my heart that I might not sin against you through ignorance. … Lord; teach me your decrees, your truth. Then, with focus, I am able to recount all the truth that comes from your heart. I rejoice in following your statutes and wisdom. … I meditate on your truth and consider your ways. I delight in your wisdom; I will not neglect the truth within your word when making decisions (NIV).

The last sentence in this quote says, ‘I meditate on your truth’. This is the notion I have been talking about. This is a commitment, a focused affirmation that we will start and stick to it. It is a response to the word of God, to the one true living God – we are saying YES. I know this takes effort; I am talking to myself as much as anyone who is reading this essay. But this level of thought should not be only for pastors, theologians, monks, but us, ordinary Christians who are slugging it out in a sea of evil, looking for the right path to follow. I suspect, without this kind of focus, it is difficult to experience a vibrant relationship with the one true living God. Push into this. You will be rewarded.

So, have a seat, read a few passages, think about the message, and press on with your day. Ask yourself, what exactly did I notice, how did it affect me, how will it affect my relationships at work and at home? Joshua wrote — Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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. (Joshua 1:8).

Do not make this complicated, do not be too hard on yourself. God gives you grace; you should be comfortable doing the same. The outcome of this effort is simple – you will grow, become at peace with yourself, your family, and your Job. Goodness, I know scripture is not easy to read. I do not wish to make you feel uncomfortable. I am not saying you need to become a Rhodes Scholar. But I do want to encourage you to dig a little deeper. When God speaks, we should listen. Good stuff will happen.

This notion of meditation, focused prayer, and scripture mining can help you become more stable. I am suggesting you think about stuff you are reading in scripture, ponder on it, poke around the verses, focus on the ideas, the individual words, and parallel passages. Actively ponder on the meaning and how you can employ this new-found data in your life. Seek his wisdom. You will soon see the impact on you.

You will know that you are getting someplace when you are able to say – I have learned something from scripture and I need to make some life changes. The hardest part of failure is getting back up. Successful people know this small but particularly important difference between success and failure. Get back up. Find the right path. Move forward. Give Elohim permission to put his ‘Makers Mark’ on your heart. I choose Jesus.

The Internal War

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It was my observation; about 44+ years ago, as a baby Christian (only a few years old in Jesus), I was drawn into a very dark situation while involved in helping a church establish a building program. I believed I had been lied to by my district leaders, I felt betrayed and hurt. I was self-focused, heartbroken, but after a short while, that heartbreak turned to vindictive unforgiveness. At first, I convinced myself I had every right feeling this emotion. Then common sense set in, and I knew I was in trouble. For weeks I struggled. I wanted what was right but could not shake loose from the troubles. I prayed, thought I was free, then a few days later, a trigger would actuate my feelings, and I was back in the ditch.

The relentless feeling of righteous anger was a drug that would overpower the small voice pulling the desire of my heart towards forgiveness. Yet I held onto unforgiveness. I prayed openly for mercy and kindness towards the people I was struggling with, but I was way too young in the Lord to enter his rest.

The war inside me was exhausting. It affected my marriage, my children, and my work. There was no relief. One side in me wanted a cease fire the other side in me wanted total victory.

Then a friend of mine, seeing my struggle, talking with friends who also were aware of my struggle decided to enter the fray. He started talking to me about standing down, ending the struggle. I resisted. I wanted victory. Fortunately, he was on a mission. He knew what I did not.

He knew I needed to let go or I would digress into a disabled human, a trophy of Lucifer. He kept showing me passages on forgiveness, I was hopeless. He kept at it. My friend showed me Psalms 130 and helped me to really understand the message from David.

David said — Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy (Psalms 130:1-2).

I wanted to be free, even if it meant forgiving someone undeserving of my forgiveness and had not even asked for it. I wanted out of the prison I had created. Yet I could not find the door. How do I get out?

David said — If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you (Psalms 130:3-4).

I realized I had been living in a state of oppression from Lucifer, and it was affecting everything. It affected my choices each day. It affected my peace, joy, and happiness each day. In pursuit of a twisted form of justice, I lost sight of God’s goodness, his mercy.

David said — I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his Word, I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning (Psalms 130:5-6).

From a worldly perspective, I convinced myself I was justified to be angry and unforgiving, but from a godly perspective, I saw with fresh eyes that my anger and unforgiveness held me hostage to a lack of joy – my close communion with God and my family had been marred. I was wrong in God’s eyes. I was trying to do his job. I repented.

David said — Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins (Psalms 130:7-8).

I learned all over again about forgiveness, given to me as a gift by the actions of Jesus. His forgiveness had opened the door, then blew out the hinges so it could not close again. The prisoner was me. The Door was clinging to my anger and unforgiveness. My friend had pointed me to the cross and Jesus. My friend helped me put down the crushing burden. My peace returned. The war inside of me was over. My friend knew one thing I did not know. The way out of the problem. He was a blessing to me.

I choose Jesus.

The Lowly Prayer Journal

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation — Using a simple book (Journal) of blank pages or lined pages to keep a written record of the ideas and experiences in prayer and bible study is not uncommon. Many prayer warriors keep one to remind them of their successes (discovering God’s will) and their failures (stepping outside the swim lane).

This Journal will be full of their ideas, requests, notes on when and how they met the objectives, how they felt, what they talked about, and how God responded. And, most importantly, what they learned while reading and meditation on scripture.

Most people who keep the journal (wall of truth) do not talk much about the journal they are keeping. Occasionally they publish excerpts of their prayers as poetry or prose on electronic media or the printed page – or perhaps an essay or two.

Sometimes the entries are used to develop lyrics for songs. For the most part, their content remains private. If they keep a journal, you know they are spiritual warriors. They stand toe to toe with Lucifer. You would be wise to give them a bit of respect. I do.

The notion of expressing your prayer in writing is as old as the psalms. When David, a mere shepherd by was anointed to King by Samuel, he gradually began to journal his thoughts (inspired by the Holy Spirit) in the form of psalms. You may recall he was a musician and a dancer. It was a small step to integrate his prayer into music and lyrics.

Others such as Asaph, Moses, and the sons of Korah, created a wonderful library of inspired prayers and laments. These songs became the tools used by the Israelites in worship; they psalms become part of their knowledge about the things of God – they became a wall of truth.

This flow of journaled prayer morphed into the early church. Songs and recited liturgy were based upon the journaled prayers of the priests, monks, and scripture. The psalms (journaled prayers) have brought comfort and clarity to many people through the ages who sometimes use them as a beginning point for their own prayers and song lyrics even today. This is how the catechism came to be.

Many psalms are prayers to God and express a wide array of emotions, questions, and conclusions as the writer wrestles with life situations. One reason God placed the book of Psalms in our Bible was to give us examples of the kind of prayers we can create. The prayers in Psalms are honest, heartfelt, and pure streaming thought. We should do no less. We may never rise to the level of David in our thoughts, but we can make notes and write the things that come to our mind. As we review the thoughts, we can see our gradual growth in Jesus.

A prayer journal is an excellent way to keep our thoughts focused as we bring them to the Lord. Prayer journaling also helps document seasons of our lives – things that are important in one part of our life lose importance in other periods of our life. Writing our thoughts on paper helps us clarify them, and, like the psalmists, we gradually are able to develop a proper line of reasoning by the time we finish journaling. During the development process, the eraser is our best friend.

Even our darkest musings can be a seed for a wonderfully honest praise. For example, look at the power of Psalm 121. It starts with a question — I lift up my eyes to the mountains, where does my help come from? The psalm ends with the answer – the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. He is our help. This is an extraordinary flow of thought. Comforting and honest.

I think a journal is a grand tool for the thoughtful focused prayer warrior. The tool is a wonderful register of how God leads us to think about things while studying scripture and how he answers prayer. When we read the history of our life in conversation with the one true living God, we stand a bit easier, knowing he is there. 24/7. We stay on task because we want to stay on task.

For those who are called to pray and study, I thank God you have embraced this calling – you are the vanguard of the living truth.

I choose Jesus.

The Pursuit

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation that all of us who trust in God can always have confidence in the one true living God. In Psalms 97 we find a God of power and dignity. A God that delivers his people from troubles. We find the author of our salvation. For me, I see a God who reached into my dismal shell of a life and renewed his grace within me.  Let us take a look at the details.

Psalm 97:1-7 says — The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice. Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. The mountains melt like wax before the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all people see his glory. All who worship images are put to shame (NIV).

When I had nearly given up hope of ever being ‘in service of the King’ again, he reached out to me, a person whose life was the definition of a rebel. He called me back. There was no place for me to look for salvation except in the grace of Jesus, nothing else has any value. I tried. There was nothing. I looked in philosophy, I looked in history, I looked in science, I looked in Math, nothing. There is nothing else but Jesus. There is no other name on the face of the earth that can bring us hope. None.

For the Hebrew nation and for me Psalms 97 speaks about Jesus, the author of our salvation. Our salvation is assured by God’s power, it is treasured and delivered in God’s grace, it is guaranteed to be secure, permanent, authoritative. We are saved by his strong tower, we are enabled to run the race, we are permitted to take shelter in the tower, we are safe. If I look beyond this deliverance, from my life as a rebel to the deeper things of the Spirit, I quickly notice the messianic salvation, my everlasting ransom, the repair of my soul, my rescue from death. and the restoration of my walk in Jesus.

This I know for sure — there is a world without end; and it will be well or ill with us according to our willingness to embrace the Grace of God. Plato had a feeling for this ‘world that does not end,’ but he did not find an answer to the question – is it real? Plato died when Alexander the Great was a child, Alexander the Great conquered Israel on his way south to conquer Egypt and build the city of Alexandria, soon the libraries he established became the global home of most knowledge known to man.

There are many historians that think the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) was retained in the Alexandrian library. Why does this matter? Because this library was a repository of known knowledge. This library would have provided an answer to Plato’s question, he was curious, but he died before the library was completed. Do not wait – God’s word is readily available. Read. Now. Not tomorrow. Now.

All of us, including me, know of the confusion we felt when we first became aware of our sin and the impact of that sin (before we knew Jesus). We felt trapped, unable to escape the effect, unable to bring ourselves to accept Jesus. We ran to and frow, looking for anyone with answers that could override Grace. We tried to build community in our sin and tell ourselves it was not sin; we became forward thinking people abandoning the age-old truths. We puffed up our little heads and glared at the one true living God. Defiant, we refused to submit. We joined hands with other rebels and resisted the gospel. We kept one another’s countenance as bright as possible and wandered in confusion together. Then it happened. The light of truth outran the darkness in our heart. In the light we saw we had no clothes on. We were standing in sin. No protection. The light exposed everything. Darkness can only be overcome by one thing – the way, the truth, and the light. Selah. We yield. I thank God he chose to pursue me.

I choose Jesus.

How Long Did Job Suffer?

Published on by DanLeave a comment

It has been my observation that when the Bible speaks on a topic, the Bible speaks absolute truth. Furthermore, I find no path available (within the confines of absolute truth) to yield on this point and remain faithful to scripture (God’s message). But sometimes, we observe that scripture leaves gaps in the information presented.

What do we do? What should we do? The focus of this essay is one of those gaps. Let us explore the duration (timeline) for the troubles of Job. Scripture does not comment on the complete timeline, but I have attempted to form a reasonable estimate of the timeline drawing from available scripture and a close reading of a map. I chose this subject because it does not present the same struggles that other gaps in scripture do.

Let us start at the beginning. Job was a real person who experienced the real events described in the book of Job. I start with that truth. I believe his friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) were earnest but misguided – they were scolded by God at the end of the account (see Job 42:7-9). I believe that Elihu was on point – he was not scolded by God at the end of the account. But it remains, how much time did the story traverse?

The following dialogue is ‘one man’s opinion’ — a safe way to demonstrate how to deal with an unknown. I am not recommending that you build life theology on my findings, rather I traveled this path to try to wrap my mind around the message of Job and to form an understanding for the duration of his woes. 30 years, 3 years, 3 weeks, 3 days, 3 minutes – these various spans of time all affect the intensity of the account.

We know that Job’s suffering began with the death of his servants and the loss of his livestock. Then his troubles became progressively worse with the deaths of his 10 children and his physical afflictions. We are told that four messengers came, one after the other while the previous one “was yet speaking…” (Job 1:13-19). Scripture says this encounter with the four messengers happened in a single day (Job 1:13).

I think Lucifer would strive to create the maximum amount of chaos in Job’s life (within the limits place upon Lucifer by God) to create the maximum impact on Job. This seems intense but we know God does not permit trouble we cannot endure as long as we lean on God (implied in Psalms 37:24, 1 Corinthians 10:13).

In Job chapter 1:13-19 we read — One day when Job’s sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, and the Sabeans attacked and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The fire of God fell from the heavens and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and made off with them. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!”  While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, “Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother’s house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!” (NIV)

What a mess. Then a conversation happens between God and Lucifer. This happens while Job is recovering from the troubles. His wife comments on the troubles. (see Job 2). Again, these conversations take about a day. We are prudent to allow time between each key day.

Next, we are told that three of Job’s friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar) decided to visit him when they heard of his suffering (implied in Job 2:11). We know the name of the places they come from; but we are unsure where the places are located on a map. What do we know about this situation? Numbers 1:2 suggests it takes about 11 days to travel from Egypt to the promised land. I choose to assume Job’s friends lived closer than Egypt. Friends tend to live near each other. I suspect they arrive at Job’s place within 10 days of the initial event (three days to get the notification, four days to prepare, and three days to travel). This assumption suggests a maximum of about 2 weeks from notification to arrival (why? Because they lived close to him).

We know Job’s three friends sat with Job in silence for 7 days. Then his friends conducted a debate with Job containing 9 discourses (see Job 3-27). After Job’s three friends ceased debating, Job speaks on a deeper level (Job 28-31). Finally, Elihu, a young man, arrived and spoke up (see Job 32-37). When Elihu ceased speaking, then God spoke. God first asked questions of Job (Job 38-41), and then He rebuked Job’s three friends. Overall, I estimate about 3-4 weeks for the debate (1 week of silence, 2-3 weeks of debate).

Given the first few days of notifications from the four messengers, the conversation with his wife, the notification and travel time for Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, and the debate, we find ourselves with about 6-8 weeks of time.

Let us pause to notice how Job responded to the Lord (Job 42:2-6) “I know that You can do everything, … You asked, ‘Who … hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. … I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. “

After the three friends left (implied in Job 42:9), God restored Job (implied in Job 42:10). Based on this analysis I suggest the timeline for the troubles of Job and the assorted conversations traversed a couple of months. I prefer to think the restoration (see Job 42) happened over a few years. The Bible simply does not say. But it helps me to understand the flow of events if I place the occurrences for most of the Book of Job into a window of a few months. You may hold a different opinion — I’m good with that. I do not think it would be fruitful to debate this topic much. I formed this opinion as a tool, a framework, to help me visualize the events unfolding as described in the book of Job.

The deeper truth from Job — When God allows us to suffer in any way, or for any length of time, we must remember that He has a purpose (implied in Romans 5:3-5). The absence of a timeline in the Book of Job helps us to avoid comparing the duration of our suffering to Job’s suffering. We are promised God will work all things for our ultimate good and His glory (implied in 1 Corinthians 10:13). Therefore, what matters most is not the length of suffering, or even the severity of our suffering, it is how we choose to embrace the suffering (implied in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7). Where do we turn for comfort and hope? When we turn to God in faith, our hearts change, and troubles eventually evaporate (implied in James 1:2-4). Then the desired effect of the unknown timeline may produce the outcome God intended (see Psalms 46:10).

I choose Jesus.