Bible League: Living His Word "In the past I heard about you,but now I have seen you with my own eyes." Even though the Lord was proud of Job he allowed Satan to test him by taking away his wealth, children, and health (Job 1 and 2). Hearing about this, Job's friends came to visit him and comfort him. After the friends finished what they had to say and after Job responded to them, the Lord Himself spoke to Job. He spoke to Him from a whirlwind (Job 38:1). The words of our verse for today are a part of what Job said in response to the Lord's speech from the whirlwind. In the past Job had heard about the Lord. He probably heard about the Lord from his ancestors and any wise people he may have come in contact with. Job did not take this instruction as mere hearsay. He believed what he was told. He believed in the existence of the Lord, he trusted in the Lord, and he was obedient to the Lord. That's why the Lord bragged about him to Satan and that's why Satan wanted to test him and prove the Lord wrong (Job 1:8-12; Job 2:3-6). Job's whirlwind experience, however, was a whole new level of divine encounter. Instead of experiencing the Lord by hearing about Him, the Lord spoke to him personally. We should not assume that Job had a direct experience of the Lord Himself, even though he said "I have seen you with my own eyes," for no one can see the Lord directly and live (Exodus 33:20). Rather, he saw and heard the Lord indirectly through the whirlwind. Although we may never personally encounter the Lord in a whirlwind, the Lord still speaks to His people in personal ways. It could be anything. It could be a thought that pops into our mind. It could be an inner voice that we hear. It could be a dream or a vision. It could be a given set of circumstances. It could be any of a hundred other ways as well. The Lord spoke to Balaam through a donkey, Daniel through an angel, and the church father Augustine through a child. The Lord seems to show no partiality when it comes to the selection of the creaturely for use as vehicles of personal revelation. Don't be surprised, then, if the Lord sends a personal word to you. Don't be surprised if one of His creatures bears a personal word that is exactly what you need to hear. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEzekiel 10, 11, 12 Ezekiel 10 -- Vision of God's Glory Departing from the Temple NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 11 -- Evil Rulers to Be Judged; Israel's Promised Return NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Ezekiel 12 -- Ezekiel Fears for Exile NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Hebrews 11:1-19 Hebrews 11 -- Hall of Fame of Faith NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we instructed you before. Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.Insight There is more to Christian living than simply loving other Christians. We must be responsible in all areas of life. Some of the Thessalonian Christians had adopted a life of idleness, depending on others for handouts. Some Greeks looked down on manual labor. So Paul told the Thessalonians to work hard and live a quiet life. Challenge You can't be effective in sharing your faith with others if they don't respect you. Whatever you do, do it faithfully and be a positive force in society. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 68:28 Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has wrought in us. It is because of their neglect in this, that many Christians may blame themselves for those trials and afflictions of spirit which arise from unbelief. It is true that Satan seeks to flood the fair garden of the heart and make it a scene of desolation, but it is also true that many Christians leave open the sluice-gates themselves, and let in the dreadful deluge through carelessness and want of prayer to their strong Helper. We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Preserver of it also. The lamp which was burning in the temple was never allowed to go out, but it had to be daily replenished with fresh oil; in like manner, our faith can only live by being sustained with the oil of grace, and we can only obtain this from God himself. Foolish virgins we shall prove, if we do not secure the needed sustenance for our lamps. He who built the world upholds it, or it would fall in one tremendous crash; he who made us Christians must maintain us by his Spirit, or our ruin will be speedy and final. Let us, then, evening by evening, go to our Lord for the grace and strength we need. We have a strong argument to plead, for it is his own work of grace which we ask him to strengthen--"that which thou hast wrought for us." Think you he will fail to protect and sustain that? Only let your faith take hold of his strength, and all the powers of darkness, led on by the master fiend of hell, cannot cast a cloud or shadow over your joy and peace. Why faint when you may be strong? Why suffer defeat when you may conquer? Oh! take your wavering faith and drooping graces to him who can revive and replenish them, and earnestly pray, "Strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us." Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.1 Kings 5:17 Then the king commanded, and they quarried great stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with cut stones. 1 Kings 6:7 The house, while it was being built, was built of stone prepared at the quarry, and there was neither hammer nor axe nor any iron tool heard in the house while it was being built. 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:20-22 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, • in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, • in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. 1 Peter 2:10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. 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