But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. 

—Job 23:10

Scripture:

Job 23:10 

“Why?” is a very popular question among God’s people. King David asked why his son rebelled against him and why the people of Israel stopped supporting him. Elijah asked why he was the only remaining prophet to stand for God. Jeremiah asked why he was suffering so much for doing what God had called him to do. Jesus Himself asked why God had forsaken Him.

But no one is more closely associated with the question “Why?” than Job. And for good reason. Job was a righteous man who savored God’s blessings in his life. Those blessings included a loving family and great wealth. Then, in quick succession, thieves plundered his livestock. Fire destroyed his servants and his possessions, leaving him with nothing. A house collapse killed his children. Boils broke out all over his body, leaving him in constant, excruciating pain.

His friends told him that he was to blame for his suffering, that he was facing divine retribution for sin. His wife told him to curse God and die.

Job sincerely believed that his suffering had nothing to do with divine retribution. He wasn’t being punished for anything. But that belief raised some serious questions. Questions that a lot of God’s people ask when they’re faced with trials and suffering. Questions that start with “Why?”

Job put it this way: “If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court. I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me” (Job 23:3–5 NLT).

The answer that Job received may or may not have satisfied him. And that brings us to a hard truth of the Christian faith: God doesn’t work His will for our ultimate comfort, security, or benefit. He works His will for His glory. He wants His people to recognize who He is and what He’s done—and then to worship and give thanks accordingly. That’s what we were created to do. That’s what puts us in perfect alignment with Him. That’s what gives us a soul-deep sense of fulfillment and joy.

To accomplish that, God occasionally puts us in situations from which only He can deliver us. He allows circumstances to test us so that we will draw closer to Him and rely on His resources alone to “survive and thrive.”

That way, we can’t “thank our lucky stars” or compliment ourselves on our own cleverness or resourcefulness. Rather, we must say, “Only God could have done this.” God clearly says in Scripture that He will not give His glory to another (see Isaiah 42:8).

Job honestly admitted his struggles and his need for answers. Then he added what would become a classic statement of faith: “But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (Job 23:10 NLT). Job was saying, “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know why God has allowed these things to happen. But I know this: When I am tested, my faith will become purer and more precious.”

That was God’s objective for Job. And it’s His objective for us, too.

Reflection Question: How can you “come out pure as gold” from a struggle you’re facing right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 

—Matthew 23:12

Scripture:

Matthew 23:12 

A woman strolling on a beach noticed a man catching crabs. Every time he caught one, he placed it in an open bucket.

“Don’t you need a lid on that bucket?” the woman asked.

“No,” the man replied, “they can’t get out.”

“Why not?” the woman asked. “The bucket isn’t that big.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” the man explained. “Whenever one crab tries to go over the side, the others reach up and pull it back down again.”

Sounds like human behavior, doesn’t it? There are many people who don’t like to see others reach for the top. When a person begins to climb, they think, “How dare you succeed? How dare you do better than me? How dare you get that promotion? How dare you get that attention? How dare you do well when I’m not doing just as well? You get back down here with me!”

Envy and jealousy are sure signs of misplaced priorities. They spring from a me-first attitude like the kind Jesus was talking about when He said, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12 NLT).

It’s been said that envy shoots at another and wounds itself. And it’s hard to deny the truth in that. Left unchecked, envy and jealousy can eat us up inside.

Proverbs 14:30 warns, “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones” (NLT).

James 3:16 says, “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (NLT).

And Galatians 5:26 warns, “Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another” (NLT).

What’s more, envy causes us to take our eyes off what God has done for us. If we pay too close attention to the good things in other people’s lives, we’re not paying close enough attention to the blessings in our own lives. And we miss the opportunity to give thanks and grow closer to the One who gave them.

The best way to deal with envy is to recognize it as sin and repent of it. We may try to rationalize our jealousy, but we need to realize that it’s wrong and ask God to forgive us. God wants us to put the needs of others above our own, to love one another, and to care for one another. These are essential aspects of our Christian faith.

Instead of worrying about what other people have, let’s be thankful that we’re even drawing breath in our lungs. That in itself is a gift from God. And if God lifts us to an exalted position, then that’s His grace. If He lifts someone else, that also is His grace. None of us deserve it; it’s all the grace of God. Our responsibility is to be faithful to what God has called us to do.

Reflection Question: How can you keep envy from getting a foothold in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master. 

—Genesis 4:7

Scripture:

Genesis 4:7 

Years ago, my son Christopher was lying out in the sun at our house when he woke up to find a huge gopher snake, coiled up and hissing at him, poised to strike. It must have been six or seven feet long. Terrified, he ran into the house and shut the door behind him.

His experience reminds me of a hard truth about the Christian life. Like that gopher snake, sin is poised to strike—usually when we least expect it. And it’s been that way since the very beginning.

When Cain saw that the Lord accepted Abel’s offering but not his, he was angry. So, God gave him a warning. He essentially told Cain what was going to happen to him if he didn’t get himself under control: “You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master” (Genesis 4:7 NLT). The passage portrays sin as a dangerous wild animal, always ready to pounce.

The apostle Peter used similar imagery in his description of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8: “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (NLT). And while the imagery is certainly sobering, we need to keep these words of Scripture in proper perspective. It’s not so much an emergency broadcast warning as it is a word to the wise. Peter doesn’t tell us to panic, hide, or be afraid. He tells us to be alert.

Our enemy isn’t all-powerful, but he is always watchful. He looks for opportunities to make us stumble, to make us doubt, to make us lose sight of the path God would have us travel. He attacks us when we’re weak—physically, emotionally, mentally, relationally. He also attacks us when we seem to be strong, after a spiritual victory or a “mountaintop” experience. In good times and bad, he keeps sin crouched at our door, ready to pounce.

But we need not fear. As the psalmist wrote, “The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17 NLT).

So, the next time sin comes knocking at your door, you might say, “Lord, would You mind getting that? I’m going to stand in Your strength. I’m going to trust in You. You are the only one who can give me the strength to overpower sin.” If we will master sin, then we must first be mastered by Him who mastered it.

Reflection Question: What types of sin often crouch at your door, poised to strike? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie