Commentary
14 Explore the Bible:
July 7, 2013
June 27, 2013
Bible Studies for Life:
Am I on the right path?
Changing our focus
Job. 33:13-22; 36:8-12
2 Samuel 7:8-17, 22-24; John 3:16, 14:6; Matthew 6:33; Hebrews 12:1-2
Have you ever struggled to hear cumstances are merely the consethe voice of God? This was an issue quences of sin and poor choices. At Job faced in the dark days recorded other times, the struggles we face are in that short but powerful account a type of divine discipline, an unof his life (Job 33:13-16). pleasant but necessary part of our In our day, we have so many triprocess of sanctification (Job 33:12). als and temptations. In those times, There’s an old song that puts it we have an ever-growing well: “Through it all, contingent of resources I’ve learned to depend at our disposal, includupon His Word.” ing family, friends, God is faithful to television, books, keep His promises. We magazines and the Inoften highlight Job’s paternet, just to name tience as if it is his only a few. Unfortunately, redeeming quality. The the abundance of availfact is Job knew in his able voices can lead to heart God would be Garrick D. Conner a type of spiritual and faithful. discipleship pastor emotional paralysis – God’s discipline is Park Hill Baptist especially when those often mistaken as punNorth Little Rock voices compete against ishment, when in fact, each other and fail to His discipline is proof find common ground. of the depth of His love for His chilSometimes we simply have troudren. Before administering discible hearing God’s voice, discerning pline, my parents used to say, “This God’s will and discovering God’s hurts me more than it hurts you.” chosen path for our lives. As hard You probably have similar memoas it is to hear, God often uses the ries. And if you’re like me, you redisappointments and painful expemember rolling your eyes and thinkriences of this life to shape us into ing sarcastically, “Sure it does.” the people He wants us to be (Job Perhaps the greatest story in this 33:17-22). There are certainly times Book is not the patience of Job, but when our struggles and painful cirthe persistence of a loving Father.
President John F. Kennedy once desire to build a house for God (2 said, “Ask not what your country Sam. 7:2). God responded with His can do for you – ask what you can promises, which included building do for your country.” a house for David (2 Sam. 7:11-16). At times, I’ve asked a similar quesAmazed, David received God’s tion: “What can I do for God?” blessings with humility and gratiI’ve tried to do the things I tude (2 Sam. 7:18-24). thought pleased God, God promises His but my good deeds spiritual inheritance to never seemed to be all Christ-followers. enough compared to “When you believed, the standards set before you were marked in him me. So, I began to seek with a seal, the promanswers to my question ised Holy Spirit, who is in God’s Word. a deposit guaranteeing When the disciples our inheritance until asked Jesus to show the redemption of those Karen Jordan them the way to heaven, who are God’s possesmember “Jesus answered, ‘I am sion – to the praise of Crossgate Church the way and the truth his glory” (Eph. 1:13-14). Hot Springs and the life. No one How can we respond comes to the Father to God’s blessings? except through me’” (John 14:6, God’s Word encourages us, “Seek NIV). first (God’s) kingdom and His righFocused on my religious activities, teousness” (Matt. 6:33). I overlooked the message of John “Therefore, since we are sur3:16: “For God so loved the world rounded by such a great cloud of that he gave his one and only Son, witnesses, let us throw off everything that whoever believes in him shall that hinders and the sin that so easily not perish but have eternal life.” entangles. And let us run with perseKing David also experienced a verance the race marked out for us, change of focus when he sought fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer spiritual counsel concerning his and perfecter of faith” (Heb. 12:1-2).
Explore the Bible:
July 14, 2013
Bible Studies for Life:
What am I supposed to learn?
Counting the cost
Job 38:1-4; 42:1-12a
2 Kings 17:7-20; Isaiah 44:22; Hebrews 3:16-19
It’s fairly easy to praise and follow including the God we claim to love God when things are going smooth– has turned completely against us. ly in life. However, every life has In such frustrating days, the chaltimes that are difficult, times that lenge is not to stop asking questions; are full of challenges and battles that the challenge is to ask good queswe would probably never choose for tions that pull us forward by faith, ourselves. questions that point When hard times us toward the reality of come, as they always God’s goodness and sovdo, we need to remain ereignty (Job 42:1-3). faithful to God, knowOne such question is, ing He is working out “What am I supposed His purposes (Phil. to learn?” It behooves 1:6). Questioning us to accept as truth the comes easy to us when fact that God sometimes things get tough. breaks through to His Garrick D. Conner “Why me, Lord?” people through life’s discipleship pastor “Why do bad things storms. It’s not His accesPark Hill Baptist happen to good peosibility to us that changes North Little Rock ple?” based on our circum“Haven’t I had stances; rather, it’s our enough problems for a while?” holy pursuit of Him that shifts. “Why do those who don’t know No matter what this life throws You seem to have a smoother life?” our way, we need to be faithful to Questioning God is not a bad listen to God, submit to God, interthing. After all, many of our quescede before God and rely on God tions are valid and logical. They evi(Job 42:10-12a). True, that’s easier dence a deep desire to understand said than done, but like Job, we the “why” at the root of our daily must realize the folly of putting God struggles. However, some of our on trial, and we must assume the questions can be extremely childish. best of Him – that He is good, faithIf we’re not careful, we can begin to ful and caring, even – no, especially sound whiny, as if the whole world – – when life is hard.
A fine mist hovered over the I acknowledged the difficult times lake near my home on my walk one during our journey, but I respondmorning. So, I took several photos ed, “We will always have hard times, of the serene scene to remember the whether we follow Christ or not. But moment. Afterward, I sat down to I’d rather have Him with me during consider what I sensed God was rethe hard times, wouldn’t you?” vealing to my heart. He agreed. In searching the Some people refuse Scriptures for the word to trade their lifestyles “mist.” I found this for a religion of rules promise: “I have swept and regulations. Many away your offenses like Christians get discoura cloud, your sins like aged and consider what the morning mist. Reit would be like to simply turn to me, for I have abandon their spiritual redeemed you” (Is. convictions and join the Karen Jordan 44:22). world’s ways. Some peomember At times, I lose sight ple in our churches grow Crossgate Church of the cost of disobediweary of the battle and Hot Springs ence. But the Bible return from their moral cords many examples and spiritual convictions. of what happens to God’s children But if we consider the lessons when they disobey Him. from the children of Israel, beginIn 2 Kings 17:7-20, “The Lord ning with their wilderness journey, was very angry with Israel, and He we will observe that most of them removed them from His presence” forfeited their Promised Land of (2 Kings 17:18). rest with their unbelief and disobeDuring a family crisis over two dience (Heb. 3:16-19). decades ago, my teenage son comSo, I choose to focus on God’s plained, “I don’t know if I want to promises and my blessings in Christ, follow Christ. Look at all you and especially His gift of forgiveness that Dad have gone through since you sweeps away my “sins like the mornfirst started following Him.” ing mist.”