Lifted

‎Sunday, ‎July ‎10, ‎2022

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day: Philippians 1:6

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Memory verse: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

Today's reading: JOB 41-42 ACTS 16:22-40

Lifted

Job had been right and his 'friends' were wrong. They had been there for days telling Job what a sinner he was and that he should repent. God spoke and told the four of them to make sacrifices and ask Job to pray for them for they were wrong. They all did as God instructed and the scripture then says, "He lifted Job"(from the interlinear).

God made them all 'get right' with Him and each other.

He made Job's friends make sacrifices for their sins to be made right with Him(God). God made them go to Job for prayer. Job had humbled himself before God and God favored Job, 'lifted him up' or 'restored Him'.

If it had been one of us, what would we have done if the four came to us for prayer after days of verbal abuse from them? Think long before you answer...

God lives in our hearts all the time. If this happened to a born-again believer, today, the Holy Spirit would have heard the whole thing.

As He has-many times-He has heard things in our lives from other folks to us-from us to other folks-He hears it all. Job said, "But now my eye sees You;

6 I abhor my self, And I repent in dust and ashes".(Job 42)

God restored Job when he repented. But what is different with us? Job said 'I see You'. It is the same as one of us saying, 'I realized, God, You were here.'

We cannot continue on trying to ignore the reality of God's presence in our lives.(Yes, I know some of you don't do this-that you are aware of God's gaze all the time-this is for those of us who try to ignore it.) We must do as Job did-confess our guilt and get on with God's work. God's work is forgiving and praying for those who think we are guilty-those who harshly judge us-we must not only forgive them but we must pray for them to be forgiven.(Forgive them-they don't know...remember?)

Be aware of God, get right, He will lift you up.

...because He loves us...

Father in Heaven,

Make me totally aware of Your presence. I want to be in the habit of immediately forgiving those who judge me and speak against me and be of the mind of Christ towards them. Forgive me...

Merciful God!

In the name of Jesus ,

Amen