(For those of you not participating in the Chronological Bible reading with Wendy Pope, please visit my other blog, “Pondering In His Presence”. Thank you.)
FROM JOY: Ladies, I am so sorry. I am having continual computer issues. I may have to send this 'baby' away for repair. It's just so frustrating. Something that was taking me just over an hour, is now taking well over two hours at the very least. If I go "missing", I trust you will understand.
Wendy recorded a video last week in her favourite room with her Jesus chair. Today she is recording the video in one of her least favourite places and that is near her treadmill. She committed at the beginning of the year to take better care of her temple and she has given up one of her favourite things to drink and that’s Dr. Pepper, along with some other things and she is also exercising 5 times a week, 30 minutes a day. She uses weights. She doesn’t really sweat, but she gets a healthy glow. She is feeling so much better and seeing evidence of her physical workout. She is also seeing evidence of her spiritual workout.
Her first teaching today comes from Job 9:33. Job responds to Bildad and says, “If only there was a mediator between us, someone who could bring us together." Wendy loved that because we have a mediator who brings us together with God, and that is the Holy Spirit.
Her main teaching starts at Job 8:11. "Can papyrus reeds grow tall without a marsh? Can marsh grass flourish without water? While they are still flowering, not ready to be cut, they begin to wither more quickly than grass." He compares that to this. “The same happens to all who forget God." This suggests people who had a prior knowledge of God. Someone who forgot God. "The hopes of the godless evaporate."
Wendy looked up “forget” and it means ignore, cease to care. She said it's hard to imagine herself ever ignoring or ceasing to care for God. There have been times she has put her fingers in her ears and sang "la la la la la" so that she doesn’t hear what He has to say because she doesn’t necessarily want to do what He is asking, but to totally ignore that God is there and to cease to care about your relationship with God or who He is, is hard for Wendy to fathom. How can we choose to do that if we at one time had a relationship with God. Bildab breaks down what happens to the person who forgets about God. Their hope vanishes, disappears, evaporates, perishes, goes away, alters, all hope is gone when you ignore or no longer care about God. "Their confidence hangs by a thread." A thread is thin and fragile. The person who forgets God doesn’t have confidence to sometimes even get out of bed maybe or even utter words at all. It also says they lean "on a spider’s web." A spider’s web is fragile. Their life is fragile. The person who forgets God has a fragile life. "They cling to their home for security, but it won’t last. They try to hold it tight, but it will not endure." This person who has ceased to care about God believes that material things can bring hope and joy, but they discover these things cannot endure. Silver and gold rust and fade. It’s a bleak picture of what happens to someone who forgets God.
Over in Job 11:13 we see the treatment for someone who has ignored God temporarily. This is Zophar’s first response. Wendy loves “if/then” statements. If the person who has forgotten God (and they are assuming Job has done this, that he has forgotten God), "If only you would prepare your heart and lift up your hands to him in prayer! (Did you notice the exclamation mark?) “Get rid of your sins, and leave all iniquity behind you." (In other words, repent.) Then your face will brighten with innocence.” Wendy wants a bright face. “You will be strong and free of fear.” You don’t have to hold on to material things or grab that fragile spider web. Instead of forgetting God, "You will forget your misery; it will be like water flowing away. (Wendy likened it to a stream taking your misery away.) "Your life will be brighter than the noonday. Even darkness will be as bright as morning. Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety. You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help.” Why? Because you have a confidence about you. You are happy. You will have a brightness about you and people will be attracted to you.
Let’s let this be us today. Let’s decide it. Me and you. Let’s make a difference wherever we go.
(All thoughts transcribed from Wendy's blog to aid those whose computers are not capatible to view these videos.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Why is when we really need to use a computer, it acts up. It is very frustrating. Just do what you have to do, Joy. Thanks for today's transcription.
Jan TN
I hope your computer gets straightened out. I had a terrible virus on mine, and ended up without one for three weeks while it was being repaired!
Joy, thanks for all the work you are doing here. It is very appreciated.
Gaylene
Post a Comment