A Recommitment to Things That Matter │ Msg 14/22

0:01 You'll remember we are in Job and I'd like to read a few selected sections from the 27th and 28th chapters of Job. Great book of wisdom, mysterious book in many ways, leaves us hanging, this good man with such dreadful events that capsized his world and it absolutely ruined his family life as his 10 children were taken. He was left with his wife, who herself became disillusioned and full of grief, and then with three friends to begin with who gave him more of their mind than they could afford to lose. And then once they were silenced, it's like an interlude. When you get to chapter 27, it's like a little interlude where he has time to think for himself. And this goes through chapter 31.

1:00 And then a fourth friend comes on the scene named Elihu, who again delivers what's on his mind. But I want to read just a few verses from Job 27 during this interlude, and then 28. Verse 1 of Job 27. Then Job continued his discourse and said, As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the almighty who has embittered my soul for as long as life is in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils, my lips certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit. Far be it from me that I should declare you right. Till I die, I will not put away my integrity from me. Verse 11, I will instruct you in the power of God.

1:58 What is with the Almighty I will not conceal. Behold, all of you have seen it. Why then do you act foolishly? Across the page, chapter 28, verse 1, surely there is a mine for silver and a place where they refine gold. Iron is taken from the dust and copper is smelted from rock. Man puts an end to darkness and to the farthest limit, he searches out the rock in gloom and deep shadow. Verse 5, the earth. From it comes food and underneath it is turned up as fire. Its rocks are the source of sapphires and its dust contains gold. the path no bird of prey knows nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it and to find out what it refers to verse 12 wisdom but where can wisdom be found where is the place of understanding man does not know its value nor is it found in the land of the living the deep says it is not in me and the sea says it is not with me verse 20 where then does wisdom come from and where is the place of understanding verse 28 and to man he said behold the fear of the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.

3:44 Well, we'll need to concentrate. We'll need to think Job's thoughts, who is thinking God's thoughts, as we pour over these pages of God's inerrant word together. But before that, we further continue our worship for a time of prayer. And will you bow, please, before this time of offering of our gifts to God? It's a great moment for you to offer your needs And you know them specifically So you can best represent them Our needs are numerous, our Father. The list seems endless as one week unfolds following another this year. Your hand has been gracious upon us, full of mercy and kindness, goodness.

4:41 Thank you for being the shepherd who leads his sheep. Thank you for not leaving us in the lurch. Thank you for preserving us and protecting us. Still in the midst of a war, so sinister and deceptive, we don't know what corner it may come from next. But we do not fear. Our sovereign God is in full control. Nothing is therefore out of control. Do protect those who help protect us. do give guidance to those who make decisions for us.

5:24 Stand near and dear to those who proclaim your truth today, to those who are so in need of the light as we find our world that has lost its way plunged into deepest darkness. guide us well our father make it clear so that we'll not miss your ways for each of these parents who stood today and gave their children to the lord we who are parents do the same sitting where we sit for some the children have just come for others they are underway in their schooling growing up others find themselves with grown children, and our needs differ from when they were younger. Meet those needs, Lord. Watch over our offspring. Guide them as you guide us. Help them in their decisions, in their choice of friends, in the things that they do. Protect them from harm.

6:34 Lord, we're learning a new perspective about suffering. We're learning to respect it. rather than to shun it. We're discovering that lessons are taught through it, rather than your abandoning us in the midst of it. Thank you for the lessons to be learned, even from these serious writings in the midst of the book of Job. May we hear you well, and more importantly, may we respond in obedience. as we become aware today of some of the priorities worth our time and attention. Now, our Father, we give to you from what you have entrusted to us. You've given us energy for our work. You've provided us with an occupation. You have allowed us to earn a wage. None of it is from ourselves.

7:30 the very breath in our nostrils as we have read is the breath of God thank you for our work and for providing for our needs be honored in our giving not just the gift but the motive behind it our shepherd we pray it in the one who knows all about us and we do so with great desire to glorify your name as we continue our worship together. For Jesus' sake, we ask this. Everyone said.

8:07 Suffering helps us straighten out our priorities. Interestingly, the deeper the pain, often the clearer the vision. And the more crisp are the priorities that come as a result of our hurting. On the first anniversary of 9-11, you, like I, read various testimonies of real people who were touched in a real way by that very real series of atrocities. One surviving New York cop said, as a result of the atrocities, I no longer take our liberty for granted. a middle-aged widow whose husband was killed in the World Trade Center was quoted as saying, I now hug my children and always tell them I love them every morning and every night before we go to bed.

9:08 One 48-year-old stockbroker admitted, I've decided to hold my business and my career much more loosely and my family and friends have become much more important. By the way, he lost several friends and many clients on 9-11. Suffering helps us straighten out our priorities.

9:38 Pastor John Piper has written a book recently that I have come across. It's a book to fellow pastors. It's called Brothers, We Are Not Professionals. I love the title. In it, he talks about suffering. I quote, sometimes massive suffering comes so close to home that for a brief season, the fog of our foolish security clears.

10:06 And we can see the sheer precipice of eternity one step away. he adds those are good times for pastoral realism oh how hollow much of our lives and ministry seem in those moments the last thing we regret then is being less professional I think the same is true in the business world. I cannot recall ever hearing one once successful professional person now struggling with cancer,

10:49 saying while lying on the bed, I wish I'd spent more time at the office. If Job could speak today, I think he would verify all of this. Stop and remember, once his children were taken in that freak tornado and his business went belly up as a result of a cataclysmic series of events and his health went south,

11:23 covering his body with boils and a fever rose to dangerous levels. we never hear Job lamenting his missing the turn of a deal or longing for a fat contract that would enlarge his camel caravan business. Never once. You don't think about that when you're where Job was. Suffering helps us straighten out our priorities. therefore I am now convinced suffering is not an enemy it is a friend not until we embrace it as such will we glean its benefits I think by now Job has begun to grasp some of the benefits Thank you.

12:26 I think he now has been brought back to the things that he can recommit himself to interestingly it didn't begin to happen until his friends stopped talking they showed up, they blamed, they, if you will, even spoke sarcastically with ridicule. They pointed fingers, they lectured, they unloaded a portion of their mind they couldn't afford to lose. And by the time they finally were quiet, it all began to distill in Job's mind to the point where he, in this little interlude, began to put things together. I am learning in my years on this earth that one of the benefits of getting sick or going through times of suffering is that your focus is automatically vertical because you have to lie down horizontal.

13:40 Charles Spurgeon, the great pulpiteer of London for so many years, was a flashpoint of controversy. And the newspapers and the periodicals took him on full bore. Normally, he could hold his own, but there was one occasion when it began to get the best of him. All of us have our breaking point. His wife noticed a depression that was beginning to come over him. She became concerned for him that he not lose his zeal and not miss the opportunities that were his even while going through such hard times. And so she pulled from a portion of the Beatitudes, the section that reads, blessed are you when all people say all manner of evil against you. Bless and curse not.

14:36 Great will be your reward. And she wrote it out in hand, by hand, on a large piece of paper, and she taped it on the ceiling of their bedroom. And he turned over in the morning, woke up, blinked his eyes and read, blessed are you. He really focused vertically on what God was saying. I think that's such a wonderful, wonderful idea. When we are flat on our back, the only way to look is up. and he stopped licking his wounds, and like Job, he began to be preoccupied with thoughts of God. For example, as you get into chapter 27 of Job, you will notice in the first 13 verses, no less than 10 times he refers to the name of God.

15:36 verse 2 as God lives who has taken away my right and the almighty verse 3 as long as life is in me and the breath of God in is in my nostrils verse 8 what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off when God requires his life will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him will he take delight in the almighty? Another reference. Will he call on God? Verse 11, I will instruct you in the power of God. What is with the almighty I will not conceal. Again in verse 13, this is the portion of a wicked man from God and the inheritance which tyrants receive from the almighty. It is God. It is the Almighty. It is the Lord. It is God over and over and over again.

16:35 I count no less than 10 references in those first 13 verses, which gives me the first of five priorities that I think are worth remembering. Job's priorities as of this point in his life. thinking god's thoughts is our highest goal thinking god's thoughts is our highest goal i've sometime referred to this as thinking theologically thinking biblically that's why i'm such a proponent of scripture memory you can never think more acutely God's thoughts than when you quote back to him or to life situations God's word. A.W. Tozer put it very wisely, what comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

17:32 what do you think about when you think about God? I remember as a little boy thinking of God as the north wind, beard, cheeks puffed out, blowing the wind, because that's what I saw on the old maps, the ancient maps that showed this presence blowing the wind of the sails of the ship and whatever.

18:05 Cynthia and I know a friend who lives in China, and he sent us an email this past week. Because of his love for the Lord, I wasn't surprised to hear him say, as he described things getting a little bit darker and a little more uneasy there, he adds, but we are not at all afraid. in so many words he writes my confidence in the sovereign hand of god keeps me from being afraid what you think about god tells others a great deal about you what do you think about god do you see him as the one who gives breath in your nostrils the very giver of life do you see him as the one who will call all into judgment someday? Do you see him as the almighty? Do you acknowledge his power is greater than any power that you would ever witness on this earth?

19:12 Makes all the difference in the world in how you view life. Think of Job's situation. He is bankrupt. He is childless. He is friendless. His body is covered with boils. He's living with a high fever, intense pain. He is misunderstood. He is blamed. He is rejected. How in the world does he go on? His view of God keeps him going and not what others are telling him. He recommits himself to things that matter. In a swirl of humanistic thinking, which he is given by the three friends, Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar. He's turned that off and he is now focused on the things of God. I love that kind of thinking. In fact, he says, because he is so focused, he will not pad the record. He will not speak deceitfully. He will not tell them what is not true. That brings us to the second. Go back to verse three. As long as life is in me and the breath of God is in my nostrils, my lip certainly will not speak unjustly, nor will my tongue mutter deceit. Far be it from me that I should declare you right. Till I die, I will not put away my integrity from me. Second priority, walking in integrity is the only way to live.

20:39 the first thinking god's thoughts is our highest goal the second walking in integrity is the only way to live he won't skate he won't fake it he won't deceive them he will not lie he will tell them the truth one of the most refreshing and reassuring kind of people to meet are those who have gained control of their tongues you meet one about every decade it's the last thing that seems to get under control I think it's the strongest muscle in our body I had a physician talk to me after the first service and he said by the way don't be hesitant in saying that anatomically it's true the muscle makeup of the tongue makes it the strongest muscle in the body the muscles work and he described it for me medically and then he said but the muscles of the tongue work altogether differently most likely is anatomically the strongest muscle in the body.

21:41 I had reference to obviously the verbal part of it, but he said, no, anatomically, it's the strongest. You got a strong muscle in your mouth. And so do I. Therefore, he says, verse four, my lips will be lips of integrity. I will not speak unjustly. My tongue will not mutter deceit. I will talk truth. Far be it from me that I should declare you right because I believe you are wrong. And for me to call wrong right is not the good use of my tongue. It's not integrity. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let go. My heart does not reproach any of my days. What a way to live, huh? What a remarkable way to live.

22:31 You get to the third priority when you get down to verse 13 to the end of this chapter. And it's a bit of a relief, by the way. Somewhere in the middle of this chapter, Job changes the subject and moves toward the subject of the wicked. he leaves his testimony and he begins to talk about the wicked verse 12 behold all of you have seen it why then do you act foolishly this is the portion of a wicked man from god and the inheritance which tyrants receive from the almighty though his sons are many meaning the sons of a tyrant they are destined for the sword his descendants will not be satisfied with bread his survivors will be buried because of the plague their widows will not be able to weep though he piles up silver like dust it's the picture of the wealthy of the of the wicked getting wealthy though they he piles up silver like dust and prepares garments as plentiful as the clay he may prepare it but the just will wear it isn't that a great line he may wind up with more clothes in his closet, but he'll have to will them to us. The righteous will wind up getting them.

23:44 The old nonsense that's framed around license plates, he who dies with the most toys wins. Wrong. He who dies with the most toys passes them off to the righteous, and the righteous get to enjoy them. In fact, look at how he describes the house. He has built his house like the spider's web, or as the hut which the watchman has made. You ever notice how spiders build their webs in the flimsiest of places. And all you've got to do is walk through them and you tear down their house. Now we've got the most diligent spider in North Dallas at our home. In front of our house, he builds that house every day. In fact, when we walk through the web in the morning, you get it on your mouth and you get it on your ears. And Cynthia now says, did you walk through the web today? We came in last night, walked through the web. He now builds it during the day and we come back in. I want to meet that guy someday.

24:38 he builds, he builds this house all over the place and you walk right there. It's just as flimsy as a spider's web. What's Job saying? What's the third priority? Realizing that wrong will ultimately, will not ultimately triumph. Realizing that wrong will not ultimately triumph brings us a sense of justice. What a relief that is that the wicked are building houses of a spider's web. Verse 19, he lies down rich but never again. He opens his eyes and it is no more. I love the proverb that says, won't you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings. They fly away as an eagle toward heaven. There go the riches. So it is with the wicked.

25:35 You say, what do you mean a wicked? Mine flew away in the last couple of years as well. Riches don't hang around, do they? And when the wicked get rich, he says, they will not ultimately triumph. Rest assured, God knows. God keeps the right record. He knows what he's about. He knows who is righteous and who is wicked. He's keeping the score. It's easy for that to get confused if you watch too much CNN. Okay, let me just say it. Be very discerning what you watch and what you read. Be very sure that the source is reliable. There are still some very straight-thinking people inside the beltway. Not a lot of them, but there are still some who are still thinking straight. It's a pleasure at times to hear from some. Reminds me that the wicked will not ultimately triumph. I got an email from Gary Bauer this past week. I'll tell you, Gary is a straight-thinking guy. Allow me. It is hard to believe that one year has passed since the vicious attacks on our country by radical Islamists in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. The word tragedy is being repeated endlessly today, but it is the wrong word to describe the events of that day. This was not a misfortune or a turn of fate. It was a deliberate act of war that intentionally targeted Americans for death. For those who are politically correct, it was the ultimate hate crime. The 19 hijackers on September 11th and the hundreds of others who helped implement the plan were not the products of injustice or poverty. Their acts cannot be excused by any failure of American foreign policy. They are the product of a radical vision of Islam that believes their

27:41 faith is to be spread by the sword and that America and Israel, Jews and Christians must be destroyed. This radical Islamist vision is what explains the joy expressed by some Palestinian mothers when they are told their teenage sons strapped explosive belts around their chests, packed with chards of glass and nails, and died killing Jews at Passover dinners or in crowded cafes. It is what motivates the kidnappers of Daniel Pearl, who was tormented on videotape, forced to say, I am a Jew, and decapitated. It is what leads the Islamic government of Sudan to kill millions of African Christians in a genocide that much of the world, including too many religious leaders of the United States has chosen to ignore. It is why Christian churches in Pakistan have been invaded by hand grenade throwing thugs and why Christian villages in Indonesia and Nigeria have been attacked by Islamic mobs. And it is why jets are flying shotgun today over Washington DC and New York City and shipping containers coming into our country are being checked for dirty nuclear bombs or biological agents. The followers of radical Islam want to kill more of us. They want to see America destroyed. They feel no compassion.

29:21 They cannot be reasoned with. They are planning even now the darkest of shadows, in the darkest of shadows, to strike again. That is the reality of the world we now live in and what we must keep at the center of our thinking if we are to win this war and win we must. America is imperfect. All nations are in this fallen world, but America has been and still remains a beacon of hope for people around the world yearning to be free. Our impulses are decent and good. Our army has not marched through the years for conquest. It has marched to break the chains of Nazism and communism to make other people free. We have taught our defeated enemies the essence of democracy, rebuilt their countries, and welcomed them into the family of free nations. Now we are being tested again. May God give us the moral courage and the depth of character to defend our nation and civilization against the barbarians at the gate. Straight thinking.

30:23 you won't read it in most newspapers or the periodicals that you and i take that come to our home every week or see it on your basic television newscasts that's too extreme no that's straight thinking in a world that's gotten foggy and fuzzy it's important to think straight. Why am I yelling? I thought the other day when I was walking by my son's office and he was playing a tape of one of my messages, and I thought, let me get this door shut. And I thought, I am starting to sound more like my daddy every day. I remember looking at my dad thinking, get a life, dad, come on. You know what I think?

31:19 I think I've begun to see things clearer than I've ever seen them. in my life. I don't say that out of pride. I say that out of enormous gratitude. And I find myself wrong about something every day. It doesn't mean I'm always right. But on this subject, I'm right. This is right. This is right. Ladies and gentlemen, listen. It is merely a spider's web, albeit that spider bites. It's ugly. And the webs are numerous. But the great priority is that I realize that wrong will not ultimately triumph, that in the end, God wins. and the mystery as it begins to unfold and truth begins to emerge, we will realize his plan is right.

32:22 James Russell Lowell put it so well, truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne. Stay on the scaffold. Keep thinking straight. keep forming priorities from the word of God spend less time in the papers and more time in the scriptures let God give you your agenda and help you think through how to interpret the events of our times Job now has begun to see it and that leads him then to a subject that has been in the back of his mind perhaps since the bottom dropped out of his life. And that's the subject of wisdom. Wisdom. So he begins to write in chapter 28, albeit poetically.

33:17 So engineers, you won't enjoy it. I know he'll spend 14 verses coming to the point, but try your best to tolerate it, okay? This is beautiful writing and he's building to a climax of a question. He just goes about it in a poetic way. And it's leading him toward his fourth priority. Surely there is a mine for silver. And surely there is a place where they refine gold. And we've seen both. We know of both. Iron is taken from the dust and copper is smelted from the rock. Man puts an end to darkness and to the farthest limit. He searches out the rock in gloom and deep shadow. Describes him sinking shafts, verse 4. And from the earth there's food above and there's fire below.

34:13 And the rocks, verse 6, are the source of sapphires. This is beautiful poetry. The dust contains gold. The path no bird of prey knows. Nor has the falcon's eye caught sight of it. That's the first hint. He's looking for something. It's wisdom. It's not in the earth. It's not in the ore. It's not in the copper. It's not in the gold. It's not in the skies. The falcon hasn't seen it as high as he may fly. He continues, the proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the fierce lion passed over it. It's not out in the field where the beasts live. He puts his hand on the flint. He overturns the mountains at the base. He hews out channels. This is man at work on this earth. He hews out channels through the rocks. His eye sees anything precious. He dams up the streams from flowing and what is hidden he brings out to the light. But where is wisdom? Where can wisdom be found and where is the place of understanding man does not know its value nor is it found in the land of the living the deep says it's not with me the sea answers it is not with me even pure gold cannot be given in exchange for it look at what he's saying dig into the earth you'll find precious metal but you won't find wisdom probe into the outer spaces and the Mysteries will unfold, but you won't find wisdom.

35:49 Study nature's wonders and all that this earth holds for you, and it will be exciting discoveries, but you won't find wisdom. this assures us that as helpful as an education is, or reading widely, or traveling broadly, or being mentored by the brightest, none of that will give you wisdom, not found in textbooks, not found in discoveries, not found in inventions, not found in anyone else's mind. Priority four, seeking wisdom through human effort is a waste of time. Here we go. it is a waste of time.

36:34 By the way, it's a good time to stop and just give you the simple definition of wisdom. The word is used often in the wisdom literature, of course, and need to define it on occasion. Wisdom, I believe, is looking at life from God's point of view. Looking at life as God sees it. That's why it's so valuable to think God's thoughts after him. You look at children as God looks at it. You look at child rearing as God considers child rearing. You look at family as God looks at it. You interpret events as God would interpret them. You see the long view. You see the truth that is in even the midst of the lies. You see beyond the lie to what is really the truth is what I'm trying to say.

37:20 So that's wisdom. Looking at life from God's point of view. Understanding is responding to life's challenges as God would have us respond. Not in panic. Not in confusion. Not losing our way. Not giving up those things that are invaluable to us and the principles of integrity. We respond to life's challenges as God would have us respond. We trust him. We believe in him. Like our friend in China, we refuse to be afraid. We don't operate our lives according to human impulses.

38:01 As we'll read in this very chapter, God determines the length of our days. So you don't have to be afraid of dying. Just be glad he doesn't tell you way ahead of time. So you spend all your days wondering what it's going to be like. You don't know. I mean, he waits till the last second and then you're gone. So you don't have to worry about it. You can get a great night's sleep and then die that next morning. And you would have never gotten a good sleep if you'd have known that next morning you're going to die. So he doesn't tell you about it. He has it determined. He doesn't go, he died. That's not the way he responds. He has you living and he then takes you from this earth, some in their 30s, some in their 40s, some in their 60s, some in their 90s. And it's God's calling so you can take that plane ride. you you can live your life you can open your blinds and unlock your door and walk out into the sunlight and you can live your life engaged in people's lives and you don't have to worry about some sinister force around every corner god's in charge what a great way to live you say chuck that sounds almost haphazard well so be it haphazard go after it you're you're trusting in a sovereign god you're not worried about it i mean i have people that sit next to me on a plane they're going through their beads relax relax it's okay well I had one lady I'd never met her much she said would you hold my hand I said yeah that's fine you know I looked around made sure there wasn't some charter member in the church sitting there.

39:48 I held her hand. I thought she was going to squeeze the blood out of it. It's like, I just always hate the takeoffs. And I said, you know, it's going to be okay. Well, I'll talk to you in a minute. Wait a minute. I thought, lady, get a shot, you know. It's okay. We took off. She goes, oh. I say we really helped take off didn't we? She said well, that isn't very funny. She said I'm back there, you know trying to keep the thing going relax Yeah, we got a great God and when he says it's over it's over. That's all no big deal life goes on That's how God wants us to look at life Otherwise, we're not worth a toot. We're spending all our time. We're I go down to the store and there's going to be a terrorist at the store. There probably won't be, not the stores I go to.

40:46 It'll just be the same old dull groceries. They'll be there. Just go do it. Relax. Relax. I don't get wisdom from people that grip my hand on an airplane or feed me all the fierce stuff. Does that mean I don't prepare? Of course it doesn't. I love the old American revolutionary comment, trust in God, but keep your powder dry. You know, keep your gun loaded. I'm getting really weird in this age of my life. Do I care? I do not care. Anyway, back to verse 20. Where then does, no, don't applaud. I'll be way out of control if you do that.

41:37 Verse 20. Where then does wisdom come from, and where is the place of understanding? That's the question. Not where does opinion come from. I gave you 50 sources. Most of them aren't worth listening to. But where does wisdom come from? where does the place of understanding? Verse 23, God understands its way. He knows its place. He looks to the ends of the earth. He sees everything under the heavens. Is that great or what? We see a little tiny, like looking through a toilet paper roll. Not that big. That's about all we see. I probably could have used another illustration, but you know what I'm talking about. It's about all we see. God has it all, has it all see. He sees it all.

42:31 and he isn't panicked it's running its course exactly as he planned it and his grace washes over all of us it's a wonderful way to live verse 26 he's the one that sets the limit for the rain and course of the thunderbolt he saw it and declared it established it and searched it out and to man he said behold the fear of the lord wisdom. Wow. You can get four PhDs and never get that taught to you. Even in the finest of universities, there's no course on the fear of the Lord. But you will rise in the morning with this awesome respect for God and this hatred for sin and it's amazing how you'll be able to see life as he wants you to see it and respond as he would have you respond.

43:36 begins with the fear of God. I mean, God says it. And to depart from evil is understanding. Fifth priority. Cultivating a healthy and holy fear of the Lord. gives us wisdom and understanding. There is a man in our congregation who has recently had brain surgery. The tumor in the frontal part of the brain of the cranium was pushing his brain back and taking his memory, and it was growing. And I, because we're friends, I saw him at the hospital recently.

44:34 And he had this scar from his ear on one side across the top of his head to his ear on the other side. All with brads closing up the incision where they went into it and took it all. And he's doing great. And he's laying there on the bed. And I walk in. He breaks into a smile.

45:00 And I realized that my going was a different reason than I thought. Because in going, I got wisdom, a touch of wisdom. He didn't get any from me. I got it from him. he spoke of the Lord from almost the moment we started our conversation to the end after about 15 minutes and I was gone I mean it was just the Lord and God and the Lord I mean it was the most natural kind of flow of conversation as he spoke of I mean it had been in his brain and had taken that tumor out and just yesterday while thinking about the wrap up I came across Eugene Peterson's introduction to Job from his paraphrase.

45:58 Listen to what he said. It ties in. Instead of continuing to focus on preventing suffering, which we simply won't be very successful at anyway, perhaps we should begin entering the suffering. Listen to me. Perhaps we should begin entering the suffering, participating insofar as we are able entering the mystery of looking around for God in other words we need to quit feeling sorry for people who suffer and instead look up to them learn from them and if they will let us join them in protest and prayer pity can be nearsighted and condescending shared suffering can be dignifying and life changing as we look at Job's suffering and praying and worshiping we see that he has already blazed a trail of courage and integrity for us to follow.

47:08 That is so good. this man in the hospital didn't need pity he needed respect he has a leg up on wisdom on most of us so when he speaks it is with new insight about life about responding to life's challenges that's come from God through the channel of suffering. and here we are taught to fight it and to resist it and to run from it and even at times resent it when in fact it is a messenger bearing the great news that brings wisdom to the submissive sufferer.

48:04 How much wiser you are today because you've hurt and you've hurt the deepest or perhaps among our wisest That's why we say we can never be young and wise. Why? Because life's circumstances haven't. beating us up and put scars on our heads hurt us deeply. Your assignment between now and when we meet again is to read Proverbs 8, 22 to 36. Solomon personifies wisdom. it's beautiful the way he writes it.

49:02 Proverbs 8, 22 to 36, along with 1 Corinthians 1, which says as a climax, Christ is to us wisdom. So entering into the wisdom comes through faith alone in Christ alone, who leads us to God alone, and then the connection equips us for life.

49:32 Wisdom speaks in the personal pronouns. The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his way before his works of old. From everlasting I, that's wisdom, was established from the beginning, from the earliest times of the earth. When there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were no springs abounding with water before the mountains were settled, before the hills, I was brought forth while I had not yet made the earth and the fields, while he had not yet made earth and fields, nor the first dust of the world. When he established the heavens, I was there. Wisdom outdates creation because it is in God. And as I get to know the living God through his word, his wisdom comes to me and I'm given a filter system, I can never get any other place. And men and women, we become at that point effective witnesses, effective friends, insightful counselors. Because we don't just feel empathy, we see depth.

50:46 and we don't feel pity, we feel respect and we embrace the sufferer as our teacher rather than a victim of circumstances. Let's bow our heads. There are times in my life I would just love to be able to put my arms around each one of you individually and say, do you get it? Have I been clear? Do you understand this? do you realize the value of the scriptures? Do you understand the absolute importance of giving your life fully to Christ to simply relinquishing your will and embracing his, letting him have the worries and the burden and you take in return forgiveness and grace and mercy and love and peace and discernment, understanding, all spelling wisdom.

51:58 If you've never in your life trusted the Lord Jesus Christ's death at Calvary and glorious bodily miraculous resurrection, believing that he's now alive. having died for you, this is the moment. This is the place to start for you.

52:25 We have a prayer room that's just a part of our worship center right here, this door to your right. We have well-trained counselors from our soul care ministry who would like nothing more than to spend some time helping you understand. They will listen to you. they will treat you with dignity and they will give you information and understanding that will help you.

52:50 Discover a whole nother world. You're missing. it starts in a journey of faith Come today. Thank you, Father, for the things that can be learned in ancient writings from Job's journal. Thank you for preserving it for us. Thank you for putting black print on white pages in a language we can understand.

53:25 Thank you for capturing our attention by these surprising thoughts, like suffering being a friend rather than an enemy, like challenges in life being the opportunity to model an understanding rather than something to be afraid of or to resent, like the source of wisdom. Forgive us for the wasted effort we've expended looking in the wrong places to find the right stuff. I pray, Lord, that today, at this very moment, you'll be working in hearts that cannot find any sense of peace and rest until they find it in your Son, Christ. I pray that you'd continue to work on them and work through others with them and then work in them to bring them to faith.

54:26 That is the work of your Spirit. That is your specialty. and I leave each one with you. And now to him who is able to guard us from stumbling and to present us faultless. What a great thought. To present us faultless before the presence.