Making Choices Under Pressure: Part 1 — A ‘Time With God’ Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. As we head into this week, just focus your mind for a minute on God Himself, not on the trappings of Christianity or the things about church or what you like or don’t like about Christians, you know, just think about God Himself.

The one who made everything.

The one who is in ultimate control, the one who at the end of all time and at the end of our lives we will stand accountable to for the way we’ve lived our lives, the one who loves you so much that he paid an incredible price so that you could have a relationship with him. Think about that God. He’s right here.

He’s here with me in the studio. He’s right there with you wherever you are in your car, in your home, in your bed, wherever you’re listening. He’s right there with you. How important.

To focus our lives on having a good relationship with God Himself. I want to talk to you this week on the theme of making choices under pressure.

Probably there’s no one in the Bible who faced more extreme personal pressure in his life than Job did. Job is a story of a man who probably lived long before Abraham did, probably one of the oldest stories in the Bible given to us. In Job chapter 1, let me read a few verses starting in verse 6.

It says now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, talking about the angels, and Satan also came among them, and the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come?

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Then Satan answered the Lord and said, from roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.

And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job?

God’s bragging about Job.

For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.

Then Satan answered the Lord, Well, does Job fear God for nothing? Of course, he serves you, Satan said.

Have you not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has on every side? You’ve blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth your hand now and touch all that he has.

Take away all the blessings in your life, and you’ll see how much he really loves you.

He will surely curse you to your face.

So then the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power.

Only do not put forth your hand on him, Satan. You can take away all these things that I’ve given him, but you’re not allowed to touch Job himself. So Satan departed from the presence of the Lord.

I wonder if you feel like you can identify with Job a little bit in life. You feel like the devil has taken a personal interest in all the issues of your life, and it seems like God has stood back and said, OK, Satan, have at it.

You know, our distress about the things of our lives can really overwhelm us.

And you think about how Job must have felt also as things started happening in his life. But the encouraging thing about this passage is to remember God was the one in control. He was guarding over Job’s life. Satan could not just do what he wanted without God first.

Giving him permission.

As Vernon Patterson has said, there are always uncertainties ahead.

But there is always one certainty.

God’s will is good.

I’m John North.

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