Balancing Truths: Pt. 2 — A ‘Time With God’ Audio Devotion

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Transcript

Good morning. All this week we’re talking about balancing truths in the Bible. There’s ways we love to think about God, ways we love to look at the Bible, a vibe from the Bible that we are attracted to. But there are balancing truths that we need to remember, not forget, hold in our minds as we think about God and about life as a Christian.

Here’s our truth today.

God loves to bless your life with good times, and sometimes His perfect plan for you includes disaster.

He loves to bless your life with good times, and sometimes his perfect plan for you includes disaster.

Let’s read about Job in the Old Testament in Job chapter 2 starting in verse 1.

Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord, and the Lord said to Satan, From where have you come?

Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.

And the Lord said to Satan, Have you considered my servant Job that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.

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Then Satan answered the Lord and said, Well skin for skin, all that a man has, he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.

And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he’s in your hand. Only spare his life.

So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, and he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die. But he said to her, You speak as one of the foolish women would speak.

Shall we receive good from God? And shall we not receive disaster? In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Well, here is Job. Up till now he had been experiencing great blessing and goodness from God, good times, lovely family, wealth, success. And suddenly came disaster.

His wife said, Are you still going to hold to God?

Curse God and die, and Job says no. Shall we receive good from God and not receive disaster?

We have to accept what God sends into our lives, even when we don’t understand it.

And in all of this, he didn’t sin with his lips. This is one of the great truths of life. I’ve experienced it, and I’m sure you have too, right?

Sometimes we think, oh, it’s because of terrible sin in my life that I’m experiencing this hard time or I don’t have enough faith. That’s why I’m not experiencing blessing in my business and for us, even in our ministry organization right now we’re going through a very challenging time financially. It’s not because of a lack of faith. We’re seeing God’s blessing in so many areas of our ministry.

But it’s a difficult time in my own life serving God in ministry, seeing God use me, feeling so much blessing in my life, yet I’ve had cancer 3 times. I’ve had a triple bypass heart surgery.

And experienced many painful experiences as part of God’s perfect plan for my life. Shall we accept good from God and not accept disaster?

Sometimes God’s perfect plan for you includes disaster.

Job went through an extended period of terrible hardship. In the end, God brought him back into a good time of blessing.

But in your life as you experience disaster, don’t push God away. Run to Him. You need him in those times too, and they are a part of His plan for your life.

I’m John North.

To go deeper in your faith, visit AFCI.com.au.

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