Preschool
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Acts 1:8
I Have Heard, but Now I See
Memory Verses
Primary
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
Junior
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
Background Scripture: Job 40-42
Lesson Scripture: Job 42:1-17
Introduction
There is a place in the soul that is only reached by tribulation and the fire of affliction. This is the place where God took Job. Dear friend and fellow pilgrim, there are no shortcuts to heaven. Let us conduct ourselves accordingly, not asking to be spared when God takes us into the valley of tribulation, but rather let us ask for courage and grace to be steadfast in our upward climb.
Key Verse
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven (Matt. 16:17).
Lesson Scripture
Job 42:1 Then Job answered the Lord, and said,
2 I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3 Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4 Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the Lord commanded them: the Lord also accepted Job.
10 And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11 Then came unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintances before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12 So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13 He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14 And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Keren-happuch.
15 And in all the land were no women so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
16 After this lived Job and hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations.
17 So Job died, being old and full of days.
Studying the Lesson
Job’s tribulations caused him such physical and mental distress that he plunged to the depths of utter helplessness. In this state of extremity, he searched his life, coming to the place where he could say from the bottom of his heart, “I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.”
Is this my heart’s language? Has my spirit been brought into brokenness by the fires of affliction? Have I with determination and discipline studied God’s Word, praying for His revelation and direction? Do I truly understand that to see as God wants me to see involves getting self out of the way?
The story of Job is a reminder that there will be painful moments in life, times of hopeless despondency, and times of passionate protest against what seems like divine injustice. But Job turned to God and repented when all was said and done. With a contrite spirit, he committed himself to Him anew as a humble beneficiary of the grace of God. Despite the insinuations of Satan, Job was determined to serve the Lord, regardless what came.
Job’s friends overstepped their authority in their zeal to “figure things out,” inciting God’s displeasure for not speaking rightly. In the end their true friend Job served as mediator in the crisis by offering intercessory prayer on their behalf. May we take this hard-earned lesson to heart: no intellectual examination will ever displace the truth that the just shall live by faith. This core doctrine of the Bible has guided the believers through the ages and will continue to guide them to the end of time.
Our intellect is often at odds with the sovereignty of God. This is because faith and reason are anathema to each other. Philosophy and intellectual endeavors must yield to the authority of divine prerogative. Our tendency is to reason, rationalize, and justify ourselves. However, let us humbly submit to God in an unconditional surrender and exercise our faith, even if it causes pain.
We must accept, difficult though it may be, that we are subjects of an incomprehensible Creator and sovereign Lord. He governs the world and the events that shape our life and destiny. By surrendering our self to Him and laying aside all our justifications and excuses, we can move from mere knowledge to spiritual understanding and complete trust. We can then see that our trials and tribulations are part of something much bigger than we are.
After his life-changing experience, Job was blessed with a double portion of his former goods. He was also blessed with longevity and a far-reaching posterity of seven stalwart sons and three fair daughters. That there is a recompense for our perseverance is also certain: a living hope that all who suffer with Christ shall reign with Him.
Practical Truths for Today
There are times when we face the uncomfortable truth that the fervor of our Christian life has been dampened by our circumstances. We may be misunderstood and maligned by someone, have suffered financial reverses, or encountered health issues with no cure. Our troubles seem serious—and they are real.
We need to appreciate that though tribulations are undesirable for the flesh, they are necessary for the downsizing of self and our growth in Christian virtue. It may seem a contradiction, but charity flourishes when we exercise it under test. As our love for God deepens, our proud spirit regresses, and our usefulness to the Master Potter increases.
Our adverse circumstances must not serve as excuses for offense, bitterness, or cynicism. The crucible of affliction is not without divine purpose: The Lord has His ways of breaking us down so that He can build us up in His image. This “remodeling” is not mere happenstance but comes our way by divine appointment. Learning from our tribulations, especially those caused by our own mistakes, can be very profitable. But resisting our afflictions only adds more grief and sorrow to our situation. This surely is not our heavenly Father’s will.
Tribulation reveals our unvarnished character. May our character be righteous, but not self-righteous. May our character be polished with gentleness so we do not assume a hard-hearted attitude of “I’ve gone through many trials, and so can you!” Rather, may we reach out in compassion and kindly help any wounded soul in the hour of need. God uses our infirmities and the burdens of life for an honorable purpose.
Serious illness or sudden disaster can leave us destitute, wrecking our plans. Loved ones may become unfaithful, ensnared by sin or enslaved to an addiction, giving us heartache. As faithful followers of Christ, the tribulations of life should give us a quiet, tender spirit. When we have walked the road of hard knocks and experienced the struggle of maintaining charity, we can, in spite of ourselves, become vessels fit for service. Helping someone through a hard time may take just one person placing his hand on his shoulder, listening to his problem, and offering hope.
Just like Job’s friends, we may not always say or do the right thing in our efforts to help. But we will not be faulted for trying if our efforts come from a humble heart. We must not seek to preserve our social status or to receive any credit for our supposed accomplishments. In a nutshell, we will “leverage” our trials and tribulations into opportunities for empathy and service.
When we are resigned to the Lord and walk in fellowship with the brotherhood, our commitment to service is realistic and practical, something we wholeheartedly want to do. When this is the state of our heart and mind, the difficulties that come our way will be bearable. Adversity will come, but as we walk in humility, we can be ensured that no trial, tribulation, or fear will be able to destroy us.
Questions
- As creatures possessing intelligence and understanding, what do we mean when we say someone is being “intellectual”?
- Discuss how to foster the spirit of openness when sharing our joys and sorrows without compromising confidentiality or resorting to gossip.
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).