FOX HOLE PRAYERS (Job 34-35)

When times get bad, people cry out for help.
They cry for relief from being kicked around,
But never give God a thought when things go well,
when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts. (Job 35:9-10)

Yup, Elihu continues making more sense than Job's other friends. Again, most of what he says resonates as true--just incomplete. His youth created a lack of perspective.

Take the verses above. People cry for help when things get bad. It's as true now as it was in Job's time. I've heard them called "foxhole prayers." (Forgive me my ignorance. Do soldiers still get in foxholes in battle?) Or when we're bargaining for escape from death. "Oh, God, I'll do anything you want, if only You . . ."

More likely than not, they neglect to fulfill their vow, until the next disaster.

I once read a two-book-in-one volume by Philip Yancey: Where is God when it Hurts? and Disappointment with God. Yancey's premise went something like this: God performed an experiment in giving His people everything they wanted or needed: on the journey to Canaan.

We all know the result: the people's faith didn't grow. It stagnated.

Our faith grows in the fire of trials, not in times of ease.

I won't go so far to say I don't think about God when things go well. But He does grab my attention when things go badly.

As far as the spontaneous songs in my heart, I'm always humming or singing. If I'm singing without thinking about it, I'm usually happy. When I'm unhappy, I sing hymns (or play piano, if I can get to one). They sooth my soul and refocus my mind on God. So music, for me, usually focuses my attention back on God.

I will admit that when things are going well, I'm not as inclined to change. Why should I stop doing something when God appears to be blessing me? I'm talking about my ministry, work, whatever God has put my hand to do. As long as God keeps the door open, stay put. When He shuts it, go on to the next things.

We won't know the door is shut without some pain.

Enjoy the times of spontaneous song--and reach for God when we are kicked around. Good advice.

I will close today with some oh-so-true words from Elihu:

If God is silent, what's that to you?
If he turns his face away, what can you do about it?
But whether silent or hidden, he's there, ruling. (Job 34:29-30

If God is silent, what’s that to you?
If he turns his face away, what can you do about it?
But whether silent or hidden, he’s there, ruling (Job 34:29-30)


Cindy, this one is for you. :)

DOES GOD ANSWER PRAYER? (Job 33)

God always answers, one way or another,
even when people don't recognize his presence. (Job 33:13-14)

Today young Elihu speaks up. He has waited for his elders to speak. When they failed to convince Job, he felt compelled to speak. (I love the way he explains himself: The Spirit of God made me what I am, the breath of God Almighty gave me life!)

All my life I've heard the maxim: God always answers prayer. Sometimes it's "yes," sometimes it's "no," sometimes it's "wait."

So far in these chapters, Elihu hasn't said anything that raises my hackles. Well, maybe at the end, but I'll get there.

God answers but we don't recognize his presence. Yup, that's me. Hmm, I have a hard time knowing what God's will is. I pray "what should I do?" but I don't get a clear cut answer. Maybe my spiritual hearing has improved as I've grown older. At some critical junctures in my past, I felt the most strongly that God led me to do something that ended in disaster. A tough place. Either I misunderstood God's will, or else He wanted me to go through that difficult period. Neither answer sat well with me.

Elihu gives examples of ways God speaks. These are as true today as they were back then.

In a dream, for instance, a vision at night.. .God opens their ears and impresses them with warnings. (Job 33:15-16)

I rarely remember my dreams. After Jolene died, I had several dreams about her. She was alive, at peace, in the dreams. I woke up gradually to her absence. But they comforted me.

The second way Elihu mentions, we discussed yesterday.

God might get their attention through pain. (Job 33:19)

God, couldn't you have taught these lessons some other way? But like Benjamin Franklin first said (found this yesterday when I was looking for quotes on wisdom): "There is no gain without pain."

Then Elihu pulls out what he considers his trump card:

You may fall on your knees and pray--to God's delight!

If only he did this, according to Elihu,You'll see God's smile and celebrate.

Hmm, I took Job's raging at heaven as a form of prayer. He wanted to talk with God. He wanted God to speak. And God was silent.

I agree, God speaks to us in ways we don't recognize.
I agree, God doesn't always give us what we want (and I'm glad).
Does Elihu think that using a prayer formula or a specific prayer posture would guarantee a better answer? Because it's true, Job isn't kneeling in reverence and penitence.

Elihu has wisdom, but he still doesn't have experience. Maybe God had always worked that way in his short life. And he didn't have the wisdom to recognize God works in different ways at different times.

Sometimes prayer is a battle. Battling with God. About ourselves. For others. I have heard of people awakened in the middle of the night to pray. That has happened to be very rarely--but it has happened occasionally.

If you ever wonder why God doesn't seem to be listening--take a second look at Job.

After I wrote this post last night, I felt compelled to mention a book I read years ago. Prolific author Cecil Murphey had a Job-like experience, not in suffering so much as experiencing God's silence. Seeking God's Hidden Face: When God Seems Absent. I don't recall the details, but the fact I remember the book suggests it made a powerful impact on me. If you are struggling with the issue of God's silence, check it out.

PRAYER, CORPORATE AND PERSONAL (1 Chronicles 16-17)

I couldn't decide on which verse to write about today and then I realized they're both about the same subject: prayer. 

David gave the job of leading worship to Asaph (who wrote a number of Psalms.) What interested me was the description of worship: to lead in intercession, giving of thanks and praising God.  My mind jumped to the "hand" description I use to teach children about prayer: Praise God for who He is: Thank Him for what He has done; confess your sins; pray for others; pray for yourselves.

Apparently that is at the heart of prayer, especially in corporate worship. And since we know Asaph wrote Psalms along with David, much of the prayer happened in song.

In chapter 17, David is praying a personal prayer in response to God's promise to establish his kingdom. In part, he says, "You looked on as a Somebody, even though You know me as I am."

Here is the meat of prayer. David dialogues with God, responding to God's actions on his behalf, and talks back. Not only thank you, but how he felt about it.  Intensely personal (so how did the writer of Chronicles know what David said?), the words resonate with me.

I feel like I am low on the list of importance. I fight feeling invisible and feel unworthy when attention is showered on me.  I feel like perfection is required to be a Somebody and I know how imperfect I am. In other words, as David said, "You know me as I am."

God knew all about David's weaknesses--and made him a Somebody in spite of them.

News flash: We are all Somebodies in the kingdom of God. Not a one of us in important.

Let's worship the God who made us Somebodies as we worship together this weekend.

OUTSIDE/INSIDE (Deuteronomy 9; Luke 1)

I didn't plan on discussing today's New Testament reading. I'm focusing on the Old Testament in the devotionals, and the two stories couldn't seem more different.

The Gibeonites deceived the Israelites into making a treaty.

The angel told Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah.

But I didn't have to meditate long before their connection became apparent.

• The Israelites made a snap decision based on their first impressions, what they saw on the outside of the Gibeonites.
• God saw that Mary was beautiful on the inside, and chose her to be the mother of His Son.

God always sees what is on the inside. He is the only One who sees everything on the inside, which is why, when we want to know the real truth, we should pray.

The story about the Gibeonites contains some of the saddest words in the Bible: "But they didn't ask God about it." (Joshua 9:14)

I couldn't help but think about my recent disastrous relationship. I looked at Rob (not his name) and accepted the evidence. He was thoughtful and generous. He would get assistance for me when I needed it, carry messages to the kitchen for me, buy items for me at the store. He was intelligent, a former city planner. He was a musician, one with a music scholarship to college. He was spiritual, with a clear understanding of salvation. 

So when he proclaimed his love to me, I responded in kind. 

Unlike Israel and the Gibeonites, I did ask God about it. Stop this before it goes too far. If this isn't Your will. . .God answered that prayer. I learned that Rob was married though separated, and dropped the relationship. 

I don't share this for you to say "oh, poor Darlene." (or even, oh, naive Darlene. :)  ) I share it to point out the importance of confirming the truth behind our first impressions before we make decisions. 

"The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence."  That part of the verse makes me think of scientists, who only trust evidence they can duplicate a lab. Many don't believe in God and close themselves off from the truth behind the evidence of the five senses.

Look, examine . . . and pray for eyes to see beyond the surface.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT (Leviticus 26_

 When you've watched as many cop and detective shows as I have, you know one thing: flight is the surest sign of guilt. 

What I didn't know was that the Bible said the same thing. You'll run scared even when no one is chasing you. (Leviticus 26:17) God was describing the behavior of people when they broke the law. 

On Saturday, the nurse scolded me. She said I make too many demands about unimportant things, that prevent the aides from taking of real problems. Like people who fall when they get up--but insist on standing anyway. 

Scold me, and I freeze. I don't runaway; I try to hide. When I've done wrong, I'm more likely to try to hide my misdoing. I guess that's one way to run scared, before anyone is aware of my misdeeds. Instead of looking innocent, I make myself look guilty.

Others, when reprimanded, don't accept the reprimand; they don't believe they are guilty. They're likely to repeat the behavior, more outrageously next time. Of course, that doesn't work either.

The class fight or flight reaction to danger.

Pretending we don't sin only brings heartache.

God's solution? 

"If they confess their sins. . .I will remember my covenant."  

When we sin--don't run away. Don't fight.  Just confess our sin to God, and move on.