Trials – Light from the Word

Job Walked With God and Was Tried

The life of the Patriarch Job is one of fear of God. Described by God Himself as His servant, a man with no equal on earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and abstains from and shuns evil (Job 1:8). Often, we mention Job as an example of patience, as in “The patience of Job.” There is much to consider in what God described Job. His life brings to mind Paul’s spiritual guidelines in his letters. In the letter to the Romans. He said, “I appeal to you therefore, brethren and beg of you in view of the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and well pleasing to God which is your reasonable service and spiritual worship; love one another with brotherly affection, giving precedence and showing honor to one another, never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord” (12:1,10,11). Job walked with God, shinning the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). One very important fact in Job’s life was that God, the all- knowing God, knew that Job would be faithful to Him, when challenged with temptation to forsake Him. Job, in his unweaving integrity, was a man God trusted with a tremendous trial. One that we surely would fail, for where there is no understanding, ignorance dominates the feeling of man with doubt and fear and despair. When Job had lost most of his precious belongings, including his children, in perseverance of faith, he arose and rent his robe and shaved his head and fell down upon the ground and worshiped and said, “Naked came I from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord! In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly” (Job 1:20-22). That was a true faith in God.

Job’s faith shone in the midst of his trials. His words of hope kept him secured in his faith when he uttered, “For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth and after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him and not as a stranger!” (Job 19:25-27a). Job, in His utterance, spoke of the present and of the future concerning the resurrection of the saints. “One way or another, I will be healed here on earth and if I die now, I will be rewarded with life eternal when in heaven, I shall behold my Redeemer. For He knows the way that I take. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold.” (Job 23:10). “I have not gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food. But He is unchangeable, and who can turn Him? And what He wants to do, that He does” (vs.10,14). In short, Job confessed his enduring faith in God even amidst circumstances he himself did not understand. For while he was walking with God in communion with Him, this trial fell on him, for reason unknown. His wife told him to “Do you still hold fast your blameless, uprightness? Renounce God and die! But he said to her, You speak as one of the impious and foolish women would speak What? Shall we accept only good at the hand of God and shall we not accept misfortune and what is of a bad nature? In all this, Job did not sin with his lips” (Job2:9-10). His unwavering love for God even in the midst of his trial, showed him to be genuine and steadfast in his faith. To him, God was God, unchangeable in ways Job could not comprehend. The wall of anguish and despair did not separate him from His Redeemer, Who was going to reward him in His time.

Job walked with God and He trusted him to walk through the fire, so to prove his faithfulness to Him. Satan, who so much wanted to destroy Job and disprove God’s All-knowing attribute, suffered major defeat. Job was in the battlefield without knowing it. Living as a Christian should live, under God’s grace, Job excelled. For he did not have a Bible in those days to guide him. But Job had the fear of God guided by his faith in Him. Strong in his beliefs, he stood the test of time. Wrestling against the despotisms, against the powers, against rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly sphere, he was properly dressed with God’s armor. He resisted and stood his ground on those evil days; he had the belt of truth around his waist, the breastplate on his chest, his feet shod to stand firmly and ready against the enemy; he quenched the flaming missiles from the enemy through the shield of faith; and wore the helmet of salvation, which protected his mind; and he fought with the sword of the Spirit which was his knowledge of God. Job’s prayers came up to God as part of the battle in his battlefield, for the battle was not his, but God’s (personalized from the book of Ephesians 6).

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As in a Mirror

When we look in the mirror, what we see is the reflection of ourselves. What the mirror shows truthfully and undeniably is the reality of what we look like. Many of us spend hours in front of a mirror dressing our face with makeup, eye shadows, eye brows straightening. At the end of this ordeal, we take a last look in the mirror to perfect our art work. It is amazing what a little makeup here and there can do to a face. Thanks to a mirror that can be done. But all of these are external and superficial beauty we desire, so to be accepted by the world, wanting to feel good about ourselves. There is however, an internal beauty provided by our Lord YAHSHUA when He died to cleanse us from our sins and iniquities; It reflects from the soul to the world in ways that world will notice the difference. It is a beauty that shines love, unconditional love to all. Moses reflected the glory of God in his face when he came down the mountain, where he spent forty days and nights with God. The brilliance of God’s glory was so strong, he had to cover his face with a veil until he went up the mountain to talk to God. Imagine that! Paul said that Moses veiled his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it] (II Cor. 3:13). Moses carried with him the splendor of the glory of God every time he saw Him.

Like Moses, we God’s people have access to His presence and experience His glory, because YAHSHUA tore the veil that separated the holy from the unholy from top to bottom. He opened our eyes of understanding to perceive as in a mirror His glory being reflected in us. So, becoming more like Him, we experience the ever-increasing glory, as we are transformed into His image. This is done by the Holy Spirit, Who works sanctification through molding us into being like YAHSHUA. This is a beautiful gift, but at the same time very painful too, because our soul being carnal does not submit to God easily. Its desires are evil, and contrary to God’s holy desires and so are the thoughts of the mind; our emotion acts circumstantially depending on what is happening. As a result, the shinning of the glory of God fades away, His joy from where we receive our strength is diminished. We want to be like YAHSHUA; indeed, but going through the breaking of the power of our will, thoughts and emotions, is not easy to accept. Going through his spiritual battle, Paul expressed himself the feeling that we also struggle: “But I discern in my bodily members a different law at war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs. O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliverer me from this body of death? O thank God! [He will] through YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord! …” (Rom. 7:23-25a). Yes, God, in his love through the Holy Spirit, continues refining us and perfecting us until the day He calls us home. As silver and gold must be refined for the purpose of shinning the inner beauty as jewelry on the neck of one, or on the finger of another, we must submit to the work of the Holy Spirit of refining and transforming us from glory to another degree of glory according to His will. The veiled faces of those who continuously reject the truth is made impossible to perceive, to hear and listen, for darkness has covered their understanding. Not until they turn to the Lord in repentance will they be unveiled.

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The Valley of the Shadow of Death

What does the Valley of the shadow and death mean to us? Surely that it does not sound inviting in its adjectives of the shadow of death. We find this term in Psalm 23:4: “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” These are words of trust and confidence in the shepherd. Although, the Hebrew word for “shadow of death” means darkness, the root word for both shadow and death is the same. YAHSHUA, as our Shepherd, knows the way out of a valley, as well as the dangers of it. He stands tall to protect His own from the danger found in the valley of the shadow of death.

A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period. Some valleys are formed through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar areas shield. (Wikipedia)

Valleys display beautiful surroundings in spite of its dangers. The valleys we go through are difficult and challenging, for they are the valleys of life. It is the place where we feel alone in our trials; as YAHSHUA experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane. Not one of the disciples would pray with Him. He promised that He will be with us always to the end of time. The Bible says that He fills the entire world. There is no place where He is not. “Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol behold, You are there; if I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall You hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Ps. 139:7-10). And, “Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Says the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Says the Lord?” (Jer. 23:23-24). While we walk the valley of suffering, even though overwhelmed by the feeling of loneliness and depression, it is good to draw near to the Lord. Sometimes, it seems He is far away and is not hearing our voice; and that’s when doubts take our mind; we suffer anguish and torment of the soul.

The Psalmist Asaph once said, “Will the Lord cast off forever? And will He be favorable no more? Have His mercy and loving-kindness ceased forever? Have His promises ended for all time? Has God abandoned or forgotten His graciousness? Has He in anger shut up His compassion?” (Ps. 77:7-9). YAHSHUA, in the valley of abandonment from His Father cried, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?” (Ps. 22:1). Alone in the valley of suffering, separated from His heavenly Father for the first time, YAHSHUA carried the sins of the world, which darkened the way to the Father. That was the valley of death of hell. God’s presence will never be there. But YAHSHUA had to go through to pull us out of it, in order to rescue us from the power of eternal death and Satan. Every time, we go through the valley of suffering, let’s remember that we are not alone. We may feel that way, which is normal for humans to feel in the presence of hopeless situations, since we are flesh and demand to see things that we can touch. However, faith mingled with hope opens our spiritual eyes and there in the midst of sufferings, we feel peace. It is the peace that comes from the presence of the Lord standing there with us.

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The Hymns That Broke Chains

Paul and Silas were victims of a severe persecution for having healed a girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination, who brought much gain to her own by foretelling (Acts16:16b). So it happened that this girl for many days caused great discomfort to Paul, until annoyed and worn out, he turned and said to the spirit within her, I change you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment (Acts 16:18). That caused her owners to take Paul and Silas to the authorities to be beaten with rods. They struck them with many blows and threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. He, having received charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks (Acts16:20-24). They were secured by the stocks, but their spirit was free to sing praises to God. Not burdened by their situation, at mid-night, they let praises to God, loud enough for the other prisoners to hear. That must have been a divine sound as if it had come from heaven, in the moment when all was calm and perhaps asleep. Heaven came down to Paul and Silas and they spread the sound for all the prisoners to hear. That, my friend, was powerful! We haven’t experienced such power in our time. Paul and Silas prayed, sang hymns of praise to God while in shackles. Imagine the state in which they were, to find the courage in faith which sustained them through their ordeal. Paul taught through the letter to the Philippians these principles: Rejoice in the Lord always, do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God (Phil. 4:4,6). This was a principal Paul observed and taught his churches. While shackled in jail, he lived what he taught through his experience. He didn’t complain but used the opportunity to spread the Gospel even when in chains. The hymns they sung were a way to show the prisoners that there was a God of love; nothing muzzled his mouth; the joy of the Lord planted in his heart spoke to all the other prisoners that the joy that comes from God provides strength even in the midst of bad circumstances.

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But My Words Will Not Pass Away

(Luke 21)

Just before His trials and death, YAHSHUA left us warnings about the end-time. He assured that His words were firm in heaven and that the words uttered by Him were alive and powerful to bring about all that came from His mouth. “My words will not pass away.” The future is His; and He is very much in control of it. By the power of His words, He created all that has been created, just by expressing command- “let it be and there it was.” The apostle John said, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. He was present originally with God; all things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing ma that has come into being (John 1:1-3). So, we conclude that if YAHSHUA said, it will happen, soon or later. We live here on this earth on borrowed time, not knowing when, neither the imminence of things to come. But God in His mercy has given us a window of knowledge concerning the future, so that we will not be found unprepared. In Deuteronomy 29:29, Moses said, The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this Law. YAHSHUA revealed the future to His disciples and to us so that we will not be found surprised and doomed for lack of knowledge. After finishing the sermon about the end time, He assured all by saying, The sky and the earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away (Luke 21:33). That was emphatic and profound, for His spoken words will be forever relevant to all.

Take heed to yourselves and be on your guard, (He warned), lest your hearts be overburdened and depressed with the giddiness and headache and nausea of self-indulgence, drunkenness, and worldly worries and cares pertaining to this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap or a noose; for it will come upon all who live upon the face of the entire earth (Luke 21:34-35). I am sure YAHSHUA was talking about today. Yes, we have arrived to the time when our life is surrendered by confusion, lies, calamities, pandemics, loss of freedom, and the enemy of our soul- fear, while the world turns to the direction for the antichrist to be revealed and the One World order to take place. Left in the dark, for lack of knowledge of Scriptures, many are unaware and in disbelief of what is happening. So, it is that the knowledge some of them have of prophecy is without insight; for this reason, they have not been able to acquire the understanding of YAHSHUA’S prophetic words to connect with today’s day. As a result, they walk and stumble in darkness, led by the spirit of fear, which has permeated this world. The signs of it are seen on the wearing of masks and vaccines, when the message YAHSHUA left for us was given to guide us to faith, peace and to trust in Him in the troubled world that was to come. This is the time to revive our faith in His prophetic words and rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life, that is, if you have a relationship with Him. YAHSHUA said, I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you will have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33). He prayed that God will not take us out of the world, but that He would keep and protect us from the evil one (John 17:15). What we are going through today, will continue, bringing the world to its climax, when the judgment found in Revelation will take place. But we His bride are to keep awake and watch at all times, praying that we may have the full strength and ability and be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man (Luke 21:36). There will be a reward for those who will keep the faith; we will stand in the presence of the Son of Man saved from the tribulation that will follow, as Paul said, for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord YAHSHUA the Messiah, Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead, we might live together with Him and share His life (I Thess. 5:9-10).

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I Am in the Same Place Where You Left Me

In their distress, men find a way to call on God, even if he does not believe in His existence. An Atheist found himself at the mercy of a bear, one day while walking in the forest; his first reaction was Oh my God! A minute earlier, his belief was, “I don’t believe in God.” How convenient it is for some people to use the name of God to release their stress, as if by magic God would come to them right at that moment. I am sure that happens sometimes to those who trust in Him. For He is ever so near to us. Nothing separates us from His love and care for us. But even for those of who love the Lord, we must understand that the Lord’s timing for all things is beyond our reasoning of space in time. All Knowing, our God knows the right time to answer our prayers.

When YAHSHUA was hanging on the cross, performing the work of redemption for the world, in His last hour on that cross, He left a cry to His Father that has been registered for us to grasp the meaning of: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Do you suppose He did not know why He had been rejected by the Father in those hours? Have you ever thought why He would cry that way? That, my friend, would be men’s cry in hell, where the presence of God is void. That happened when God made to light upon Him the guilt and iniquity of us all; that was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; to put Him to grief and to make Him sick; God made His life an offering for sin; in time to come He shall see His [spiritual] offspring (Isa. 53: 6b,10).

He travailed for our salvation in order to present us to His Father a blameless church, pure and sanctified by His Spirit. So, when He cried to His Father the separation between them, it was so that we would not be. However, He did not promise a perfect life on this earth; He promised to be with us to the end of time. He said, In the world you will have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world (John 16:33b). You and I well know when it happened. He deprived the world of its power over us; He conquered it for evermore so that would not hurt us. At Lazarus death, YAHSHUA suffered for us, when He wept at the circumstance; not that He could not bring life to Lazarus, but for the hopelessness of man confronting death at their cry. He saw then what He had to go through to redeem us from the power of death.

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