“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, ‘Where have you come from?’
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? For there is no one like
him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from
evil. And he still holds fast his integrity,
although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause.’”
“And Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Skin for
skin! Yet, all that a man has he will give
for his life. However, put forth Thy
hand, now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse Thee to Thy face.’
“So the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your power,
only spare his life.’ Then Satan went
out from the presence of the Lord, and smoke Job with sore boils from the sole
of his foot to the crown of his head.
And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among 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 speaks. Shall we indeed
accept good from God and not accept adversity?’
In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:1-10
“Sometimes the most important questions, those that float in
vague suspension for much of our lives, can crystallise in a single
moment. Richards visit provided such a
moment for me. In one respect his
complaints – broken home, health problems, failed romance, lost job – hardly ranked
as world-class disappointments.
"And yet that night – he had, with theatrical finality, acted
on the doubts that plague almost all of us.
Does God really care? If so, why
won’t He reach down and fix the things that go wrong – at least some of them?[1]”
Have you ever wondered why God allowed Satan to hurt him in
so many ways? Was it for ‘sport’ or for ‘God’s
pride’ or was there another reason that was deeply hidden in the book of
Job? I hope you continue on this journey
through the book of Job to realise the answer for yourself.
Take care, your servant and friend in Christ, Darlene (who
prays for you each morning).
PS: My statement of
faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com (also you will find a series of beginner
Bible studies there.). Also, you can find the WeakDay Devotion online by doing
a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’.
(Also, there is an android ‘Goggle Blogger’ app you can download to read
them on your phone.)
COVID-19
Please pray for all those involved in making critical
decisions during this time of pandemic.
Pray for those who have lost loved ones, those who contract the virus,
the healthcare workers, those on the front line and for all those feeling
afraid, lonely or confused. Pray all are
wise, patient and take precautions to contain the effects. For practical information, please visit https://newsaboutcovid19.blogspot.com/
Latest Statistics
·
Today in 215 countries
·
7,548,669 reported cases
·
53,882 in serious condition
·
421,863 reported deaths (some related to
pre-existing conditions)
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS
(NOTE: Words
underlined have a link embedded to provide more details)
·
USA –
Pray the Lord will demonstrate His power in unexpected and uniting ways during
these times of unrest and confusion.
Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone. Let the truth of God’s Word and ways overcome
the drive to destroy our founding, Bible-based values. For Christ-centre, Bible-based revival in the
USA and religious freedom for Christians wherever they may be.
·
Hans –
a dear friend in Germany, diagnosed with lung cancer that has metastasized, home
for the next three weeks before he resumes chemo. Pray for his healthcare providers, his
patience and wisdom. Pray he is
surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will support him
through this journey. Pray for his Mom
(age 83) is unwell herself. Pray their
time together will be filled with extraordinary good memories and love.
·
Scott –
recently married. Pray he finds a job
soon so he can provide for his new wife and two children. Help him reach out for the hand of our loving
Heavenly Father so he recognises God is working in all this for the best
outcome for them all.
·
Penne –
recently widowed after 43 years, the last ten of which she was her husband’s
full-time caregiver. She suffers mental
problems from a childhood experience and has reached out to Patti (who asks for
wisdom and patience). Penne has
‘disowned’ all her family, and although a believer, does not attend fellowship
for support. Please pray for her peace
of mind and God’s guidance.
·
USA President
Donald Trump – As Christians it
is our responsibility to pray for our leaders and know that God has a plan for
the USA through this man. If you doubt
the importance of his appointment, just look at the baseless antagonism against
him. Surely Satan is NOT happy and means to thwart God’s plan. Pray someone helps President Trump and Melania to understand the true meaning of a
personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and that they will both have a
insatiable hunger to read God’s Word for themselves – and that God sends a
Bible-Believing Christian to regularly disciple them in the Truth – and that
God shuts the mouths of the false prophets who regularly circle around them.
·
Fred I – planning a move from California to Tennessee in
the Fall of 2020 (if possible). Pray for
his wise attention to detail, stamina and roaring good health, as he makes
these life changes.
·
Unnamed
– lost both her parents within six months after a lifetime of caring for
them. Her husband’s mother died in
January and his 94-year old father now lives with them. Pray they take time for each other and keep
their faith strong.
·
Ravi
Zacharias – is home with the
Lord, now. Pray for his family and
friends as they grieve his loss and for the continuation of his ministry.
·
Those who loved
Doris – pray for those of us who grieve the loss of a remarkable
woman who helped bring me to His Cross.
Pray for those in full-time service
During this time, when the entire world is struggling to
understand this new ‘plague’, it is critical for us to uphold our Christian
leaders. They will be needed
everywhere. Pray for their wisdom,
safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones who are
fragile health wise. It is important to
protect them in practical ways and most important we must pray even more for
them that the Lord will have mercy on them during this challenging time.
Pray for the World
[1]
Copyright © 1988 by Philip Yancey, published by Zondervan Publishing House.
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