For thought and meditation

[rl69]

Ok guys tell me what y'all think of this.is this something y'all would like to read every day ?

You Were Made to Fly

"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1:21).

Can a caterpillar fly? If you said, "No," you would be partially correct. Actually, a caterpillar can fly, but it must have a transformation first.

The butterfly begins life as a caterpillar, a wormlike larva that spins a cocoon for itself. For weeks, the larva remains hidden within the cocoon as it undergoes metamorphosis. When it’s time for the butterfly to emerge, it must struggle and fight its way out of the cocoon. We might be tempted to help this process by tearing open the cocoon – but that’s the worst thing we could do. The struggle makes it strong and enables it to fly. Butterflies need adversity to become what God intended them to be. So do we.

The Book of Job is the story of a wealthy and successful community leader named Job. He was a successful and righteous businessman with huge holdings of livestock and real estate. One day Satan came before God and asked him, "Where have you come from?" Satan replied, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

God said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? He is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." Notice that God pointed Job out to Satan! God gave Satan permission to put Job through a trial of adversity. Job’s herds were stolen, his servants were murdered, and all of Job’s children were killed by a sudden tornado.

Through his trial of adversity, he grows in strength, wisdom and faith. His entire perspective on God is transformed by his suffering. He was even accused of sin by his closest friends.

We must get beyond the immature notion that God is interested only in making us healthy, wealthy and happy. More than anything, He wants us to be like Christ. And the road to becoming like Christ often leads through the wilderness of adversity.

In order for the butterfly to fly, there must be a transformation process that is often developed through adversity

[Preacher Jim]

My favorite example of why me. Why not?

[Boaz]

Good post rl69 . A good lesson .

[Bzcraig]

Excellent! Having been involved in charismatic circles in the past where it was often said of those who were not healed of an ailment; "it's your lack of faith," "there must be sin in your life," and the like and having done some intense study on the subject including from Job's and David's lifes, I came away with this: what really counts is, what is your testimony inspite of your circumstances?

[castalott]

There is a saying in the Bible...(Exact quote???) ... "God chastises Those He Loves

[buckwheatpaul]

Our pastor spoke in depth about the transformation from a caterpillar into a butterfly.... today as it relates to us being transformed from a sinner into a disciple of Christ....great post and have a blessed day!

[Blackwater]

Great post and story. Copied and sent to my grandboys and son and daughter in law. Stories like these are things anyone of any age can really use to understand the Lord and His ways more fully. As such, they're important. All such stories would, I believe, be very appropriate here and much appreciated. The wondrous thing about being a Christian is how we all seem to marvel still, even at the simplest of children's stories. The Lord has made himself so easy to understand that even children can do it, and yet, some adults still turn away from it all. Amazing, isn't it?

[rl69]

So this is my question. Is this something that you would like posted every day? Deric is going to take over the verse of the day( and we need to encourage him with that) so that's not going away. But it leaves me wanting too contribute something. What do y'all think?

[Boaz]

[quote=rl69;3721489]so this is my question. Is this something that you would like posted every day? Deric is going to take over the verse of the day( and we need to encourage him with that) so that's not going away. But it leaves me wanting too contribute something. What do y'all think?[/quot


,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, YES !

[claude]

Through his trial of adversity, he grows in strength, wisdom and faith. His entire perspective on God is transformed by his suffering. He was even accused of sin by his closest friends.

I disagree, Job did not grow in strength, wisdom, or faith, he already had that;
Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Perfect;
From H8552; complete; usually (morally) pious; specifically gentle, dear: - coupled together, perfect, plain, undefiled, upright.

H8552; A primitive root; to complete, .....

He loved God, he had faith, nothing about that changed through out thirty seven chapters of his three religious buddies pounding away at him, trying to get him to admit a lie, which he never did. Even with Satan pounding away at him through his great friends and various trials he maintained his faith in God, and showed wisdom. That was why Satan put him through all the misery, to get him to deny God, didn't happen.

Kind of leaves one wondering "whats the point?"

Try this, Job never told Satan to get out of his life......Luk 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
additionally.

1Co 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

This is offered in the spirit of the heading, a second look so to speak.

[Boaz]

I don't think you answered his question Claude ?

[claude]

Boaz....you're correct, thank you.

Ok guys tell me what y'all think of this.is this something y'all would like to read every day ?

Yes rl, I believe it could add a depth to the chapel.

[Blackwater]

Go for it, RL. It seems that the main ingredient in any Christian pursuit is just a willing heart. We don't even have to be "perfect" or even close to it. Mostly, all we have to do is put forth effort, and God can and will bless it, if we simple persevere. I think I'd listen to anything you want to put up here.

[Pine Baron]

rl, I vote yes. I always read and contemplate your posts. Thank you. Go in Peace.

[DerekP Houston]

I'll try to keep up as best I can. Some days I have more to say than others.

[rl69]

Claud thank you I've been in the bible more thies last few days then normal. And more then that I've been there with a purpose.

The we last we talked I told you there was something there I couldn't wrap my head around. Consider this in the first chapter we see Job giving sacrifices for his kids. 1:5 in chapter 4 Eilphaz tells us of Job's good deeds 4:3-4 for the next 34 chapters Job tells them he has done nothing wrong. Finaly God has had enough,for two chapters he tears Job a new one. I love 38:21

"but of course you know all this for you were born before it was all created and you are so verry experienced "

just a bit sarcastic wouldn't you say lol

anyway from all this we can see Job was getting a little big for his britches.he had started thinking more of himself then he should. And God took him down a notch. And finally he see it 40:4-5

I also picked up on somthing else in chapter 38:verses 27 and 28 God mentions rain which would mean Job lived after the flood. I have heard people talk that he lived in a time befor that???

I do agree Job was "no caterpillar" he was a just and righteous man. But he like all of us had room to grow

enyway that my thoughts for what they are worth

Ronnie

[Blackwater]

Wow, Ronnie! I've never heard it interpreted that way, but it kind'a makes sense. There are SO many things I want to understand more fully, and my Baptist heritage has been so silent on! The mysteries of the Bible are many, once you really get into it, and understand how different people can and do interpret it differently. But "Seek and ye shall find" is always in effect. It's just not an overnight proposition. I sometimes wonder if some of the stuff and stories weren't meant to be a bit ambiguous, so we'd think about them more, and more deeply? I'm just a simple believer in search of more knowledge and understanding, and any time I find it, I've found it's bigger and more wondrous than I'd anticipated. And it's been pretty consistent over the years, too. Very humbling! VERY!

I find great solace in the fact that the basics are so easy to understand, and in the fact that we seem to be made so as to, at least when we're catering to our higher natures, understand when we finally DO receive a ray of light here and there. And I'm amazed at how much of it comes from just preparing my sould to receive it, and how little comes from actively seeking the answers. Yet another paradox of the Christian faith. I guess that's one reason it perplexes the "wise" and is so easily taken in by the humble and downtrodden? If anyone here gets it all figured out, please point me to that water bucket, because I need a big gulp!

[claude]

I've been in the bible more thies last few days then normal. And more then that I've been there with a purpose.

Praise God indeed!

[claude]

I have heard people talk that he lived in a time befor that???

My companion bible dates Job between 1726-1516 BC, we can trace the lineage of Eliphaz back to Esau who lived after the flood, and the lineage of Bildad back to Abraham who lived after the flood. Zophar was from Naamah, a town in Judah. The only confusion I can see is that Naamah was a daughter of Lamech by his wife Zillah, who lived pre flood and people assume Naamathite to indicate lineage from Naamah dating him preflood disregarding the evidence of Eliphaz and Bildad which are both post flood. Without some really strenuous wresting of the scripture, Job could not have been preflood.