Welcome back, last time we started in Job and saw Job had all, lost all, and in the end through praying for others, God restored double what Job had lost. The key is this: Our Lord is in control, continually shaping, grafting and pruning humanity including His children to create a way through Him, His Son’ssacrifice towards His biggest Goal and Will “ That not one should punish (1 Peter 3:9) this is the masterpiece He is painting throughout humanity! And when we are a brush stroke, our pain we go through or trial we have gone through are parts the painting He is painting.
Let’s pick up and see how we can partner with God in this and learn from Abraham as he cries out to the Lord to save the city of Sodom, and God asks and agrees with Abraham’s prayer.
Genesis 18:25-26
“Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The LORD said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
I wonder what this looks like today, could your righteousness be the saving of your town, community or family from having to go through trial or destruction. Maybe, if the Lord said it and did it then it is possible He could do it again. This shows the weight of responsibility we have as His children to a life in right standing before Him.
True righteousness can only be found in direct relationship to Him. This is why we see verses like “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 (NKJV).
Your righteousness is not in what you do, only in who you are. You are made perfect through what Jesus did for you dying on the cross and being raised on the third day. He Made a way where there was no way. I love how the Lord puts emphasis on His righteousness in this verse
As we know and read what the Kingdom is in Romans 14:17
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”.
I believe He is saying set your eyes on His Kingdom and enter it with His righteousness, remember through Him and His sacrifice on the Cross the veil was torn allowing us to enter the Holy of Holies. In the kingdom where in a the scriptures Paul says we are seated from what Jesus approved for us.
We can and will see incredible and amazing things and be used as paint on the cavass of eternity through Him bring transformation everywhere we go.
So yes, bad things do happen to good people, yet we are called to help, pray, believe and trust in and through Him, so we are revealing He who has a solution and a victorious way out of any problem or trial we and others will face.
Victorious means we will come out of trials with more than we entered with, in fact they are entry points to promotion.
We see this in Jesus trial through the wilderness with Satan, the Word says He came out in Power of the spirit. Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to be tested And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. Two entered and One came out, from here Jesus went on to change the world forever.
Over the past three years I have gone through two incredible trials, both leading into a wilderness place of sickness I thought I’d never go. Yet the first I came out with the ability to write which I could not do due to having dyslexia, with the Lord leading I have now written over almost 300 life changing message. The second trial I came out with the ability help plant and revive multiple ministries which still continue to flourish. Did I want to enter these trials “no” am I glad I had them? ‘Absolutely ! I remember the Word as I was entering my last trail “to much who is given much will be expected”
There is a cost to following Jesus, yet the rewards are invaluable.
Challenge Time: (Grab your journal and space to be with the Lord and record what He says)
1. Lord where and how are You inviting me to partner with You in trials I am facing?
2. Lord would You show me how my relationship with You looks?
3. Lord how are You inviting me to live in righteousness (live the Kingdom) with You each and every moment?
4. Lord how am I to help another in their trial?
5. Holy Spirit I ask for a fresh infilling of Your power, love, wisdom to reveal Jesus afresh to those around me.
6. Worship and Praise Time.
Father help us to understand Your ways so we can reveal more of Your Son Jesus to a hurting world. May we be witness of Him, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit Revealing a victorious Christ to all mankind! We know trials with come, and know they will only make us stronger and more able to do Your work you have placed before us. For trials or tests are just a way for you to see if we are ready for a promotion, another level of anointing or to see more of Your Glory. In Jesus name. AMEN
