Weapon Forms But Love Never Fails
Love always perseveres and lovenever fails. Never look at the adversity or trauma of your story. We might notunderstand everything that goes on with us, but God is greater. God's gracetakes us out of darkness, not put us in the darkness. When we love God wewalk in righteousness no matter what the circumstance is, we continue to loveGod and walk in righteousness.
Have or don’t have I will always becontent. God will never abandon me and he will never forsake me. Hebrews 13:5says, keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what youhave, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
My faith is in his word. Even in mystruggle, if I struggle with mental illness, does it mean God does not love me?Course not. God is faithful. Never question God's faithfulness; we need toquestion our faithfulness to God. Love never fails and love alwaysperseveres no matter what the circumstance is. We don’t give up living onGod's will based on money, any adversity, and struggles, even when everythingturns against us.
It is written in Romans 8:35-39 cananything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer lovesus if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute,or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For yoursake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despiteall these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
And I am convinced that nothing canseparate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powersof hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or theearth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate usfrom the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is God's love for us in thesame way our love for God should be the same as he loves us. Look at Job'sstory and compare it to what you are going through. Learn how Job perseveresand how his love never fails for God.
In this Bible story from the book of Job, there is awealthy man named Job residing in an area called Uz with his extended familyand vast flocks. He is “blameless” and “upright,” constantly mindful to live ina righteous manner (Job 1:1).
God mentions Job to Satan saying, "There isno one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God andshuns evil.” However, Satan contends that Job is only righteous because God hasfavored him generously. Satan dares God that, if given the approval to inflictsuffering, Job will change and curse God. God permits Satan to abuse Job toexperiment with this brazen claim, but he forbids Satan to take Job’s life inthe manner.
The Tribulations of Job
Over the time of one day, Job is given four reports, eachinforming him that his sheep, servants, and ten children have all died due tothieving intruders or natural disasters. Job rips his clothes and shaves hishead in sorrow, yet he still praises God in his prayers. Satan arrives inheaven again, and God allows him another opportunity to test Job. This time,Job is distressed with terrible skin sores. His wife urges him to denounce Godand to give up and die, but Job protests, trying to endure his inflictions.
Three of Job’s companions, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar,arrive to comfort him, sitting with Job in silence for seven days out ofreverence for his grieving. On the seventh day, Job talks, starting adiscussion in which each of the four men shares his reflections on Job’stroubles in poetic descriptions.
Job damns the day he was born, relating life and death tolight and darkness. He hopes that his birth had been obscured in darkness anddesires to have never been born, believing that life only increases hissuffering. Eliphaz replies that Job, who has comforted other people, nowreveals that he never actually knew their pain.
Eliphaz concludes that Job’spain must be due to some sin Job has acted, and he recommends Job to seek God’sfavor. Bildad and Zophar agree that Job must have performed evil to provokeGod’s justice and argue that he should attempt to manifest more innocentbehavior. Bildad supposes that Job’s children brought their deaths uponthemselves. Even worse, Zophar suggests that whatever wrongdoing Job has donehe likely deserves more suffering than what he has experienced.
Job Contemplates the Mystery of God
Job reacts to each of these remarks, becoming so angrythat he calls his sympathizers “worthless physicians” who “whitewash [theirhelp] with lies” (Job 13:4). He questions why God judges people by their deedsif God can just as easily change or forgive their behavior. It is confusing toJob how a human can truly satisfy God’s justice as his ways are mysterious andexceed human comprehension. Furthermore, humans cannot possibly convince Godwith their words.
God cannot be fooled, and Job confesses that he does not evenknow himself well enough to adequately defend his case to God. Job desires forsomeone who can mediate between himself and God, or be sent to Sheol, the darkspace of the dead.
Job believes that there is a “witness” or a “Redeemer” inheaven who will testify for his integrity (Job 16:19, Job 19:25). The sufferingshows too much for Job, and he turns bitter, anxious, and scared. He deploresthe injustice that God lets evil people thrive while he and many other honestpeople suffer.
Job wants to face God and protest, but cannot physically findGod. He assumes that wisdom is concealed from humans, but he decides topersevere in seeking wisdom by fearing God and evading evil.
God Consoles Job
God eventually intervenes, commanding Job to be brave, andexplains various detailed features of his creation. Overcome by the appearanceof God, Job recognizes God’s infinite power and accepts the constraints of hishuman understanding. This response pleases God, but he is upset with Eliphaz,Bildad, and Zophar for emitting lousy advice. Job reconciles on their behalf,and God forgives them. God then restores Job’s health, granting him twice asmuch property as before, new children, and a remarkably long life. In the end,Job never completely gave up hope or faith in God as an inspiration to everyoneenduring suffering of their own.
Weapon Forms But Love Never Fails
by Trey Knowles
https://crosssides.blogspot.com/
