He Does Not Oppress...

The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress. Therefore men, revere him, for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart?

Job 37:23-24

You may be going through a tough time in your life, things may not be going as you had imagined; however, the biggest mistake you can make is to blame God for your situation instead of listening for His voice to understand what will be produced from this storm… It is so easy for us to become frustrated when we face difficulties in life, it is so easy for us to get upset and dejected when it appears as though things are falling apart; in these times in our lives, we are reminded today that we must maintain the reverence that we have for the Lord “for does he not have regard for all the wise in heart…” God knows what you can take and what you can stand, He knows the weights that are enough for you to handle and He wants you to walk in faith instead of the sight of things around you and therefore lose your faith… Job was a man that was considered righteous, but even he was tested… In the end he received double of what he had originally… Today, ask yourself (without knowing the end results) if you can stand the test that is assured to come upon your doorstep… Even if you believe that you are walking according to the will of God, do you truly believe you can stand the test…? I often hear people speak about how God has the final say and is in control when someone is going through or on their beds of affliction; however, the question that I have is how do we handle or feel when God’s final say is to test your faith and belief…? The very things that you are enduring in life may be the very things that God planned for you… Remember Abraham received his first born from Sarah at 100 years of age and God instructed him to sacrifice his son before him… How would you handle a situation where God plans to take something personal from you…? This may be the test that you are enduring right now, God may be challenging your faith in Him by removing something that you hold dear to your heart…  Even in the midst of your storm, know that God not only knows what you’re going through, but He also has a plan that is being carried out… These verses today taken from Job teach us about trusting Gods plan and also that sin has caused the captivity and oppression that we face… Through God’s justice and great righteousness we are able to live and obtain victory… We need to stop trying to cast all of our bad decisions on God acting as if He has done some terrible thing… Job was a man that dealt with great hardships and trials; in the blink of an eye he went from riches to rags and from being a father to being fatherless… Looking at the life of Job one can easily come to understand that tomorrow is never promised and there are many things that we should not only be thankful for, but that we must appreciate before it’s too late… Job lost all his sons and daughters, his livestock and eventually his health; despite all the storms that he encountered he is called to recognize God’s power and position… “The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power…” Job’s friend Elihu understood that God created the universe and every living thing, He understood that God is omnipresence, He is here there and everywhere and what we find in the book of Job today is that God is beyond our reach… God being beyond our reach does not mean that He doesn’t hear our cries; this means that the will He has devised for each in every one of us may not be what we have drawn up and it may not be for us to comprehend…

We me not understand what things are taking place in our lives, but we must remember that God sits on the throne and that everything will work according to His will… You are called to walk in faith and believe that everything will work not only according to His purpose, but also for your good since you love the Lord… Elihu was saying that even when we call on God and haven’t heard an answer we cannot allow ourselves to lose faith in God…. Many times we call on the Lord seeking an answer and God doesn’t provide it right away… These are the times in our lives that we must ignite and maintain our Faith… Elihu says that we must remain faithful in these times because “he does not oppress…” Some of the hardships we face are the consequences of our actions, while others may be presented to keep us humble and driven… Remember Paul’s 2^nd letter to the church of Corinth where he spoke about “the thorn in the flesh,” he says that it was placed there to buffet (beat, pummel) him… Even if we were able to walk according to the will of God (Job was called a righteous man by God)… We all need a little bit of hardships to keep us in line so that we don’t detour from God’s path… Job grew in righteousness because of the storms that he faced, which carried a significant downpour, but didn’t drown his belief in God… When we come to understand that God does not oppress, then we can also realize why men revere Him… God knows the things you stand in need of, but He also knows how much you can handle… Job faced a mighty storm which spoke to the position in which God saw him… The storms of your life display unto you the potential and ability God sees within you… The tougher the storm the more God is calling you to a higher level… To revere something is to admire, respect or worship… Men revere God because we never will know all the ways in which He works… We will never be able to comprehend the power and might that lies within his hands, we will never be able to make sense of His actions and will… Job was wise in heart because he never sinned against God… Despite what trials you face, despite what obstacles come your way, despite what people may try to do to you, know that as long as you hold on to your faith and trust in the Lord you will be victorious… Job received double what he had… He was blessed not because of His popularity or monetary wealth, Job was blessed because he accepted the storms that raged in His life and continued to exalt the Lord… The desire of God is not oppress you, but to rekindle that intimate relationship with you… The storms you face serve a purpose and they are well worth it when they bring you closer to the Lord… The bible says that faith without works is dead; in other words, stop professing your faith with mere words and learn to trust, exalt and revere God… Each and every trial you face becomes a stepping stone in your growth… The bigger the storm/trial is, the closer you are to your destiny and God when you overcome it…

BE BLESSED!!!