Sea Monster – Job 41

 “Can you catch Leviathan with a hook or put a noose around its jaw?

² Can you tie it with a rope through the nose or pierce its jaw with a spike?...
^9 [c]No, it is useless to try to capture it.
    The hunter who attempts it will be knocked down.
¹⁰ And since no one dares to disturb it, WHO THEN CAN STAND UP TO ME?...

 ¹² “I want to emphasize Leviathan’s limbs and its enormous strength and graceful form. ¹³ Who can strip off its hide, and who can penetrate its double layer of armor?
¹⁴ Who could pry open its jaws? For its teeth are terrible!
¹⁵ The scales on its back are like^[e] rows of shields tightly sealed together. ¹⁶ They are so close together that no air can get between them. ¹⁷ Each scale sticks tight to the next. They interlock and cannot be penetrated.

¹⁸ “When it sneezes, it flashes light! Its eyes are like the red of dawn.
¹⁹ Lightning leaps from its mouth; flames of fire flash out.
²⁰ Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes.
²¹ Its breath would kindle coals, for flames shoot from its mouth.

²² “The tremendous strength in Leviathan’s neck strikes terror wherever it goes.
²³ Its flesh is hard and firm and cannot be penetrated.
²⁴ Its heart is hard as rock, hard as a millstone.

²⁵ When it rises, the mighty are afraid, gripped by terror.

²⁶ No sword can stop it, no spear, dart, or javelin…..
³⁰ Its belly is covered with scales as sharp as glass. It plows up the ground as it drags through the mud.

³¹ “Leviathan makes the water boil with its commotion. It stirs the depths like a pot of ointment. ³² The water glistens in its wake, making the sea look white.
³³ Nothing on earth is its equal, no other creature so fearless.
³⁴ Of all the creatures, it is the proudest. It is the king of beasts.”

This is a fascinating account of what today some people would refer as a “mythical creature”, but the truth of the matter is that The Creator of the heaven and the earth is talking about another creation of HIS.  It’s important to realize that all these details here have a purpose, and though the world may speak different of it, as well as many other things that are written here, if God says it we MUST believe it!

If we are to imagine following the description given of the kind of creature GOD is talking about…      A huge creature, its enormous strength, and form; lots of terrible teeth; scales on the back, and on its belly; red eyes; lightning from its mouth, smoking from its nose, with a hard and firm “skin”, and lives in the water. “Nothing on earth is its equal of all the creatures it is the King of beasts!” To me this looks like a “water dinosaur” type of thing.  And though it looks like a character from a movie but due to the fact that who is describing it its Creator, GOD, we must understand this was/is a real thing.  And the funny thing is that HE is using it to compare with GOD’s own power and strength. 

All these to make us understand that NO ONE that will ever try to beat it will succeed; that “the hunter who attempts will be knocked down.”  “Who then can stand up to ME?” Asked the Lord. This is a clear warning for those that attempt to go against God, because GOD is greater and stronger and who will dare to go against HIM?!  The next time you get tempted to think that you can go against God and win, think twice, check this Scripture, and you will be remember who God is!

And one more thing to remember: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”[1]

I’m praying for a stronger belief in God as you study His Word, because IF anything is to move you, let it be God HIMSELF and HIS Word for the glory of God I pray in JESUS name, AMEN!

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[1] 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Established by God - Job 38 & 39

 ⁴ “…. I laid the foundations of the earth?....   

⁸ “Who kept the sea inside its boundaries….

⁹ and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?

¹⁰ For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores.
¹¹ I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.  Here your proud waves must stop!’…

²² “Have you visited the storehouses of the snow or seen the storehouses of hail?
²³ (I have reserved them as weapons for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war.)…

³⁹ “Can you stalk prey for a lioness and satisfy the young lions’ appetites
⁴⁰ as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket?
⁴¹ Who provides food for the ravens when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger?

Job 39 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
    Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
² Do you know how many months they carry their young?
    Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
³ They crouch down to give birth to their young and deliver their offspring.
⁴ Their young grow up in the open fields, then leave home and never return.

⁵ “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?  Who untied its ropes?
⁶ I have placed it in the wilderness; its home is the wasteland.
⁷ It hates the noise of the city and has no driver to shout at it.
⁸ The mountains are its pastureland, where it searches for every blade of grass.

⁹ “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed? Will it spend the night in your stall?
¹⁰ Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow? Will it plow a field for you?
¹¹ Given its strength, can you trust it?  Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
¹² Can you rely on it to bring home your grain and deliver it to your threshing floor?

¹³ “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly, but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
¹⁴ She lays her eggs on top of the earth, letting them be warmed in the dust.
¹⁵ She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them or a wild animal might destroy them.
¹⁶ She is harsh toward her young, as if they were not her own. She doesn’t care if they die.
¹⁷ For God has deprived her of wisdom. He has given her no understanding.
¹⁸ But whenever she jumps up to run, she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.

¹⁹ “Have you given the horse its strength or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
²⁰ Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust? Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
²¹ It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength when it charges out to battle.
²² It laughs at fear and is unafraid. It does not run from the sword.
²³ The arrows rattle against it, and the spear and javelin flash.
²⁴ It paws the ground fiercely and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
²⁵ It snorts at the sound of the horn. It senses the battle in the distance.
    It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.

²⁶ “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar and spread its wings toward the south?
²⁷ Is it at your command that the eagle rises to the heights to make its nest?
²⁸ It lives on the cliffs, making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
²⁹ From there it hunts its prey, keeping watch with piercing eyes.
³⁰ Its young gulp down blood. Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”

ONLY GOD, my friend!

It’s unbelievable how still people mind about scientifically proving things ONLY GOD established, for HE CREATED them!  And we do not even want to think about the loads of tax payers’ money used to research about it!  But, REALLY?  What so hard about accepting God’s creation when even you are one of a kind?

I’m praying right now, that when you meditate in each of these points you get a might revelation from God about HIS Supremacy, HIS Character, HIS Essence, and HIS LOVE FOR YOU!!!  For you and me, we could have been a part of the stars, the sand or the rocks, the unanimated things or even a part of the animal world HE created but no, HE WANTED US to be created to HIS image, so we WERE CREATED like HIM we could testify with words about HIM.  I pray GOD births in you from this day and on an unquenchable desire to discover more and more, who HE IS and to share and testify to the world about HIS WONDERS and MAJESTI for the glory of GOD, I pray in JESUS name, AMEN!

   

Reminder of God’s Power – Job 36-37

 Job 36:22 “Look, God is ALL-POWERFUL. Who is a teacher like Him?

²³ No one can tell Him what to do, or say to Him, ‘You have done wrong.’ ²⁴ Instead, glorify His MIGHTY WORKS, singing songs of praise. ²⁵ Everyone has seen these things, though only from a distance. ²⁶ “Look, God is greater than we can understand. His years cannot be counted.²⁷ He draws up the water vapor and then distills it into rain. ²⁸ The rain pours down from the clouds and everyone benefits. ²⁹ Who can understand the spreading of the clouds and the thunder that rolls forth from heaven? ³⁰ See how he spreads the lightning around Him and how it lights up the depths of the sea. ³¹ By these mighty acts he nourishes the people, giving them food in abundance. ³² He fills His hands with lightning bolts and hurls each at its target. ³³ The thunder announces His presence; the storm announces His indignant anger.

37 “My heart pounds as I think of this. It trembles within me. ² Listen carefully to the thunder of God’s voice as it rolls from His mouth. ³ It rolls across the heavens,
and His lightning flashes in every direction. ⁴ Then comes the roaring of the thunder— the tremendous voice of His majesty. He does not restrain it when he speaks. ⁵ God’s voice is glorious in the thunder. We can’t even imagine the greatness of His power. ⁶ “He directs the snow to fall on the earth and tells the rain to pour down. ⁷ Then everyone stops working so they can watch His power. ⁸ The wild animals take cover and stay inside their dens. ⁹ The stormy wind comes from its chamber, and the driving winds bring the cold. ¹⁰ God’s breath sends the ice, freezing wide expanses of water. ¹¹ He loads the clouds with moisture, and they flash with His lightning. ¹² The clouds churn about at His direction. They do whatever he commands throughout the earth…. ¹⁴ “Pay attention to this, Job. Stop and consider the wonderful miracles of God! ¹⁵ Do you know how God controls the storm and causes the lightning to flash from His clouds? ¹⁶ Do you understand how He moves the clouds with wonderful perfection and skill? ¹⁷ When you are sweltering in your clothes and the south wind dies down and everything is still, ¹⁸ He makes the skies reflect the heat like a bronze mirror. Can you do that?”

The routine in our lives pushes us to go by life sometime not realizing the GREATNESS of the God and Creator of this universe that we lived in taking it and taking HIM for granted.  But even if you have not had a time to reflex on some of these things, take this moment to ponder, and praise HIM for HIS power.   Things like the vapor and the rain, and how the clouds and thunder rolls forth from heaven and how thru that process the lands brings forth crops for us to enjoy, it’s simply fascinating!

And how about the thunder and lightning bolts in the storms? Elihu who is the one speaking here refers to it as God’s voice, that’s just powerful! It really speaks about God’s majesty. And what about the snow storms, we just had one last week here, is like a majestic painting; when God opens the windows of heaven and let it come down, like powder sugar over a baked pastry, just beautiful! If it comes in great amounts, people tend to stay indoors, plans change out of the sudden just because, God had spoken!

Have you realized that if there’s any one who we need to bow to it ought to be HIM!?  For HE is the God who gave us a chance to exist, it was HIM who chose for us to be humans, not plants, not animals, not rocks, or any other thing.  We were created by HIM and to HIS image, So God created human beings in HIS OWN IMAGE; “In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”[1] And what comes after that verse is even more exciting for is REALLY a blessing, the exciting news that we’ve been call to not only fill the earth but to govern it, AND to reign over the fish, birds, and animals!!!.[2]  I’m sure to some these sounds like music to the ears! This has been indeed the plan God traced for us since the very beginnings of times!  That’s love to me!  As parents we want to give our children the best, though sometimes due to a multitude of things the best could be limited, but our Father’s nature is LIMITLESS and HIS plans for us are awesome!!!  “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”^[3]

I pray today your heart gets to rejoice as you ponder on all the things our GOOD GOOD Father had given us. Have a great day worshiping our Creator!

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[1] Genesis 1:27

[2] Genesis 1:28

[3] Galatians 4:6

What do you know about Lust? Job 31

“For lust is a shameful SIN, a CRIME that should be punished.

It is a fire that burns all the way to hell.  It would wipe out everything I own.”   Job 31:11-12 NLT

The Meaning

Easton's Bible Dictionary, defines “Lust” as “Sinful longing; the inward SIN which leads to the FALLING AWAY from God (Rom 1:21).  ”Lust, the origin of sin, has its place in the heart, not of necessity, but because it is the centre of all moral forces and impulses and of spiritual activity.” In Mark 4:19 "lusts" are objects of desire.”    Other the references include:  See Adultery; Covetousness; Incest; Lasciviousness; Sensuality; Sodomy[1]; and even others include charm, crime, criticism, integrity, temptation.[2]

·         1 John 2:16 NKJV - “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,

and the pride of life—is NOT of the Father but IS of the WORLD. “

·         1 John 2:16 NLT - “For the world offers ONLY a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.”

Since the very beginnings of life and as early as in the Garden of Eden, we can see lust appeared, and how when that lust isn’t mastered brings separation, destruction and pain with life-long consequences. “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”[3]

Though our subject is lust I have to focus for a minute, how detrimental for the society is not having a strong foundation that withholds the storm-force winds as they come in.  As women we “manage” our homes, and if we aren’t strong when temptation comes, we can take the home down. When you wake up, wake up a bit early so you can praise the Lord, and READ His Word, before the day kicks in; when you’re dealing with the kids, include God’s teaching, pray for them; when you’re about the home business keep worshiping God; when you’re doing dishes, PRAY! When you have fellowship time, praise God; and when you get to bed again, Praise HIM even more for giving you the strength to finish another day!!! Stay rooted in God, my friend!

Back to our original subject, lust…

Let’s ponder about a few things here…

·         You need A + B = C

·         Lust/pleasure + desire = crime

In Eve’s case, when she “saw” (pleasure) (A) and then desire was added to it (+B), she took its fruit and ate (= C).

  

Shameful sin and crime are very strong words that describe lust, but when you realize if she would it stopped it at the beginning it wouldn’t had gone as far as it did, that’s what make it a crime, the life-long repercussions!

If you get to school or work, and you see a pencil or a tape that doesn’t belong to you, but you take it with you anyway, it’s wrong! You might say, but it’s a small thing, but that’s not it, it’s that you’ve liked it, and then wanted it, and at the end, you’ve taken something that it is not yours; and this was just a “small thing”.  As the time goes by, since that wasn’t corrected then, then one day you see a stapler, and you take it home; you needed it, and thought “I’ll bring it back” but then you forgot. Time keeps passing by, and one thing after another, until some day, unexpectedly, you get served court papers; you’ve been accused of a crime, theft! It’s all the same equation, A + B = C, a shameful sin, a crime! And the consequences are all the way to hell;  as a person that never been to jail, it could be hell for me to make it there; a place where everything you owe will be wipe out, that isn’t fun, and definitely not worth it!

Whether the sin is committed behind closed doors or not, still is a sin; because pleasing the lust of the eyes or the flesh, like Rev. Louie Montoya says:  “will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and really cost you more than you want to pay”. It will translate into adultery, lasciviousness, sodomy, Hello! Incest, Hello!!! …A CRIME! Terrible, terrible, terrible things!!!

Application

“Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”[4]  

Parting from all these given details, the question to ponder is, Do I Have Any Lust in My Life?

Here’s how to prevent Lust:

·         Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

·         Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids.  Proverbs 6:25

·         Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.  Romans 13:13

Start by making a new confession of sins and of faith to God as the Father and Creator of all, to His Son, JESUS thru whom we were given salvation by dying in the cross for our sins, and accepting that gift and making HIM the Lord, Savior and Master of your life.  Keep repeating this process of confession and acceptance will get you realizing the things you’re doing wrong, and with time, you’ll master those, and will aware you of the holes before you get to them, to avoid them, preventing you from falling in them again.

Then the matter is just like when you’re training for a test, preparation. 

1.       FILL YOURSELF WITH THE BIBLE; get a Daily Devotional, because just like our body needs food on a daily bases, our mind and soul need God’s Word.   

2.       JOIN A BIBLE STUDY, men, women, couples (which ever applies to you) this is the training camp where if you have questions, you ask.  Here you will find people that had been walking longer in the faith and have experience sometimes the road where you’re going today, and can help you with suggestions, and prayer.  Also is here where you will develop fellowship and make friends that will help you living outside the church the principles that in the church are taught.

3.     COME TO CHURCH, weekly!!!  Make it a PRIORITY! Your life and your loved ones deserve that chance. 

The more you fill the cup of your heart will God’s Principles,

the less of everything else will be in it!

Please know I’m praying for you! Have a GREAT day in the LORD!!!

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[1] https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=NT0003109

[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/nkjv/job/31/1/t_refs_467011

[3] Genesis 3:6 NKJV

[4] 1 Corinthians 10:6

Wisdom and Understanding – Job 28

 “People know where to mine silver and how to refine gold. ² They know where to dig iron from the earth and how to smelt copper from rock. ³ They know how to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth as they search in the dark for ore. ⁴ They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth.  ⁵ Food is grown on the earth above, but down below, the earth is melted as by fire….⁹ People know how to tear apart flinty rocks  and overturn the roots of mountains. ¹⁰ They cut tunnels in the rocks  and uncover precious stones. ¹¹ They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures. ¹² “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? ¹³ No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living. ¹⁴ ‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.  ¹⁵ It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver. ¹⁶ It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli. ¹⁷ Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold…. ²⁰ “But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding?... ²³ “God alone understands the way to wisdom; He knows where it can be found, ²⁴ for He looks throughout the whole earth and sees everything under the heavens. ²⁵ He decided how hard the winds should blow and how much rain should fall. ²⁶ He made the laws for the rain and laid out a path for the lightning…. ²⁸ And this is what He says to all humanity: ‘THE FEAR OF THE LORD IS TRUE WISDOM; TO FORSAKE EVIL IS REAL UNDERSTANDING.[1]’”

One thing had been mistaken for ages is that after people get their college degree the more they study the more wise they are, and the less they will have to depend on those around him/her.  Nothing more far from the reality! Do not get me wrong, I do support college degree for everyone, but it’s the sense of superiority that sometimes gets into those that seek to better themselves thru school that gets me, because many times end up belittling all those that do not accomplish “that far”.   

The first few verses give us several examples of things that people know about.  People know where to mine silver, and how to refine gold; to shine light in the darkness and explore the farthest regions of the earth; sink mine shaft into the earth, or how to descend on ropes, but that doesn’t mean that even people with college degrees because of their degrees know about these things or are more or less smarter than those who know about those, just because of the college degree.  Absolutely no!

So the key question we are looking to get answered is, where is wisdom coming from? But before answering where it does come from the text is telling us where wisdom is not found. We are not going to find that answer in the ocean, we can go as deep as we could go and is not found there; I’m sure we could see “new” things but not the answer we’re looking for.  The text also says wisdom is an expensive thing but it can’t be purchased with silver, gold or jewels.  Then suddenly we are confronted with part of the answer, and what I mean with part of the answer is that it has two parts, the first which is given here, God ALONE understands the way to wisdom. It is GOD who decides how hard the wind should blow, how much rain should fall, HE is who made the laws for the rain. Then He give us the second part of the answer HE says to all humanity that, the fear to HIM who created all, to HIM who placed boundaries for the waters of the sea would not transgress His command[2], and He who marked out the foundations of the earth, that’s wisdom! It is HIM who had given each of us a measure of faith[3], and to some HE has equipped to do some jobs that aren’t for others[4], when we fear THAT ONLY PERSON who can do those things, that’s wisdom! And it comes with a gift, because when we fear and respect THE LORD, that will make us To turn away from evil and that in turn will give us understanding[5].  See without turning away from evil we will not be able to understand the things that He had plans for us to know. See, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.[6]” This is why is important that when you receive Him in your heart, you begin to study His Word, The Bible, because only then you will understand the things written in it. For the same reason, if you have not committed your life to Him and try to read His Word, you might not understand too much of it, if not all of it.

My friend, no matter how wealthy or not you are, how large or small your accomplishments list in life has been, because when it comes to wisdom, its only found in God.  And you might ask, What to do, then?

Well the first thing is to receive JESUS in your heart, (that means, admit that as a person without God, you are sinner, and you NEED for God to save you, then believe that HE send JESUS to the cross to pay for your sins, because He did!, and then confess HIM as your ONLY Savior and Master of your life), and then be careful to observe HIS Word.[7]  In case you feel you still are not too wise or you want to understand better or more, James 1:5 says it’s a free gift: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Besides, when you stand continually before God, you will increase not only with the blessing of wisdom but also with happiness[8], and a so many other blessings like it happened to Solomon[9]. Therefore, just ASK GOD!

A great resource to be use as a prayer to acquire wisdom is found on Psalm 119. Try it!

I’m praying your desire for wisdom be multiplied as you engage in a deeper communion with our Creator, in JESUS name, AMEN!

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[1] Check also the Easy to Read Version (ERV), and the Good News Translation (GNT)

[2] Proverbs 8:29 NKJV

[3] Romans 12:3  NKJV

[4] Exodus 35:35, 36:2; 1 King 7:14; 1 Chronicles 25:1; 2 Chronicles 2:14; Ezra 7:6

[5] Job 28:28 ERV (Easy to Read Version)

[6] Psalm 111:10 NKJV

[7] Deuteronomy 4:6 NKJV

[8] 1 Kings 10:8 NKJV

[9] 2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NKJV