Biblical Bacon

I struggled to sit down and write this post. As my initial post indicated, I am not one that enjoys this art and I contribute the delay to a case of the “I don’t-wannas” and procrastination brought on by hereditary conditions! Now, I know my Mom will be reading this and hopefully, she will deflect this to my Dad’s side of the hereditary contributions. It is likely she will read it before he will!

I stated in my initial post that I believe that the Word of God is the duct tape for life. I believe this to be true and know there are many things we can continue to learn and grow from if we allow that growth to occur. Take for instance the life of Job. It never ceases to amaze me when I study this book, my eyes are opened to another (bacon) bit of wisdom that helps in everyday life. There are many that will argue the Old Testament is outdated and we should only focus on the love of Jesus. Where I agree we should look at the love of Jesus, Jesus actually stated He did not come to abolish the scripture (meaning Old Testament) but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).  That said, let us look at the bacon (I mean book) of Job!

Most that know scripture, know of Job. He was that righteous man that walked with God. He was upright in all he did. He got it right, he had a lasting relationship with God. If we look at this book, we find it is a conversation between him and some friends discussing why God has taken everything from him. What stuck out this time was what the first thing he did in response to these tragedies. Was he upset? Of course! He tore his robe and shaved his head as soon as he heard the demise of his children and all his wealth (Job 1:20). But, if we look closer at that same verse, it states that Job worships God! After all, he has been through and lost; his children and all livestock on the same day and later his health, he worships the God that created him!

Each week, I will research different verses that our children will look up that pertain to the lesson we have on Sunday morning. Yes, this was an actual lesson we (my bride and myself) taught to the kids of children church. One of the verses my research unfolded was out of James 1:2. It states to “consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials” (emphasis mine). It is the totality of this “all” we should take note of. Some versions say “full” joy.  It does not say to be partially joyous or a little happy, but full of joy. I mean, really, if Job can worship after losing all he had lost, can we not do the same when someone texting hits us from behind in traffic. Or we can sing a song of worship when our coworker leaves all the stuff no one else wants to do specifically for us!

It is easy to praise God when it is Sunday morning or when we find out about a raise or other windfall life hands to us. How about when we are burdened? How much do you think our creator enjoys the worship when there is pain behind it?

There is a popular song that proclaims, “I will praise you in the storm, and I will lift my hands.”

The verse in James goes on to say that the testing of our faith creates endurance. This same endurance that is required of us to finish the race set before us (2 Timothy 4:7; Acts 20:24). There is some hope inside all of this. Where there is pain, there is growth. Where there is tribulation, there produces endurance. All of this is for His purpose and will. What better reason than to worship the God that created all we can cast our eyes on.

If you are enduring a storm, look up and worship. Give praise to the One that gives the opportunities for us to grow. Praise Him in the storm!

“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trial, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3