| Vol. VII Number 16 | May 11, 2003 |
Throughout our life we are continually confronted with many problems. Some are minor annoyances, while others are the major catastrophe. How we confront these problems determines where we are in Christ's kingdom.
An example would be the ones who get all flustered and stressed by the constant little annoyances that hound us on a daily basis. The psychologists have made a fortune counseling patients that have become totally stressed and controlled by life's annoyances. It is the little continually driving annoyances that cause many to fall. You can compare it to the Chinese water torture where the constant drip of water drives a person insane. Satan uses the same tactic on you with the constant annoyances that he knows will eventually drive you into his clutches.
Every now and then there is a big catastrophe that comes our way like the twisters in the Midwest, but for the most part it is all of the little annoyances that really bother us. The large problems come every once in a while and we seem to be able to handle them better than the little annoyances. When you read the book of Job you see a man who is not only tormented with the boils, and the total loss of his wealth and family, but the most aggravating thing that Job faced was the aggravation by his friends and wife. They were blaming him for his calamity as their method of comfort. They were busy telling him that there was sin in his life that brought all of this evil upon him.
Though Job had some very serious troubles, the most dangerous was the constant vexation on his spirit.
Job 2:9
9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
In this situation Job's wife was more of a problem for Job than all of his troubles. Here was the woman that he loved telling him that he should reject all of the grace that God has given them. Here was his companion through life telling him to even curse God and die.
Job 2:1-13
1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.
2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.
5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.
7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.
9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.
The rest of the book of Job tells us about Job's three friends and their method of comfort. Job's biggest problem was not the great evil brought upon him by Satan, but the total vexation of the Spirit by Satan's agents. This same vexation goes on in our lives today. We are being constantly hammered by the little annoyances that are driving us crazy.
The Christian who stands firm in the Lord Jesus Christ in the face of all of the trials of life will grow in the Lord. The Christian who realizes that Satan is using all of these minor annoyances to bring him down will realize that his victory only comes through Jesus Christ the Lord. The world is telling you to be strong and stand up and fight for your rights when Jesus taught the opposite. The ones who annoy you would be better off if you did good to them who hate you.
Matthew 5:44-48
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
3014 E Street
Philadelphia, PA 19134
Church Office Phone: (215) 634-3637
Published by: Rev. LeRoy D. Cressy (215) 535-4037
Services:
| Sunday School | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 11:30 AM |
| Sunday Morning Worship | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 12 NOON |
| Sunday Evening | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 6:30 PM |
| Wednesday Evening | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 7:30 PM |
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