My Redeemer Lives 6-7-05

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I lift my eyes to You and seek to see the glory of Your face. I long and pray for the day I will see You face to face, never being satisfied with anything less. This is my desire because You have placed this desire in our hearts. ... Though yesterday was a hard day for my family, Your Spirit woke me and called me to prayer with a song of praise rising in my spirit this morning: "For I know my redeemer lives..." These were Job's words as he cried out to you in the dark night of his soul. Even in the depths of his struggles with overwhelming loss and pain, he trusted You. Few of us have suffered has he suffered, but we can all learn from the witness of his faith. You gave him grace to persevere, to keep seeking, keep hoping, keep pressing on no matter what. Like us, he lived in the midst of a broken, fallen world. He was surrounded by confusion, accusation, suffering, and pain. He was hurt and disappointed by the reactions and responses of family and friends. He was relentlessly pursued by the enemy of his soul, who came to steal and kill and destroy. He was troubled by theology and struggled for understanding. Yet, he kept turning his eyes to You, kept seeking Your face, kept standing in faith -- all by Your grace. "For I know my Redeemer lives, and that at last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has thus been destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me" (Job 19.25-27). Apart from You and the grace You give, "There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God" (Romans 3.10-11). In our flesh, none is righteous, not even Job. None is immune from suffering -- not even "God's children" when "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one" (1 John 5.19). But You did not waste a moment of his suffering, and we have yet to see the fullness of all that happened in the spiritual realm of eternity as a man of flesh and blood continued to seek You and call upon Your name in the midst of devastation and suffering. You redeem all things, even causing what was sent from hell itself to work together for good for those who love You and seek You and keep calling upon Your name (Romans 8.28; 2 Corinthians 12.7). Even what was intended by others for our harm and destruction, You intend for our good -- using all things to draw us nearer to You in deeper depths of intimacy and trust, redeeming all circumstances to accomplish Your greater purposes (Genesis 50.20). In the end, You will stand upon the earth -- with Your creation redeemed by the power of Your love -- and in Christ, we will stand with You. Give us grace to persevere that we may stand with You in faith now, so that we may stand with You in victory on that day. May there be many others standing with us on that day because they saw You standing with us on these hard days now. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Be encouraged this day! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays To subscribe/unsubscribe/reply please send a note to me at Messiah Ministries -- "preparing the way of the Lord" -- MessiahMin@aol.com Our mailing address: 2800 Tates Creek Rd; Lexington, KY 40502. God bless you!