JOB: SORE NO MORE

SORE NO MORE

In the land of Uz lived Job,

Who loved God and hated evil.

Satan decided to test him,

By bringing his life upheaval.

Job had prestige and riches,

Yet he was a family man.

No one or nothing had brought him down,

But the devil thought, "I can."

One day when angels went to God,

Satan tagged along.

"Where'd you come from?" said the Lord.

For Satan didn't belong.

"Have you seen my servant Job?"

God said to the devil that day.

"He is upright and blameless,"

God said in His loving way.

"He serves you only for the gain,"

Sneered Satan without disgrace.

"If he loses those things most precious to him,

He will curse you to your face."

The Lord had faith in Job,

So He allowed him to face this test.

Satan would try to bring him down;

He was eager to begin his quest.

Job's animals were carried off,

His servants were put to the sword.

Others were burned, along with the sheep,

When fire from the raging sky poured.

But the tragedy that followed,

Was the one that would most upset Job.

When he learned his children were killed,

He stood up and tore his robe.

"Naked I came from my mother's womb,

And naked I will depart.

I know the Lord gives and takes away,"

Job praised God from his heart.

But Job never once blamed God.

So the devil's plan was foiled.

If he truly has red, pointed ears,

Steam from them would have boiled.

So he went with the angels to meet with God,

As he did the time before.

They had the same conversation,

But Satan would ask for more.

"Let me harm him physically,

He'll curse you because of his strife."

"Very well, he's yours," God said,

But you must spare his life."

Job was afflicted with sores,

From his soles to the top of his head.

They caused him pain and misery;

He wished that he was dead.

His wife said to him, "Curse God,"

But Job replied from the rubble,

"Shall we only accept good from God,

And not accept His trouble?"

Three so-called friends came to visit him,

But they added insult to injury.

They offered no comfort or sympathy;

They became his judge and jury.

They hautily spoke of Job's pride,

And often accused him of sin.

They questioned his love and honesty;

His patience was sure wearing thin.

When he begged his friends for pity,

They reprimanded him.

Job complained most bitterly,

For he was as good as them.

"I know my Saviour lives," he insisted,

"On the earth He again will stand."

Job knew when his skin was completely gone,

He would stand at God's right hand.

When Job questioned God, God scolded him,

Then told Job to pray for his friends.

Job was sorry he doubted God;

God then made amends.

For staying true to Him,

God gave Job more than before.

He gave him beautiful children,

And Job was sore no more.

Becky Wall

THE SIN OF OMISSION

THE SIN OF OMISSION

It may not be the evil things Christians do that keep us from heaven, but the things we do not do. Granted, we cannot enter heaven by our works, but faith without deeds is dead (James 2:14-26). Can we influence or be an example to pagans without good deeds? Can we have love in our hearts for our fellow man if we do not show that love by our actions? Can we overcome evil with apathy and spiritual slothfulness? Christianity is not a passive, spectator sport or social event. It is love in action.

In many of the parables that Jesus told, some were not chastened for the evil deeds he had done, but for those things he did not do. Consider the man who buried his talent in the Parable of the Talents, or the two who refused to help the beaten man in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, the servant who was forgiven of a great debt refused to forgive a brother of a small debt. In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the prodigal son was not chastised, but the older brother was for not welcoming his brother back.The ten virgins failed to prepared for the groom’s arrival in the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

There are times when the sin of omission falls into the category of silence. Leviticus 5:1 says, “If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or heard about, he will be held responsible.  The "silence of the lambs" is also addressed in Ezekiel 3:18, which warns, “When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.” We find it difficult to warn a Christian brother or sister of his or her sins because we know we are not without sin. In that case, we deserve to be reminded that what we are doing does not please God.

Turning a blind eye to evil or feigning ignorance will not fool God. Proverbs 24:11-12a says, “Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?” If you are now asking yourself who you know that is being led to death, I ask you, what about the unborn? Have you educated yourself about this issue? Have you done anything to stop this holocaust? Are you silent about the issue?

When we give the thirsty a drink, or clothe the poor, care for the sick, or visit those in prison, we do it as unto Jesus. Whatever we do to the least of these, we do unto Him (Matthew 25:35-40). Verses 41-46 indicate that those who do nothing are cursed and will have no place in heaven. “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?” (James 15-16)  

It has been my observation that Christians who have religion but no relationship with Christ continually commit the sin of omission. Their lack of empathy, concern, love, and deeds indicate they are without remorse or repentance, and are not obedient to God’s Word. “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26)  “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins” (James 4:17). This, then, becomes the sin of omission.

Philemon 1:6 says, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

Becky Wall

THE COLOR OF LOVE

THE COLOR OF LOVE

That yellow-bellied snake in Eden,

A green-eyed monster became.

The blackness of sin came into the world,

Through Satan, the serpent’s name.

Sin-blackened hearts only make us blue,

So hate sin with a purple passion.

If you want your heart to be tickled pink,

Remember, Christ offers full salvation.

A colorful arch in the sky,

Reminds us the earth God won’t flood.

Our sins are now drowned in a crimson sea;

When they’re baptized into Christ’s blood.

To make our hearts as white as snow,

Christ came from heaven above,

To bear our stripes and shed His blood;

That’s why red is the color of love.

Now we can enter those pearly gates,

To a jeweled mansion, I’m told.

And while angels strum upon their harps,

We’ll walk on streets of gold.

Becky Wall

BOOKSMART

BOOKSMART

(Based on Prov 3:5, Rom 1:16, I Cor. 1:20-2:16, 15:2;

 Eph. 5:17; Col 1:5; I Th 3:2)

The gospel is the good news,

The power of God to salvation.

It saves, convicts, instructs, transforms;

It is preached with word and with action.

The message of the cross sounds foolish,

To the lost in our dying world.

But Noah’s message was laughed at, too--

‘Til his prophecy unfurled.

You may wish for worldly wisdom,

But God’s foolishness is wiser.

It isn’t always the scholars who preach,

But the lowly, by the Spirit’s power.

One may learn the thoughts of men,

Who lean on their own understanding,

But the thoughts of God give wisdom,

If we follow His commanding.

A Godless man can’t understand,

He thinks the gospel is for fools,

So he looks to science and philosophy,

And lives by his own set of rules.

Your wisdom can put the wise to shame,

If His Spirit lives in your heart.

Live by the Bible; it’s The Gospel truth,

And you will be Booksmart.

Becky Overturf Wall

A GLORIOUS DAY

A GLORIOUS DAY

Every day I fix my hair,

My efforts are often defeating.

Makeup on, then off at night;

I would rather take a beating.

In heaven will be no spritz or spray,

I won’t have to curl my hair.

Makeup will be a thing of the past,

For my complexion will always be fair.

I won’t have to clip my nails;

My skin will not get dry;

I’ll have no varicose veins;

My mirror will not make me cry.

Wrinkles, stretch marks, and rolls of flesh,

No longer will cause me fear.

Dimples in unwanted places,

In a twinkle will disappear.

My sight will return--my hearing, too.

My joints will no longer ache.

I will never be down in the back,

And pills I won’t have to take.

So what if my clothes don’t match;

Or if my figure they flatter.

Brand names won’t mean a thing;

In heaven it just won’t matter.

My nose won’t run, nor will my hose;

When I eat, my stomach won’t pay.

Nature will have no hold on me;

Oh what a glorious day!

Becky Wall

beckyowall.blogspot.com

NEHEMIAH: REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM

REBUILDING THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM

(Nehemiah)

The Jews were conquered by Babylon,

Then by Persia, called Iran today.

They allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem,

Though in ruins the city lay.

Under Ezra the temple had been rebuilt,

But then they ran into trouble.

The people felt disgrace and fear,

For the walls remained in rubble.

Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king;

He took the king his wine.

When the king saw how sad he was,

He asked him what made him pine.

“Why is your heart so sad?” he said.

Before answering, the cupbearer prayed.

He knew his reply must please the king,

If it didn’t, he would feel the sword’s blade.

He told the king of his homeland,

How it had been demolished.

The gates had been destroyed by fire,

And the people had been abolished.

The king respected Nehemiah,

So he agreed to let him go.

And what was even more startling,

Was the kindness he would show.

Nehemiah asked for safe conduct,

And timber with which to build.

If God hadn’t softened the heart of the king,

Nehemiah would have been killed.

In order to avoid his critics,

Nehemiah didn’t tell a soul.

He first examined the walls and gates,

Before he announced his goal.

Then he gathered the Jews and priests,

The nobles and every official.

He sought anyone who was willing to work,

Tho’ the work would be sacrificial.

There is much to be learned from this story,

Starting with the need to be bold.

How Nehemiah accomplished his task,

Should be told and told and retold.

He had to use who and what was there,

And he had to make things fit.

All kinds of trouble arose,

But the cupbearer never quit.

Each family was assigned a section;

He used women where there were no men.

They worked together in harmony;

Each one did the work of ten.

Nehemiah faced many problems;

When they came, he would improvise.

He was taunted, tormented, and threatened,

Yet the walls began to rise.

Lies and rumors were spread,

And they questioned his authority.

Discouragement and fear set in,

And dissension arose in the city.

The wall was finished in 52 days,

Which frightened those who opposed.

They realized that a task like this,

Was from God, so the matter was closed.

If God is seeking workers,

When a mission needs fulfilling,

He doesn’t choose professionals;

He uses those who are willing.

And though’ no one may be qualified,

Sometimes it just takes a good plan.

It also takes lots of “fort”itude,

And the help of every clan.

Becky Wall