Blessed Assurance ~ this is my story

Blessed Assurance sung by Alan Jackson

June 1, 2015

Dear Readers,

What an absolutely glorious morning it is in North Central Texas. My furry kids were up and ready to have breakfast early this morning. I thought about going back to bed but, instead, decided to grab a cup of hot coffee and enjoy some time on the back patio. The squirrels were chattering, the birds tweeting, and my little gals and guys were busy chasing each other. A pair of cardinals has built a nest in a hanging basket near the patio ~ I got on a stool so I could get a first hand glimpse of their intricate work. Last year "something" stole their eggs so I pray they have better luck this year.

I just love my church ~ I can't believe that it's almost my one year anniversary there. There are times when I think I'm going to explode with joy. It reminds me of my home church in Minnesota where a community of people came together to worship, break bread, and help one another lead a Christian life. All good. A couple weeks ago, the Open Range Band sang/played Blessed Assurance and I loved it ... always have. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

My blog (Family for Better or Worse) has opened the doors to "my story." I've really had a full life filled with interesting people and careers that I have thoroughly enjoyed. It's also been God's story within and through me as I have grown in my walk. I have wanted to leave a legacy behind me that will last through the ages which is my faith touching others for Christ. It's been quite a ride ~ one that isn't over! I think about it like runners passing the torch at the Olympics. Cool, huh? If you're a new Reader, welcome to my world!! Have had lots of new Readers from Russia and now France listening in.

This morning, I read the book of Job. I've always enjoyed reading it because it not only humbles me but also gives me inspiration.

Job lived about 4,000 years ago and as the story opens, Job is a rich, successful cattleman. He has a beautiful wife and 10 children. Life is good and Job is thankful to the Lord who had blessed him.

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." ~Job 1:1 (NIV)

Here's the deal, Satan saw what was going on and he and God had a conversation. God asked Satan if he had noticed his servant, Job. Yep, he had and he wanted to test Job's faith telling God that the reason Job praised God was because God gave him everything he needed and wanted in life. (Do you think that we're kind of like this ~ praising God in our feast, blaming him for our famine?)

"One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord

 and Satan also came with them."

Job 1:6 (NIV)

Anyway, Satan gets permission to test Job; and, my goodness, does he ever get down and dirty. Job loses everything ~ his children (10 of them!), his animals, his riches. He is covered with boils and sits in ashes. Talk about a miserable state of affairs.

Wait! If he wasn't miserable enough, here come his three trusted friends to cheer him up and dissect his problems as to why this was happening to a man of God.

(Brain interruption) We all go through trials and tribulations: job loss, illness, kids acting out, divorce, death of a loved one, financial difficulties ~ the list goes on and on. Well meaning friends come calling. Believe me, there is little comfort in attempts to theologize and dissect the "issue." What we all need is encouragement for the moment (season) more than speculation about the past and present. An "I'm here, I want to help, what do you need" goes a long way.

Back to the story of Job:  As the story progresses, Job has listened and replied to his friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar), Elihu appears on the scene and gives his two cents worth of wisdom. More shoulda, coulda, wouldahs...

FINALLY, Job requests an audience with God. Here's where the story gets good: as God begins to assert himself, Job begins to understand the true magnitude of Jehovah and bows before him. (Humility)

The story has a wonderful ending of everything being restored in Job's life ~ not only restored but increased. I love happy endings, don't you?

Job's faith in God didn't necessarily make life easier for him and, in some ways, that faith was the reason for his calamity. Job's confidence in God didn't automatically answer all his questions about God but, it did give him strength and courage to accept what each day brought ~ prosperity and poverty, blessing and bereavement, the unexpected and the unexplainable.

This is what my faith in God has done for me: Through the ups and downs in life, I've learned to work like everything depended on me and prayed like everything depended on Jesus. When I do that and let go, I have the most amazing peace knowing that although I can't be perfect, I strive for excellence.

Most of all, I've learned to trust his living Word. Job said, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Whoa, that's a tough one, isn't it. We like the good stuff but the other? Not so much. That's a hard nut for us to swallow and understand in many circumstances.

You know, before I could truly trust God, like Job, I needed to meet him face to face. For me it was in the solitude of my prayer room. For you, maybe that's at church, maybe it's driving your car, maybe you're just out for a walk. He's there to meet you 24/7. If you've done that, remember the God who saved and sustained Job can do the same for you. I've got BLESSED ASSURANCE!! Amen!

Miss Dottie

PS  And he said to the human race, "The fear of the Lord ~ that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding."

~Job 28:8 (NIV)

I've had a good time reading the familiar story of Job this morning and I hope you've had some fun hearing about that famous fella one more time!

Always remember ... you (Ya You!) are loved and prayed for. Until next time, God bless!