Biblical Shakers

  Click on Title for Video Intro Monday and Tuesday, Job Chapter 15 & 16 Job 15 & 16 Mindy Strayer THOUGHT Doesn’t Eliphaz just sound like a person who has not yet had to deal with any real hardship or loss in his life? A caring and compassionate friend should not sound arrogant, or rude, or like he is reprimanding. Job calls it right when he says in the very first sentence of chapter 16, “miserable comforters are you all.”  Why hasn’t anyone reminded Job of how much God loves and cares for him?  Why haven’t his friends offered any words of love or offered to meet some of Job’s needs? We as Christians have a big responsibility when the needs of people come before us. You can’t just say anything when real deep hard pain is being experienced by the individual. You can’t just throw out a Bible verse and expect that to make all the difference. You can’t give a band aid of an answer and expect to stop some of the bleeding. You can’t tell a person what they are feeling ...

  Click on Title for Video Intro Monday, Job Chapter 10 Job 10 Verse 1 Jane Jones Verse 1:  “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.” THOUGHT Job has really begun to feel sorry for himself. When we face a baffling affliction, our pain lures us toward feeling sorry for ourselves. “Look what happened to me; how unfair it is!” We may feel like blaming God. Remember that life’s trials, whether allowed by God or sent by God, can be the means for development and refinement. One can’t help but think of Bart and Mindy and Alan and Tanya with all their circumstances relating to house purchases and the sale of one house in Wichita. It has been a long 14 months for the Rudens living in a state of unsettledness with both couples having to go to a second lending institution for loans. The journeys have been long and rocky. When facing trials, ask, “What can I learn, and how can I grow?” rather than “Who did this to ...

  Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Job Chapter 5 Job 5 Verse 17 Tanya Ruden Verse 17:  “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.” THOUGHT So this verse seems really out of place in today’s reading. I am not sure how many of you can remember from Mom’s devotion last week, but Chapter 4 was mostly Job’s “good friends” talking with him about his “bad luck”.  Then chapter 5 continues with much of the same.  However, his friend does make this statement among all of his “encouraging” words, and it is about the only truthful thing he has said.  Of course, this doesn’t really apply to Job’s situation, but I do think it applies to our lives.  It is a reminder that we do need boundaries in life to make us better people. I know those of you who have children understand the “joys” of summer vacation, but it definitely becomes time for school to start and summer to end.  My kids have been in more ‘trouble’...

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Job Introduction Job Intro Delores Little THOUGHT Job did not write the book of Job.  They say it was an Israelite, but no name was given. Sounds like whoever wrote the book of Job was moved by the Holy Spirit to put it together.  Job is the book of suffering of a righteous man given into the hands of Satan, but not to kill him. As a tempter Satan seeks to alienate man from God. His all-consuming purpose is to drive an irremovable wedge between God and man, to effect an alienation that cannot be reconciled. Job had 3 friends.  The 4th came along at the end of the book of Job for a few chapters, and I say if we have friends like he had, we don’t need any enemies. But can I judge them and how they answered Job?  No, because I too have been guilty doing the same thing in my walk with God.  Have you felt like God isn’t here for you, and you can’t feel Him around or hear Him as you called out to Him in prayer? This was ha...

  Click on Title for Video Intro Monday, Psalm Chapter 150 Psalm 150  Delores Little THOUGHT So many of the Psalms were written by David.  They tell us of his walk with the Lord and his successes and failures.  Through it all we see the heart he had for the Lord.  The Psalms tell of the coming of Jesus, our Lord and King.   Psalms share about everything we read in the books before this book of the Bible.  It has the longest chapter, as in chapter 119 and the shortest chapter, as in Chapter 117.  The book ends with Praising our Lord in the following 6 verses. SANCTUARY-HEAVENS-ACTS OF POWER-TRUMPET-HARP-LYRE-TAMBOURINE-DANCING-WITH STRINGS-FLUTE-CLASH OF CYMBALS-AND LAST OF ALL OUR BREATH. Let us shout everyone together, “PRAISE THE LORD”!! Verse 1: Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary;          praise him in his mighty heavens. Verse 2: Praise him for his acts of power;          praise...

Click on Title for Video Introduction Monday, Psalm Chapter 145 Psalm 145 Verse 3 Jeanie Boldt Verse 3:  Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. THOUGHT There were so many verses that I loved in this chapter. David praised the Lord in such a great way and shared with many what beautiful assets our Lord possesses. Most of the Psalms are prayers, and most of the prayers include praise to God. Praise expresses admiration, appreciation, and thanks. Praise in the book of Psalms is often directed to God, and just as often the praise is shared with others. Considering all that God has done and does for us, what could be more natural than outbursts of heart-felt praise? Today I challenge each of you to shout out loud or to yourselves for an act, circumstance or situation that needs the words, “Praise God”, said right out loud. Even when things do not go well the phrase needs to be shouted. David extols the Lord for His greatness, grace, goodness, glo...