When Calamity Crashes In, Part 1

Today from Chuck Swindoll's life will be chooses for one ever reason to remove it all. He has every right to take it all without an explanation would you remember the all of us. Please remember the same God who gives has every right to take his blessing comes in the form of financial freedom harmony among friends and a clean bill of health. But that's our definition is in today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll explores the mysterious ways of God. In particular, were learning that God can bless us on his terms not ours. Chuck derives his application from a story that's revealed in the Old Testament book of Joe. He titled today's message when calamity crashes along the title is my father world. I always find myself wanting to add and don't you forget it is easy to forget in this narcissistic age thinking is our world or is all about us.

If there is any story in all the Bible that will make it clear that it is our father's world is the story of Job, Job, sovereign God made a decision to permit Job to go through the ultimate shock and all assault from none other than the archenemy of our world and our souls.

Satan himself and Job took it and never lost his trust in the Lord God remembering, it's his world.

It's all about him and his plan not us in our pleasure. Please remember that when this service is only a memory. And this sermon is long forgotten. Please remember what ever you go through is designed it for your maturity for God does not exist to make you happy but to fulfill his will to bring you to maturity and to cultivate within you the qualities that make you like Christ, assuming you're a member of his family. If you're not, you need to go back to Ground Zero which is the cross where faith begins, but will address that later.

Right now, please turn to a few excerpts read for you from the new living translation out of Job chapters 1 and two of you versus out of each chapter will suffice.

There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of uhs. He was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

He had seven sons and three daughters in deferred verse. He was in fact the greatest person in that entire area. Verse four of her six. One day, the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord and the accuser Satan came with them where you come from the Lord asked Satan. Satan answered I've been patrolling the earth watching everything that's going on in the Lord asks Satan if you notice my servant Job is the finest man in all the earth was blameless man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil yes replied Satan, but Job has good reason to fear God, you will always put a wall of protection around them and is home and his property.

You might have prospered everything he does the coverage she is would reach out and take away everything he has and he will surely curse you to your face. The Lord grant Satan that request, the calamity happens in Job's life, and at the end of that initial series of calamities we really read in verse 20, Job stood up, tore his robe in grief, shaved his head, fell to the ground to worship. He said I came naked from my mother's womb, and I will be naked when I leave the Lord gave gave me what I had. The Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord in all this Job did not sin by blaming God. Another counsel happened in heaven. The following period of time. In verse three, chapter 2 begins the Lord asked Satan that you notice my servant Job finest man in all the earth blameless amount of complete integrity fears God and stays away from evil. He's maintained his integrity, even though you urged me to harm him without cause. Satan replied to the Lord's skin for skin of man will give up everything he has save his life, but reach out and take away his health.

He will surely curse you to his face. The Lord granted Satan that ability protecting Job's life. And finally, Job replied, having lost his health verse 10 he states should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad in all this Job said nothing wrong.

God has given us his word, not only to instruct us but to prepare us for whatever just as Job had no clue what was going to happen, nor do you and I times like this are meant as part of the time of preparation. Listen closely to the Lord as you hear from his word again about this story Insight for living to study the Bible with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures.

Studies by going to Insight.org/hope and now the message from Chuck titled when calamity crashes in Job never saw it coming, didn't have a clue. It was like he was at the bottom of the hill relaxing and enjoying his family and the beauty of the world around them and all the while there is this fully loaded 18 wheeler coming down out of control speeding along at over 80 miles an hour with the drivers sound asleep at the wheel about to crash into his life and slamming into another world and he didn't see any of it coming. None of it, but he was ready for it. Don't ever doubt that he may not have seen it, which is a matter of the mind. The eyes being aware of what's coming. No one knows but being ready for it is a matter of the heart. Job would spend his entire life preparing for whatever residual wasn't enthroned upon his own throne he worship the living God. Make no mistake about it he has for his life staying ready so there's no need to get ready for what was to come. Shocking though it was an grievous, though, it became possible to live like that and was listless not miss read the book of Job is easy for all of us to jump right hand of the calamities for their the things that grab our attention almost out of the chute in this story and you read it. One event after another after another after another, until finally all 10 of the children are dead as a result of a tornado that wipes out the house in which they were and you forget the first several verses which set the stage for the entire story they tell us about the man himself merely a man not a super man, not a supernatural human amendment.

There was a man from this place named uhs, not the wizard of he was a man from the land of his wherever it was blameless, not sinless, don't make it say what it doesn't say blameless, a man of complete integrity. The word means whole solid no veneer, no hypocrisy.

The same in private as he was in public any fear God, so he walked in humility.

He stayed away from evil. On top of all the other is a man of moral and ethical purity.

A man like that gets noticed especially by his peers and the consensus among those around him was the greatest man among us.

Whatever award was given.

Then Job had earned it. I would like this story all the more interesting is that you and I learn things that even the main character and his wife don't know. It's as if it is a great divine play curtains were closed and the director steps out from behind the curtain leaving the enclosed and he talks to you and me about something that occurred that the players are not aware of. I love please like that where the audience knows things but the people in the play don't know where this case the reader of the book. Notice the characters within the story don't know Joe didn't know that God and Satan did have a conversation didn't know about the. The agreement that was permitted by his sovereign God he didn't know anything about what was to come. All he knew was he served God he could trust, regardless and that makes Job unique. The director continues to talk with us, saying on this occasion when the Lord God and his subjects.

The elect angels of come together.

There was also among them Haas lepton.

The Hebrew says half the time The hiss of a snake in his knee is there to why he was permitted.

We don't know that ever happened before were never told. But on this occasion he is there, the Lord notices AMN speaks to him what you been doing all been walking up and down across the earth observing here and there certain people to notice Job blameless man of integrity, purity, humility walks with me. He loves his wife. Great father 10 children wonderful business cavalries that are on caravans bringing back a prosperous business world that he has cultivated and I blessed him. Yes, I sometimes says of course you want to review. Who wouldn't build a wall around him is family and Ms. Kallman's position course E walks review you spoiling him you take those things away it's a different story for some unrevealed reason were told, the Lord agreed. You may reach out and take away everything he has.

Verse 11 states, but keep your hands off Job is even even if he permits such things. He places the limitations on Satan himself.

You go no further. You leave him personally alone. That's good enough for the Satan one day. Here it is again one day there been no night warning ahead of time. No no scar riding that morning.

No cloud formation no whispers in Job's ears. One day, just what happens in your life and in line one day the dogs, like all the others allow me all hell breaks loose and the forces of hell come against him. Not only do the calamities occur one after another they come immediately one upon the other. Look at how it reads one day Job sons and daughters were feasting in the old brothers house, a messenger arrived in Job's house with the news.

Your oxen were plowing with the with the doggies and and they were feeding beside them with the civilians rated and they stole all of your animals and they killed all the farmhands I'm the only one escaped to tell you while he was still speaking, another messenger arrived with his news the fire of God has fallen from heaven and burned up your your your your sheep and all your shepherds and I'm the only one escaped to tell you while you were still speaking, another messenger arrived with his music. Three bands of Chaldean raters and stolen your camels and killed their servants on the only one escaped to tell you but he was still speaking, another messenger arrived and says your sons and daughter now know the worst possible thing. Job could imagine the house in which they were all feasting, enjoying one another collapsed and they are all dead.

I deliberately pause and give you a moment to catch your breath. Job needed a while for he and his wife are the only ones left to bury the dead. We forget that he and Mrs. Job grief stricken tears streamed down their faces lay all of their adult children to rest. What is bad enough to would be horrible. Three. Unimaginable, but all in of them go on that windswept hill Job is left to respond. Verse 20 he stood up, which tells you that he had been on his face. Now he stood up, tore his robe and grief. And if you will allow me a little bit of preacher's imagination. I believe he took his wife in his arms and whispered sweetheart. We lost it all, including those we love so much with the one we have. Love most has chosen to do this for some unrevealed reason.

Please observe. He shaved his head, fell again to the ground to worship. Worship to worship. No cursing sometime this applies to that moment most of all I couldn't possibly be happening.

You see the way Job lived his life. God owns it all. When he chooses for what ever reason to remove it all.

He has every right to take it all without an explanation would you remember that will all of us. Please remember that the same God who gives has every right to take Nebuchadnezzar spoke of it. Following his insane years in the field when he took the pit and handed in Daniel's writings and he added verse 35 of chapter 4 of Daniel all the inhabitants of the earth. There is nothing he does. According to his will in the Army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can stay his hand or say unto him, what are you doing, what a statement of sovereignty. Nebuchadnezzar the once proud king would be brought to nothing. Our God is in the heavens. The psalmist speaks is done whatever he pleases. And just as the psalmist injustice Nebuchadnezzar Joe worship you're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org. Inside for living.

We don't know exactly how this message strikes you today. We do know however that many of our listeners readily identify with the suffering of Job. Perhaps you are dealing with the mystery of God's timing, or maybe like Job you're in the aftermath of suffering a massive loss. Whatever the case, we urge you to keep listening as Chuck Swindoll continues this message about what to do when calamity crashes in this is message number five in a brand-new 12 part series called clinging to hope.

In addition to these daily programs.

Chuck is written a brand-new book by that title is a complete chapter devoted to today's topic, and 11 other topics as well. We are confident you'll appreciate reading this uplifting new book, clinging to hope to purchase a copy right now.

Go to insight.org/hope or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888. When you also include a donation to support the ministry of insight for living will have the satisfaction of knowing you're helping people around the world as well. I saw this note from a pastor in Nigeria who said dear Pastor Chuck, for 25 years your daily radio messages have been a great blessing to my spiritual growth as a Christian and a young seminarian and today is a pastor online daily devotional has been of great blessing inspiration and encouragement to me and my family. We use it every morning for our family devotion, it's your gifts that allow us to reach pastors like this one. Thanks so much for giving generously toward the ambitious goal of reaching all 195 countries of the world omission were calling vision 195 to get a contribution today. Call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or you can give online@insight.org/donate travelers who want to take a tour to Israel have lots of choices, but if you measure up to the thoughtful journey prepared by insight for living ministries with the proper mix of historical information and biblical context. We provide ample opportunities to pause and let the wonder in our goal is to create special moments when you deepen your love for the Bible and draw closer to your Lord experience an unforgettable 12 day tour to Israel with Chuck Swindoll and insight for living ministries March 5 through the 16th 2023.

To help you grasp the significance of each site will be accompanied by handpicked Israeli guidance and we choose the best, along with seminary trained pastors and professors to enhance your spiritual journey, no organization I know of offers this level of exceptional in-depth instruction and personal care for holy land travel to learn more, call 1-888-447-0444.

Just imagine walking along sacred sites and watching the Bible: the life make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to insight.org/events insight for living ministries toward Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend my bill Meyer Chuck Swindoll continues his message called when calamity crashes in Tuesday on insight for living. The preceding message when calamity crashes in was copyrighted in 2019 and 2022 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2022 by Charles R. Swindoll.

All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited