When Calamity Crashes In, Part 2

People assume that the pursuit of happiness is a human right according to the Bible, God doesn't exist to make us happy. Back sometimes God allows us to go through terrifying circumstances and none of it makes us smile.

So if the goal is happiness. What is today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll finds the answer in an ancient story recorded in the Old Testament book of Job.

If you missed Monday's program will begin with helpful highlights Chuck titled his message when calamity crashes in and we start with prayer in a few weeks. Our father, we will recognize or do you find giving but will not wait for that day to say thank you.

Now you have served you faithfully courageously and even those who gave their lives who are not here to receive our thanks but lie under white crosses all around the world. Thank you for each one in the memory of those brave men and women who wore the uniform proudly and fought the fight finished the course reward them and encourage them this day set aside to honor them like your father for people of faith who have led the way for us on whose shoulders we stand.

We are stronger today because of teachers of the truth. Preachers of the word mentors of the message people we respected learn from then reproved by an shaped in many ways to become the people we are today because they were the people they were then when we needed them most. We pause to give you thanks for them as well. Speak to us today. Use our gifts in this offering to reach others who have yet to hear of the Savior and to know the truth of the cross and the transformation you can bring through your son Jesus in his name we pray. And because of his name we give through Christ our Lord. Everyone's email the Bible with Chuck sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight.org/now the message from Chuck titled when calamity crashes in general wasn't given from the parties on throne he worship the living God. Make no mistake about it, he is for his life studying ready so there's no need to get ready for what was to come. Shocking though it was an grievous, though, it became. 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 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 that the hiss of a snake in his knee is there to the Lord notices AMN speaks to him what you've been doing.

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 better on caravans bringing back prosperous business world that he has cultivated and I blessed him.

Yes, I sometimes says of course you want to review important, build a wall around him is family and Ms. Kallman's possessions course E walks, review, use, 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 look at how it reads one day Job sons and daughters were feasting in the old brothers house, a messenger arrived at 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 your animals and they killed all the farmhands I'm the only one escape to tell you while you were 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 escape 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 your servants on the only one escape 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. Now he stood up, tore his robe and grief. And if you will allow me a little bit of preachers imagination.

I believe he took his wife in his arms and whispered sweetheart. We lost it all, including those we love so much. 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 by 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 pen in hand 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 he has done whatever he pleases. And just as the psalmist just as Nebuchadnezzar Job worships. I believe his wife did as well. Perhaps a little reluctantly, maybe not. But how deeply she is touched with the loss. Do not forget. She to lost 10 children, she to lost their way of making a living. She is no longer the first lady of the community.

They are bankrupt.

Nothing he says I came naked from my mother's womb.

I will go back naked. The Lord gave me what I had. The Lord is taken away praises be his name, no cursing Satan. No cursing in all of this. We read in the last verse of the chapter. Job did not sin by blaming God what a perspective he held it all so loosely. They also realize that you can't take anything you have on this earth with you my mentor and longtime friend now gone from us. Ray Stedman at Peninsula Bible church outing Northern California for so many years told me of the time that he was invited to speak at a conference. The conference included the wonderful banquet which at which he was to speak and he had forgotten that in the letter of invitation adventures. It was a formal banquet and he should bring formal clothing Ray had taken only casual clothing and as he arrived and looked over the plan for the week he suddenly turned a little remembering that there is that formal banquet coming in and he should have brought something in the code and the tie where for that evening and he didn't so he got an idea. Each morning he had walked in.

Notice that not far from the site of the conference there was a funeral home. He thought I could go and borrow a cadaver's suit and where it and no one will know I'll get a tie-in nightshirt. Now take it back. If there's a charge I'll pay the charge so we did funeral director, smiled and said let's us know you have never done this before, but he wanted to amend right was off and running. Speaking at the banquet that evening above the story that I was speaking talking I was going on and on as I often do a reach to put my hand in the pocket reload no pockets in cadaver suits.

I never thought of that before or sub never worn one yet you can't take it with you is what Job is saying you would think that's it done, finished.

If you think that you don't know sometime… See you fall he exist to hear you curse and blame God because things don't go the way you thought they should have gone, Job doesn't fulfill that agenda. So he's back round to heeding God face-to-face. The Lord says to him.

You see, my servant Job is the finest man in all the earth.

Chapter 2 verse three blameless a man of complete integrity fears. Median stays away from evil is maintain his integrity, even though you are is me to harm him. Your Bible might read brewing him. The Hebrew says swallow him you wanted me to swallow him up or let you do that you were given free reign and he did not curse me, Satan replied, skin for skin you heard him to the bone you make him suffer. You will hear cursing like you've never heard from you before, look at the limitation verse five. Reach out take away his health. He will surely curse you to your face all rights as God. Verse six, you may do that but but spare his life. You will not kill him. That's all Satan needed he took off with plans to make Job even more miserable. He struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot boils with sort of bypass, the day of boils, and I'm not canasta. I was asked if you have a boy but you I have head able and I was throwing a paper route. As a young teenager, my one of my first jobs and it was right below my elbow and I had mirrors on my bike naturally. That was cool but it was about total control of the paper and thought that Boyle you think I was martyr number three in my generation because of one Boyle he's covered with, covered with I spoke with a practicing dermatologist, a believer, and he said physicians a better field a trying to diagnose this loathsome disease and I quote what the Bible calls sore boils. The medical world prefers more specific identification. The guesswork and is extensive.

He said some examples where those of us who say it could have been smallpox of kind of elephantiasis, chronic eczema, a form of leprosy, psoriasis, peer irises, keratosis time for Gus folio because of stop there or some form of melanoma skin cancer. The physical maladies painful beyond telling various symptoms are mentioned in the Scriptures and I would just three chapter 9, picking up tidbits of what Job endured. The sores were inflamed and ulcerous.

Chapter 2 verse seven there is persistent itching, which caused him to take the potsherd's and scrape himself.

Chapter 2 verse eight degenerative changes in facial skin and disfiguration chapter 2 verse 12, loss of appetite chapter 3 verse 24 fears and depression. 325 purulent sores that burst open scabbed over crack and whose width +75 worms that form in the infected sores 75, difficulty in breathing. 918 I stopped there.

The law was less than 1/4 of the way through the book of 42 chapters horrible miserable beyond telling and on top of all this, would you observe verse eight he scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes will know what that means in our day worn where's B the late Warren wears B rights there.

The city garbage was deposited and burned and there. The city rejects lived making office from whom ever passed by. At the eye sheepdogs fought one another over something to eat and there. The city's dong was brought and burned daily. Now the city's leading citizen was living there in abject poverty and shame. All that he humanly had left were his wife and three friends, and even the turned against.

In summary, it must've been a time of complete confusion. It was a time of total isolation and no visible reason for hope and change terminal pain. His wife says to him, just curse God in the high bit before we castigate Mrs. Job we please have a heart. She spoke foolishly and Job says so but look at her she's coming from. Remember those times in your life when you could cut your tongue out for saying what you should not have said in a rash moment of irritation or pain or retaliation or confusion. We all remember such times.

I frankly believe she lived to see the day she regretted ever saying it but she said it in her grief and her loss and don't forget she will no longer have a husband that she has enjoyed all these years was lovely evenings together around the fireplace was romantic nights they enjoyed. Never again was beautiful trips they could take together no more. Now it's a husband and covered with losing sores, so she blurts out what she shouldn't said Job's response.

After all of the loss and now all of the pain look verse 10 you talk like a talk like a foolish woman to say that now look at his question and will you remember the rest of your life. Please should we accept only good things from God and never adversity our God is in the heavens.

He does whatever he pleases, and whatever is glorifying to him and best for you regardless of how you and I may feel about it.

He isn't there to make us happy. It's remarkable to see Job respond with such humility, even at his deepest moment of pain and suffering. You're listening to Insight for living in the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insightworld.org will Chuck is talking about clinging to hope when calamity crashes in and if you're prepared to dig deeper on your own. You be glad to know he's written a brand-new book that complements his teaching series. Chuck's book is called, clinging to hope there's a complete chapter on the topic you dress today plus he addresses 11 other relevant subjects such as what to do when unexpected tests rattle our world how to cope when doors of opportunity get slammed shut and how to survive when troubles come and stay it will enjoy reading Chuck's biblical insights on these issues and this is a wonderful book to pass along to a friend or perhaps to a child or grandchild who needs a dose of encouragement.

Some may decide to use this book in a small group Bible study again.

Chuck's brand-new book is called, clinging to hope to purchase a copy right now. Go to Insight.org/home or call us if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 was you would imagine.

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