Why Did Job Suffer?

WHY DID JOB SUFFER?

“And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” - Job 1:8

Suffering. The very word is unsettling. We are deeply troubled when we hear of a child suffering from cancer. We are bothered when a dear friend faces a terminal disease. When suffering becomes personal, it brings great anguish and raw emotions. As humans, we yearn to live free from pain.

The Bible never sugar-coats the subject of suffering. From the Garden of Eden until the final pages of the book of Revelation, the Bible clearly shows us that pain is part of the human condition. Theologically, we know that pain and suffering are the results of Adam's sin in the garden. Adam's selfish act has brought sin, suffering and death upon all of humanity.

The book of Job deals with the subject of suffering unlike any other book in the Bible. Job's encounter with pain is graphically described in the book bearing his name. His suffering was acute and noteworthy.

This raises the question, why did Job suffer?

In Job's case, we catch a glimpse of something that Job was never allowed to know. In the opening chapter of the book of Job, we find God and the devil having a discussion. The devil admitted that he had been “... going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Then God said, “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” This began a series of trials that Job endured.

I hate to admit it. I feel like the late Ron Dunn who once said that if the Lord and the devil had such a conversation today, he hoped the Lord would leave his name out of it. Who wants to go through what Job went through? He received news that he lost his children. He lost his health. His friends turned on him. His wife was did not support him. His possessions were rather useless. Job was left to suffer all alone. I am not sure what was worse, the physical suffering he endured or the loss of the very relationships he needed most.

Behind the scenes, there was a spiritual battle going on. The devil felt like he could conquer one of God's great men. As Lester Roloff once said, the devil thought he could put more on Job than God's grace could sustain. It was a high stakes contest. Yet Job did not know this was going on. All that he knew was that his life had come apart.

So again, I pose the question, why did Job suffer?

First of all, Job suffered because the devil caused it. The devil caused Job's suffering. The evil, wicked foe attacked Job with fervor. As humans, we tend to underestimate the power of the devil. Even Christians can be guilty of this. The devil is the god of this world. Although he is on a leash, he still causes incredible pain and trouble in our world. That was the case for Job. Job's life instantly turned to misery. The devil was responsible for it.

Secondly, Job suffered because the Lord permitted it. No, the Lord did not cause Job's grief, but He allowed it. We can be tempted to think that our times of suffering occur outside of God's sovereignty. We can wrongly think that because our suffering came as a surprise to us, it must have caught God off guard, too. Nothing is further from the truth. God is sovereign. He knows all things. He is in control. It may seem unthinkable that God would permit pain and suffering, but He does. Since we are living in a sin-cursed world, we should expect suffering. God temporarily permits suffering in this world. One day, He will put a stop to it.

Third, Job's suffering brought personal and spiritual growth to him. Like Job, most of our growth comes through painful experiences. The final chapters of Job record a long message that God personally delivers to Job. As a result, Job humbly worshiped God. I am sure that Job learned much from his experience. Job 42:12-13 says, “... the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters.” Job's story had a happy ending.

It seems like the most saintly Christians endure the most affliction. When we see a devoted Christian suffer and die, we are tempted to think that their story didn't have a happy ending like Job's. But that is not true. You see, when a born-again believer dies, the worst is behind them and the best has just begun. In heaven, the devil won't be troubling us. Suffering will never come. We won't endure pain. Death will be a thing of the past. We will enjoy the best that God has to offer. We'll enjoy His presence forever. Our story has a happy future ahead. We will be happy forever.

That's what I'm looking forward to. What about you?

What Happened to Zebedee?

 WHAT HAPPENED TO ZEBEDEE?

“And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” - Matthew 4:21-22

Most of humanity lives and dies in obscurity. Yes, we have a circle of friends and acquaintances, but over 99% of the world has never heard of us. They never will.

Some find this disturbing. We'd like to think that we are having a positive impact upon our sphere of influence, but that impact may not be as great as we'd like. Beyond such a limited boundary, we are unknown.

Even in Biblical times, many lived and died without being named. Even now, as we see the genealogy passages of Scripture, we are tempted to skip the long list of names. At best, we just skim through these verses. Yet each name represented a real person.

Jesus prayed before choosing His disciples. He called twelve men. Most of these men were just common people. They weren't highly educated. They didn't come from an elite family background. They weren't wealthy or influential. They were just regular guys.

Among the twelve that Jesus chose were James and John. The Bible says, “And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” The Bible tells us that these two young men left their father, Zebedee, and followed Jesus.

I raise this question: What happened to Zebedee? After Jesus calls Zebedee's sons, we hear nothing about him. Why didn't he follow Jesus? What became of him?

Obviously, the Bible gives us little insight about the future of Zebedee. He owned and operated a fishing boat. In addition to his sons, Mark 1:20 shows us that Zebedee actually had hired servants working for him. Luke 5:1-3 indicates that his business actually included two ships. Yet to have your sons leave your business would be a personal loss.

We have no Biblical record of Zebedee's faith. We know that his wife, Salome, was a believer. She is the one who came to Jesus and asked that her sons be seated on each side of the Lord in His kingdom --- a request that Jesus denied. She is mentioned among the other women who came to the tomb of Jesus the morning He was risen.

As we ponder Zebedee's situation we may easily wonder why he didn't leave his ship and follow Jesus like his sons did. To this, I have an answer. First of all, Zebedee wasn't chosen to be an apostle, but his sons were. Only twelve men would be chosen to take that role. Many men were not chosen. Secondly, because he wasn't chosen, he wasn't called. Jesus called the sons, not Zebedee. Even today, while there are some who are called to preach the Gospel, many are not. A son may be called while his godly father is not. The choice and calling of the apostles was a decision the Lord made.

Some believe that Zebedee was a believer, but there is no Biblical basis to accept or reject that assumption.

I do believe there are some lessons to learn from Zebedee. First of all, not everyone is called into public ministry. Most never achieve great status or serve in the limelight.

Secondly, some believe that possibly Zebedee's fishing business may have helped finance some of the Lord's ministry. Again, there is no record of this. But if it is true, it is a reminder that serving in the secular world is nothing to be ashamed of. There is a need for believers to work in the public sector. It is an honorable thing to have a job and support a family. Supporting Christian ministries is a blessing that many lay church members participate in.

Next, Zebedee remained focused on his business. Many believers dream of serving in a great ministry some day. Yet you may have a great ministry right where you are at. Your home, your job and your community may be the ministry you need to focus on. Don't get distracted. Remain focused. Serve where you are planted.

Finally, we must realize that Zebedee fades into oblivion in the Gospels, because the hero of the story is not Zebedee. It is Jesus. In this age of technology, it is easy for believers to use social media to attract followers to their page. We need a sobering reminder that life is not about ourselves … it all about Jesus.

Are you following Jesus today?

What Were They Thinking?

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” - Proverbs 12:15

Have you ever thought about writing your own autobiography? Many celebrities will undertake the task of sharing their lives with the public, but I have no intention of doing so myself. First of all, I am not a celebrity and have no desire to be. Secondly, I wouldn't want to write my life-story. Third, no one would want to read it. Most of all, I wouldn't want the entire world to know about some of the stupid things I've done in my life.

God has chosen to reveal Himself to us in a book we call the Bible. Furthermore, He has shared with us the stories of those who are part of the human historical record He has shared.

Here's the truth about the Bible. When the Scriptures provide us a biographical glimpse of a man, God does not hold anything back. He shows us the good and the bad. He reveals the strengths and the weakness.

While reading the Bible, there are times we read about the mistakes of men and we ask ourselves, “what were they thinking?” Think about the following.

The serpent tempted Eve, promising that if she ate of the forbidden fruit, she would be a god herself. Adam and Eve finally ate of the forbidden fruit. They had trusted God up to that point. God had provided everything they would ever need. Yet they fell for the enemy's lies. What were they thinking? (By the way, men are still falling for the same lies today). When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, they sowed fig leaves together to cover their nakedness. Then when God came to the garden and called for them, they hid. What were they thinking? Did they think they could hide from God?

In another story, people began building a tower to reach into heaven. They seriously thought they could get to heaven by their own achievement. I don't know how high the tower reached before work ended on the project, but they really believed they would get into heaven from this flimsy tower. What were they thinking?

When God called Jonah to preach at Nineveh, Jonah ran in the wrong direction. Jonah seriously thought he could run and hide from God. What was he thinking? He wound up being fish food. There in that gross situation, Jonah finally realized that he couldn't hide from God. Jonah repented. The fish vomited him up. Jonah went to Nineveh and preached. He could have saved himself some pain if he would have obeyed God to begin with. There is a lesson here for all of us. Obedience may be costly at times, but disobedience will always be more costly and painful.

Then there are other stories, like Pharoah's stubbornness in chasing the Israelites into the wilderness, despite all the miracles he saw God perform. Then there was Balaam, who was lured by money and disobeyed God. He ended up beating his donkey. The donkey had more sense than Balaam. Then there were the excuses King Saul gave after disobeying God's command to kill the Amalekites. The story of David and Bathsheba was like a bad soap opera episode. Yet it was a true story. Then there was Simon Peter's denial of the Lord. On and on we could go. What were they all thinking?

Sadly, when I think about my past, I must confess that I have done some stupid things, even foolish things. It is easy to criticize the mistakes and sins of others, but it is my own sins that trouble me most. At times I want to shake my head and say, “What was I thinking?” At other times, I want to hang my head low in utter contrition.

As I remember the dumb things people did in the Bible … and think about my own stupid deeds, I am comforted when a great truth. God offers mercy and forgiveness to those who repent. I am sure He has looked at me at times and thought, “What was he thinking?” Yet I am glad that He thought of me long before I came along. He is not shocked by my sins and mistakes. He knows everything about me --- the good, the bad and the ugly. Through the cross of Calvary, He has made provision for me. The blood that Jesus shed upon that cross has cleansed me of my sins. Because Jesus lives, I have a new life. My past is in the past.

I wished I could say that I never do dumb things now. I still do on occasion. Yet Psalm 103:13-14, the Bible says, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

More than ever, I take my sanctification seriously. Yet I know that I am a work in progress. The potter is still working on some rough edges. There are areas of my life that are marred by my sins. Thankfully, He hasn't given up on me. One day, He will finish the project He begun some time ago. Along with the saints, I will be presented to the Father without spot or blemish.

Only God deserves credit for that kind of change!

The Strongest Man & HIs Weaknesses

THE STRONGEST MAN & HIS WEAKNESSES

“And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.” - Judges 16:4

Samson was a man among men. His strength was notorious. He led Israel during the time of the judges. His brute strength brought victory to Israel. He was, in a sense, a one-man army. He was the world's strongest man. Even though he seemed invisible, his weakness brought him down to defeat and death.

Before we can study the rise and fall of this great man, we need to understand his beginning. Samson was born to a couple from the tribe of Dan. Prior to his birth, his mother had been childless. An angel informed her that she was about to have a son. He was to be a Nazarite from his birth. The Nazarite vow is described in great detail in the Old Testament. Under the Nazarite vow, Samson was not be permitted to drink any fermented drink or eat anything unclean. Furthermore, no razor should ever touch his head.

The angelic notification of his birth alerted Samson's parents that their son would be no ordinary man. He would be a great leader in Israel.

Samson grew to become a mighty man. He did extraordinary exploits because of his robust strength. He tore a lion apart with his bare hands. By himself, he slew an entire army of Philistines with the donkey's jawbone. He was respected by his peers and feared by his enemies.

But Samson had his flaws. These flaws brought about his downfall. A man of great strength ended up weak and defeated. Samson would become a prisoner of his enemies. He lost his strength, his eyesight and ultimately, his life. What caused the downfall of such a strong man?

First of all, he had a problem with women. Samson had an eye for females. The first recorded example of his desire was a Philistine woman. This brought his parents great grief. They knew he should marry lady from Israel. Instead, he told his parents, “I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.” Notice, he said, “I have seen a woman.” She was appealing to his eyes. He said nothing about her character or personality. He was just obsessed what her appearance. The marriage turned sour after her betrayal of him.

Even worse, Judges 16:1 says that Samson spent the night with a prostitute. No respectable man should do such a thing. Samson did.

Then there was his relationship with Delilah. She would be his ultimate downfall. She was paid by the Philistines to learn the secret of Samson's strength.

Three women. As a leader of Israel, he had no business being in a relationship with any of these women. His uncontrolled passions led to Samson's defeat and death.

Also, Samson's spiritual life was rather weak. As we just saw, Samson's involvement in wrong relationships were an indication of his anemic spiritual condition. Furthermore, we don't find Samson to be a mighty man of prayer. Perhaps he relied on his physical strength more than divine strength. His parents were God-fearing people. Samson didn't seem fearful of anyone or anything. When we lean on the arm of flesh, we prone to fall.

Next, he became complacent about his blessings. Despite his strength and leadership qualities, Samson took his blessings for granted. His relationship with Delilah revealed his spiritual complacency. The Philistines used Delilah to discover Samson's strength, so they could find a way to prevail against him. Delilah used her female persuasion to get Samson to discuss his strength. At first, Samson gave he false information. Yet as she continued to use her tears and powers of persuasion, he began to get dangerously close to revealing the truth. Finally, he gave in and told her the truth. He was Nazarite and no razor was permitted to touch his hair. As he slept, she had his hair cut. When Samson awoke, the Bible says, “But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” How tragic!

After all this, you may wonder about Samson's faith. Hebrews 11 mentions Samson among the heroes of the faith. This very flawed man was a man of faith. He was an incredibly strong man, whose unguarded weaknesses brought him down to defeat.

There is much for us to learn from Samson. Your weaknesses may not be the same as Samson, but the enemy will target any vulnerable area he can. Although we believe in the same God that Samson did, we need to be fully devoted to Him and never take His blessings for granted. Rather than finishing this life in shame and embarrassment like Samson, let's finish well, living victoriously for Jesus' sake.

We don't need to rely on our physical strength if we lean on a mighty strong God!

 

Lessons From Lot

LESSONS FROM LOT

“Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom. Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” - Genesis 13:10-13

If I were to ask you to name some of the great saints of the Old Testament, I doubt that you would mention Lot. I'm sure you'd mention his uncle, Abraham, but Lot would certainly not be among the mighty men of faith from the Old Testament.

We tend to overlook Lot for a number of reasons. Most focus on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, but somehow minimize the fact that Lot lived in Sodom. Without Lot, would we know much about these cities? The Scriptures give us a great deal of insight into Sodom because Lot was living there with his family. Obviously, the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah are given as a warning to future generations, including ours today, that judgment will come upon such wickedness.

Lot ended up living in Sodom. Then he stayed there. It took a work of God to get him out. What caused Lot to get accustomed to Sodom? Why did he stay there? What lessons are we to learn from this man?

First of all, when Lot separated from his uncle, it revealed that Lot lacked the spiritual depth that Abraham had. When they chose which direction to go, Lot did not consult God. Abraham moved forward with faith and prayer. Up to the point of separation, Lot was benefiting from his uncle's faith. Many young people face a similar issue when they move away from home for the first time. Perhaps they grew up in a Christian home. Perhaps they attended church regularly. Now that they are on their own, they are no longer enjoying the benefits of mature Christian parents. When they marry or go to college, spiritual matters become less and less important. As a pastor, I've watched young people get excited about spiritual matters, only to see that excitement wane greatly when they begin dating or get old enough to be on their own. Each person needs a personal faith in the Lord Jesus. We do not go to heaven on the coattails of family members. The harsh realities of life will test our faith. We need to have a strong faith in God ourselves. While it is good to have strong, mature believers around us, we need to get stronger and grow deeper ourselves.

Lot's separation from Abraham revealed a second problem. Lot didn't seem to seek any divine guidance when it came time for him to choose his future. We don't find that he asked God for direction at all. How often do we make the same mistake?

A third problem we find is that Lot made his decision based on the potential for prosperity. You see, Lot chose based on what he saw. He saw the fertile land that led to Sodom and made his decision based on the prospects of prosperity in that direction. Let's be honest. Most Americans make decisions exactly like Lot did. When faced with a career choice, we make our decisions based upon the personal gain we may achieve. Often a man will pack up his entire family and move many states away because of the promise of a high wages at a company. Like Lot, he never considers the spiritual impact of the choice he is making. He uproots his family from a quiet neighborhood, good schools and a spiritually alive church and moves to a questionable area. He never does his homework about churches in the new community or the quality of education that is available there. He only researches the “dream job,” for his own advancement. He just assumes that there will be spiritual opportunities in this new area. Ultimately, he may sacrifice his family on the altar of his career.

Finally, it is obvious that Lot was a poor spiritual leader of his own family. He and his family moved into Sodom. He should have realized immediately that Sodom was not the place for him to live. Over time, he and his family established deep roots there. His daughters married. His wife considered it home. Moving did not seem to be an option. The Apostle Peter wrote that Lot's soul was vexed daily by the wickedness of Sodom. He should have never gone there to begin with. Once he arrived there and saw the sinfulness of the city, he should have left immediately. Instead, he stayed.

The entire experience was costly for Lot. God sent two angels who delivered Lot and his family from Sodom before judgment fell. Consider the cost. His sons-in-law refused to leave. After fleeing the city, in disobedience to the angelic command, Lot's wife turned back and became a pillar of salt. Later, Lot's daughters committed acts of immorality with their own father.

To be honest, we are living in a land that is resembling Sodom. More and more wickedness is prevailing in our land. Many believers are just like Lot. They are blending in with society. It is corrupting marriages, families and churches.

Let's learn from the lessons of Lot. Not only do we need to get ourselves out of Sodom, we need to get Sodom out of us.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB

“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” - Revelation 19:9

I have to admit that I don't enjoy weddings. I've attended a few in my lifetime. As a minister, I have conducted weddings. Weddings tend to be a big production, requiring a great deal of expense. The mother of the bride tends to be in charge of the arrangements. Chaos often arises during the final hours of preparation. When the wedding occurs, everyone comments about the beauty of the bride. The wedding tends to be all about the bride. The groom just stands there looking awkward. He is only there by legal requirement. Yes, he must stayed dressed for the pictures, too.

I remember a swanky wedding I attended at a Baptist church in a neighboring county. I was a teenager at the time. I didn't think the wedding would ever get over. People kept marching in … and there still no bride to be seen. This went on and on. Finally, in exasperation, I said aloud, “Is this event about over?” People around me giggled. I think a few of them felt the same way.

Yet there is a wedding I am looking forward to. I won't be a spectator either. I will be a participant. This wedding won't be held at a church or a country club. The location will be the most elaborate place of all --- heaven!

The marriage supper of the Lamb is coming soon. Invitations have been sent. Preparations have been made. The event has been scheduled. There will be a wedding, followed by a great feast.

Jesus must have liked weddings. His first recorded miracle was at a wedding. He was in attendance. At the dinner, the host ran out of wine. Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine. It was a notable event.

Marriage is an institution that God created. He created it to be enjoyed by one man and woman. The marriage covenant was to be a lifelong commitment. Yet this union between a man and woman is symbolic of the relationship that Jesus has with His church. Ephesians 5:23-32 says, “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

The institution of marriage foreshadows a future marriage. The future wedding that I am writing of consists of a bride and groom. The Church is the bride and Christ is the groom. Right now, the bride is being prepared for a wedding.

A bride usually wears a white gown for her wedding. White was originally used as a color to symbolize the bride's purity. These days, white is more of a traditional color rather than the symbol of purity. The Father is making sure that the Bride of Christ will be spotless, made clean by the blood of the Lamb.

There will be a large crowd for heaven's wedding. John the Baptist referred to himself as a being a friend of the bridegroom. Old Testament saints and angels will be among those in attendance. An impressive crowd, wouldn't you say?

A supper will be held to celebrate the marriage. Can you imagine how great the food will be?

Revelation 19:6-9 says, “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

The marriage supper of the Lamb is imminent. It will not be a boring event. It will be a happy occasion. The groom has a home prepared for His bride. We'll abide with Him forever.

We'll live happy ever after.

Our Daily Bread

OUR DAILY BREAD

“Give us this day our daily bread.” - Matthew 6:11

Do you ever worry? Do you ever fret about the future? Whether you worry or not, you have probably been tempted to a few times. Our concerns about the future are due, in part, to the uncertainty that lies before us. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. If we try to look even further into the future, everything seems disconcerting. We know that the future will probably consist of some trials, heartaches and disappointments. While it is true that the future may include great days of joy, we tend to focus solely on the dark days that lie ahead.

Simply put, we tend to worry because we allow our fears to swallow our faith. We tend to forget the promises of God and focus upon the uncertainty before us. In light of the future, our human frailties seem to grow before us. We realize that we need God for the path ahead. We can't go forward without Him.

We need the Lord daily. Unless He intervenes, our best efforts will be in vain. Knowing this, Jesus instructed His followers to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Yes, I may work and earn wages that help me purchase food, but God is the One who gives me the ability to work, the job to work at and the food I purchase at the grocery store.

Do you remember how scarce food and supplies were in the early days of Covid? Memories of those days should teach us that we aren't independent. Yes, there were some who may have manipulated prices during the time, but a worldwide famine could occur and produce similar, if not worse, results. Simply put, we are at the mercy of God for the food we receive.

Thus, when we eat, it is good to give thanks for the provisions set before us. Never take this for granted. Additionally, we should be thankful for the cook who prepared the meal, whether at home or at a restaurant.

Consider the many meals you've digested through the years. If you eat three meals a day, that's over a thousand meals each year. God has been good to you, hasn't He?

So many take their daily meals for granted. They act entitled to the best meals. They fail to appreciate what God has provided to them. Don't be among this crowd. Be grateful for each meal. Without them, you couldn't survive.

Whether you eat at McDonald's, a fancy restaurant or at home, treat each meal as a special event --- because it is. We need to be reminded often of the fact that some have nothing to eat. There are many overseas who do not have safe water to drink or ample food to eat. Even here in America, there are some who will go to bed hungry tonight.

Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Do you pray for this or do you take it for granted?

I want us to consider something else. While we feed our bodies daily, we need to be just as zealous to feed our souls. God provided daily bread for us when He sent His Son to this world. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Do you thank God for this bread? Have you feasted on this bread recently?

Too many Christians act as if they only need to feed their souls once a week. Sunday is their day to be fed spiritually. They will go to church and expect the preacher to feed them with a brief message. Then they will go throughout the rest of the week and never feed on the good things of God.

Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job desired the Word of God more than his meals. Wow! Job was serious about feeding his soul. Why aren't we? Job had a desire for the Lord and His Word.

We often pray for revival, but it could be that we'd be living in revival if we fed our souls more often, in fact, daily. In this message we are thinking about our daily bread. While our bodies need daily bread to function properly, we need daily bread for our soul to experience optimal life.

I have to admit that I have overeaten at the dinner table more than once. But I have never known anyone to overeat spiritually. Overeating natural food may produce physical problems and disease. Yet I am not aware of any harm that comes by feasting on the good things of God. In fact, the more, the better.

We should pray for God to continue providing us our daily bread. We should give thanks to Him for each meal. Yet the Bible says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” This is the daily bread we need most of all.

Join with me in praying, “Give us this day our daily bread.”