For Me?

They Lord gave this devotional 7 years back. His WORD never fails! I needed this! You know it TRULY comes from the Lord when you can't remember it all. I'm sooo thankful for His Word! I pray it helps you like it did me! I TRULY still need you pryaes VERY much! They are what is sustaining me!~ Marcie

I watched a revival service online last night from a sister church. The message that was preached was for me! The evangelist preached on Job Chapter 23. I want to share with you what the Lord spoke to my heart about.

All of us go through trials. It is a given! My favorite Bible verse is Psalms 34:19-"MANY are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT the LORD delivereth him out of them ALL!" As long as we are here on this earth, we will have troubles and trials. Some do have more than others, and some are more severe than others. Regardless of what our trouble is though, the Lord is the one that allowed it and is in control of it. As promised in the verse above, HE WILL NOT LEAVE US IN IT! He WILL DELIVER US in one way or another. It may be deliverance here, or He may promote us on to glory! We are winners either way! But, one thing the preacher said really spoke to my heart. Job 23:14 says, "For he performeth the thing that is APPOINTED FOR ME: and MANY such things are with Him." Whatever it is that we are going through, even RIGHT NOW, is appointed FOR YOU!

We might not know WHY we are going through a problem, but HE DOES! IT IS APPOINTED! He has orchestrated the whole situation! In essence, they are hand-picked! Job 1:8-12 tells of how the Lord asked Satan if he had "considered my servant Job..?" He knew that the Devil wanted to get at Job, and for His own reason, He ALLOWED it! He ALWAYS has a reason for us to go through certain things. ".. when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." Job 23:11. Just as dross is removed from gold, so is the sin refined by THE GOLDSMITH from our lives! It may not be that it is sin of commission, but OMISSION! HE may be trying to bring something to our attention that we have not done or left off of doing. Which ever the case may be, He knows and will show us just as He did Job: "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:4&5.

As the trouble is APPOINTED, so is it ALLOCATED. The definition of allocated is "to set apart for a special purpose; designate: to distribute ACCORDING TO PLAN; ALLOT." The Lord allocates the trial to us for A SPECIAL PURPOSE ACCORDING TO PLAN! None of our problems have taken the Lord by surprise! They are being delivered right on schedule as planned by Him! Even if we can't see why or the way, we can know that He is there! We can follow even where we can't seem to find Him! "For He knoweth they way that I take...' Job 23:10. "For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish." Psalm 1:6. "...he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Psalm 23:3b. He IS leading the way and has promised " .... I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5b.

Our APPOINTED troubles are ALLOCATED to us because He is the ALMIGHTY! We may not know why but HE DOES! It's not what we do know about trials, but we DO KNOW that will bring us through! "Why, seeing times are not hidden from the ALMIGHTY, do they that know him not see his days?' Job 24:1 "For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings." Job 34:21 "And He said unto, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the POWER OF CHRIST may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake; FOR WHEN I AM WEAK, THEN AM I STRONG!" II Corinthians 12:9&10. "But the LORD IS FAITHFUL, WHO SHALL STABLISH YOU, AND KEEP YOU FROM EVIL." II Thessalonians 3:5.

Just as Job endured some of the worst trials and tribulations recorded in the Bible, we can too. Is it that Job was super-spiritual, or had some secret to help him through them? The answer is NO! What brought him through was knowing that the Lord had APPOINTED it, ALLOCATED it, AND THAT HE IS ALMIGHTY!  By his own testimony, He knew that the Lord was there, in control, and giving him His Strength! "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;" Job 19:25. May we all remember that He ever lives and is in control. When problems  come our way , may we NOT say the Lord did this TO me, but HE did this FOR ME! He ever cares for His own, and "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I SHALL COME FORTH AS GOLD." Job. 23:10.

God never moves, without purpose or plan,
When trying His servant and molding a man,
Give thanks to the Lord, though your testing seems long,
In darkness, He giveth a song.

O Rejoice in the Lord,
He makes no mistakes,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.