Job's Oppression

Job was oppressed on every side.  He lost his children, his wealth, and his health.  He had every right, according to medical science, to be depressed.   Yet Job never turned away from God.  He knew God was the answer, and he knew he would see God one day, regardless of his earthly problems.  The Book of Job is a great example of faith and how we need to maintain our faith in God, as well.  The following are some thoughts that go along with the scriptures given in my Sunday School lesson today. 

If you want to quench your thirst

then follow Jesus first. 
He will never let you tread the path alone
Or leave you on your own. 
             As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you,
            my God. Psalm 42:1
He has healing in his power
for everyone - through every hour.
Give your all to Him;
He’s your hope when all seems dim.
       But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
       arise with healing in his wings;  Malachi 4:2a
If you want to quench your thirst
Then follow Jesus first.
He is the One that paid it all
And He’ll listen when you call.
     Their cries have been heard by the Lord Who hears His people.  James 5:4b
He died but yet He lives
He loves you and forgives.
He quenches all your thirst
When you take the time to put Him first.
         I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day
         upon the earth.  Job 19:25

Friendly Shade Hunting Humor

My “Friendly Shade”  is a little different today.  As I sit and contemplate the coming hunting season I worry that the woodlands will not be safe.  The weather has been so dry and wildfires beginning to take place in our area that the risk of fires far outweigh the joy found in the hunt.  However, putting all that aside the following is a humorous story taken from my book “Guys In Camo.”   I believe all those excited about opening deer season will enjoy the humor. 

DUPED BY A YOUNGSTER  

     Game wardens really don’t have to set up what most people call entrapment to be able to issue a citation or confiscate wrongfully obtained game related to the breaking of wildlife laws.  They are notorious for coming around deer clubs and other hunting sites at just the wrong time for most deer hunters.  All they need to do is bide their time and a lot of violations will just fall into their hands which is what happened with one game warden as he was driving along an ole’ country road near the Calhoun community. 

     The local game warden was not even looking for a wrongdoing the Saturday before opening deer season as he slowed his vehicle and prepared to pull over to the side of the road when he spotted a young boy who was dragging a deer behind him exiting a wooded area. 

     The warden spotted the boy, before the boy saw him, and by the time the boy looked up the warden was out of the truck and headed his way. 

     The game warden’s eyes narrowed as he approached and glared at the boy as he said, “Son, what are you doing?”   The boy quickly responded with, “I’m deer hunting.”  The warden then began to show his authority as he menacingly said, “Boy, deer season doesn’t open until Monday.” “No sir,” the boy argued, “it started today.”  When the warden again repeated his statement that the season did not open until Monday, the boy dropped his head a little as he thought for a second.  Then he looked up and stared the warden rather bashfully in the eye and very quietly told him, “Mister, I thought it started today, but you know I have another deer down back there in the brush.”  He pointed back behind him toward the woods he had come out of and continued,  “I guess you want me to drag that one out, too.”

     The warden shook his head affirmatively and told him to go drag out the other deer. 

     The boy quickly turned and retreated back into the woods.  As the warden stood there waiting, he soon realized his mistake and that he had been duped.  That boy wasn’t coming back.  He probably fled as fast as he could in the other direction. 

     As the warden told the story he said, “It wasn’t that the kid was so smart; it was that I was so dumb.”

A Dry and Thirsty Land

     We are living in a dry and thirsty land with no predictions of rain in the coming week. Our economy is not good either with the stock market unpredictable and banks paying very little interest on savings- we are living in a dry and thirsty land.  There is disharmony among the people with controversy over prayer in public schools and other places, controversy over being able to even post the Ten Commandments, controversy over same sex marriage, controversy over pro-life choice- we are living in a dry and thirsty land.  God told Moses in Leviticus 26 that if His people would walk in His statues and keep His commandments He would give them rain in due season.  He would give them peace in the land, and they would prosper.  The question is, “Will America wake up and follow God’s commandments and prosper?  Will they come together as “One Nation Under God?  Or will we  fall?”

Leviticus 26: 3-17

If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; ⁴Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. ⁵And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. ⁶And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. ⁷And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. ⁸And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. ⁹For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. ¹⁰And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. ¹¹And I set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. ¹²And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. ¹³I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. ¹⁴But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; ¹⁵And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: ¹⁶I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. ¹⁷And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.
    
     America has been blessed by God since it's beginning.  It has always been my belief that America was placed here for the honor and glory of God.  God has blessed us because of our being a Christian nation and because of our treatment of the Jew.  Our departure from God did not happen overnight nor in a dramatic turning away from Him.  Gradually, we substituted things in place of our allegiance to God.  Many of the things that were substituted may have been good in it's own sense.  However, you must recognize that sometimes the enemy of the best can be something of lesser value but still good..  In the midst of this crazy mixed up world we need the blessings of God if we are to stay the course and right the ship.