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The Bible Breakdown
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The Bible Breakdown
Job 23: Bitter Days Without Bitter Hearts
How do you keep your heart from hardening when life throws its harshest trials your way? This episode dives into the profound wisdom found in Job, chapter 23, to explore the art of enduring life's bitter days without succumbing to bitterness. We use the powerful imagery of a ship navigating turbulent waters to illustrate the importance of maintaining inner peace despite external hardships. You'll hear about Job's unshakeable trust in God amid his profound suffering and learn valuable lessons on resilience and faith. Along the journey, we share practical advice on using gratitude as a tool to combat darkness, helping you to identify and appreciate the positive aspects of your life, even during the most challenging seasons.
We also emphasize the assurance of salvation and the transformative power of God's love. Reflecting on the many blessings we often overlook, we recognize how God has healed and restored us time and again. By focusing on gratitude, we can shift from bitterness to a heart of thankfulness, finding solace and strength in God's promises. Join us for a heartfelt prayer for guidance and the Holy Spirit’s presence, and be inspired by a powerful reminder from Job 1:21 about trusting the Lord in all circumstances. Whether you're grappling with trials or seeking spiritual growth, this episode offers inspiration and actionable steps to navigate suffering with unwavering faith and resilience.
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The More You Dig. The More You Find.
Hello everybody, welcome back to the Bible Breakdown podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Job, chapter 23,. And today's title is Bitter Days Without Bitter Hearts Bitter Days Without Bitter Hearts. It can be so difficult to not let what happens on the outside affect what's going on on the inside, but it is possible, and we're going to see how Job. He's still complaining about the bitterness he's going through. However, he still trusts the Lord. It's a wonderful example for all of us, and so we're going to do that in just a moment. But, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like share, subscribe to YouTube channel and the podcast, make sure you're leaving us a five-star review on the podcast, make sure you're commenting on the YouTube videos and make sure you're going to the Bible breakdown discussion on Facebook. The more we dig, the more we find, and we get to do it together in Jesus name. If you have your Bibles, want to open up with me to Job, chapter 23. Remember, the overall idea here is trusting God's wisdom in suffering, and I love this idea of what Job's going to say today. I read a quote the other day that said that it's not the water on the outside of the ship that sinks the ship, it's the amount of water that gets on the inside. If you think about it, a ship is moving through water that could sink it quickly, but that doesn't matter. What matters is what gets on the inside Well, it's the same thing with our lives. Is what gets on the inside? Well, it's the same thing with our lives. If you ever met somebody who is going through a difficult time yet they've got a joy, that just defies logic, it's because the bitterness on the outside has not affected what's going on on the inside, and that is really hard to do. But Job shows us how that's what he's doing in his life, and he's encouraging us to have the same mind as well. And so let's read this together Job, chapter 23, and let's see what God's word would say to us. You ready? Job 23, verse 1,? Job is going to respond to Eliphaz. Here we go.
Speaker 1:Then Job spoke again not to groan aloud. If I only knew where to find God, I would go to his court and I would lay out my case and present my arguments. Then I would listen to his reply and understand what he says to me. Would he use his great power to argue with me? No, he would give me a fair hearing. Honest people can reason with him. So I would be forever acquitted by my judge.
Speaker 1:I go east but he is not there. I go west but I cannot find him. I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden. And I look to the south, but he is concealed. But he knows where I am going and when he tests me I will come out as pure as gold, for I have stayed on God's path. I have followed his ways and have not turned aside. I have not departed from his commands but have treasured his words more than daily food. But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind? Whatever he wants to do, he does so he will do to me. Whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny.
Speaker 1:No wonder I am so terrified in his presence. When I think of it, terror grips me. God has made me sick at heart. The Almighty has terrified me. Darkness is all around me. Thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere. Wow, such raw honesty from Job who is saying I'm going through such a dark time. It just feels like darkness. In other words, he's depressed. You ever talk to anybody who's been depressed? It just feels like a weighty darkness is just settling over them. And even in the middle of this he's saying I know that if I can get to God he'll be honest and he'll be fair with me. So, even though there's bitterness all around me, I'm doing my best not to let it get into my heart. And that's what I want to encourage you with today. And I want to give you some homework, and my hope is is that God will use it to kind of get out some of that bitterness, some of that difficulty, some of the sorrow in your heart.
Speaker 1:It's okay to go through seasons of suffering. In other words, we've talked about this over the course of the book of Job. There are times when we go through seasons of suffering because of the consequences of sin that, even though God forgives us as we repent, sometimes he takes away the consequences and sometimes we have to walk through them. But there's also times when we're completely innocent. It's just it's a bad season and God doesn't always let us know what he's doing. And therefore it's okay to go through seasons of suffering. It doesn't necessarily mean you've done anything wrong, but it's difficult sometimes when it takes a while. It's one thing. If we go through a season of suffering for a weekend. It's another thing if the cancer diagnosis takes years, or if that difficult season with our children takes years, or if the marriage can't be salvaged. It's difficult, and as we're processing and going through those difficult times, it can be so very seemingly impossible to not let that darkness get on the inside.
Speaker 1:But can I tell you, one of the greatest antidotes to darkness is gratitude, is to find something to be thankful for. And so this is what I want you to do, especially if you're really dealing with some darkness, some depression, some difficulty today. If you're dealing with it, I want you to do this today, and if you're not, if you know someone who is, I want you to challenge them to do this and tell them you'll do it with them. And that is this. You're going to have a contest. If you're by yourself, you got to contest with yourself, right. But I want you to set a timer of five minutes on your phone, and I want you to as fast as you can think of it.
Speaker 1:I want you to write down as many things that you can that you're thankful for. It can be, you know, big things like I'm thankful for the world, I'm thankful for popcorn, I'm thankful for my cell phone, whatever, but just keep whatever it is, keep going, keep going, because what's going to happen is, for the first 10, 15, you'll be okay because you're thinking of anything. I'm thankful for socks, I'm thankful for coffee, I'm thankful for soda, I'm thankful for whatever it is Cheez-Its, whatever it is but eventually you'll run out of them and you'll go. You know, I don't think I have anything to be thankful for. And that's the moment, right there, when you run out of things. That's the moment Then, go deeper, really, think about it. What are you thankful for? I'm thankful for the good times I have with my kids. I'm thankful for the good memories I have with my family. I'm thankful for God's faithfulness. I'm thankful for that one time that thing happened. I'm thankful for this friend that I haven't talked to now in a while. I should really reach out to them again. And you start doing it.
Speaker 1:And the Bible says David did this. He said he encouraged himself in the Lord when everything else was falling apart. David wrote in another place. He said I will remember the wonders of the Lord Jeremiah, as the nation of Israel is being conquered by their enemies and when they're being conquered there's so many horrible things People are being slaughtered in the streets of Jerusalem, and as he's thinking over these horrible things, he says but this I call to mind and therefore I have hope it's what you choose to focus on, and so I want to give you this homework. Take five minutes. I prefer you take ten, but let's start with five. Five minutes and you, just as fast as you can, you start writing things you're thankful of, and what you're doing is you're trying to exhaust that first list until you go.
Speaker 1:I can't think of anything else For some of you. You may be in such a difficult place right now that you may start there. I can't think of anything. Keep thinking Something good, anything good and let it start to happen. What's going to start to happen is, as you remember, the goodness of God. What you're going to realize is that many times, the enemy wants to lie to you and he wants to make you think that there's nothing good going on in your life. But, especially if you're a Christ follower, there's more good going on in your life than you realize.
Speaker 1:If nothing else, the Bible says you're saved. There's more good going on in your life than you realize. If nothing else, the Bible says you're saved. And that means that when this life is over, you get to go be with Jesus for eternity. The greatest miracle you could ever hope for you've already received.
Speaker 1:God has probably healed you of things in the past. God has restored you. Every time you forget, every time you fall, every time you walk away, he brings you back. He's transforming you into his likeness and brings you back. He's transforming you into his likeness and he's blessed you in so many ways.
Speaker 1:Take a moment and write them down and remember that the bitterness can be on the outside, but it doesn't have to stay on the inside. Let's pray God. Thank you so much for today. I pray God. As they take this challenge today and they take moments to find things that they're thankful for, the Holy Spirit will open their eyes, to find that they have more to be thankful for than they could ever ever say. More is going on in their life. And as they continue to think about these things, lord that you will lighten the load in their heart. You'll get the bitterness out and fill it with your joy. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen. Well, god's word says in Job, chapter 1, verse 21,. I came naked from my mother's womb. I'll be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had and the Lord has taken it away. But praise the name of the Lord In all things. I will trust the Lord. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Job 24.
