Words from a Branch

“Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him.” Job 13:15 NASB                 Job has lost everything, his livelihood, his finances, his children, his wife, and even his health things are so far gone that when his friends first see him, they can do nothing but weep for days with him. In the midst of this Job is able to speak one of the greatest phrases of faith in the whole bible, “Though He slay me still I will hope in Him.” Even if god delights to crush His servant, that servant will continue to trust in God. Unfortunately, Job continues as we so often do to demand his rights, and particularly his right to an explanation.                 We need to know, or so we think when God sends us into a difficult situation, or asks us to do something hard. We like Job think we have a case to make wit...

Blessed is the man   who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord , and on his law he meditates day and night.   He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so,   but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand in the judgment,   nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,   but the way of the wicked will perish. Psalm 1 ESV The critical definition of the righteous in this psalm is the one who delights in God’s word, and meditates on it all the time. We have become use to the eastern idea of meditation in which one tries to empty the mind, but the Christian idea of meditation is quite the opposite being a focused and intent thoughtf...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7 ESV             Those who would reject the fear of the Lord as the foundation of their philosophy, and would dethrone theology from her rightful place as queen of all sciences are indeed foolish. The rest of the book of Proverbs will detail their folly, but to summarize they do themselves harm. They are fools not because they displease God, though they do, or because they miss the fullness of truth, again they do; but because they inevitability secure their loss and destruction they are fools. This second half of 1:7 is then both a true statement and a warning. Would you be a fool? Then receive wise instruction and fear the Lord.             It is this fear of the Lord which humanity in its folly is prone to despise. Few if any like to be thought of as foolish or uned...