“He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.’ And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half.” – Genesis 15:9-10

In Hebrew, what we translate as “make a covenant” literally means “cut a covenant”. Solemn covenants were always ratified by the shedding of blood. Life was sacrificed and lifeblood poured out to publicly proclaim, “may the same thing happen to me if I break this covenant”. That’s how serious a biblical covenant is! In Genesis 15, God cut a covenant with Abram to give his descendants the land we know as Israel. The animals were cut in two and God’s presence passed between them – that’s how serious God is about the land of Israel!

If Jesus is your Savior, a different covenant has been cut for you. A covenant of grace – guaranteeing that your sins are forgiven through faith in Jesus, the Son of God. Like every biblical covenant, a life was sacrificed and blood was shed to ratify this New Covenant. However, instead of animals being sacrificed, it was the willing suffering and death of Jesus Himself when He went to the cross for our sins. There is nothing higher by which God could swear than Himself, which is what happened at the cross. There is no covenant more serious than one sealed by the innocent blood of the eternal Son of God.

This is your covenant! The covenant promise that your faith in Jesus has resulted in your sins being forgiven and you being reconciled to God forever as His beloved child. Your covenant was sealed by the innocent, sinless blood of Jesus – fully God and fully human. Realize the beautiful weight of this covenant… If you’re in Christ, then there’s absolutely nothing in heaven or on earth than can break God’s covenant promises. There’s no covenant more ironclad than the New Covenant because it was ratified with the broken body and shed blood of your Risen Savior. God’s grace cannot be thwarted and through faith in Christ, you are the blessed beneficiary of the greatest covenant. #FollowJesus

“Then Job answered the Lord and said:
‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.'”
– Job 42:1-2

At the beginning of Job, Job faithfully honored and feared God. Later, amidst his suffering and sorrow, Job vigorously questioned God. By the end, Job KNEW God personally and that made all the difference! He had experienced the presence of God. Heard God speak from the whirlwind. Fallen humble before God’s questions. At last, Job understood what it meant for God to be infinitely greater, wiser, and more powerful than anything he could imagine.

Therefore, Job finally TRUSTED God. He genuinely trusted the power and goodness of God. He knew that God really could do anything and would accomplish His good will and purpose. God can’t be frustrated or foiled in His will. His good will to redeem the earth will be accomplished. His good will to bless His people eternally will be accomplished.

Because Job KNEW and TRUSTED God, he could be patient. He could be at peace. He could cling to the Lord regardless of his pain and lack of understanding. He could follow the Lord in all situations and circumstances. For this, Job was eternally blessed. The good news is that things are much easier for us since Jesus has come in the flesh, died on the cross, risen from the dead, and ascended into Heaven. Because of Jesus, the perfect revelation of God, it’s much easier to know and trust God through knowing and trusting Jesus. And to cling to the Lord and #FollowJesus in every situation and circumstance. For this, you will be eternally blessed!

“Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.”
– Job 38:3

Questioning God is a common human pastime. Especially when things don’t go the way we planned. “Why, God?” “Why me?” “Why them?” “Why now?” “What were you thinking?” “I need answers!” Perhaps you’ve asked your share of questions. Many have.

The resolution of Job’s story comes when God begins speaking to Job in this verse and the following chapters. Not to answer Job’s many questions and complaints. But to reveal how impossible it is for a human being to understand the answers if we ever got them. God does this by turning the tables and asking Job question after question. Questions about the creation of the universe. Questions about the patterns of nature. Questions about the weather. Questions about the wild animals of the world. Questions upon questions.

While Job never answers any of them, his answer to each question would, of course, be “I have no idea.” What God reveals to Job through dozens of questions is the enormous gap in understanding between an infinitely knowledgeable, wise, powerful, and good Creator and… us. The universe is full of secrets we can’t understand and yet, everything comes together to make life not only possible, but flourish. That’s the goodness and wisdom of God. He loves life! That love leads to situations we can’t understand because we can’t see all of space and time simultaneously the way God can. We can’t understand all the ripples and ramifications of every moment and action. But God can.

God’s questioning has its intended effect…. Job comes to understand that peace and satisfaction won’t be found in receiving answers he can’t understand. Instead, it comes from knowing God better, drawing nearer to Him, loving Him and being loved by Him. The offer is available to you through Jesus Christ! As hard as it can be during seasons of unfathomable pain, don’t pour your energy into seeking answers you won’t receive. Devote yourself to a deeper relationship of love with God! #FollowJesus

“He delivers the afflicted by their affliction
and opens their ear by adversity.
He also allured you out of distress
into a broad place where there was no cramping,
and what was set on your table was full of fatness.”
– Job 36:15-16

One of the essential truths of Job is that we simply can’t understand the depth and breadth of God’s thinking. He is all-good, all-wise, all-knowing, all-powerful and we definitely aren’t. He knows when a tough spot now is essential for your growth and development, your spiritual protection and maturity, and quite possibly, the salvation of people generations from now. We simply can’t think through all these things.

Which leads us to this truth that makes us scratch our heads sometimes, even as some part of us grudgingly understands…. God can use affliction – suffering, difficulty, pain, weakness, sorrow, loss – to rescue us from greater affliction! The truth is, we usually lean into God far more deeply in hard times than in easy times. We often look for (and find) God’s presence most diligently when we’re walking through the valleys of life. We often understand what Jesus did for us better after experiencing betrayals, rejections, oppositions, and sufferings that are small compared to what He went through for us. Our faith grows faster when it’s tested and we hold firmly to it, seeing for ourselves that God is always faithful.

While we could wish that no affliction was required, most of us benefit, grow, and mature through the hard seasons of life. If your faith isn’t tested by fire, you will always question whether it will sustain us in a bigger fire. After the fire, you know the quality of your faith and the faithfulness of your Lord. The attention-focusing power of hard seasons in life can also steer us away from far greater afflictions we may be tempted to get ourselves into through foolishness, sin, or unbelief.

This promise is true. If Jesus is your Lord, then God is working and active for your good during hard seasons. In due time, God will bring you out of all your distress and into the glorious feast that is His unending presence. The great celebration that never ends with Jesus your Messiah. The beautiful, open “broad place” where there is no suffering, no sense of imprisonment, just freedom and eternal joy in Christ. #FollowJesus