IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND AS WE DO, I WANT TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE YOU. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING TODAY. TODAY WE WANT TO TURN TO THE BOOK OF JOB. THERE IN THE BOOK OF JOB, I WANT TO READ A VERY FAMILIAR PORTION OF SCRIPTURE. THAT WE WANT TO DRAW SOME THOUGHTS FROM. YOU SEE I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN LEARN A LOT, BY LOOKING AT THE LIFE OF JOB. NOW MOST EVERYBODY TODAY HAS HEARD OF JOB. IT SEEMS LIKE EVEN PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CHURCH ATTENDERS, HAVE HEARD OF JOB. JOB HAS A STORY THAT SEEMS TO GO BEYOND JUST THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY THAT LISTEN TO THE STORY OF JOB AND THEY BEGIN TO COMPARE THEIR OWN LIVES, TO HIS LIFE. WELL, WE CAN DRAW SOME THINGS FROM JOB'S STORY, THAT I BELIEVE WILL HELP US TODAY. AND SO I WANT TO READ JUST ONE, JUST ONE SIMPLE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE. AND THEN TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HEAR JOB SAYING. IN JOB CHAPTER 13, VERSE 15, IT SIMPLY SAYS THIS: “THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST IN HIM: BUT I WILL MAINTAIN MINE OWN WAYS BEFORE HIM.” NOW I KNOW THAT QUITE OFTEN WE QUOTE THE FIRST PART OF THAT VERSE. BUT HEAR ME TODAY, THE SECOND HALF OF THAT VERSE IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE FIRST HALF. WHEN WE READ THE STORY OF JOB, WE CAN LEARN SEVERAL THINGS. IN FACT, WE CAN LEARN MANY THINGS. BUT THOSE THINGS ARE PERTAINING TO OUR LIVES, AS MUCH AS THEY ARE JOB'S LIFE. THE FIRST LESSON WE LEARN FROM READING THE STORY OF JOB IS, IS THAT NOBODY IS EXEMPT FROM TROUBLE. TODAY, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR WALK IN LIFE HAS BEEN, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR BACKGROUND IS, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR SOCIAL STATUS IS, EVERYBODY TODAY, IS VULNERABLE TO TROUBLE. BY THAT I MEAN THIS, THAT EVERYONE OF US TODAY, WILL FIND AT TIMES, TROUBLE COMING TO OUR LIVES. NOW WHEN I TALK ABOUT TROUBLE, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT, JUST LIGHT AFFLICTION. I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT JUST SOME LITTLE THING THAT COME AND ANNOY US. I'M TALKING ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT COME TO OUR LIVES THAT ARE VERY DEVASTATING. SEEMS LIKE THE GROUND HAS JUST BEEN TAKEN OUT FROM UNDERNEATH US. WE GO THROUGH THOSE TIMES WHEN WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED. WE, WE JUST CAN SEE THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A DOMINO EFFECT. ONE THING TOOK PLACE AND THEN ANOTHER, AND THEN ANOTHER, AND THEN ANOTHER. AND IT SEEMS LIKE OUR WHOLE WORLD HAS FALLEN APART. ALL OF US TODAY, MAY AT TIMES FIND SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT HAPPENING. NOBODY IS EXEMPT FROM TROUBLE, TROUBLE WILL FIND US ALL. NOW THE ONE VARIABLE IN THAT IS THIS, WHEN TROUBLE COMES, WHAT CONDITION WILL TROUBLE FIND US IN? YOU SEE, HERE'S A STORY OF JOB AND ANOTHER LESSON THAT CAN BE LEARNED. AND THAT IS THAT WHEN TROUBLES COME AND WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE NEED OF HELP. HELP MAY NOT COME FROM THE SOURCE THAT WE WOULD QUICKLY THINK IT WOULD COME FROM. WHEN JOB LOOKED AROUND AT ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED, THERE WAS ONE THING THAT MAYBE HE SOMEWHAT COUNTED ON. BUT I'M SURE DIDN'T FULLY COUNT ON. I BELIEVE JOB KNEW ENOUGH, THAT JOB'S WALK OF FAITH WAS ENOUGH, THAT HE KNEW THAT HIS HELP WAS NOT GOING TO COME FROM THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT. HIS HELP WAS NOT GOING TO COME FROM THAT HE COULD SEE AROUND HIM. THAT HIS HELP WOULD COME FROM AN UNSEEN SOURCE. HIS FAITH TOLD HIM, THAT THOUGH HE HAD FRIENDS AROUND HIM, THOUGH THERE MAY HAVE BEEN FAMILY THAT, THAT COULD OF MADE A DIFFERENCE. JOB TELLS US THROUGH WHAT HE DID, THAT OF EVERYTHING THAT HE COULD OF PUT HIS TRUST IN, HE WAS GOING TO PUT HIS TRUST IN THE LORD. NOW HERE'S ANOTHER LESSON TO LEARN. SOMETIMES THE THING THAT WE PUT OUR TRUST IN HERE ON EARTH, INSTEAD OF IT HELPING, IT HINDERS, IT HURTS. IT BRINGS EVEN MORE DEVASTATION. NOW THE REASON I SAY THAT, IS BECAUSE OF WHAT JOB WENT THROUGH WHEN HIS FRIENDS SHOWED UP. HE MAY HAVE SAW THEM COMING AND THOUGHT, "WELL THEY'RE COMING TO ENCOURAGE ME. THEY'RE COMING TO OFFER ME SOME THINGS THAT WILL GIVE ME STRENGTH. THERE'RE TRYING TO QUIET MY SPIRIT AND HELP ME TO FACE THESE THINGS." BUT YET WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY DO ANYTHING BUT, ANY OF THOSE THINGS. WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY BRING CONDEMNATION. WHEN THEY ARRIVE, THEY BRING DISCOURAGEMENT. WHEN THEY ARRIVE, INSTEAD OF BRINGING PEACE, THEY BRING TURMOIL. WHEN THEY ARRIVE, INSTEAD OF LIFTING JOB UP, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY PUSH HIM DOWN. OH, I'M NOT QUESTIONING THEIR MOTIVATION. I'M NOT QUESTIONING WHAT THEY CAME TO DO. I BELIEVE THAT THEIR INTENTIONS WERE GOOD. THEIR INTENTIONS WERE PERHAPS PURE. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE HELPING, BUT AS YOU KNOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE WITH GOOD INTENTIONS END UP HURTING AND HINDERING MORE THAN THEY HELP. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO JOB. HE TURNED TO HIS FRIENDS AND HIS FRIENDS DIDN'T HELP HIM. THEY ONLY BROUGHT HIM FURTHER DOWN. AND IN THE MIDST OF THIS CONVERSATION HE'S HAVING WITH HIS FRIENDS, JOB SIMPLY EXPRESSES HIS CONFIDENCE IN GOD. WHEN HE SAYS, THOUGH GOD SLAY ME, YET I'M STILL GOING TO TRUST HIM. NOW FRIEND TODAY, THAT'S A PLACE THAT EVERYONE OF US NEEDS TO ARRIVE AT. THAT WE'RE NOT DAUNTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCE. BUT WE REALIZE THAT THOUGH THIS THING THAT I'M GOING THROUGH SLAY ME. THOUGH IT KILL ME, THOUGH IT TAKES EVERYTHING, INCLUDING MY LIFE. I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS WORLD TRUSTING GOD. NOW, MANY OF US TODAY ARE GOING THROUGH SOME VERY DIFFICULT TIMES. YOU'VE PUT YOUR TRUST IN A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE FAILED YOU. BUT HERE'S ONE THING THAT WILL NEVER FAIL YOU, AND THAT IS GOD. YOU CAN PUT YOUR TRUST IN HIM, BECAUSE HE IS ONE WHO CAN BE TRUSTED. YOU SEE, EVEN IF YOU ARE FACING THE MOST DIFFICULT MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE. AND THAT MOMENT BEING THE MOMENT OF YOUR OWN DEATH. YOU CAN PUT YOUR TRUST AND FAITH IN THE LORD. FOR IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT EVEN IN THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED GOD'S DIVINE HELP. JOB MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED IT. IN FACT, WE CAN READ THE STORY OF JOB AND THERE DOESN'T APPEAR ANYWHERE WHERE JOB LEANS ON THE

PROMISE THAT GOD WAS GOING TO DELIVER HIM AND GIVE HIM BACK EVERYTHING HE HAD LOST. YET, WE DO HERE THIS IN JOBS TESTIMONY.

HE SAYS, THOUGH GOD SLAY ME, YET, I WILL TRUST HIM. WHY WOULD WE TRUST GOD? WELL, WE WOULD TRUST GOD FOR THIS REASON,

GOD WORKETH ALL THINGS FOR OUR GOOD. PLEASE, BORROWING FROM ANOTHER SCRIPTURE. DON'T LEAN ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.

BY THAT I MEAN, DON'T LOOK AT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW GOD IS GOING TO BRING GOOD OUT OF THE TRAGEDY THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW HE IS GOING TO DO IT TODAY. WE HAVE NO WAY TO PREDICT HOW IT COULD HAPPEN, HOW IT COULD BE DONE. BUT FAITH SAYS THAT IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD COME OUT OF THIS, IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE OF HOW GOD WORKS IN THE MIDST OF THE CIRCUMSTANCE. JOB MAY NOT OF REALIZED IT BUT, WHILE HE WAS GOING THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME

GOD WAS STILL WORKING ON JOB'S BEHALF. IT MAY HAVE BEEN WORSE THAN IT HAD EVER BEEN, BUT GOD WAS STANDING BY JOB. YOU SEE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARN FROM THE LESSON OF JOB IS, IS THAT MANY TIMES THOUGH WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASON WHY, IT MAY NOT BE ANYTHING THAT WE DID, BUT THERE MAY BE A SPIRITUAL TEST TAKING PLACE. THERE MAY BE SOMETHING OF A HIGHER PURPOSE GOING ON AND WE'RE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. FRIEND, ESPECIALLY AT THOSE TIMES, LEAN UPON THE LORD. PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD. IF YOUR BATTLE TODAY IS OF A SPIRITUAL NATURE, IT'S GOING TO BE GOD THAT WILL BRING YOU THROUGH. THAT BATTLE MAY BE MANIFESTING ITSELF IN YOUR PERSONAL, YOUR NATURAL LIFE. BUT HANG ON TO THE HAND OF THE LORD. BECAUSE IF YOUR GOING TO BE LED OUT OF THIS VALLEY THAT YOUR IN, IT'S GOING TO BE BECAUSE GOD HAS STOOD BY YOU. HE HAS STRENGTHENED YOU, MOMENT BY MOMENT PERHAPS. MAYBE HE DIDN'T DO IT ALL AT ONCE. BUT A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. BUT FRIEND TODAY, IF YOU COULD ONLY OPEN YOUR EYES TO SEE ENOUGH . YOU WOULD SEE THAT MOMENT BY MOMENT GOD HAS BEEN SUSTAINING YOU. MOMENT BY MOMENT GOD HAS BEEN PRESERVING YOU. MOMENT BY MOMENT GOD HAS BROUGHT YOU THROUGH. YOU MAY BE CLOSER TO THE END OF THIS VALLEY THAT YOUR IN TODAY, THAN YOU REALIZE. MAYBE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE AT AND WHAT'S GOING ON. BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THIS. THAT IF YOU'LL KEEP YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD, GOD WILL BRING YOU THROUGH AND EVERYTHING WILL BE ALRIGHT. YOU SEE, ANOTHER LESSON THAT WE LEARN FROM JOB IS THIS, THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN OUR WAYS DESPITE WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH. THIS IS THE LESSON THAT WE LEARN FROM JOB. JOB IS SAYING IN THIS STATEMENT THAT WE READ IN VERSE 15. THOUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED. THOUGH MY FAITH IS BEING TESTED AND TRIED. I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO TRUST THE LORD. AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO, WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. NOW TODAY IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE LORD, YOU DO HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. IF YOUR GOING THROUGH SOME THINGS AND YOU CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU EVER ASKED THE LORD INTO YOUR LIFE. IF YOU CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU EVER ASKED THE LORD TO FORGIVE YOU. IF YOU CAN'T EVER THINK OF A TIME WHEN YOU ASKED GOD TO ALLOW YOU TO BE HIS CHILD. THEN FRIEND YOU DO HAVE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. YOU CAN'T CONTINUE ON IN THE LIFE OF SIN THAT YOU'RE LIVING. SIN HAS BROUGHT THESE THINGS TO YOUR LIFE. AND GOD IS RIGHT IN THE MIDST OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. REACHING OUT TO YOU, THAT HE FIRST MAY BRING YOU SALVATION. NOW HAVING SAID THAT, IF YOU KNOW GOD TODAY. AND YOU CLAIM TO BELONG TO HIM. THEN IT MAY BE THAT YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE ANY CHANGES AT ALL. JUST CONTINUE TO PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN THE LORD. YOU SEE TODAY, THERE IS SOME, SOME REAL POSITIVE THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN, BY LIVING THE RIGHT LIFE BEFORE GOD. WHEN THOSE TROUBLES AND TRIALS COME IT MEANS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING, JUST KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. WHY? BECAUSE WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES US IS, THAT IF YOU'RE LIVING A LIFE THAT YOU OUGHT TO LIVE, IF YOUR LIVING FOR GOD, THEN GOD WILL STAND BY YOU, WHEN LIFE SEEMS TO HAVE JUST BROUGHT YOU ALL OF THESE TROUBLES. LET ME QUICKLY IN CLOSING GIVE YOU A COUPLE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE TO LOOK AT. LOOK AT EPHESIANS 6, VERSE 11. WHERE THE BIBLE SAYS THAT, "WE OUGHT TO STAND AND SO THAT WE CAN STAND AGAINST THE WHILES OF THE DEVIL." EPHESIANS 6:13 SAYS, "WHEN YOU'VE DONE ALL YOU CAN DO, STAND." TODAY, THERE SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR LIVING FOR GOD. BECAUSE IN THE MIDST OF THE TROUBLES THAT YOU GO THROUGH YOU CAN STAND AND GOD WILL DELIVER. I WANT TO QUICKLY PRAY FOR YOU TODAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, QUICKLY COME TO THE SIDE OF THOSE WHO ARE IN GREAT NEED TODAY. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOUR THERE AND BECAUSE YOU'RE THERE YOU'RE GOING TO HELP THEM THROUGH THIS THING THAT THEY ARE BEING FACED WITH. TOUCH THEM TODAY I PRAY, IN JESUS NAME AMEN.