Confidant
The Lord looks for confidants to whom he can pour out his heart and thoughts. The dictionary defines “confidant” as “one to whom secrets are entrusted”. Proverbs 3:22 declares, “The Lord…takes the upright into his confidence.” So, by his Word and his Spirit, God pours his thoughts and his feelings into everyone who seeks to please him. Keep reading the Word and spending that private time communing with him in praise, thanksgiving and adoration. In this way you become the Lord’s confidant; his trusted companion!
The eighth book in the Old Testament, Ruth, shows how intimately God is involved with guiding your steps. A much less than prosperous Jewish lady named Naomi lost her husband and two sons two untimely deaths. She returned from a country called Moab to Israel and her hometown of Bethlehem. After moving from Moab to Bethlehem, her daughter-in-law Ruth asked her mother-in-law’s permission to “go to the fields and pick up the left over grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor” (Ruth 2:20. What an indefinite request: “anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Well, God led Ruth’s steps even though she was unaware of it. The field she worked in belonged to a distant relative of Naomi’s husband. This man, Boaz, was older than Ruth, but she caught his attention. Eventually, Boaz and Ruth married and their child became the great-grandfather of the second king of Israel named David from whom Jesus descended.
Many years ago I began recording Verses that Vivify during my private reading of Scripture. My secretary types these verses into a file on our computer. Consequently, this blog shares with you the verses that vivify from the book of Job. I trust they are a blessing and encouragement to you and build a new appreciation for the book we call Job.
Instantaneous electronic communication fills 21st century humanity with a constant birage of news about earth’s troubles. This knowledge can easily overwhelm us with dread and remorse. In fact, Jesus predicted, “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity….People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world,” Luke 21:25-26.
Isaiah 65:13-14 lists several promises God makes to his servants. “T
I’ve attended many Christian services and meetings where people reported wonderful, dramatic answers to prayer. These fine folks related how God healed their disease, saved their relatives, rescued them from financial doom, or preserved their children’s marriage. The congregation raised hands, praised the Lord and applauded. The preacher rejoiced and quoted, “The things that are impossible with men are possible with God.” …
Here’s an email we received: “The surgery was a disaster. My husband had a brain hemorrhage and stroke in recovery. He was in ICU for 9 days. His brain is slowly waking up. It probably will be a recovery that takes several weeks/months. Thanks for praying for us—we have needed it!” After reading this email we didn’t know specifically how to pray for our friend. What do we do when we don’t know what to ask? …
