RESERVES OF GOD

"Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?" (Job 38:22-23).

It is as if God had said, "Hail is one of my reserve battalions."

At the time of the French invasion of Russia, the Russians had a saying that winter was their chief general.

There is one historic instance in the history of Israel when God called upon the reserves of the hail. It was during the war of the conquest of Canaan, when Joshua & his army fought against the five kings of Canaan & won the victory which determined the destiny of Palestine. In that decisive battle a storm of hail fought on the side of Joshua.

"The Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon them . . . and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword." (Josh. 10:11.)

This indication in the book of Job to the reserves of God opens up grand forest avenues of thought.

In every time of trouble it is good to remember that God has reserves upon which He has not yet called.

- (moreillustrations.com)

“Have you been holding back from a risky, costly course to which you know in your heart God has called you? Hold back no longer. Your God is faithful to you, and adequate for you. You will never need more than He can supply, and what He supplies, both materially and spiritually, will always be enough for the present.” -  J.I. Packer.

INFLUENCE OF MUSIC

Some say that the music they listen to does not affect them. It would be hard to convince the Kuntz family of this.

Fifteen year old Richard Kuntz was listening to a Manson (a cult) album when he committed suicide by shooting himself. His father says Richard was a major Manson fan & his favorite song contained calls to commit suicide.

- World Magazine, November, 1997 (ministry127.com)

“Do I think all contemporary Christian music is good? No.” - Amy Grant .

“Beautiful music is the art of the prophets that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightful presents God has given us.” -  Martin Luther.

“Where words fail, music speaks.” - Hans Christian Andersen.

Ps 150:3 (TPT): “Praise him with the trumpets blasting! Praise him with piano and guitar!”

  

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD…

Dr. James M. Gray says:

"Once, when convalescing from a long illness, it was suggested that for the benefit of the change I visit the British provinces. The arrangements were all made when unexpectedly another malady threw me on my bed again. How disappointing! For what was I waiting longer in the sick room? Soon I received a satisfactory answer. Picking up a newspaper, I read that the steamer on which I should have sailed struck a reef on entering St. John harbor & almost instantly sank."

- Sunday School Times. (moreillustrations.com)

Rom 8:28 (NLV): “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.”

“Howbeit your faith seeth but the black side of Providence, yet it hath a better side, and God shall let you see it. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God; hence I infer that losses, disappointments, ill tongues, loss of friends, houses or country, are God's workmen, set on work to work out good to you, out of everything that befalleth you.” -  Samuel Rutherford.

SUFFERING

When Robert Louis Stevenson (a Scottish novelist & travel writer) first saw the terrible devastations of leprosy he was almost turned into an infidel.
 
But when he saw the miracles of Christian pity & compassion in the leper hospital at Malokai, his faith emerged triumphant, and he wrote in the guest book there:
 
“To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferer smiling at the rod—
A fool were tempted to deny his God.
He sees, he shrinks. But if he gaze again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!
He marks the sisters on the mournful shores;
And even a fool is silent and adores.”
 
- (moreillustrations.com)
 
1 Pet 2:21 (GW): “God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps.”
 
“God wants us to be totally dependent on Him, and suffering seems to bring us to that point.” -  Joyce Meyer.
 

AUTHORSHIP OF THE BIBLE

The Bible must have been written by God or good men or bad men or angels or devils.

Bad men or devils would not write it because of the condemnation of sin & pronouncement of fearful judgment upon the sinner.

Good men or angels would not deceive men by lying as to its authority & claiming that God was the writer.

Therefore the Bible must have been written, as it claims to have been written, by God Who by His Spirit inspired men to record His words, using the human instrument to communicate it to man.

- John Wesley (moreillustrations.com)

2 Pet 1:21 (NLV): “No part of the Holy Writings came long ago because of what man wanted to write. But holy men who belonged to God spoke what the Holy Spirit told them.”

“The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.” -  D.L. Moody.

“In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” - Robert E. Lee.

BEING FAIR

YOUNG DOCTOR - "Why do you always ask your patients what they have for dinner?"

OLD DOCTOR - "It's a most important question, for according to their menus, I make out my bills."

- (moreillustrations.com)

Jer 7:5 (GNT): “…Be fair in your treatment of one another.”

Ps 112:4 (ERV): “A light shines in the dark for those who are good, for those who are merciful, kind, and fair.”

“I am dismayed by the contracts required by some contemporary musical groups. To perform a concert at your church, the stated fee will be so much (in either four or five figures) plus round trip airfare - often first class. Every detail of the accommodations is spelled out. All this is done so that the group can stand before an inner-city audience and exhort the people to 'just trust the Lord for all your needs'.” -  Jim Cymbala.

OVERCOMING JEALOUSY

Have you gained the victory over the enemy within you? There is jealousy. Would you overcome that?

There is a fable of an eagle that was jealous of another that could outfly him. He saw a sportsman one day & said to him:

"I wish you would bring down that eagle."

The sportsman replied that he would if he only had some feathers to put into his arrow. So the eagle pulled out one of his wing. The arrow was shot, but didn't quite reach the rival eagle; it was flying too high.

The envious eagle kept pulling out more feathers until he lost so many that he couldn't fly, and then the sportsman turned around & killed him.

My friend, if you are jealous, the only man you can hurt is yourself.

- D. L. Moody (moreillustrations.com)

1 Cor 3:3 (CJB): “For you are still worldly! Isn’t it obvious from all the jealousy and quarrelling among you that you are worldly and living by merely human standards?”

“Too often we think of being tempted as being enticed to do big things like stealing, murdering or committing adultery. But most often we're tempted to be impatient, stingy, jealous, greedy or any number of other things that we consider lesser sins.” -  Joyce Meyer.