Les Misery to Les Calvary

One Year Bible (Sep. 1)

Job 40:1-42:17

LES MISERY To LES CALVARY: Burdens Are Lifted

“Days are filled with sorrow and care. Hearts are lonely and drear. Burdens are lifted at Calvary Jesus is very near.”

(Burdens Are Lifted at Calvary, The Gaithers)

We began our journey in the book of Job with the dramatic play, “Les Misery”, but everything changed when we got to Job’s amazing prophetic words in Job 19: 25-27.

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body, I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!”

Although God, himself, said to Satan, “Have you seen my servant, Job?”, Job had no idea how God felt about him.

Job was caught in a CATCH 22 stuck between the LAW and the coming of the Messiah. At this time there was no payment for the sins of mankind. There was only a temporary “rolling back of sins” until the day the Messiah would come.

Could this drama be re-cast with Billy Graham playing the part of Job? God forbid because Dr. Graham was saved by the gospel and no longer held under the grips of Satan’s power and death. That was the Good News that he preached all across the world …

You see, the book of Job is about far more than just one just man. We must once again look at the Old Testament through New Testament eyes…

What do you see when you put on the spectacles of GRACE?

Job was righteous, but Jesus was sinless.

Job was tried and convicted by his three friends under the law, while sinless Jesus had three trials and submitted to the law of condemnation so that he could bring grace to the guilty. Job cried out for an advocate and mediator to appeal his case before God, and Jesus took that role to appeal and mediate for all.

Job was condemned by the Law through the words of his three friends. Jesus was abandoned and denied by his closest three friends to fulfill the law and give the world grace.

There are so many amazing comparisons found in this book that points us to a coming day where Satan will no longer be able to bring accusations against the beloved saints of God because at CALVARY he was DEFEATED!

On a personal note, what has God been speaking to you in your WHIRLWINDS?

Have you ever been stuck in an extended phase of suffering?

I have experienced many of these cycles of testing and suffering, and they are beyond painful…

I remember speaking to God in a questioning manner like Job. It was in my mind and not verbal, but I had my struggles… My father was a pastor who would be the very first to bring help to every person he ministered to in such a humble, kind manner. I have no idea how many hospital calls, home visits, and funeral massages he brought. He would cry with people in their loss.

Then this amazing man got Parkinson’s Disease, and then had a stroke. He had caregivers at home for a very long time and then came the day that I was to be the person to drive him to his new Assisted Living facility to live… That day was beyond any pain I had ever experienced!

Very few that he ever ministered to over his lifetime of service ever came to see him. There were some that came and I praise God that they were true friends. There was no staring or glaring, or sermons. Just love. They were servants of the Gospel of GRACE!

My father was losing his ability to remember many words at times, and as I came for one of my weekend visits, (I live 3-4 hours away depending on traffic.) he asked me to sit down and explain some things to his hospice nurse. He wanted to tell her about his faith.

Before I could say a word, she said to me, “Oh, I know all about his faith… At night when he is in pain, he will sing hymns with his beautiful voice and he remembers every single word.” He was still preaching although he only had a “Pulpit of Pain” to stand behind…

When my father’s time was near, my brother spent his last night with him and I went to my mom’s house with the girls to sleep for a bit. I was awakened in the morning by a DREAM that was so real that it woke me up with a jolt.

I saw a young man and it was my dad. He was wearing his usual black dress pants and white dress shirt. I was calling out his name but he was running away from me. All I could see was the back of him… I asked the people around, “Where is he going in such a hurry?” They said, “He is preaching in Heaven this Sunday!”

I knew that I was to get up and head back over there. I went to his bedside and held his hand and told him about my dream. At that very moment, he squeezed my hand and he was gone! As his grip loosened on my hand and he took the hand of God, I could understand the words of Job,

“I had only heard about YOU before, but now I have seen YOU with my own eyes.” (42:5)

I thought of Billy Graham’s quote of DL Moody’s famous words… “Someday you will read or hear that Floyd Strater is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”

The good news found in the book of Job is that suffering lasts for a season, but “BURDENS ARE LIFTED AT CALVARY…

So remember to “LOOK UP” in the midst of your whirlwinds.