Category Archives: suffering

a swarm of lumberjacks

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

Psalm 74 Jerusalem has been sacked, the temple destroyed – all the meeting places of the congregation in the land have been destroyed.  Meanwhile God seems to have wandered off a bit.  He stands off with his hands in his … Continue reading →

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sustained on a sickbed

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Jefferson Vann

Psalm 41 He had taken care of the poor around him, but now he is struck by illness.  His enemies cannot wait for him to die and get it over with.  Even his friends are forsaking him.  But he trusts … Continue reading →

Posted in David, deliverance, dependence upon God, suffering | Tagged | 1 Comment

is God speaking?

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Job 33 Elihu spoke calming words in spite of the fact that he was angry at everyone.  He wanted Job to see his calamity as God’s attempt to rescue him.  God speaks through many means, and sometimes he uses misfortune … Continue reading →

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reversal of fortune

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Job 20 Zophar argues that reversal of fortune is always God’s doing.  Those who are exalted (6) he brings down to the depths. Those experiencing sweetness (12) he poisons. The full he devours (22,26). A world in which our condition … Continue reading →

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from bad to worse

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Job 2 Job’s victory over his circumstances (and the devil behind them) is seen in the fact that God still boasts of his integrity as he did before calamity struck.  So, Satan pleads for more control.  The LORD gives him … Continue reading →

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catastrophe

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Job 1 A major test of a person’s character comes with catastrophe.  It brings out the worst in some people, the best in others.  Job is one of those people whose pure hearts shines through when struck by darkness all … Continue reading →

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Exodus: pressure

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 5:1-6:9     Neither Moses nor the Israelites expected the immediate result of his ministry to be what it turned out to be. Pharaoh increased the pressure upon the slaves by making them produce the same amount of bricks, but also … Continue reading →

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Isaac: Esek and Sitnah

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Jefferson Vann

Genesis 26.  During a famine, Isaac and his family resettle in Gerar, where Abraham had sojourned before.  He re-dug some of the wells that Abraham had dug, because the Philistines had stopped them up.  Two of the wells he named … Continue reading →

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plagues and the future

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Revelation 15.  First the good news: When God’s wrath is finished – there will have been a harvest of worshippers who praise him for his great deeds and holy ways.  This will happen in spite of the bad news.  During … Continue reading →

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the beasts and the future

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Revelation 13.    The vision that we started reading yesterday introduced us to Satan, the great dragon/serpent/devil.  Today’s text describes the two great tools the devil has used against God’s plan and his people.  They are described as beasts. The first … Continue reading →

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