Keys Storehouse

Have You Considered My Servant?

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“Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?’ …

“And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ ” Job 1:8, 12

So Satan caused marauders to steal Job’s oxen, donkeys, and camels, and kill his servants. He made a fire to come down and burn up all his sheep and shepherds and a great storm collapsed the house and killed all of Job’s children.

Job’s response? “ ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ In all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.” Verses 21, last part, 22

Then, the Lord allowed Satan to go a little farther. He said, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” Job 2:6

Now, Satan afflicts Job with boils, leaving him with only a complaining wife who suggests he curse God and die. Still, Job responds to his wife in the same manner, “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Verse 10, last part

Then, his three miserable friends try to convince him that he must be a sinful man and that God is punishing him. Still, he replies, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15

This habit of complete trust in God enables Job to assert in faith, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25–27

Someone might ask about chapters 3, 6, 10, and others where it seems Job has lost faith. He curses his birth, finds no comfort, and looks for understanding to that always sought-after answer. Why? An answer that is all too often not available—yet! He speaks of what he has lost, and later in the book, he challenges God. God’s response: “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” Job 38:4

I think we’ve all been in Job’s situation at some point. The circumstances may have been different, but we still have asked: Why? Remember where all this trouble came from? Satan accused God that Job only served Him because He had made him rich and protected him. I wonder if Job lost faith or if he just couldn’t see as God does.

Think of the confidence God had in Job. It was God who started the conversation with Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job?” Job still had some things he needed to see about himself, and God, through this trial, allowed him to see them. In the end, Job answered the Lord, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. … Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. … I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:2–6

Lord, help us to have the faith of Job and transform us so that we might be worthy for You to ask, “Have you considered My servant?”

Cleave Asunder or Cleave To

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I was listening to a radio preacher some time ago speaking on marriage and the family and he quoted the scripture we always associate with marriage. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined (shall cleave) to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

Two other scriptures also came to my mind about cleaving or adhering firmly to what is right and good.

“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” Romans 12:9

“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling [cleave] to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.” Psalm 101:3, 4

As I thought more on the idea of cleaving, I realized that the word cleave, depending on the context of its use, can mean both “to adhere firmly and closely … unwaveringly” or “to split or divide.” Two people can be so close that they appear as one in thought and action, adhering firmly to each other. But those same two people can also be cleaved apart, divided by a cutting blow.

A thoughtless word or unkind action can cut [cleave] to the very quick. The idiom, cut to the quick, is descriptive of how a person can be deeply affected to the most sensitive and fragile parts of themselves by the actions or words of others, particularly from those they trust and love.

For a moment, picture the image of cleaving yourself to Christ, being held firmly against His chest. Then, picture the cross, realizing that yielding to our sinful nature and rejecting His offer of love and forgiveness, we figuratively cleaved His heart in two. We killed the Son of God.

“Jesus offered Himself to the Father in man’s behalf, that those who had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine Petitioner. …

“The prayer of Christ in behalf of lost humanity cleaved its way through [cut through] every shadow that Satan had cast between man and God, and left a clear channel of communication to the very throne of glory.” Our High Calling, 156

“The injunction to cleave to the Lord will be precious to us if we will understand and obey it. Trust constantly in God. Have unswerving faith in Him because of the unmistakable evidence given you of His love and power. Never does one stretch out his arms in faith to the Saviour but there are placed around and underneath him the everlasting arms, and he is comforted and sustained.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 13, 125

Lord Jesus, help us to cleave our connection with this world and all its temptations asunder, to cleave or cut away every spot of sin in our hearts, that we might cleave firmly into Your strong and loving arms.

You, Mother, Surpass Them All

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Nothing I could write would better express how important the mother’s position is in the family than the Spirit of Prophecy quotations below. I should have included this in the May issue since Mother’s Day is in May, but May had passed before I read this in my morning devotions. While this described my own mother to me, I know that it likely describes your mother, too, or someone to whom you looked for love and guidance.

If there are times when you feel unappreciated or discouraged, remember that God gave mothers the most important work of all, and you can, coupled with His power, raise children who will love God and be happy to work in His service. This can include anyone—grandmother, aunt, sister, teacher, friend, even a single father—who assumes the responsibility for raising or assisting in raising a child.

“There is a God above, and the light and glory from His throne rests upon the faithful mother as she tries to educate her children to resist the influence of evil. No other work can equal hers in importance. She has not, like the artist, to paint a form of beauty upon canvas, nor, like the sculptor, to chisel it from marble. She has not, like the author, to embody a noble thought in words of power, nor, like the musician, to express a beautiful sentiment in melody. It is hers, with the help of God, to develop in a human soul the likeness of the divine.” The Ministry of Healing, 377, 378

Is it any wonder that the devil works so hard to destroy families?

“The mother who appreciates this will regard her opportunities as priceless. Earnestly will she seek, in her own character and by her methods of training, to present before her children the highest ideal. Earnestly, patiently, courageously, she will endeavor to improve her own abilities, that she may use aright the highest powers of the mind in the training of her children. Earnestly will she inquire at every step, ‘What hath God spoken?’ Diligently, she will study His word. She will keep her eyes fixed upon Christ, that her own daily experience, in the lowly round of care and duty, may be a true reflection of the one true Life.” Ibid., 378

Do not be discouraged, mothers.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed.” Proverbs 31:28, first part

Dear Lord, please send strength, comfort, satisfaction, and joy to all, especially our mothers, who have the privilege of raising children for You. May they, and their children, reflect You in every circumstance and in every place.

Omnipotence from God

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Day by day and year by year we shall conquer self, and grow into a noble heroism. This is our allotted task … .” Gospel Workers, 477

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always do a very good job of conquering self, and I’m a long way from noble heroism. It can be discouraging, yet God does not want us to be discouraged. In fact, He promises that we do not have to be discouraged or depressed.

The very thing that I am supposed to do in this world, but am totally unable to do by myself, He says I can accomplish. How? Because He has promised to give me the strength and ability to do everything He asks me to do.

God is:

Omnipresent (Jeremiah 23:24; Proverbs 15:3; Psalm 139:7–10)

Omniscient (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 139:1–3)

Omnipotent (Matthew 19:26; Isaiah 43:13; Genesis 18:14)

And He says through Inspiration, “As the will of man cooperates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 333

When I accept the hand of God, when I turn my life over to Him, He makes me powerful enough to conquer self. Friends, omnipotence means “having very great or unlimited power.” God says that I am to conquer myself, which is impossible for me, and then He gives me—you, us—unlimited power to do it, if only we will surrender.

“Words cannot describe the peace and joy possessed by him who takes God at His word. Trials do not disturb him, slights do not vex him. Self is crucified. Day by day his duties may become more taxing, his temptations stronger, his trials more severe; but he does not falter; for he receives strength equal to his need.” Messages to Young People, 98

Power and peace. Both are promised to the man, woman, and child who will make God their fortress, who will accept His help.

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Lord, give us the desire to seek Your will and the strength to accomplish it. Amen.

I Love You

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From the moment we officially started dating until the day of his death, my husband Roger would tell me or call to tell me he loved me many times a day. He would say, “Have I told you yet today that I love you?” My response was always, “Yes, but you can tell me again.” I imagine that this type of exchange happens quite often between spouses, in many homes every day.

My mother would write me letters or end our phone conversations with, “I love you, Judy, but God loves you more.”

And my mother was right. Just like Roger’s oft-repeated words of love and my mother’s entreaties, God has shown me every day, in multiple ways, just how much He loves me. In the good times and the bad, even in the times when I had no interest in Him, His eye stayed focused on me, His love never wavering.

“Wherever we turn, we hear the voice of God and behold His handiwork. From the solemn roll of the deep-toned thunder and old ocean’s ceaseless roar, to the glad songs that make the forests vocal with melody, nature’s ten thousand voices speak His praise. In earth and sea and sky, with their marvelous tint and color, varying in gorgeous contrast or blended in harmony, we behold His glory. The everlasting hills tell of His power. The trees that wave their green banners in the sunlight, and the flowers in their delicate beauty, point to their Creator. The living green that carpets the brown earth tells of God’s care for the humblest of His creatures. The caves of the sea and the depths of the earth reveal His treasures. He who placed the pearls in the ocean and the amethyst and chrysolite among the rocks is a lover of the beautiful. The sun rising in the heavens is a representative of Him who is the life and light of all that He has made. All the brightness and beauty that adorn the earth and light up the heavens speak of God.

“Shall we, then, in the enjoyment of His gifts, forget the Giver? Let them rather lead us to contemplate His goodness and His love. Let all that is beautiful in our earthly home remind us of the crystal river and green fields, the waving trees and living fountains, the shining city and the white-robed singers, of our heavenly home—that world of beauty which no artist can picture, no mortal tongue describe. ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.’ 1 Corinthians 2:9.” Child Guidance, 53, 54

“ ‘I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.’ John 17:23. It seems almost too good to believe that the Father can and does love any member of the human family as He loves His Son. But we have the assurance that He does, and this assurance should bring joy to every heart, awakening the highest reverence, and calling forth unspeakable gratitude. God’s love is not uncertain and unreal, but a living reality.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 18, 332

“All that is good and lovely and beautiful in this world speaks to [us] of the love of our heavenly Father. The character of God [we] may discern in His created works.”
Child Guidance, 54

If You Can Believe

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“Then one of the crowd answered and said, ‘Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.’

“He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him [the child] to Me.’ Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

“So He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ ” Mark 9:17–24

“Every human being can come to Christ. ‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.’ Titus 3:5. Do you feel that because you are a sinner you cannot hope to receive blessing from God? Remember that Christ came into the world to save sinners. We have nothing to recommend us to God; the plea that we may urge now and ever is our utterly helpless condition, which makes His redeeming power a necessity. Renouncing all self-dependence, we may look to the cross of Calvary and say:

‘In my hand no price I bring;

‘Simply to Thy cross I cling.’

“ ‘If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.’ Mark 9:23. It is faith that connects us with heaven and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every evil trait and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is still the same mighty Redeemer. Then grasp His promises as leaves from the tree of life: ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.’ John 6:37. As you come to Him, believe that He accepts you, because He has promised. You can never perish while you do this—never.” The Ministry of Healing, 65, 66

Lord, we cling to you. Help our unbelief.

Clouds

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Have you ever spent a warm, sunny day laying in the grass, looking up at the sky and the clouds? Have you ever seen a cloud shaped like a dog or a bear or an angel? Have you really given much thought to clouds?

Earlier this year, I told the children’s story during church one Sabbath morning. I made my own cloud—a cumulonimbus storm cloud. I used a bubble umbrella for the base, and then added webbing, a layer of batting, and a layer of polyester fiber fill. I sprayed the fiber fill with dark and light gray paint and completed it all with tiny flashing lights throughout the fiber fill to represent lightning. Blue beads hung from inside the umbrella by fishing line represented raindrops. And I made a flash of lightning from bright yellow cardstock to finish it off. Our sound techs played the sound of thunder and falling rain overhead as I jogged to the front of the church. I am told it was quite a spectacle.

I spent a few minutes naming some of the different, most common types of clouds, and that led into the real subject of my presentation.

The Bible talks about clouds. Here are a few examples.

After the flood, God said, “I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.” Genesis 9:13

After God’s fiery display on Mt. Carmel, Elijah prayed for rain. “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea! … the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.” 1 Kings 18:44, first part, 45, first part

Lucifer wanted to be as exalted as Jesus. He said in his heart, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.” Isaiah 14:14

The Lord led the children of Israel through the desert with pillars of cloud and fire. “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way … .” Exodus 13:21, first part

After His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus returned to heaven. “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.” Acts 1:9

But there is a magnificent event that is soon—very soon—to come that involves clouds.

“Behold, He [Jesus] is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him … .” Revelation 1:7, first part

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.” Mark 13:26

“Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them [the resurrected] in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air … .” 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Yes, friends, Jesus is coming soon. And it will be with a shout, the blast of the heavenly trumpet, clouds and fire, majesty and glory and all the host of heaven. Jesus is coming to take His people home at last.

“I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13, 14

Lord, we long to see You coming in the clouds of glory. Make us ready to meet You.

Where is God?

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Year            Disaster                                              Region                   Casualties

1346-1353  Black plague pandemic                         Europe                      75,000,000-200,000,000

1900             Galveston hurricane                              United States           8,000+

1906             San Francisco earthquake and fire      United States           3,000+

1908             Messina earthquake                             Italy                           123,000

1911             Heat wave                                              France                       41,000

1912             Titanic sinking                                       Atlantic Ocean        1,700

1918-1920  Spanish flu                                             Global                       50,000,000-100,000,000

1922             Shantou typhoon                                   China                        50,000-100,000

1931             Flooding (July-November)                   China                        432,000-4,000,000

1941-1945  The Holocaust                                        Europe                      6,000,000+

1959-1961  Famine                                                    China                        11,000,000-40,000,000

1991             Hurricane                                               Bangladesh              139,000

2001             September 11 terrorist attack               United States           3,000+

2004             Earthquake and tsunami                      Indonesia                 228,000

2010             Earthquake                                            Haiti                          100, 000-316,000

2019-2023            Covid-19 pandemic                             Global                    29,000,000

Sources: wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll; wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_Francisco_earthquake; Britannica.com/event/Galveston-hurricane-of-1900; history.com/21st-century/9-11-attacks#how-many-people-died-in-the-9-11-attacks; worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/starvation-deaths-by-country

Where is the God who calmed the sea and stopped the storm? Where is the God who healed the sick and raised the dead? Where is the God who fed 5,000 and more with five loaves of bread and two fishes? Where is the God who opened the Red Sea, providing safe passage for His people, yet utter destruction of the Egyptian army? Where is the God who caused water to flow from a rock in the middle of the desert?

The world asks these questions and many more. How could a God of love and mercy allow such horrible, unspeakable things to happen?

“It is sin that darkens our minds and dims our perceptions.” Sons and Daughters of God, 339

“It is sin in some form that brings variance and disunion.” The Paulson Collection of Ellen G. White, 146

“It is sin that brings ruin.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 1767

“It is sin that is destroying souls.” Child Guidance, 441

“It is sin that alienates from God.” The Review and Herald, September 27, 1906

“It was sin that crucified the Redeemer of the world.” Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, 157

It is sin that causes death (Romans 6:23).

God allows trial and hardship to perfect character, but He also provides every means to accomplish it. And even if we fall, He is always right there beside us to lift us up, carry us if need be, and to encourage us. God does not abandon those He loves. It is the sinfulness of our nature and the sins we particularly cherish that keep us from Him.

But we can know for certain that there is nothing that God hates more than sin, and nothing He loves more than us. “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” Jeremiah 31:3

He Knew, and Still

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Christ knew that the time had come for Him to depart out of the world, and go to His Father. And having loved His own that were in the world, He loved them unto the end. He was now in the shadow of the cross, and the pain was torturing His heart. He knew that He would be deserted in the hour of His betrayal. He knew that by the most humiliating process to which criminals were subjected He would be put to death. He knew the ingratitude and cruelty of those He had come to save. He knew how great the sacrifice that He must make, and for how many it would be in vain. Knowing all that was before Him, He might naturally have been overwhelmed with the thought of His own humiliation and suffering. But He looked upon the twelve, who had been with Him as His own, and who, after His shame and sorrow and painful usage were over, would be left to struggle in the world. His thoughts of what He Himself must suffer were ever connected with His disciples. He did not think of Himself. His care for them was uppermost in His mind.” The Desire of Ages, 643

  • He knew
  • He would be betrayed
  • He would be deserted
  • He would be humiliated and shamed
  • He would be treated with ingratitude and cruelty
  • He would be rejected
  • The Pharisees and Sadducees were plotting His death
  • The sacrifice He was making would, for some, be in vain
  • He must bear the weight of the grief of ages alone
  • The terrible effects of transgressing God’s law
  • He would be separated from His Father
  • The time had come that Satan’s power over the world should be contested

“The Son of God, heaven’s glorious Commander, was touched with pity for the fallen race. His heart was moved with infinite compassion as the woes of the lost world rose up before Him. But divine love had conceived a plan whereby man might be redeemed. The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe, there was but One who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression. None but Christ could redeem fallen man from the curse of the law, and bring him again into harmony with heaven. Christ would take upon Himself the guilt and shame of sin—sin so offensive to a holy God that it must separate the Father and the Son. Christ would reach to the depths of misery to rescue the ruined race.

“By His death, Christ would ransom many, and would destroy him who had the power of death.” The Signs of the Times, November 4, 1908

Thank You, Jesus. You knew the personal cost and still You died to be our Saviour, rose from the grave to give us hope, and returned to heaven to be our Mediator.

Even Demons Know

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Demons know who Jesus is and believe His word. Can we say the same thing?

“When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying, ‘What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?’ ” Matthew 8:28, 29

“Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

“Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying, ‘Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’

“But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet, and come out of him!’ And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.” Mark 1:21–26

“Satan is the god of the world; his influence is to pervert the senses, control the human mind for evil, and drive his victims to violence and crime. He sows discord and darkens the intellect. The work of Christ is to break his power over the children of men. Yet how many in every department of life, in the home, in business transactions, and in the church, turn Jesus from their doors but let the hateful monster in.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, 317

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19

We are sinful, evil by nature. Alone, we have no desire to put Satan out of our lives. But if we study the word of God and pray for Him to give us the willingness to believe and the power to act upon that belief, then we will come off more than conquerors, with Satan thrown out of our lives as surely as his minions were from those the Bible tells us about.

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to anyone all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.” The Signs of the Times, October 25, 1905

“It is faith that connects us with heaven and brings us strength for coping with the powers of darkness. In Christ, God has provided means for subduing every sinful trait and resisting every temptation, however strong. But many feel that they lack faith, and therefore they remain away from Christ. Let these souls, in their helpless unworthiness, cast themselves upon the mercy of their compassionate Saviour. Look not to self, but to Christ. He who healed the sick and cast out demons when He walked among men is the same mighty Redeemer today. Faith comes by the word of God. Then grasp His promise, ‘Him that cometh to Me I will in nowise cast out.’ Cast yourself at His feet with the cry, ‘Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief.’ ” Ibid., January 20, 1904

Let this be our prayer:

Dear Lord, I come to You with a humbled heart to ask for Your transforming power to change my life.