New American Standard Bible (©1995)

"The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

In this passage the Lord is speaking through the prophet Zephaniah about an unrepentant Israel that He intends to restore. There is an unusual line in this passage that begs to be understood on a deeper level. The line is “quiet in His love.” The word “quiet” comes from the Hebrew word ya•cha•rish. Ya•cha•rish means to be silent, speechless and deaf. This does not mean that was not going to speak to them. In fact in the same sentence he says that “he will rejoice over his people with shouts of joy.” What “quiet in His love” means is that the Lord with be content and comfortable in His love for his people. This kind of satisfaction and ease in relationships is what I call “quiet love.”

I think back to the time when my husband and I were first married. I remember going to a restaurant with him and viewing an older couple who were enjoying their meal together in silence. I remember thinking at the time that I hoped that would never happen to us because I wanted us to always have things to talk about. Now that we have been married for over six years I am starting to understand “quiet love”.  “Quiet love” is a result of individuals knowing one another so well that they are very comfortable and satisfied in their relationship. For example it’s when one knows what the other is thinking without asking, its doing something for the other without being asked, it is having no complaints and it is having said all that needs to be said.

“Quiet love” is what God wants with his people. He wants us to be so close that we “know” each other. He wants to be satisfied in his relationship with us and us with him. Take the time to get to “know” God and let him into the deepest parts of your heart. When you do this over time you too will experience a “quiet love” with Him.

Genevieve Gardner

Starving Students will be at the park on:

Saturday, November 8th at 2:00 PM

Event Speaker

Genevieve Gardner

Discipleship A disciple is not above his teacher (Matt. 10:24; Luke 6:40); it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher (Matt. 10:25); the Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught (Isa. 50:4); if you remain in my word you are truly my disciples (John 8:31); make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19); whoever does not hate his father and mother cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26); whoever does not take up his cross cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:27); whoever does not give up all he has cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:33); by this all men will know that you are my disciples (John 13:35); here are my mother and my brothers (Matt. 12:49).

• Discipleship - The process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ, with all the spiritual discipline and benefits which this brings.

• Nature of discipleship -The state of following Jesus Christ, and serving and obeying him. The NT stresses the privileges, joys and cost of this calling.
  • Discipleship involves learning
    • Learning from God Jn 6:45
    • Learning from Jesus Christ Mt 11:29
    • Learning from the Holy Spirit Jn 14:26
    • Learning from other people Php 4:9
    • Learning to do what is good Tit 3:14
  • The requirements of discipleship
    • Following Jesus Christ Mt 10:38
    • Serving Jesus Christ Col 3:24
    • Obeying Jesus Christ Jn 8:31
    • Responding immediately to Jesus Christ’s commands Mt 8:21-22
    • Living for Jesus Christ and not for oneself 2Co 5:15
    • Loving others Jn 13:12-17
    • Total commitment is required of Jesus Christ’s disciples Mt 10:37-39
    • Become Christlike Eph 4:22-24
    • A call to holiness; 2Pe 1:5-7; 1Jn 3:2-3

• Cost of discipleship -The denial of self-interests and desires, and a total commitment to do the will of God, even to the point of death.
  • The cost of discipleship involves a denial of self-interests and desires
    • The cost involves self-denial Mt 16:24 pp Mk 8:34 pp Lk 9:23
    • Self-denial means not living for oneself Ro 14:7
    • The cost of discipleship is to be carefully considered Lk 14:28-32
  • The cost of discipleship means total commitment to the will of God
    • Total surrender is required Lk 14:33
    • The security of the world is to be resisted Mt 8:19-20
    • Jesus Christ must have first priority Lk 9:59-60 pp Mt 8:21-22
    • Jesus Christ must come before family ties Lk 9:61-62 S
    • The cost of discipleship is constant Lk 9:23
    • The cost of discipleship includes persecution Jn 15:20
    • The cost of discipleship includes willingness to suffer and die for Jesus Christ’s sake Mt 10:38-39
  • The benefits of discipleship - Joy, peace and happiness result from following Jesus Christ, together with the hope of being like him and with him in heaven. This is anticipated in the OT, which stresses the importance of obedience to the LORD.
• Blessings result from obedient discipleship Lk 11:28Joy results from discipleship Jn 15:10-11
• Peace results from discipleship Jn 14:27
• True happiness results from discipleship
• Happiness flows from doing God’s will Ps 1:1; 119:1-2
• Disciples are truly happy Mt 5:3-12 pp Lk 6:20-23
• Disciples are abundantly recompensed in this life Mk 10:29-30 pp Mt 19:29 pp Lk 18:29-30
• Disciples are blessed by being united with Jesus Christ in the family of God Mt 12:46-50 pp Mk 3:31-35 pp Lk 8:19-21
• Disciples will be blessed with eternal life Mt 19:29 pp Mk 10:30 pp Lk 18:30
• Disciples have the hope of being like Jesus Christ and being with him in heaven 1Jn 3:2

1. Do your best to take your online classroom environment seriously. Create an area in your home where to can have quiet when you attend classes. Also clean, organize and spruce up your home classroom space so that you feel comfortable in your classroom space.
2. Don't be shy during class. It is easy to stay quiet during class since you are not in a real classroom. In order for you to get the most from your education you need to participate in discussions and ask questions. Don't be afraid to speak up. Remember you are a valuable part of the class.
3. Time is money and it is also your education. You need to make an effort to manage your time so that you are in class as much as possible. Sometime valuable information can be gained from classroom discussions and interactions. This is your education so don't miss out on it!

Jesus spoke of himself as the living water when he spoke to the woman at the well. The woman at the well was a worldly individual who had been married several times and was living with a man who was not her husband. When she encountered Jesus she had no idea that she would find the one thing that would satisfy her for the rest of her life. She would never again need to fill herself with sin and she could experience joy and completion like never before.

John 4:7-15 New International Version

⁷ When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, Will you give me a drink? ⁸ (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

⁹ The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink? (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

¹⁰ Jesus answered her, If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.

¹¹ Sir, the woman said, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? ¹² Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?

¹³ Jesus answered, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.

¹⁵ The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.

This is the way the world is. They are thirsty for life and there is so little of it. So they drink up the cheap imitation of life to quench their thirst. They may feel satisfied for a little while but they will always need to consume more and more. Of course as we know it can only bring more death and more craving for life.

This reminds me of some information that I heard about being lost as sea. If you are lost at sea there is no spring water to drink. There is water all around you but you can not drink the ocean water. Why can't you drink the ocean water? The ocean water has salt in it and all it will do is dehydrate you and make you thirstier.

This is the same as the cycle of sin. It will make you thirstier for living water. So we must resist the temptations of this world and instead choose everlasting life or the living water that God gives us. There is no other way to experience life but through Jesus Christ who sustains us.

Leonard Ravenhill

Born in Leeds, in Yorkshire, England, Ravenhill was educated at Cliff College in England and sat under the ministry of Samuel Chadwick. He was a student of church history, with a particular interest in Christian revival. His evangelistic meetings during the Second World War drew large crowds. Many converts devoted themselves to Christian ministry and foreign missions.

In 1939, he married an Irish nurse, Martha. The Ravenhills had three sons: Paul, David, and Philip. Paul and David are Christian ministers, and Philip is a teacher.

In 1950, Ravenhill and his family moved from Great Britain to the United States. In the 1960s they traveled within the United States, holding tent revivals and evangelistic meetings.

In the 1980s, Ravenhill moved to a home near Lindale, Texas, a short distance from Last Days Ministries Ranch. He regularly taught classes at LDM and was a mentor to the late Keith Green. He also spent some time teaching at Bethany College of Missions in Minnesota, and some time in Seguin, Texas.

Among others influenced by Ravenhill were Ray Comfort, Ravi Zacharias, Tommy Tenney, Steve Hill, Charles Stanley, Bill Gothard, Paul Washer, and David Wilkerson. He was a close friend of pastor and writer A. W. Tozer.

Through his teaching and books, Ravenhill addressed the disparities he perceived between the New Testament Church and the Church in his time and called for adherence to the principles of biblical revival.

Tozer said of Ravenhill:

"To such men as this, the church owes a debt too heavy to pay. The curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives. Rather, the next generation builds his sepulchre and writes his biography – as if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an obligation the previous generation to a large extent ignored."

What is a family meeting?

Family meeting are a time to talk as a family, communicate any issues that the family is having, to create comfortable, respectful environment and to create bonding within the family.

• Meeting should be kept to around 30 minutes
• No fighting or arguing
• Speak respectfully to one another
• Listen to one another
• Everyone should have an attitude of being problem solvers not problem creators

You call a meeting at the same time and day every time then that way your family members will know not to schedule anything at that time. In our family we think Sunday evenings works the best. Before you have a meeting come up with an agenda or a list of things to talk about. These are things that you feel that your family needs to discuss such a positive communication or the family budget. You can also talk about things that other members have suggested such as choir assignments of family game night. I like to ask the day before we have a meeting if anyone would like to add anything to the agenda.

When you start your first meeting do not be alarmed if things a little disorganized at first. Just gently reinforce the rules and eventually everyone will get used to it. We like to start with a family prayer so that everyone is in the right mood. Then we go down our agenda list and talk about issues and vote. Also try to mix some fun into it. Try adding a short game that all can participate in. There are lots of different ideas on the internet for small group games or meeting icebreakers.  A favorite game of ours is the I Would Be game. Example: First person "If I were a dog I would be a greyhound" next person "If I were a dog I would be a German shepherd." You can afterwards ask why they would pick that. You can can have one person make the theme suggestion or you can make it yourself. This is a great way to get to know each other. You can also add some things into the meeting that will create positive feelings about one another. Example: Give one compliment to the person to the right of you.

I believe that you will find that family meetings will pay out big time in organizing your home and building bonds that will last a long time. If you have any ideas please share them. Just add a comment to this article.

Employment Opportunity: Youth Pastor/Education Coordinator

Black Mountain Baptist Church in Cave Creek Arizona seeks an energetic and Biblically sound Youth Pastor/Education Coordinator. This Pastor will lead the Youth Ministries and coordinate the Children&rsquos and Young Adult Education Ministries of the church. This is a full-time ministry position with a growing Southern Baptist Church. Please review our full ministry statement and background at http://www.bmbcaz.com/YouthPastor.htm, and, if interested, submit resume and letter of interest to bmbcsearch@gmail.com.

Black Mountain Baptist Church

Youth Pastor/Education Coordinator Ministry Statement

1. General Expectations

a. He shall strive for excellence in individual conduct and witness by maintaining a close walk with the Lord through personal Bible study and prayer.

b. He shall strive for excellence in leading his household by demonstrating loving faithfulness towards his wife, maintaining family worship, and managing his children well.

c. He shall strive for excellence in theological perspective by teaching and unapologetically subscribing to the Baptist Faith and Mission.

d. He shall strive for excellence in ministry by faithfully supporting the church through prayer, participation, and giving and practicing an evangelic and discipleship model of ministry rather than an entertainment based model.

2. General Responsibilities

a. He shall personally lead and grow the Youth Ministry of the church. This shall include youth in grades 7-12 for Sunday school Sunday evening worship monthly activities service opportunities small group bible study retreats annual camp and other ministries and activities. He shall recruit, train, and oversee adult sponsors to support him in this ministry.

b. He shall oversee the Children Education Ministries by providing appropriate assistance, council, and direction to all appointed and volunteer leaders with whom he works. This includes the Awana Commander, Sunday School Superintendent, Children&rsquos Church Director, Children&rsquos Camp Coordinator, and VBS Director.

c. He shall oversee the college and career ministries by providing appropriate assistance, council and direction to the College and Career Leaders. This is a relatively new ministry effort for the church. Direction and ministry development will be needed to establish a consistent ministry to young adults.

d. He shall oversee the Adult Small Group Ministry by providing appropriate assistance, council and direction to the Small Group Coordinator and Small Group Facilitators.

e. He shall fill in for the responsibilities of the Senior Pastor approximately 4 weeks per year including preaching the Word during the Sunday worship services .

f. He shall carry out other responsibilities as directed by the Senior Pastor.

3. Commitment

a. He shall make a commitment to be with the church a minimum of 4 years.

b. Work schedule is by necessity flexible to include evenings and weekend meetings. A normal schedule will be established with the Senior Pastor.

c. He shall be available to youth of the church as a mentor and counselor, interested in them and their activities, active in their schools, and challenging them to spiritual maturity and growth.

4. Qualifications

a. Completed coursework in both the Old and New Testament is required.

b. Preference will be given to candidates that have completed a Bachelors Degree in a related field.

c. Some youth leadership experience and a demonstrated heart for, and dedication to, youth ministry is required.

d. Candidate&rsquos qualifications will be evaluated based on the entirety of their education and ministry experience.

5. Compensation

a. Annual salary in the $40&rsquos based on education and experience.

b. Part of the salary can be taken as a housing allowance.

c. Paid vacations and cell phone are also provided

d. Conference, course or seminar training is to be coordinated with the Senior Pastor.

e. Relocation cost will be considered based on the distance of the initial relocation.

6. Accountability

a. He shall be accountable to the Senior Pastor, meeting weekly to discuss needs and co-ordinate upcoming ministry opportunities

b. He shall be accountable to the Personnel Committee, providing an annual self evaluation in June of each year.

c. He shall be accountable to the Finance Committee, assisting in the development and sound management of an annual budget and expenses for each ministries for which he is responsible

d. He shall be accountable to the parents and youth, meeting with them regularly to discuss plans and solicit feedback.

Additional Church Information

1. Black Mountain Baptist Church is a growing Southern Baptist Church, just north of Phoenix in Cave Creek Arizona.

2. Our worship style blends contemporary and traditional worship in a single Sunday morning service with attendance between 170 and 200. We also have a Spanish Ministry which meets concurrently.

3. Our Youth Ministry currently has approximately 20 youth and 4 adult sponsors.

4. Our Awana Ministrymeets on Wednesday evenings and attracts 50 children from the surrounding communities to learn and study the Word of God.

5. Through our Creation Science Ministry, we teach that all creation was accomplished in six consecutive literal days and the earth is relatively young.

6. Our congregation is diverse in age, income, culture, and religious background.

We have had some students who are still a little confused about the Skype program. If you would like to schedule one on one time with me please contact me and we will schedule an appointment either in the office or online. We want all of our students to feel comfortable in class.

God Bless,

Genevieve Gardner

Please do keep in mind that you will need to withdrawal from classes within the first two weeks of the begining of the semester. You need to notify us by email if you would like to withdrawal. We will then send you a from to fill out to send back to us.

Also we have a new form for students to fill out who are going to be absent from class found on our current student page. You may fill it out ahead of time. Please fill it out in a timely matter so that we can be aware of your situation. If you have not filled out the form then contact your Professor through email or Skype to let them know that you will be absent from class. If you are going to be late for class and know ahead of time then call us at 520 303.7261 or Skype your professor.

If you have any questions about Arizona Theological Seminary you may call us at 520 303.7261 or email us at info@azbiblecollege.com. If you have any questions about your coursework then please contact your professor through Skype.

I am sure that this will be a very great experience for us all. God bless and keep up the good work!

Our new office is located at:

1402 N. Alvernon Way Ste. S4
Tucson, Arizona 85712 

(Click here for map).

If you need to make an appointment please call us at 520.303.7261

By Christ choosing an existence of humility, we can see that he was indeed able to do for man what man could not do for himself. - redeem mankind. Our redeemer kept this humility all through the recording of his life on earth. He spoke of the meek who will inherit the earth, he washed the disciple’s feet and said that if you want to be the greatest, you must be the servant and he even allowed John the Baptist to baptize him. He became a ruler and master to no one expect those who would follow him. When he spoke, he spoke as one who had authority but he did not seek to rule over all as an authoritarian. He was indeed patient and vigilant in his humility. It was not until his work was done was he able to be glorified in heaven.

Apostle Paul likewise was also humble. “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.  Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” - Ephesians 3:7-8

He said in this scripture “although I am less than the least”, he is saying the he does indeed view himself to be the lowest of the low. He knew in his heart that it was only through mercy that he is even allowed to preach the Good News. This was a man who knew his place and was not ashamed to say so. This was a man who spoke of humility and also lived a humble life. However, when Paul was yet Saul, he was a Pharisee. As a Rabbi he soaked in all the admiration and riches that came with his position. However, when Paul was called into Christian ministry he lived a very different life. After his soul changing transformation he became the scorn of Jews, Gentiles and even his fellow Christians. He was the scorn of Jews because of his present spiritual condition and the scorn of the Gentiles for being a Jew and at the time of his conversion, a scorn of Christians because of his persecution of them. He was a man with few friends in the beginning. Latter in life Christians began to trust him but no longer did he posses a fancy title or eat the finest foods. He was often on the run for his life and ate whatever the Lord provided him with. He also had been imprisoned and beaten many times for the sake of the Gospel. Even though the condition of his life seemed a poor one, he was content. He was content because he knew where his true riches lie.

Many Christians have taken upon themselves to gather riches, glory and power while on this earth. That is not to say that these things cannot be obtained, but that you should not seek after them. You should indeed seek a life of humility and allow God, if he so chooses, to add it unto you. Humility according to Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language is: the state or quality of being humble; freedom from pride and arrogance; lowliness of mind; a modest estimate of one's own worth; a sense of one's own unworthiness through imperfection and sinfulness; self-abasement; humbleness. We can see by this definition that a humble person is free from pride an arrogance.

We can therefore conclude that pride is the opposite of humility. So let us look at the definition of pride so that we can better understand the difference between that and humility. Noah Webster's New International Dictionary of the English Language defines pride as the quality or state of being proud; inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, rank, etc., which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others. The greatest example of pride is in our accuser, Satan. Satan was originally called Lucifer in heaven and he was an angel. Lucifer who had the task of worshiping God had become prideful in his position. We read in Isaiah 14:13 – 14 “You said in your heart, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” Lucifer had indeed become prideful because he desired and felt that he deserved to raise his thrown above God’s. Talk about not knowing your place. We should not indulge in becoming gods on this earth. We should seek to lower ourselves while we are in our human state just as Christ did. The biggest mistake that Lucifer and the fallen angels made was to forget their place and attempt to become God themselves.

If pride is the enemy of humility then one of the first things that we must address in our own hearts and purge the feeling of pride and superiority on a continual basis. Pride can be as a lion that sneaks up on its prey so when ever we feel it whelming up it must be dealt with straight away. The second thing we must do to remove pride is to seek only to serve God and his agenda. Christ said in the Garden of Gasemity before he was crucified “let they will be done”. This statement meant that Christ was choosing Gods agenda for his life.  So when we are busy making plans and starting projects ask yourself who is getting the glory. Are you doing it for your glory or for God? The last part of our humility building is to serve your fellow man and God with no expectations of glory or accolades. You must fill what ever need that God has you to fill in someone’s life simply out of servitude. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. The greatest shall be the servant and the meek will inherent the earth.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our Tucson Theological Seminary family to yours,

May this Thanksgiving be filled with the Lord's blessing and his overwhelming joy. We also pray a special blessing of protection as people travel across this great country to see their family and loved ones. We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving Day!

God Bless,

Genevieve Gardner

Scripture verse

Colossians 2:6-7 (New International Version, ©2010) Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Thanksgiving Video

True Thanksgiving (Dear America)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTfvMBBtCBQ&feature=related

History

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.

Traditions

Traditions are a big part of the Thanksgiving holiday, and every American family has their own way of celebrating. From stuffing the turkey to taking in a football game, here are the five most popular.

1. Turkey Trimmings

From the first Thanksgiving to today's turkey burgers, turkeys are an American tradition dating back centuries. According to the National Turkey Federation, 95 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. Regional twists offer variations on the traditional roasted bird, including coffee rubbed turkey from Hawaii, salt encrusted turkey from New England, and deep fried turkey from the South.

2. Time Out for the Pigskin

Throughout the United States, football on Thanksgiving Day is as big a part of the celebration as turkey and pumpkin pie. Dating back to the first intercollegiate football championship held on Thanksgiving Day in 1876, traditional holiday football rivalries have become so popular that a reporter once called Thanksgiving "a holiday granted by the State and the Nation to see a game of football."

3. Parading Around

The first American Thanksgiving Day parade was held in 1920, organized by Gimbel's Department Store in Philadelphia, not Macy's as most people believe. The NYC Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade tradition actually began in 1924, and has grown into an annual event of balloons, bands, and floats, enjoyed by more than 46 million people each year in person and on TV.

4. Making a Wish

Does your family fight over the wishbone from the Thanksgiving turkey? Known as a "lucky break" the tradition of tugging on either end of a fowl's bone to win the larger piece and its accompanying "wish" dates back to the Etruscans of 322 B.C. The Romans brought the tradition with them when they conquered England and the English colonists carried the tradition on to America.

5. Giving Thanks

Last, but certainly not least, Thanksgiving is about giving thanks for the people and blessings of the past year. From pre-meal prayers to providing holiday meals to the homeless, the holiday is truly a celebration of praise and thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Quotes

"Giving thanks to God for both His temporal and spiritual blessings in our lives
is not just a nice thing to do - it is the moral will of God.
Failure to give Him the thanks due Him is sin."
[Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins]

"O Lord, who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness."
[Shakespeare]

"He who remembers the benefits of his parents is too much occupied with his recollections to remember their faults."
[Béranger]

 "We never approach God without cause for gratitude.
Thankfulness, a duty and delight greatly prominent in the Bible, is the declarative mood of gratitude - a bright fire in the world's frigid zone,
 the memory and homage of the heart, a master force in soul-building, the greatest tonic faith has. Be ye thankful."
[Robert G. Lee]

"I hate ingratitude more in man than lying, vainness, drunkenness or any taint of vice, whose strong corruption inhibits our frail blood."
[Shakespeare]

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man,
for he never thinks he gets much as he deserves."
[Henry Ward Beecher]

"Gratitude is born in hearts that take time to count past mercies."
[Charles E. Jefferson]

"That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works."
[Psalm 26:7]

"Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road."
[John Henry Jowett]

"To hear someone say 'Happy Turkey Day' makes me sad because they have nothing to be thankful for and no one to whom to be thankful."
[Robert Flatt]

"Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now."
[A. W. Tozer]

"We would worry less if we praised more. Thanksgiving is the enemy of discontent and dissatisfaction."  
[Harry A. Ironside]

"The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.
No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving."
[H. U. Westermayer]

"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give,
and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
[Dietrich Bonhoeffer]

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."
[William Arthur Ward]

"You say, 'If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.' You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have,
you would not be satisfied if it were doubled."
[Charles Haddon Spurgeon]

"Our rural ancestors, with little blest, patient of labor when the end was rest, indulged the day that housed their annual grain, with feasts, and off'rings, and a thankful strain."  [Alexander Pope]

"Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude!" [Henry Ward Beecher]
“A thanksgiving-day hath a double precedency of a fast-day.
On a fast-day we eye God’s anger; on a thanksgiving-day we look to God’s favor.
In the former we specially mind our corruptions; in the latter, God’s compassions;
therefore a fast-day calls for sorrow, a thanksgiving-day for joy.
But the Lord’s day is the highest thanksgiving day.”
[George Swinnock ]

 The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps constant communion with Him will see many reason for rejoicing and thanksgiving all day long."
[Warren Wiersbe]

"No longer forward nor behind
I look in hope or fear;
But, grateful, take the good I find,
The best of now and here."
[John Greenleaf Whittier]

In the Bible there have been situations that reflect that God does goes silent at times. None is more perfect than in the story of Job. Job was a man who had a loving relationship with God and pleased God and was greatly blessed as a leader of the land. However, Satan challenges God by stating that Job only loves God because God has blessed Job. So in God’s faith in Job’s love for Him, God removes his covering from Job and allows Satan to test Job’s character and love for God. Job loses, in one day, his oxen, donkeys, and his servants to Sabean raiders, then his sheep and servants to "fire from God from heaven". Next, he loses his camels and servants to Chaldean raiders. And finally, his sons and daughters are killed in a wind storm. Wow! Job does not falter and continues in a loving relationship with God. After all that, a disgruntled Satan further afflicts Job’s body with a vile disease which causes Job’s weaker wife to lose her faith. AND, to top it off, Job’s friends accuse him of being a sinner who is being punished for his evils. All the while, Job is left to deal with his suffering and torment all alone...God is silent. Job began his suffering with nobility but began to falter near the end just before God broke His silence.

In the story of Job, we discovered that there was a much larger event at work than Job knew of. His view of his situation was a much smaller perspective – more earthly bound. It was difficult for him to understand what was happening on a larger, more heavenly scale. In Ecclesiastes 11:5 we read: “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” So we can understand from this passage that God’s perspective on things is not the same as ours. We also can understand from reading about Job’s conversation that God knows what he is doing and that he has things under control. In Job 38:1 - 7 we read: “Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone — while the morning stars sang together and all the angelsshouted for joy?”  He explains to Job through the asking of questions that Job could not know about all that God knows and does. Later in verse 39, God asks Job another question about the unknowable designs of his creation. In Job 39:26-29 God asks Job “Does the hawk take flight by your wisdom and spread its wings toward the south? Does the eagle soar at your command and build its nest on high It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold. From there it looks for food; its eyes detect it from afar.” In this passage we can see that God is stating that He created the animals with a purpose and designed them in such a way that was necessary for their survival. He essentially is saying “Trust me. I am smart, I know what I am doing and I understand the big picture.” (To this day, Job’s plight is eternally recorded in Holy Scripture in honor of Job and his suffering and to the shame of Satan.)

Finally, God is preparing a solution to Job’s situation. God did not abandon Job to his sorrow. He had a plan for him and that was for Job’s restoration. We learn that God has a plan to mightily bless Job with more then what he lost. In Job 42:10 – 13 we read “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. And he also had seven sons and three daughters.” So we can see that God is sovereign after all and he did take care of Job as he was planning to do all along.

How can Christians apply the story of Job to our understanding about the silence of God? First we needed understand that God has a larger perspective on our lives than we do. God is in heaven and He sees and knows many things that we Christians do not. We also must understand that God is in control of everything and that He allows everything to happen for a purpose…He is sovereign. Lastly, we must trust that God is a good God and that he has good things planned for those who are His children. We learned that trust is the most important part of the story of Job. In Job 42:1-6, we see that Job responds to God after questions that he could not answer, “Then Job replied to the LORD:  “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” In this passage Job realizes the sovereign nature of God and he relents to His knowledge and understanding. He repents of his questioning God and His plan for his life. So then, when God is silent, we need to be reminded of the story of Job. Job did not curse God in his circumstances but he kept talking to God even if he did not get an answer back. He learned to trust in Gods sovereignty and God’s goodness for him. Silence is not always a rejection from God but in fact, may be a nod of confidence from God. So my fellow Christians just keep praying, seeking, learning and trusting that God has it all in hand.

Genevieve Gardner

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