Day 6/28 – Finding God

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Finding God
Day One Hundred Seventy-nine

“‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks for God. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”‘ Romans 3:10, 11, 18.

Paul opens his epistle to the Romans with a critique of the human race, showing that man, in his rebellion against God, is alienated from his Creator. A universal problem requires a universal solution. In the last eleven verses of Romans 3 Paul presents the solution in the propitious death of Christ. Just before introducing the work of Christ, he notes that four things are true of all those alienated from God: none are righteous, no one understands, none seek God, and none fear God.

Earlier in his letter Paul says that God revealed Himself to the world through His creation and man’s conscience. But in his summary of man’s problem in Romans 3, you note that such revelation is insufficient for a person to find God. During the days of the Reformation the theologians called this “Total Depravity.” By this they did not mean that man is as sinful as possible, but rather than his sin deprives him of his ability to understand his lostness and alienation from God. Whenever you meet a person who begins to understand, fear God, or seek God, you know that it is a gracious work of the Holy Spirit.

You cannot know what you do not know unless God reveals it to you. Scripture is not enough to believe; it never has been and can never be. Unless the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the spiritually blind they cannot see. Never become frustrated with the non-Christian’s inability to understand spiritual truth. Unless God touches him, he will remain spiritually dead.

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Job 11-13 Acts 9:1-21 (New King James Version)

Job 11-13
Zophar Urges Job to Repent
11 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2
“Should not the multitude of words be answered?
And should [a]a man full of talk be vindicated?
3
Should your empty talk make men [b]hold their peace?
And when you mock, should no one rebuke you?
4
For you have said,
‘My doctrine is pure,
And I am clean in your eyes.’
5
But oh, that God would speak,
And open His lips against you,
6
That He would show you the secrets of wisdom!
For they would double your prudence.
Know therefore that God [c]exacts from you
Less than your iniquity deserves.
7
“Can you search out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?
8
They are higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than [d]Sheol—what can you know?
9
Their measure is longer than the earth
And broader than the sea.
10
“If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment,
Then who can [e]hinder Him?
11
For He knows deceitful men;
He sees wickedness also.
Will He not then consider it?
12
For an empty-headed man will be wise,
When a wild donkey’s colt is born a man.
13
“If you would prepare your heart,
And stretch out your hands toward Him;
14
If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away,
And would not let wickedness dwell in your tents;
15
Then surely you could lift up your face without spot;
Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear;
16
Because you would forget your misery,
And remember it as waters that have passed away,
17
And your life would be brighter than noonday.
Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
18
And you would be secure, because there is hope;
Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.
19
You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;
Yes, many would court your favor.
20
But the eyes of the wicked will fail,
And they shall not escape,
And their hope—[f]loss of life!”
Job Answers His Critics
12 Then Job answered and said:
2
“No doubt you are the people,
And wisdom will die with you!
3
But I have [g]understanding as well as you;
I am not inferior to you.
Indeed, who does not know such things as these?
4
“I am one mocked by his friends,
Who called on God, and He answered him,
The just and blameless who is ridiculed.
5
A [h]lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease;
It is made ready for those whose feet slip.
6
The tents of robbers prosper,
And those who provoke God are secure—
In what God provides by His hand.
7
“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
And the birds of the air, and they will tell you;
8
Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you;
And the fish of the sea will explain to you.
9
Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this,
10
In whose hand is the [i]life of every living thing,
And the breath of [j]all mankind?
11
Does not the ear test words
And the [k]mouth taste its food?
12
Wisdom is with aged men,
And with [l]length of days, understanding.
13
“With Him are wisdom and strength,
He has counsel and understanding.
14
If He breaks a thing down, it cannot be rebuilt;
If He imprisons a man, there can be no release.
15
If He withholds the waters, they dry up;
If He sends them out, they overwhelm the earth.
16
With Him are strength and prudence.
The deceived and the deceiver are His.
17
He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges.
18
He loosens the bonds of kings,
And binds their waist with a belt.
19
He leads [m]princes away plundered,
And overthrows the mighty.
20
He deprives the trusted ones of speech,
And takes away the discernment of the elders.
21
He pours contempt on princes,
And [n]disarms the mighty.
22
He uncovers deep things out of darkness,
And brings the shadow of death to light.
23
He makes nations great, and destroys them;
He [o]enlarges nations, and guides them.
24
He takes away the [p]understanding of the chiefs of the people of the earth,
And makes them wander in a pathless wilderness.
25
They grope in the dark without light,
And He makes them stagger like a drunken man.
Job Defends Himself
13
“Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2
What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3
But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
4
But you forgers of lies,
You are all worthless physicians.
5
Oh, that you would be silent,
And it would be your wisdom!
6
Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
7
Will you speak [q]wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
8
Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9
Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
10
He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show partiality.
11
Will not His [r]excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12
Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13
“Hold[s] your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
14
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
16
He also shall be my salvation,
For a hypocrite could not come before Him.
17
Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
18
See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be vindicated.
19
Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20
“Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide myself from You:
21
Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You make me afraid.
22
Then call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me.
23
How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24
Why do You hide Your face,
And regard me as Your enemy?
25
Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue dry stubble?
26
For You write bitter things against me,
And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27
You put my feet in the stocks,
And watch closely all my paths.
You [t]set a limit for the [u]soles of my feet.
28
“Man[v] decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Footnotes:
• Job 11:2 Lit. a man of lips
• Job 11:3 be silent
• Job 11:6 Lit. forgets some of your iniquity for you
• Job 11:8 The abode of the dead
• Job 11:10 restrain
• Job 11:20 Lit. the breathing out of life
• Job 12:3 Lit. a heart
• Job 12:5 Or disaster
• Job 12:10 Or soul
• Job 12:10 Lit. all flesh of men
• Job 12:11 palate
• Job 12:12 Long life
• Job 12:19 Lit. priests, but not in a technical sense
• Job 12:21 loosens the belt of
• Job 12:23 Lit. spreads out
• Job 12:24 Lit. heart
• Job 13:7 unrighteously
• Job 13:11 Lit. exaltation
• Job 13:13 Be silent
• Job 13:27 Lit. inscribe a print
• Job 13:27 Lit. roots
• Job 13:28 Lit. He

Acts 9:1-21
The Damascus Road: Saul Converted
9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Ananias Baptizes Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much [b]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children[c] of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord [d]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Saul Preaches Christ
20 Immediately he preached [e]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
Footnotes:
• Acts 9:5 NU, M omit the rest of v. 5 and begin v. 6 with But arise and go
• Acts 9:13 bad things
• Acts 9:15 Lit. sons
• Acts 9:17 M omits Jesus
• Acts 9:20 NU Jesus