Dear Fellow Trekker,

The older I get (I log #71 on August 1) the more convinced I am that the value of life is measured by the memory of heart throbbing moments, not the relentless accumulation of birthdays and years. We delight in and remember special moments; we can’t or scarcely even remember days. Matter-of-fact, age is actually quite an earthly reference if you plan on living forever.

One such set of memories over recent years has been our annual trek back to While Sulphur Springs, PA to speak at the east coast retreat property of the Officer’s Christian Fellowship. My, some incredible, heart-throbbing moments of blessing have been poured out upon us at WSS. And each year, late in the fall, I am challenged to state what my topic will be for the coming year, about nine months before I actually speak. Last year was no different. So, about the time you receive this newsletter, Barbara and I will have arrived in PA, and we will be trekking through the life of the ancient figure named Job. You know one does not primarily prepare for a week’s speaking engagement, he or she is prepared. There is a difference. So I can say with much realism and a virtual sense of humor, “God the Holy Spirit has done a ‘job’ on me as I have traversed through the story of Job.”

Our family has gone through some unexpected, distressful times in recent years. If one lives long enough, heartache and heart break will be par for the course for all of us. If you don’t think that statement is true, you haven’t lived those heart-throbbing, disappointing, earth-shattering moments. But you may. Life is a challenge. For Job and for us, life is what happens after we’ve made other plans. Often we say, “Life isn’t fair.” No, it isn’t, thank God, or none of us would plan on living forever. God’s grace creates, forgives, restores, maintains, and sets apart for Himself our “forever relationship” with Him. Pray especially for us from Friday, 29 July through Thursday, 4 August as we “Find God and Ourselves in the Life of Job.” Thanks! With all you praying, it will be an exciting week.

As you can imagine, I have poured through Job, pondered its meaning, and sought to allow vicariously the story of Job to read me. I have journaled, meditated and prayed. I have been immersed by the Holy Spirit. So, even with the letter projects piling up for these MEN newsletter, I nonetheless feel compelled to share some “overflow” of what has gripped me and grabbed me anew these last nine months as I’ve trekked through Job!

Here are some highlights:
1. God is real, in charge, and there is no agenda worth the time of day other than His. If we don’t get that, God will relentlessly pursue us until we do. At the gut level, that is what sanctification is all about. And this is what the book of Job is all about.
2. The devil is real too; he is not in charge, and he definitely has his limits and limitations. Don’t underestimate him, but don’t overestimate him either. We cannot defeat him, but cosmically speaking, he has no authority but what God grants.
3. Much has gone on and is going on between God and the devil that we know little about. Our only safe position is to draw near to God and be protected by Him. Trust in an infinite, loving God is far more important than understanding God, which we can only do in a very limited way, anyway and only as He permits. This all is very humbling, or should be.
4. Life is all about a relationship… an eternal one between Creator and creature made in His image. Everything God is and does is for the purpose of creating and maintaining this relationship. God is the initiator in all of life. We only respond. This fact alone should give a lethal blow to human pride.
5. Each of us is a part of the playing field between God and the devil, whether we know it or not. If we don’t believe this, we don’t have a clue about which end is up. Detractors are as alive and well today as in Job’s day.
6. The ‘best’ in life is the presence of God, no matter what. God’s presence preserves the end game, the “forever relationship” or to use scriptural term, the “blessed hope”. God said, “You can’t take the man”, and the same is true in our lives. We are His forever, created and recreated in Christ, and “no one can pluck (us) from His hand.”
7. How and why things do and do not happen we will never know and need not know! Too much introspection and even well-intentioned admonishment often have one thing in common… neither brings one closer to simply trusting in the goodness and graciousness of God.
8. Our ability to program positive outcomes in our lives is severely limited, no matter how noble our agendas. His grace has no limits, so He can always redeem our screw-ups… and He does, thank God.
9. There is no direct connection between God’s blessing (as we understand blessing) and our ‘”doing the right thing”. Great misunderstanding here.
10. It would be wise for each of us to hold the reins of our life quite loosely! Christian common sense in our day says, “If I do this and don’t do that, God will bless me.” NO, because He cannot trump His greatest blessing already granted…His presence.

Well, there are ten observations from Job. And that is only from my first few pages of notes. Have you read Job recently! You should. And pray for us at WSS.

Your fellow trekker,
Jim Meredith