Dan O’Deens Blogspot

I am reading through the story of Job.  The righteous man who was following hard after God and the ’stuff happens’ in his life.  The Lord allows the hand of Satan to play havoc on Job’s life.  He loses everything.   His physical body is aching to the point of wanting to die.

He doesn’t get it!  He pleads with his God.  He is searching for hope and comfort.  He asks a great question of God.  Job 14:14 Can the dead live again?  If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle, and I would eagerly await the release of death.

It reminded me of a similar question that God will ask of Ezekiel the prophet, Ezekiel 37: 1 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”

The obvious answer is NO!  But with God…the answer is YES!   Both physically and spiritually God is in the business of raising up dead bones.  He is in the business of restoring weary bones.

He gives LIFE.  Every breath I breathe I breathe in Him.   For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.   Jesus took the ’sting out of death.’   

In fact, one of the greatest gifts that God gave us is DEATH.  It is his way of allowing us to exit this sin depraved world and enter into ETERNITY to enjoy His perfect place He is preparing for us.

So, the answer to Job’s question is found in the words of the wonderful Psalm 30:5, Hold on my child, Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.

Struggles are as Certain as is our VICTORY!   There is NO STING in death for the believer in Christ.  Live for Christ….Die for Christ…Either way…YOU WIN!

I was think reflecting back to my great days of youth ministry.  I was a youth pastor for life!…and then GOD interrupted me.  I wrestled….I lost!   God had a calling on my life.   Church Planting?   I knew nothing about it.   I came with one passion, to see people who were far from God come to know God.   I began to read and learn and came across this incredible quote by James Gribble, a missionary to the Central African Republic.  ”I shall be content with the lowest seat in heaven, if only there I may sit and see the redeemed of the Lord come in from those fields where I have been a pioneer missionary.”   That changed my life!   

The book of Hebrews tells us that “by faith Abraham obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going”. He had no map, no AAA brochure, no motel reservations. His caravan simply headed west toward the Mediterranean, and that was that. God had said he would show him where to stop sometime in the future when he got to wherever he was going.



Faith is always happy to step out not knowing where it’s going; so long as it knows, Who is going. (GOD) As long as God’s strong hand was holding Abraham’s, everything was going to work out just fine.

(Is. 41:13) I am the Lord your God, holding your right hand, Fear Not, I will help you!

Will the year 2009 be mine or divine?   Of course God is God and He is Lord, whether I make Him Lord or not.  But the answer to the question really lies in the court of the individual.  The most mind boggling theological truth I have yet confronted is “the One person that could make me do right…doesn’t.”   God has given me the ability to ‘choose.’   

I often choose correctly.   Occasionally I choose poorly.   As I grow in my faith I know that I am never sinless, but certainly a mature Christian should sin less.   

I want to choose God this year.  May He be glorified in all that I do and say. 

Blessings on your new year.  Have you taken the time to set some goals for 2009?  Today is the first day of the rest of my life.   I get a fresh start!   What a great God!