Only God Knows

FAITH:
Job 11:1-20
Unsympathetic, Zophar tried to convince Job that his troubles stemmed from a hidden sin. Zophar believed that God was punishing Job for this sin.

No one can claim complete understanding of God's ways.

Once there was an old man who lived in a tiny village. Although poor, he was envied by all, for he owned a beautiful white horse. Even the king coveted his treasure. A horse like this had never been seen before--such was its splendor, it majesty, its strength.

People offered fabulous prices for the steed, but the old man always refused. "This horse is not a horse to me," he would tell them. "It is a person How could you sell a person? He is a friend, not a possession. How could you sell a friend?" The man was poor and the temptation was great. But he never sold the horse.

One morning he found that the horse was not in the stable. All the village came to see him. "You old fool," they scoffed. "We told you that someone would steal your horse. We warned you that you would be robbed. You are so poor. How could you ever hope to protect such a valuable animal. It would have been better to have sold him. You could have gotten whatever price you wanted. No amount would have been too high. Now the horse is gone, and you've been cursed with misfortune.

" The old man responded, "Don't speak too quickly. Say only that the horse is not in the stable. That is all we know; the rest is judgment. If I've been cursed or not, how can you know? How can you judge?"

The people contested, "Don't make us out to be fools! We may not be philosophers, but great philosophy is not needed. The simple fact that your horse is gone is a curse."

The old man spoke again, "All I know is that the stable is empty, and the horse is gone. The rest I don't know. Whether that be a blessing or a curse I can't say. All we can see is a fragment. Who can say what will come next?"

The people of the village laughed. They thought that the man was crazy. They had always thought he was a fool; if he wasn't, he would have sold the horse and lived off the money. But instead, he was a poor woodcutter, an old man still cutting firewood and dragging it out of the forest and selling it. He lived hand to mouth in the misery of poverty. Now he had proven that he was, indeed, a fool.

After fifteen days, the horse returned. He hadn't been stolen; he had run away into the forest. Not only had he returned, he had brought a dozen wild horses with him. Once again the village people gathered around the woodcutter and spoke. "Old man, you were right and we were wrong. What we thought was a curse was a blessing. Please forgive us."

The man responded, "once again, you go too far. Say only that the horse is back. State only that a dozen horses returned with him, but don't judge. How do you know if this is a blessing or not? You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge? You read only one page of a book. Can you judge the whole book? You read one word of a phrase. Can you understand the entire phrase?"

"Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. All you have is a fragment! Don't say that this is a blessing. No one knows. I am content with what I know. I am not perturbed by what I don't."

"Maybe the old man is right," they said to one another. So they said little. But down deep, they knew he was wrong. They know it was a blessing. Twelve wild horses had returned with one horse. With a little bit of work, the animals could be broken and trained and sold for much money.

The old man had a son, an only son. The young man began to break the wild horses. After a few days, he fell f rom one of the horses and broke both legs. Once again the villagers gathered around the old man and cast their judgments.

"You were right," they said. "You proved you were right. The dozen horses were not a blessing. They were a curse. Your only son has broken his legs, and now in your old age you have no one to help you. Now you are poorer than ever."

The old man spoke again. "You people are obsessed with judging. Don't go so far. Say only that my son broke his legs. Who knows if it is a blessing or a curse? No one knows. We only have a fragment. Life comes in fragments."

It so happened that a few weeks later the country engaged in war against a neighboring country. All the young men of the village were required to join the army. Only the son of the old man was excluded, because he was injured. Once again the people gathered around the old man, crying and screaming because their sons had been taken. There was little chance that they would return. Then enemy was strong and the war would be a losing struggle. They would never see their sons again.

"You were right, old man," they wept. "God knows you were right. This proves it. Your son's accident was a blessing. His legs may be broken, but at least he is with you. Our sons are gone forever."

The old man spoke again. "It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. No one knows. Say only this. Your sons had to go to war, and mine did not. No one knows if it is a blessing or a curse. No one is wise enough to know. Only God knows. by Max Lucado

Applying it: When someone else suffers, ask God for wisdom to be an instrument of healing. Remember that no matter what you feel, God is always good.
Exploring it: God is incomprehensible--Deuteronomy 29;29; Ecclesiastes 3:11; Isaiah 40:12-14; 55:8-9; Proverbs 25:2; 1 Corinthians 2:16. God is compassionate-- Exodus 22:27; 34:6; Psalm 65:3; 78:38; 103:3; 106:1


FRIENDS:
Father, forgive us for the times that we have questioned you; forgive us for the times we have doubted you; forgive us for the times we've shaken our heads and pounded our fists against the earth and cried, "Where are you?" For Father, we know that you have been here---you've carried us through the valley and you've given us strength.....in Jesus' name, Amen


FOOD:

I just made this the other day and it has cold fall evening stamped all over it and it was simply deelish.

PORK, BUTTERNUT SQUASH and SWISS CHARD STEW

Ingredients
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika salt, pepper
1 pound pork stew meat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces brown ale
2 cups chicken stock
1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup black beans*
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks (you could
substitute another kind of winter squash, if you like)
1 cup corn kernels (optional)
1 small bunch swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped into
bite-sized pieces

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the cumin, chili powder, coriander, and
smoked paprika.
Add the cubes of stew pork and toss them well in the spice mixture.
Season well with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss
again, rubbing the spices into the meat.

Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat, then add the olive oil -
it should shimmer.
Add the cubes of stew pork and let them get nice and browned on all sides.
Don't be impatient — you want them to get a nice brown crust!
Once all the cubes of pork have been browned, remove
them from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside (you can just
keep them on a plate to the side of the stove.)

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and cook them over
medium heat until they soften and become translucent.
Don't turn the heat on the pot up too high, or the nice brown
fond that's developed on the bottom from browning the meat will burn.
When the onions have softened, add the ale and use a wooden spoon
to scrape the brown bits up from the bottom of the pot.

Return the pork to the pot, and add the chicken stock and diced
tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer
for 1 hour (*note: if you are using dried beans that have been
soaked overnight, add them now, with the pork.)

Add the butternut squash cubes to the pot, and cook for another
20 minutes. (*note: if you are using canned beans that are already
cooked, you can add them at this point, with the squash cubes.)

Finally, add the chopped swiss chard and corn kernels, if you're
using. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the chard is bright green
and wilted. Taste the chili and season with more salt or pepper as
needed.

For a little fun, just keep scrolling......