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In the history of Israel, one of the most important promises that God makes is the promise of a Messiah. One who would come and offer freedom and victory for God’s people. One who would reign as king over those whose lives are surrendered to God. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise for liberation and victory. It is in Jesus that we find redemption and consolation. Living this side of the cross gives us a clear picture that the promised Messiah would not come to claim political power or conquer nations with an army of the righteous marching in His wake. Jesus conquers the heart of men and claims authority over our lives in how we live, think, act, and speak. Jesus overcomes the world through the power of His love and the strength of the cross. Psalm 22 is a “Messianic Psalm.” A psalm that gives us a picture of Jesus and the power of the cross. The writer here realizes that the world seeks to dominate all men with the power of sin. What we need is a savior who can pull us from the mire of the world and create a path to holiness. Jesus is that Savior. As we embed the Bible this week, take note of how Jesus calls us to live in Him rather than live in the world.

Throughout the Book of Psalms, we find pictures of refuge. It may come in the form of a stronghold, a shield, a rock, or a fortress, but no matter what the picture, a refuge is a safe place. A place with thick walls and strength. A place to go when times are hard or circumstances are difficult. A refuge offers protection from danger, safety in times of trial, and comfort in sorrow. A refuge also offers a place to get away from the world and connect with God and enjoy our relationship with Him. A refuge is a place of growth and a place of nurture. In Psalm 11, the refuge that is painted is the temple of God. The place where we see God in control, sitting on His throne, and inhabiting His people. Throughout the Psalms, this is the emphasis on what a refuge is; it is a place where God is in control. A place where we see and acknowledge that God is bigger than our problems, more powerful than our circumstances, the author of our joy, and the sustainer of our lives. Embedding the Bible is a process where we get to know God, and come to understand that He offers Himself as our strength and our resting place.

As we begin our journey through the Psalms, I am reminded of a textbook that I used in college. Arnold and Byer wrote a book about the Old Testament and their section on Psalms has stuck with me. They write that the Psalms are a look at the heart of Israel. The Psalms are a picture of the heart of man. In the Psalms, you will read praise, despair, joy, and sorrow. In the Psalms, there are cries for help and celebration because of victory. Family life, work life, personal relationships, and living with God are all themes found woven through the Psalms. It is one big heart check, a place to go and see how our hearts line up with the heart of God. Embedding the Bible is about being transformed. We learn to walk with God in every moment and through every situation in life. The Psalms are a great place to be introspective and self-examining. I would encourage you to read the Psalms for what they are. People crying, celebrating, worshipping, praising, grieving, struggling, and calling out to God for transformation. People like you. People like me. People who want to look like Jesus.

The old western movie comes on TV. In walks the good guy. He wears a white hat and rides a white horse. He smiles and waves and the town loves him. Down the street, a man rides in on a black horse. His clothes are dark and his hat is black. He scowls and sneers while the people drop their eyes and move out of the way. He is the bad guy. In the first ten minutes of the movie you get to choose. Good or bad? There is no way to miss who is who. That’s the way that the Psalms read to me in the beginning. Psalm 1 opens with a scene. The good guys are the righteous. You can tell who they are because the righteous do not listen to the counsel of the wicked. The righteous does not spend a life scoffing at others. The righteous meditate on the words of God and their lives are marked by fruit that points to a relationship with Him. The wicked are different. They won’t stand with the godly. The Psalms start out by giving us a choice. Who do you want to be? Righteous or wicked? Good guy or bad?

“Tell me about yourself.” It is a common theme when we are trying to get to know someone new. We want to know where a person comes from, what they like and dislike, what they are interested in, what their passions are, and what is important to them. We know a person through the things they say and do and talk about. As we come to the close of the Book of Job, we have a unique opportunity to hear God speak at some length about Himself. He comes to Job and He talks about His own character and nature. I am praying this week that as you read the words that God speaks, you can hear the love and the longing that God has for you. In these final chapters, you will hear about God’s provision as he governs the storehouses of rain and snow. You will see His power as he holds back the seas and harnesses the lightning. You will learn of His strength when you read of Behemoth and Leviathan. You will see his care and his nurture in the mountain goats and young lions. You will stand in awe at the beauty God gives us in the stars and the constellations. His authority stretches to the dawn and His mystery to the Gates of Death. And everything He does, He shares with us so that we can come to know Him better. Enjoy spending the time with God this week.

The ongoing conversation in the Book of Job has been carried along by Job and his three friends. This week, we hear a new voice, the voice of Elihu. Elihu has apparently been sitting by and listening to the back and forth rebukes and defenses. When Job’s three friends decide that they just can’t get through to Job, they fall silent. Elihu, a younger man, now jumps in to set Job straight. He rebukes the attitude of Job as self-righteous and out of line. He talks about how low man is when compared to God. He finishes with a beautiful picture of the majesty and splendor of God. But there is a problem. In Job 36:26, Elihu claims that man cannot know God. God is someone who lives far away from lowly man. He hints that God does not take notice of man because man is like a worm in the sight of an Almighty God. It is this view of God that skews the arguments of Elihu and Job’s friends. Job knows that while God is beyond our ability to completely understand, God has revealed Himself to us and calls for an intimacy that is not seen in the words of Elihu. One of the most fundamental truths that the Bible reveals to us is God’s love and longing for man. He wants to be in our moments, not far off out of sight.

This week we will be reading Job 29-33. For me, these are powerful chapters. Job begins by talking about how things were before he lost everything. He recalls days when his life was full of joy. Times when men listened to his words and sought his wisdom. He looks back and sees how good things were before his life was touched by tragedy. In chapter 30, Job changes his focus and begins to talk about the trouble he has experienced and pain he is suffering. He talks about loss and the effects of his current situation. He paints a pathetic picture of life as he knows it. In reading these two chapters, we could easily fall into thinking that Job is simply feeling sorry for himself. That he is looking with nostalgia back through the years and bemoaning his current situation. But chapter 31 changes all of that. Job is comparing his past and his present in order to take a hard look at himself. In chapter 31, he begins to work through a list of beliefs, attitudes, and actions. He holds up things like his relationship with money, his treatment of the poor, his understanding of truth, and his responsibilities in leadership. He examines his life in detail to see where God needs to be more in control. It is important for us to stop occasionally and take a good hard look at ourselves. To ask, “What do I need to surrender to God?”

Known for his patience, Job is a man whose character has been shaped by his relationship with God. In Job 27:5, Job gives us a glimpse of the standard he lives by when he answers a statement made by his friend, Bildad. Bildad has said that it is impossible for man to maintain righteousness. Job responds, “til I die I will not put away my integrity from me.” Job knows that a man’s character is shaped by the way he walks with God. Job responds to Bildad in chapter 26 by talking about the character of God. Job tells his friend that a relationship with God provides the strength and power that man needs to live in righteousness. Because God empowers His people to be righteous, Job can make a vow to maintain his integrity. Job knows the one truth that is needed to live in a healthy relationship with God. That one truth is that God must stand in the center of a person’s life. God’s will is the standard by which we live. God’s power is the strength in which we stand. God’s promise is the assurance that we can live as God calls us to live. Embedding the Bible is a tool that helps us keep God at the center of our lives.

In Job 23, Job asks a question that I think is common to man. Sum up his thoughts and we hear the question, “Where is God?” Where is God when I hurt? Where is God when evil seems to run free in the world? Where is God when I don’t know where to go or what to do? Job struggles with these questions and so do we. That is one of the reasons we embed the Bible on our hearts. Over and over again in the pages of the Bible, God promises to be with us and watch over us. Over and over, we see how God walks with His people and guides them through life. From Adam to John, God has been faithful in watching over His people. God has been consistent in His character. God is transforming His people to look like Jesus. To be able to see Him in every moment and follow in His steps. Embedding the Bible is an act of surrender, a tool to focus our eyes and hearts on God, and a place of trust as we give ourselves to God. Keep on reading. God is writing His word on your heart!

In Job 19:25, Job makes an incredible statement. “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at the last he will stand upon the earth.” The statement comes at a time when Job is feeling the stinging disappointment of failed friendship. Their words bring no comfort and no understanding to Job’s situation. They accuse Job and blame him for his circumstances, but Job knows that God is faithful. Job knows that God is merciful and just. Job knows that while he may not understand why his life has changed so dramatically – the loss of family, financial hardship, illness in his body, and the desertion of influence and position – Job does know that God will move and act on behalf of His people. Job has a Redeemer who will work in the world. Job knows that God claims Job for His own and will one day stand on the earth and declare God’s will to the world. It is another picture that points to Jesus. Another fingerprint that reveals the hand of God. Job knows that the answers to life are not found in this world, but in the presence of God. As we embed the Bible this week, pay attention to how God is putting assurance of His movement and His presence in our hearts.