August 15

Ezekiel 14
Noah, Daniel and Job, all three experienced unparalleled disaster, and yet all three passed through the disasters and were comforted that the Lord was righteous. Noah spent 100 years building a giant ark. During that time, he preached to all who would listen, but none listened. At the end of the 100 years he spent a year with his family sequestered inside the ark. The world as he knew it was destroyed when he emerged. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord to deliver himself and his family, but the rest of the world was destroyed. Was he comforted? Why did he get drunk?
Daniel saw his nation buckle to the king of Babylon. He and thousands of the best of Jerusalem were drug off to Babylon. He was separated from his family and all but 3 of his people. He was placed in a high pressure situation where the easiest thing would have been to forget about righteousness. He chose not to. The Lord delivered him and his three friends. Was he comforted?
Job lost his wealth, his children and his health; his wife and friends turned on him. Even in the midst of his questioning the righteousness of the Lord, he refused to curse God. He remained adamant that the Lord would deliver Him. The Lord did deliver him. Was he comforted?
These three men are held up as being unparalleled in righteousness, yet they were also unparalleled in experiencing disaster. Yet their great righteousness was insufficient to deliver anyone else. There is only One Whose righteousness is sufficient to deliver me. It is the Lord Jesus Christ. While I may see unparalleled disaster going on around me, touching my very life, if I trust in Him, He will deliver me through it, and He will comfort me. Indeed, we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john