Job 1:8 (KJV) Hast Thou Considered…?

Job 1:8 (KJV)

And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Have you ever wondered if your life is being considered?

That question may sound unusual until you read the opening chapter of Job. God asked Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” Job had no idea that conversation had taken place. He simply woke up one morning and began living another day. Before the day was over, his life had changed forever.

I cannot help but wonder if there is a principle here that extends beyond Job.

The New Testament reminds us that believers are “made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” Our lives are not lived in isolation. There is a realm we cannot see, yet God is accomplishing His purposes there just as surely as He is here. Perhaps every child of God lives, in some measure, on a proving ground. Not because God doubts our faith, but because He delights in displaying what His grace can accomplish in an ordinary believer.

Most of us will never experience the magnitude of Job’s trials. Yet every one of us will face moments when obedience costs something. We will encounter disappointment, sickness, misunderstanding, loss, temptation, or uncertainty. In those moments, we often ask, “Why is this happening to me?”

Perhaps a better question is, “What is God revealing through me?”

Job never knew about the conversation in heaven. He simply chose to trust God one day at a time. His faith became a testimony that God was worthy of love apart from His gifts. Satan claimed Job served God only because life was easy. Job proved otherwise.

I wonder what testimony our lives are giving today. If someone were to observe us in the middle of our trial, would they conclude that God is still good? Would they see that Christ is still worthy? Would they discover that faith is genuine, even when circumstances are painful?

You may never know all that God is accomplishing through your life this side of eternity. But one thing is certain. No trial borne in faith is ever wasted. The God who said, “Hast thou considered my servant Job?” is still glorified through believers who trust Him when the answers are hidden.

#VisitWithGod #FaithUnderFire #BookOfJob #TrustGodAnyway #WalkingByFaith

Hast Thou Considered…? Heaven Is Watching Your Faith Right Now

Has God ever used a trial to strengthen your faith or reveal His work in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments—I would love to hear your testimony. 

For more daily Bible studies and Christ-centered encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org and join me for your next Visit with God.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
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Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

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The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Job 1:8 (KJV) Hast Thou Considered…? 

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxZVfnCj3DVKRGkX_iO7F3lf-2da8FOct_?si=ajzTRLwxazfZY3y6

Esther 10:3 (KJV) Make Greatness Truly Great

Esther 10:3 (KJV)

For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.

We are told that Mordecai was great. Yet the Holy Spirit does not simply tell us that he attained greatness. He tells us what Mordecai did with it.

Mordecai did not begin this book as a great man in the eyes of the world. He was just a faithful man. He refused to bow to Haman because his convictions were greater than his fear. He sat at the king's gate and paid attention to what was happening around him and there uncovered a plot against the king. He challenged Esther to recognize that God had placed her in the palace "for such a time as this." Again and again, we find a man quietly doing what was right long before anyone recognized his name.

By the final chapter, Mordecai was second only to King Ahasuerus. The man who once sat unnoticed at the gate now stood beside the throne. His greatness, however, was not measured by his office but by his purpose. He was "seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed."

Many people want success. Many desire influence. Some spend their entire lives pursuing recognition. Yet greatness is not great unless it is put to great use.

God never gives us influence merely for our own benefit. Whether He entrusts us with a classroom, a church, a business, a family, or simply a circle of friends, He expects us to use that influence to help others and to glorify Him.

That is exactly what Mordecai did. His position became a platform to serve. His authority became an opportunity to bless. His words brought peace instead of division, and his leadership sought the welfare of God's people instead of his own advancement.

Every Christian has influence. Someone is watching your testimony. Someone is listening to your words. Someone is helped—or hindered—by the way you use the opportunities God has given you.

The world measures greatness by how high a person climbs. The Lord measures greatness by how faithfully a person serves. Jesus Himself said, "But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”

Perhaps that is why Mordecai's greatness has endured for more than twenty-five centuries. It was not built on ambition. It was built on faithfulness. When God finally placed greatness in his hands, Mordecai did not use it to make much of himself. He used it to make life better for others and to advance God's people.

May God help us do the same. Greatness is not found in having influence. Greatness is found in using that influence well. Greatness isn't great unless it's put to great use.

#FaithfulGreatness #BookOfEsther #BiblicalLeadership #ServeOthers #KJVBible

Make Greatness Truly Great: Faithfulness Before Influence

How has God given you influence to help others and glorify Him? Share your thoughts or a personal example in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.

For more Christ-centered Bible studies, daily devotionals, and biblical encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org. Join us as we grow together in God's Word, one passage at a time.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 10:3 (KJV) Make Greatness Truly Great

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkxx5ERo1_IDt9UdM_i4U6HqayKTibQVUgr?si=RmKj7g-dW3BF5JfK

Esther 9:5 (KJV) Fighting the Wrong Enemy?

Esther 9:5 (KJV)

Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

The events of the book of Esther are historic and real. The Jews really were captives in Babylon. Haman truly hated the Jews and attempted to have them annihilated. Mordecai really did discover a conspiracy to overthrow the king and reported it. Esther truly did become queen in the place of Vashti.

And God really did overthrow Haman's attempt to destroy the Jews throughout the kingdom.

These events are true history.

Whether I fully understand it or not, the law of the Medes and Persians was that a king's decree could not be reversed. Therefore, the command to destroy the Jews remained in effect. What the king could do, he did. He authorized the Jews to defend themselves by destroying those who intended to carry out that decree against them.

Could we argue that there might have been another way to show mercy? Perhaps.

Could we contend that an almighty God could have decreed a different resolution? Many have made that argument.

What I know for certain is that these events are historical facts and that God recorded them for our learning—not so we would know to wipe out everyone who hates us, but so we would learn to show no mercy to our true spiritual enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Argue all you want with my application, but I believe the lesson is that our primary battle is not against the men and women around us. "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

These are the enemies to which we grant no quarter. These are the enemies we ask God for one more day to defeat.

Sin—especially the sin within me.

That is the enemy that hates me and must be eradicated.

#FightTheRealEnemy #BookOfEsther #DailyVisitWithGod #VictoryOverSin #KJVBibleStudy

Fighting the Wrong Enemy? This “Bloody” Chapter Points to Personal Holiness

What do you think? Is Esther 9 primarily about judgment, or does it teach us how relentlessly we should battle sin in our own lives? 

Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d enjoy hearing your perspective. For more daily Bible studies and biblical encouragement, visit marvinmckenzie.org.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Esther 9:5 (KJV) Fighting the Wrong Enemy?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/Ugkx7L_cTPkAhazoB2dk6Kztlu1LkhcsS8R_?si=RGnVePFv6OvaeTHE

Mark 12:10 (KJV) Have You Been Reading the Bible... But Missing Its Message?

Mark 12:10 (KJV)

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Of course they had. The primary audience, though not the only ones listening, were the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Of course they had read:

Psalms 118:22 (KJV)
The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.

• They had read it. They had just not connected the passage to the correct application.
• They had read it, but they had placed their own interpretation upon it.
• They had read it, but they had never considered that they might be the builders who would reject the Stone.

They had read the Bible, yet they missed its most important truth.

How easy it is for us to become so accustomed to reading the Scriptures that we simply check it off as our spiritual duty for the day without applying the Word of God.

The Bible is God's communication to us. Reading it is not merely a religious exercise. It is like listening to your spouse in the morning and hearing her words of encouragement. (I speak as a man.) It is like listening to your employer when you arrive at work and hearing his instructions for the day.

Don't just read the Bible. Listen to the Lord. Allow Him to instruct you, correct you, and guide you. Then, as you hear, apply His Word and do what He says.

#ListenToTheLord #ReadAndApply #GodsWord #DailyVisitWithGod #KJVBibleStudy

Have You Been Reading the Bible... But Missing Its Message? Don't miss God's voice.

Have you ever realized God was showing you something in Scripture that you had overlooked before? Share your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. 

For more daily Bible studies, devotionals, books, and biblical resources, visit marvinmckenzie.org and continue growing in God's Word.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Mark 12:10 (KJV) Have You Been Reading the Bible... But Missing Its Message?

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxXIO-KywiUt5nS27qcvafsmIz7sPwGkmG?si=Ije34KTXP3FFbP-E

Mark 11:14 (KJV) Tomorrow’s Answer Today

Mark 11:14 (KJV)

And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

There is a small phrase in this verse that could easily be overlooked: "And his disciples heard it."

At first glance, it seems almost unnecessary. Of course they heard Him. They were walking with Him. Why would Mark point it out?

The answer becomes clear the next day.

After Jesus spoke to the barren fig tree, life continued. The disciples followed Him into Jerusalem. They watched Him cleanse the temple. They spent the night in Bethany. The next morning, as they passed by the same place, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter immediately remembered what Jesus had said.

They heard the words before they understood their significance.

Isn't that often how the Lord works in our lives?

We spend time reading the Scriptures each morning. We underline a verse, meditate on a passage, or memorize a promise. Sometimes it seems especially meaningful. At other times, we wonder why that particular portion came before us that day. Then we close our Bible, go to work, answer the phone, drive down the road, or care for our family. Life simply moves on.

Then something happens.

• A difficult conversation.
• An unexpected trial.
• A decision that requires wisdom.
• A burden we did not anticipate.
• A blessing we never imagined.

Suddenly, the Holy Spirit brings back to our remembrance something we heard in God's Word. A verse we read days ago now speaks directly to today's circumstance. A promise memorized years earlier becomes exactly what we need in this moment. A warning we once overlooked now protects us from making a costly mistake.

The disciples did not spend the evening checking to see if the fig tree had changed. They simply continued following Christ. While they were busy obeying Him, His words were already accomplishing their purpose.

That is a wonderful reminder for us. Our daily time in Scripture is not merely preparation for today. It is often God's preparation for tomorrow. We hear His Word now because He already knows what lies ahead. He plants truth in our hearts before we realize we will need it.

What have you heard recently from the Lord? Perhaps it was a command to obey, a promise to trust, or a warning to heed. Maybe it has not yet seemed particularly relevant. Do not dismiss it. The Lord has a way of bringing His Word back to our minds at exactly the right moment.

Today's reading may become tomorrow's answer.

Never underestimate the value of faithfully opening your Bible each day. You may not yet know why God directed your attention to a particular passage, but He does. Like the disciples, you may hear first and understand later.

Keep listening. Keep reading. Keep following Christ.

In time, you may look back and realize that God had already prepared your heart through the words you had heard long before you understood why.

#DailyVisit #Mark11v14  #HearGodsWord #WalkByFaith #KJVBible

Tomorrow’s Answer Today: Scripture Prepares Hearts

What has God recently brought back to your mind at exactly the right moment? Share your experience in the comments—I’d love to hear how the Lord has used His Word in your life.

If this devotional encouraged you, please like, share, and subscribe for more daily Bible studies. You’ll also find hundreds of free resources, Bible studies, books, and videos at marvinmckenzie.org. I hope you'll stop by and join me there!

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 7100 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Mark 11:14 (KJV) Tomorrow’s Answer Today

Here's a comic version of the lesson.

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxXIO-KywiUt5nS27qcvafsmIz7sPwGkmG?si=G-QikqoWn0f9PG2z