Cross Way Publication's Newletter for February 2010
Cross Way Publications Monthly News
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Poem of the Month
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Bearers Of Bad News
By: Christine Hare
The bearers of bad news
prowl around each day
waiting for the chance to
bring more bad news your way.
Like busy little spiders
with a web to spin,
they will keep persisting
until you let them in.
With fear and hopelessness
your mind they want to fill,
so you'll throw up your hands
and question God's will.
They'll whisper many lies
to oppress your soul,
hoping you'll forget
that God is in control.
Remember God's good news
when bad news comes around,
and embrace His word
where hope is found!!
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Scripture of the Month
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Job 40:15-24 (NKJV)
15 Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
16 See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
17 He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
18 His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron.
19 He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword.
20 Surely the mountains yield food for him,
And all the beasts of the field play there.
21 He lies under the lotus trees,
In a covert of reeds and marsh.
22 The lotus trees cover him with their shade;
The willows by the brook surround him.
23 Indeed the river may rage,
Yet he is not disturbed;
He is confident, though the Jordan gushes into his mouth,
24 Though he takes it in his eyes,
Or one pierces his nose with a snare.
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Quote of the Month
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"Every fact in the universe is what it is by virtue of the place it has in the plan of God."
Cornelius Van Til
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Notes From Cross Way
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1. A heartfelt thank you to Tom Blakey and Cinda Marlene Carter for their generous support of Cross Way Publications. Your financial contributions are deeply appreciated.
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This Month's Devotional Thought
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The book of Job begins by showing some overwhelming adversities that came upon a godly man, and then records conversations that this man had with several counselors trying to explain why he suffered such extreme trials. While these miserable counselors insisted that Job must have committed some terrible sin in order for such calamities to come upon him, Job was insistent that the righteous suffer in this life along with everyone else. God, Himself, verified Job's contentions, (Job 42:7). After all the back and forth between these men, God speaks out of a whirlwind in chapters 38-42. God declares to Job how He has complete control over everything He created and He is wise, omnipotent, and just in the way He manages His creation. Job needed to hear this because it seemed like everything in his life had spun completely out of control. Among the many illustrations God used to demonstrate His unquestionable sovereignty is His creation and power over "the behemoth", (Job 40:15-24).
The description God gives of the behemoth matches that of the hippopotamus. It is a huge fearsome, semi-aquatic, animal with unusually strong hips and having a very large stomach with powerful muscles. It has a remarkably sturdy bone structure and an inflexible tail. During the day it is found in marshes, rivers and other large bodies of water while at night it travels miles from its territorial waters to eat up to 150 pounds of grasses. The adult hippopotamus cannot swim but is often submerged in deep waters. It is so large that it easily maneuvers against the raging currents of a river. The hippopotamus is extremely aggressive, ferocious, and has no fear of humans. It is among the largest land animals, weighing up to 7000 pounds, and is considered by many as the most dangerous animal in Africa.
God told Job that He created this behemoth and that it is "the first of the ways of God", (Job 40:19), meaning: one of the most powerful animals in size and strength that God created. Unlike the elephant, this is one wild animal humans cannot train. As fearful and uncontrollable as the behemoth is, it still has no choice but to submit to the power and will of God. God is telling us that if He has that kind of rule over the behemoth than we should not be surprised to learn that the events of our lives are also subject to our Creator's control.
The hippopotamus is a result of intelligent design, (Job 40:15); and not an accident of evolution 60 million years ago. For instance, God made this creature with its eyes, ears, and nostrils all lined up on the top surface of its head which allows virtually the rest of its body to be submerged in water where it was designed to spend its time in the heat of the day. God's care in the unique design of the hippopotamus is a reminder to us that He has a providential concern for everything. It may be our tendency to question why certain things are the way they are, but be assured God wisely oversees all He has created.
Philip Hoffman
