Take your Bible and turn to Job chapter 31. I'm not sure if you had time to really think on the passage Ruben just read for us, but Job ends his final discourse of words. The theme, I found out of this book, one of the major themes, I never saw it before, and sometimes, in fact, Joe was telling me earlier this week, he said, you know, I've just, he couldn't sleep, Joey, I think, was crying all night, and he said, I've just read the book of Job last night, and I said, uh-oh. Nearly every time I read the book of Job, I think, you know, I think, now, Lord, I've got this, I understand this. He said, no, you don't. You need to experience some of it. And that's what happens sometimes, really to gain, really get a hold of a passage of scripture sometimes. Maybe the Lord will allow you to experience something where that passage will just come alive. Job is, Incredibly upset to say the least with all the circumstances. He has a lot to say about it Words are mentioned in every chapter every discourse Begins with this. Well now listen to me Now let me talk Now hear what I have to say Job finishes this final discourse, again, notice in verse 35, oh, that one would hear me. You ever feel like if, I just wish people could listen to me, could understand what I'm experiencing here, if they only knew my problems, and he even gives that complaint to God. He said, if the Almighty would just listen to me and answer me. Now we're gonna find out as we come to verse number 40, the words of Job are ended. Job gives his final words on how righteous that he was, how he was not guilty of all the things they had said. In 2019, for my wife and I, 2019 was our COVID year. 2020 was a, man, that was a blessing for my wife and I, though in 2020, we, you know, she was in the hospital nine days and then COVID hit and shut everything down, but we got a little rest. And then I, it didn't last long because then I sued my governor and my state and was in court. But even that though, it was just nothing. To me, that was, I've been through court cases before, but that one was the least of my worries and troubles and God gave us the victory in three days and it was just wonderful. I never was worried about that. It was something God led me to do. But 2020 really was a good year for us. In fact, and because of how that court case came out, our church was packed that next Sunday when the churches were opened and Mother's Day weekend and God did some wonderful things for us. But in 2019, we had a lot of people to break our hearts. really led, honestly, in fact, I believe I had COVID in 2019, that's the sickest I've ever been. I think I had it before they knew what it was, but had a doctor to tell me, he said, your immune system is about as low, it's whacked, he said. You could get anything right now, that's what the doctor told me. And it was because, in fact, when my wife wound up in the hospital, The doctor gave her a diagnosis. He said, now the diagnosis, he said, it's about this long, the word for it, but in layman's term, broken heart syndrome. I had a good friend of mine, in fact, Brother Tommy Sexton, who will be speaking at our couples retreat this week. He said, Lonnie, you know, only people that you love can break your heart. People you don't love can make you mad, but they won't break your heart. And that's true. People I'd led to the Lord, people that I'd discipled and led their families to the Lord and cousins and married their young and buried their dead. people that we so dearly loved. They had some contentions and things going on. And I got caught right in the middle of some contention. And people began to say some hurtful things. And, you know, being righteous, when you're not guilty, do you know what we normally do? Now you listen to me, I am right and they are wrong. And I went through that scenario. And we were wrestling with all of that. And it came about one night, about three in the morning. I had been wrestling with that. And the phrase, the words of Job are ended, began to roll over in my mind. The words of Job are ended, but Lord, you know what they've done to me, and you know what they said, and you know what this one, and you know what that one. The words of Job are ended. And it was as if as real that God was saying to me, it's time that the words of Lonnie are ended. Be still, get quiet. I crawled out of bed. I found this passage in the book of Job and then began to study Job from a different light. I want us to think tonight and consider words. We could call it the words of Job, but why don't you put your name in there? The words of me are ended. There are 1,771,476 words in the Oxford Dictionary. There are 470,000 is the word count for Webster's third new international dictionary. 470,000 words. but it is believed that the average English speaking adult knows between 20,000 and 30,000 words. We don't know 10% in our vernacular that we use somewhere between 20 to 30,000 words. of the 470,000 words in the English language. I heard about this fellow who was reading a statistic and he said to his wife, he said, honey, he said, do you know I've read here that women Men speak about 10,000 words a day, whereas women speak 20,000 words a day. Women talk twice as much as men do. And his wife said, That's because we have to repeat everything that we say, we have to repeat it. He said, do what? Words. Before we began looking at the words of Job and the various conversations in the book of Job, I did a study on what the Bible has to say about words. First of all, there is the exhortation. The exhortation of words, James in the book of James chapter three, verse one, James says, my brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they obey us, and we turn about their whole body. But behold also the ships, which though they be so great and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small hem, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire can leth. And he goes on to talk about the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and seteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beast and of birds and of serpents and of things in the sea is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind, but the tongue, can no man tame. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessings and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be." Now, it's easy to say, well, that's someone else. That's my neighbor. That's my spouse. That's brother so-and-so or sister so-and-so. But tonight, let's each of us consider our own words, the exhortation of words. Notice the example of words. Peter, who was often one who would open mouth and insert foot, he was a man of many words, whether he had thought about it or not, if something needed to be said, he was going to be the first to say it. But Peter learned that lesson in 1 Peter 2.21, for even here unto where you call, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, Reviled, not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, who his own self bare our sins and his own body on the tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed. When the Lord Jesus was reviled, when they said words against him, When they accused him, what did he do? What was his response of our Savior? He opened not his mouth. When was the last time when someone said something against you? Someone hurt your feelings that you just kept your lips closed? Difficult, isn't it? Jesus is our example of words. We see the exhortation of words, the example of words. Thirdly, consider the examination, examination of our words. Jesus said this, Again, you have heard that it's been said by them of old times, thou shalt not swear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thy nose. But I say unto you, swear not at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black, unless you're a woman, but let your communication Let your communication, or a man in some cases, but let your communication be yay, yay, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than this cometh of evil. He said, you'll get yourself in trouble. Keep your conversations short. You're better off saying yes and no, because if you get to talking more than that, you can get yourself in trouble. Some people dig themselves into a hole with their teeth. Matthew 12 verse six, Jesus said this, but I say unto you that every, listen, we're talking about the examination of our words, listen, but I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words, Thou shalt be justified and by thy words, thou shalt be condemned. The Bible says that one day the books are going to be open. I believe one of the books are all of our words. We're gonna be judged by them. This is the Lord Jesus, the examination of our words. Now consider, if you would, the words in the book of Job. We have the words of God that are given to us in the book of Job. We have the words of Satan. He says to God, he will curse thee to thy face. Satan is our adversary. He accuses us night and day before the Lord. He is the accuser of the brethren. Relentless he is. What I came to realize, and you need to realize, someone's accusing you falsely. You need to understand who it really is. Satan will use anyone. He'll even use a close brother. He'll use someone that you love dearly to accuse you because that's who he is. He's the accuser of the brethren. He'll get me to accuse you. He'll get you to accuse me. That's what Satan does. We see the words of Satan. We see the words of his Job's servants. Oh, do you ever have any of these around you? Job's servants, all is lost. You might as well give up. You might as well quit. Throw in the towel. There's no use to go on. It's all a loss. Have you ever had any of those around you? Oh, those naysayers. I tell you, there'll always be some of those around you. The words of his servants. There's the words of his wife. Curse God and die. And perhaps I know Job and his wife and really not condemning his wife who had lost 10 children, lost her house, lost everything. I believe and she sees her husband suffering in the condition. Perhaps it's even said in the, the thought of mercy because she thought, well, all you have to do is curse God and he'll kill you and get you out of this misery. And maybe it was, she was saying it from mercy, but nevertheless, there was no encouragement to Job. There's the words of his wife, and we must be careful sometimes in those situations when, Life isn't going so well in your home. There's problems. You got to be careful what you're saying to one of your loved ones, those that you love dearly. Then there's the words of Job's three friends condemning Job. Every discourse begins with words. In Job chapter four, verse one, then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said, if we say to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking? Sometimes you see people like that. Well, I mean, I just can't help myself. I got to say something right here. That's Eliphaz. We find Bildad the Shuhite, the shortest man in the Bible. Bildad the Shuhite said in Job 8 one, how long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind? He said, now you listen to me. Job chapter 11, Zophar the Anamithite said, should not the multitude of words be answered and should not a man full of talk be justified? Now you listen to me, Job. That's his three friends. We have the words of Elihu. His name means he is my God. He's the preacher that God sends to Job when Job got quiet. God sent him a man of God to minister to him. We'll look at his words in a few moments. And then you have the word of God speaking to Job. Let's come back and consider the words of Job. I wanna show you something maybe you'd never, and I didn't, I never saw this till I began to, the Lord began to teach me some things and speak to my heart. you find in Job chapter one, and we'll come back to this. You see, it's possible to have a right position, a right position with a wrong disposition. And I believe that's what I was guilty of. I had a right position, but I had developed a very wrong disposition. You need to be careful sometimes. You might be right, but you better make sure you've got the right disposition before you open your mouth. Now, we find in chapter one, Satan comes before the Lord and attacks Job. I'm gonna look at this in a few, I don't know how long it'll be, maybe a few weeks, maybe a few months. I'm gonna come back to the book of Job when we'll study spiritual warfare. The book of Job, God pulls the curtain back and he lets us see behind the scenes of what's really going on. The warfare, there is an unbelievable warfare that is going on right now spiritually. It'd scare us to death if we could see what's taking place, but the book of Job shows us. Now, the devil comes before the Lord making his accusation, but he's also making a petition. It's wonderful to know Satan is an accountable being. He really can't do anything without God's permission. But also remember, God's a good God. Every good gift, every perfect gift comes down from the Father above. Father of lights in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. God can only do good. It's the devil that is the one that does the bad. does the evil, not God. God cannot, he's not evil, neither tempteth he any man with evil. So God cannot be, he's not responsible for that. Now he often gets the blame as he does here in the book of Job. The fire of God has fallen, curse God and die. When I've never ever heard anyone ever curse the devil in my lifetime. I have never, I've heard people curse God, who is a good God, a wonderful God can only do good, but I've heard them curse him for what the devil does. Sometimes we blame God for what Satan is doing. But Satan has to make a request and he makes two requests in chapter one. God denies the first request, grants the second request. There's a prayer meeting going on in chapter one when the sons of God come before God. Job is making his petitions before God. He's concerned about his family. He's very concerned about his family, as he should be, that his children are getting away from God. Their only thought was, where are we gonna have the next party? When are we gonna have the next big shindig? Well, we did it over at Big Brother's house, now let's go over to Little Brother's house. Well, you can come on, and that's all they thought about, about like this generation. You know, next Sunday, and by the way, if I was a Christian and I was a member of Central Baptist Church, I believe if I was dead dog sick, I wouldn't miss next Sunday night. You know why? It's Super Bowl Sunday. I wouldn't want nobody thinking I was staying home to watch the Super Bowl and not be right here. Now, I may preach it next Sunday morning, get off my subject, but I got a message on the world's greatest Superbowl. I believe Ron Comfort, I believe is preaching next Sunday night, if I'm not mistaken. That's Superbowl Sunday, and we're gonna have the greatest Superbowl right here. You don't wanna miss that. But everybody's having, you know, that's what they live for, that's Joe's family. and Satan makes a request before God. He says, God, if you will take everything Job has, why he'll deny you. He'll turn his back on you because you have bought his love. You know what God says? No, I'm not gonna grant that request, but I'll let you do it. See, God can't do bad, but the devil sure will. And Satan went forth from the presence of God and he took everything Job has. Now, Christian, that's no different than what the devil does with you and I. We got missions conference coming up, and some may be worried, oh, I cannot, I don't see how in the world I can give to missions because I've got credit card bills that's overdue, and I've got this boat I've got to pay for, and I've got this new thing, and I've got all these things, and you know what Satan has done? He has taken, He has taken our possessions where we can't use those for God. And you know what? Job was using everything he had for God, but Satan took it all so he couldn't serve God with it. He'll do that with you. And here Job was on a day, By the way, you need to realize there may be a day, there was a day, that's mentioned three times, there was a day. And there's some of you, you can point back, there was a day this and that happened. I'll never forget that day. Well, in all of this, notice what happened in chapter one. And there Job said in chapter number one, and all of this, verse 22, and all this, Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly. He kept his mouth shut. It's amazing. Satan took everything he had. and he kept his mouth shut. He said, naked came I out of my mother's womb, naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave, the Lord had taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. That's amazing. Job did not, he did not sin with his lips. Here comes Satan again in chapter two. Again, makes two requests before God. Now, in chapter one, Satan attacked Job's possessions, took everything he had, but in chapter two, Satan attacks his person. Now that's different. Again, Satan says, now God, if you will take, if you will smite Job, and he asked God to smite Job, God says, no, I can't do that. I can't smite, Job. I'm good. I can't do evil. He's in thy hand. And it says that Satan went from the presence of the Lord and smoked Job. Now who gets the blame for it? Yes, God gets the blame for it. Curse God and die. And he smoked Job with most debilitating disease. I believe that was possible because Job talks about his skin, his flesh, and his bones. Now I've witnessed people with various diseases, some skin diseases, oh my, the suffering. Some that their flesh was deteriorating and all the suffering. And then those with bone cancer and so forth where their bones as Job described it as seemingly on fire. I mean, skin, flesh and bone. Now, it says with all of this, verse number 10, and all this did not Job sin with his lips. What an amazing man. But I want you to notice chapter three. Now, before we get there, Job has three good friends. He has three very good friends. Three good friends who heard about all the evil that was come upon him, verse 11 says, they came and every one from his own place, Eliphaz the Timonite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Anamithite, for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, they knew him not. They lifted up their voice and wept and they rent, Everyone is mental and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights and none spake a word unto him for they saw that his grief was great. And can I say sometimes that's the best thing you can do? Just be there with somebody, sit with them, let them know you care. You may not even be able to say a word, but just be there. That's three good friends, very good friends. But notice what happens in chapter three in verse one. After this, opened Job his mouth and cursed his day. There. is where the problems of Job really began. Has three wonderful friends. He turns those three friends into his enemies. How does he turn three good friends into enemies? With his words. He began to complain. He began to be critical. He began to curse, it says here, complain, criticize. He turned three good friends into his enemies. Build that in his final discourse, he basically tells Job, just go to hell, Job. That's where you deserve to go. Just go to hell. That's, A good friend who had not said a word to Job, but just sympathized with Job, but now he has turned into his enemies. What did that? The words of Job. Now, considering these words, the words of Job, first of all, they are revealing from the abundance of the heart Jesus said, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. Words are a declaration. They are revealing. Will Rogers says, it is better to be thought a fool than to open our mouth and remove all doubt. The heart reveals. It's a declaration. Also words are digressive. It's like I said, it's like digging a hole with your teeth. And the more you talk, the deeper the hole becomes. And all times our conversations, especially when our spirit is not right, our conversation, it begins to digress and it continues to digress. So as it is with Job. Words are divulged. They're made public. You see, it is when we get an audience and then we began to speak and that's one reason, listen, I have been attacked on the internet. I mean, just it's those people in their dark closets and dark rooms, those cowards, they will trash you and make up things about you. And I can remember back when all of the internet started and they had these rumor sites. Being a pastor in a town, I had these couple of disgruntled people made a rumor. It was just a rumor. All they'd say, well, I wonder why Lonnie Moore was in such and such a place. And then another would answer, and by the way, they don't give their names, they make up these names. It's a rumor place. And they had some of the, and I didn't know anything about it because I don't do that stuff. I don't look at that stuff. I had one of my members, I was in a meeting and said, you will not believe the conversations where this is headed. In fact, years later, the spot popped up again. They said, Lonnie Moore must have a son, he would be about, I only had girls, but he's got a son and this happened just a few years ago because of that original rumor mill that started. He'd have to be about 21, let's see if we can find him. Unbelievable. Things like that that happened. That's of the devil. But you see, words not only And when you get on the internet, and that's why I never respond to it. You can't, it's throwing gasoline on it. No need to get on there and say, oh, how dare you? And defend yourself. You can only make it worse. Words are divisive. Been at this a long time, I've seen husbands and wives. Sometimes just the smallest little argument, just the smallest disagreement and that thing just keeps growing and growing until you're divided. Hurtful words. Parents and children. Employers and employees. Neighbors, friends. church members, pastor and church. Oh, that's been so true so many places. Words are disputed. But not only are words revealing, words are recorded. Again, Jesus said, every word men shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Words are revealing, words are recorded, words are resented. How many times I've dealt with a situation, sometimes marriage counseling, and a couple will bring up 10 years ago, you remember what you said 10 years ago? Oh, but I thought we settled that. I thought, but no, it's still there. Words are resented and they are rebuked. Every discourse Job makes of all of his troubles. And by the way, if anybody had a right to complain, didn't Job had a right to complain? If anybody should, but every one of his discourses are rebuked by his three friends, but at last, the man of God. When Job got quiet, the words of Job are ended. When he got quiet, God sent him a man of God to begin to minister to him. And this is what the man of God said. Job in chapter 34, verse 35, Job has spoken without knowledge and his words were without wisdom. My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men. For he addeth rebellion unto his sin. He clappeth his hands among us and multiply his words against God. You see, that's another characteristic of your words. Your words keep adding up. multiplying words. Again, in verse 16 of 35, therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain, he multiplieth words without knowledge. And so often, the more we talk, the less unfounded those words are. He multiplies his words without knowledge. But then when God spoke to Job, and again, it wasn't until Job got quiet, The words of Job are ended. God sent him a man of God to speak to him. And then God himself spoke in chapter 38 verse one. Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? What is darkening counsel? That phrase means withholding the light. Do you know when I'm the least like Jesus? when I complain. Do you know when I'm the least like Jesus? When someone brings a bad accusation against me and when someone is speaking evil of me and I open my mouth and I let them have it. How dare you say that about me? I withhold the light. I am not like Jesus. People cannot see Jesus in me in that situation. And Job's three friends could not see God anymore. And what they thought of God was not right because what Job was saying was not right. God said, you have darkened counsel. You have hid the light. You've put the light under a bushel. Now no one can see Jesus if you are a Christian. You see, they think little of him. And God goes on to say, gird up now thy loins like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare it if thou hast understanding. You see, God knows the end from the beginning. We don't. And it may very well be, and God taught me, you know, Lonnie, I'm teaching you something here. I'm learning, I'm getting you to learn to depend on me. And by the way, when I learned that, those who said those evil things about me on the internet met tragic deaths. I'd be careful to be involved in that sort of thing. tragic deaths. But you know, it wasn't my place. You have to leave it to God. He knows the end from the beginning. You see what God's doing in the life of Job, not only is God interested in Job and helping Job, he's got three friends that are going to hell. Three friends that what you studied their discourse, they do not know God. And it's not till the last chapter they come to know God. Perhaps had Job not gone through this situation, Job's three friends would have died and gone to hell. But God knows the end from the beginning. And then we see with Job, his words, not only his words are revealing and they're recorded, they're resented, they're rebuked, but they are repented of. Job in chapter 42, verse one, then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that thou canst do everything and that no thought can be withholden from thee. Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered, that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. Here I beseech thee, I will speak, I will demand of thee and declare thou unto me. I've heard thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes." Now we see Job's words are redeemed. It was so, verse seven, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends, for ye have not spoken to me the thing that is right, as my servant Job had. What did Job say that was right? Repented. He got right with God about his words. Lord, I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have opened my mouth, but his three friends had not repented. No doubt they were saying, yeah, pour it on him. He deserves it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then God says, now you, now Job's got right with me. I'm going to kill you. I'm going to take care of you if you don't get right with Job. And we see Job's words are rewarded. And he says, so Eliphaz, and Timonite, and Bildad, and the Shuhite, and Zophar, the Nehemiathite, went and did according as the Lord commanded them. The Lord also accepted Job, and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends. Also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before, and it tells all the things. His family and friends all came back, and God blessed him. But what did Job do? He began to pray for those that evilly entreated him. Now, I know some of you, and I find people all the time, I'm not in church because that person said something about me. They did this and they did that, and there's bitterness all through the years and wasted life, but here, When Job got right with God, God turned the captivity of Job, whose captivity was in while he was in Satan's prison. Now, how do we respond? Words. And this is the lesson I learned. I'm gonna tell you, I know so many of you think I'm the happiest person you've ever seen. Well, I wasn't always that way. You should have seen me in 2019. Boy, I tell you, I was trying to straighten everybody out because everybody was wrong. But God gave me joy again. He let the sunshine in my heart again. I never would have been here. You can mark it down. God's taught me some things. He taught me some things about my words. to be careful with my words. We all need to learn that lesson. So, when you're in a word fight, what should you do? Number one, be patient. Just be patient. It's hard. You wanna take it in your own hands. You wanna sit down on that horn and let that person know that they offended you by cutting you off. Just be patient. We all have to learn that. Now my wife said this week, now I had a little bit and I was just having fun myself, as a person, because we don't know where we're at, and I'm going so slow in the middle of the street, don't know exactly where to turn, and there's a person behind me, honk their horn, And boy, they're right up on my bumper. And then they whizzed over into the other lane. I couldn't help myself. I just stomped it to the floor, you know. I'm kind of laughing and Gail said, now Lonnie, now Lonnie. She's the Holy Spirit, you know. Be patient. Be patient when you're provoked. Peter called it the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. It's beautiful. A person that has that meek and quiet spirit, that is so beautiful. It's like an ornament that you put on the tree to dress up the tree. It's like you ladies that, you know, you make this wonderful, mmm, succulent dish, but you kinda just put a garnish right in the middle of it. So maybe some of that meringue on top of that lemon pie. Just garnish that to make it look good. That's what a meek and a quiet spirit is. It's beautiful. And when you're going through it and people ask you, how's it going? Going great. Going good. God is so good. Meek and quiet spirit. There once was an owl that sat on the oak. The more he saw, the less he spoke. The less he spoke, the more he heard. Lord, make me like that wise old bird. Be patient. Secondly, be prayerful. You're going through some difficult, someone's challenging you, someone's pressing you, you got a child or a daughter that's just, son or daughter that's just, they're really attacking you, be patient. Be patient. You got a spouse that's maybe, as Peter said, disobedient to the word. You're not gonna win it by the war of words. but by meek and quiet spirit began to be prayerful. Isaiah 40, 27, why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel? My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God. But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. The next verse is chapter 41 and verse one. This was a continuation. Keep silence before me, O Alans. and let the people renew their strength. Let them come near, then let them speak. Let us come near together to judgment. Be quiet first. Before you complain, get quiet, get still. Let the Lord begin to speak to your heart. Then speak, and the Lord will renew your strength and help you mount up with wings as eagles and run and not be weary. Be patient, be prayerful, then pursue. Pursue knowledge, get in the word of God. Find the answers in the word of God. Find out what the Lord is trying to teach you and he will. He'll just bring the word to light and you're gonna see it clearly. As Job did when he got in the face of God and God began to speak to him and he began to hear God's word, then it all became clear, God made it clear to him. Point people to Jesus. Point people to Jesus, don't hide the light. You see, when Job got right, what did he have to do? He took his three friends that had said some hurtful, terrible things, he led them to Jesus. He led them to Christ. When you're going through some things, and I'm gonna tell you, God allowed us to go through some things to see us be able to win people to Jesus. Point people to Jesus. I'm gonna close with a poem that God gave me. I woke up one morning and these words were rolling around in my head. I titled this my portrait. I had my picture taken today in quite the most unusual way. It was not with film or photo gear. but by the mind of someone near. The pose I had was not my best, but it was me I must confess. The frown I had instead of smile upon their mind will last a while through the eyes, not camera lens or photo shot. by little kin. Impressions made either good or bad like love or hate or mad or glad. Dark rooms not needed, just little minds to develop our prints that last a lifetime. Our pictures framed between their ears will stay with them for years and years. Lord, help me not forget each day those little eyes that watch today to guard my pose, the words I say for those who take my photo today. Let's be careful about our words. We may be right. We may have a right position, but a very wrong disposition. And one day, all these words were gonna be held accountable for. and let's use them as Job did to turn people to righteousness. Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, help us now, Lord. The invitation is ours. Your word's plain. And Lord, if you rebuke Job, I certainly felt the rebuke that night, three o'clock in the morning. rolling over all of my troubles and what people had done against me, the hurts. But Lord, when I gave them to you, as we preached last Sunday night, come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, I'll give you rest. You did, Lord, you gave me rest, and you helped me get in the yoke. And Lord, I pray you'd help each of us to do that. Lord, there may be some families that this message was for tonight. Help them, Lord. Maybe some marriages, maybe some relationships, maybe some lost people that are determined they'll have nothing to do with our brand of Christianity until we get our words right. Have your way, in Jesus' name, amen.