Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]
The Last Day

The Last Day

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This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.  

John 6:39-40 

What is the last day of which Christ speaks in our text? The rest of Scripture refers to it in various locations. Later in the gospel of John, Christ says the words He has spoken will judge the one who rejects Him, ‘in the last day.’ Matthew 25 quotes Christ, in reference to His return, as the time when He will judge the whole of humanity. The closing verse of Daniel says, ‘But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days.’ Again, we see that from ancient times, it has been clear there will be a last day. Why should this matter to us? Every indicator points to the fact that this last day is coming. Regardless of how much anyone may seek to deny it or relegate it to the realm of mythology, Christ certainly asserts it, as does the rest of Scripture. Therefore we should not lightly dismiss it. Beyond that, the implication is, we will all be part of it. This gives rise to the question of how we have prepared for this last day, and are preparing for it. It may not come in our lifetime, but according to Christ, it will surely come. There was a beginning. There will be an end. 

Our Wise and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You have a plan. 
We praise You that You will bring it to pass, 
in due course of time. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

These Three Men

These Three Men

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Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness, says the Lord God. 

Ezekiel 14:14

When God chooses to use particular individuals as examples of righteous people, whom does He choose? According to our text, He chooses Noah, Daniel, and Job. In the context God is speaking of bringing judgment on Israel for their persistent unfaithfulness. He says, ‘Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.’ Having said that, He follows with the words of our text. His point is, these three men are most notable for their righteousness, so when God brought judgment, ‘they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.’ What is worthy of our consideration is that these men all had great afflictions and endured much to bring them to deep knowledge of God. Each of them encountered Christ in one form or another. God spoke to Noah to build the ark. He interacted extensively with him throughout the whole process. Daniel testifies it was the Messenger of Jehovah, the pre-incarnate Christ, Who shut the mouths of the lions. God spoke to Job from the whirlwind, another Christophany. Thus these three knew God through Christ and are for us examples of how various hard experiences lead us to a greater knowledge of God as Christ reveals Him to us.  

Our Great and Sovereign God, 
we rejoice that You are the God of truth and righteousness. 
We praise You that as you reveal Yourself to us, 
we know more of Christ. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

The Intended End

The Intended End

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My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord, that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.  

James 5:10-11 

What does God intend as the end of our suffering? If we hear Job, the quintessential suffering saint, it is that we know God better than we ever have before. Hence, Job’s last recorded words are, ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.’ James corroborates this in our text. God wants us to know Him. To know Him, and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent is what constitutes eternal life, according to Christ in His High Priestly prayer. Thus affliction has purpose and value. This is extremely hard for us to appreciate when we are enduring it. Job certainly had his moments of deep crisis. He questioned God in numerous instances. For all his agonizing experiences, he retained his faith. In speaking to Job’s friends God exonerates Job by saying, ‘My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as my servant Job has.’ Job knows more of God as Christ reveals Him and becomes the model for all who wonder what is the purpose of affliction. Because Christ is the revealer of God, He is the One Whom we magnify. 

Our Holy and Wise God, 
we rejoice that You know the end from the beginning. 
We praise You that You order and arrange all things, 
to accomplish Your purpose for us. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

Compassionate And Merciful

Compassionate And Merciful

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Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 

James 5:11 

Job endured deep, sustained, painful afflictions. He continued to trust God in spite of all God allowed him to suffer. God’s overall purpose was that he might experience Him more deeply. This did come to be in due course of time. Job testified, ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.’ Thus, Job became the archetypal enduring saint. At the end, we realize that Christ was integrally involved in Job’s spiritual progress. Just as He had spoken to Moses from the burning bush, so He spoke to Job from the whirlwind. The results of this sight of Christ and this advancement of his experience of God was he could testify that he knew more of God than ever before. Thus God had shown Himself to be, as our text puts it, ‘compassionate and merciful.’ All God permits us to endure as those who have faith in Him serves the overall purpose to draw us closer to Him and to know Him more fully. In this He proves Himself to be compassionate and merciful. He sets Christ before us while we are enduring affliction so we will come to the deeper knowledge of God which is what He intends. What He did for Job, we believe He will do for us.  

Our Merciful and Compassionate God, 
we rejoice in how You manifest Yourself to us. 
We praise You that as You do,  
You draw us out after Christ. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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