What sustained the Son of God during His life of toil and sacrifice? He saw the results of the travail of His soul and was satisfied. Looking into eternity, He beheld the happiness of those who through His humiliation had received pardon and everlasting life. His ear caught the shout of the redeemed. He heard the ransomed ones singing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

We may have a vision of the future, the blessedness of heaven. In the Bible are revealed visions of the future glory, scenes pictured by the hand of God, and these are dear to His church. By faith we may stand on the threshold of the eternal city, and hear the gracious welcome given to those who in this life co-operate with Christ, regarding it as an honor to suffer for His sake. As the words are spoken, ?Come, ye blessed of My Father,? they cast their crowns at the feet of the Redeemer, exclaiming, ?Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. . . . Honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.? Matthew 25:34; Revelation 5:12, 13.?The Acts of the Apostles, p. 601.

Perhaps you or someone you know is tempted to think that a God who would allow evil and suffering cannot be fully good and loving. I beg you to look to the Cross. Who suffers the most because of evil? God Himself, not only relative to the Cross but because He suffers every time we suffer?similar to the way I suffer whenever my son suffers. When he broke his arm some years ago, I would have much rather broken both of my arms. Because He loves us so, God suffers whenever we suffer. Thus, God suffers most of all?taking all suffering upon Himself.

If there had been any other way to ensure the unending harmony of love in this universe, don?t you think He would have chosen it, even if only to spare the unfathomable cost to Himself? Despite knowing this world would cost the Son of God His life, He chose to create us, bestow love on us, and suffer the consequences Himself, receiving what we deserve so we might receive what He deserves.

What more could He do? God has done everything that could be done for this world without undermining His love relationship, and He will finally eradicate evil, without compromising love. In the end, all things work together for good for those who love the Lord (Romans 8:28). 

In light of the fact that most of us will ultimately spend a significant portion of our week at work, God?s plan is that we use that time well by being deliberate about our work ethic. While the following biblical passage is directed at those who were servants to others, the principle of humble service applies to every sector of the working world. Paul calls believers to leverage their influence in the workplace by treating their supervisors with genuine respect and kindness. ?Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free? (Ephesians 6:5?8; emphasis added).

Employers long to have employees who are loyal, selfless, and sincere. Being an employee of that caliber is part of God?s will for our lives. You might remember the story of Joseph and how God could use him because Joseph was willing to be a servant?and, when it was time, a leader. Bookstores are filled with resources that preach the concept of servant leadership. The core concept of most of these books is that our character? who we are?is what influences others in one direction or another. God has a plan for your life, and it includes the 40 percent of each day that you spend at work or school. 

Why do we feel like we have to know the future in order to do what we know is necessary right now? Think of the way Noah faced up to the daunting task of building an ark, and Moses leading a nation of three million people out of bondage, and David being anointed to replace the first king of Israel. We see their storied lives and their heroic victories, but we see them in hindsight. What we don?t always notice is that Noah had to go to work on Monday morning with the neighbors laughing every time he broke a fingernail or cut a board just a hair too short. What makes Noah?s legacy so profound is not the ark, the Flood, the animals, and the rainbow, but the fact that he went to work every day and did the little things. Noah was what I call a ?day-Today? kind of believer. . . .

I was interviewing kindergarten graduates about their aspirations. ?What does the future hold for you?? I inquired of one lad.

?I?m going to be a big, strong fireman,? he said with grim determination.

?How does one become a big, strong fireman?? I asked.

The sandy-haired boy replied with a knowing grin, ?You have to eat your vegetables and get big and strong, and then you can pour all the water from the ocean on the world when Jesus sets it on fire.?

I could barely refrain from laughing at his answer. What amused me most was the way he captured the moment when a firefighter would most be needed. Then, choosing not to chastise him for going head to head with Jesus at the time of the destruction of the wicked, I asked, ?What do you think you should do today to be ready for such a big responsibility??

He thought for a moment and answered confidently, ?Eat my vegetables.?

Is it possible that whatever great things the future holds for us, there will always be something to do today that is God?s will?

Don?t let what you can?t see now obscure what has been revealed to you. When the way ahead is unclear, back up and survey the revelation of God in history, in your life, and in His Word. Sometimes, the only way to negotiate the future is to remember the evidence that litters the trail behind you.

Notice that the disciples credit aspects of God?s revelation for finally opening their eyes: First, they recognized Jesus after ?he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them? (Luke 24:30). This familiar scene that was lodged so deeply in their hearts emerged only when they witnessed it again.

And second, God?s Word brought about a deep response in their hearts. They asked each other, ? ?Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?? ? (verse 32). The information and wisdom from Scripture became central to their worldview again. Sometimes in our most confusing moments, our cognitive sensibilities take a vacation.

The case of heartburn these two disciples experienced launched them back down the road?the opposite direction they had just traveled. When my circumstances are like a dense fog, retracing my steps and reminding myself of the guidance along the way guides me in the right direction. Sometimes, that right direction is an about-face. 

When we look carefully at the forms of the words Paul uses, we see confirmation that he was hardly going against the gospel here in Philippians 2:12, 13. When Paul says, ?Work out your salvation,? he uses the plural for the terms ?work out? and ?your.? The term ?salvation,? however, is singular. Paul is not speaking about individual salvation here; he is speaking of the community. Throughout the discussion, Paul has not spoken of matters involving individual behavior but of the Philippians? relationships with each other. It is the corporate life of the Philippians that has concerned Paul?their unity, life together, and need for all to respect and love each other. Paul assumes their salvation, but now he addresses the community and its needs. Paul is not telling them to work hard so that they may individually be saved; he is telling them to work hard to actualize their salvation in the life and fellowship of the church.

Salvation is not only individual but also social. The good news of God?s free grace must be made a reality in the transformed values and relationships of the congregation. Putting salvation into practice in the nitty-gritty world of conflicting personalities and complex relationships is what Paul is talking about when he tells the Philippians to work out their salvation. He is saying, ?All of you together actualize salvation among yourselves by living together in community.?  

Paul begins, in verses 19 and 20, with an expression of confidence. He knows that the Philippians are praying for him. He knows that the Spirit is with him. Yet he is in prison and faces the uncertainty of a trial. He thinks of Job and his confidence and quotes Job13:16 as an expression of his own confidence: ?This will turn out for my deliverance.? Does this mean his release from prison or his ultimate salvation? Gerald F. Hawthorne argues that it is the former and, therefore, that Paul is confident he is not really facing the threat of death. But this does not fit with the total picture of the letter.

Certainly, Paul is confident, but his confidence is the confidence of Job?confidence that he will ultimately be vindicated. Paul is absolutely sure of that. He is confident but less sure that this imprisonment will turn out positively. How do we know this? From statements he makes in the rest of the letter. We will review these statements in more detail when we study Philippians 2, but we should notice them now. In Philippians 2:17, Paul says, ?But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.? Paul?s ?even if ? seems to express the possibility that his trial might end with execution. Yet Paul seems confident as well. Notice verses 23 and 24 of the same chapter: ?I hope, therefore, to send him [Timothy] as soon as I see how things go with me. And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.? 

As a people we do not understand as we should the great conflict going on between invisible agencies, the controversy between loyal and disloyal angels. Evil angels are constantly at work, planning their line of attack, controlling as commanders, kings, and rulers, the disloyal human forces. . . . Do not indulge in fanciful speculations. The Written Word is our only safety. We must pray as did Daniel, that we may be guarded by heavenly intelligences. As ministering spirits angels are sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation. Pray, my brethren, pray as you have never prayed before. We are not prepared for the Lord?s coming. We need to make thorough work for eternity.?Ellen G. White Comments, in The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, p. 1173.

Job 1 and 2 thus provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a cosmic courtroom dispute between God and Satan. Although Job?s friends contend otherwise, the text reveals that Job was not being punished for evil but held up as an example of faithfulness in contrast to Satan?s slanderous allegations (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). Satan attempts to break Job to prove God?s judgment false and thus undermine God?s government of love.

We thus learn numerous things about the cosmic conflict. First, bad things happen to ?good? people (see Ecclesiastes 7:15; 8:14; Jeremiah 5:28; 12:1; Luke 13:1?5), falsifying the theology of Job?s ?friends.? Second, Satan, not God, is the monster who wreaks havoc on Job (e.g., Job 2:7; 1:12), indirectly injuring God. Third, Satan possesses the power to work evil in this world (as earth?s ruler after the Fall, cf. John 12:31) but only within (dynamic) limits?some ?rules of engagement? known to God and Satan (but typically not known to us). These rules are not set by God unilaterally but are the result of court proceedings before the heavenly council. 

The manner in which Hannah prayed awes me: ?Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard? (verse 13). When accused of drunkenness, she respectfully told her accuser, ?No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord? (verse 15).

What does it mean to ?pour out? one?s soul before the Lord? I picture Hannah praying with the ?earnestness and intensity? described in this sentence from Christ?s Object Lessons: ?When with earnestness and intensity we breathe a prayer in the name of Christ, there is in that very intensity a pledge from God that He is about to answer our prayer ?exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.? Eph. 3:20.?

Would that we had tens of thousands of Hannahs in the church today! And Marys too. Mary?s prayer, often called the Magnificat, has an amazing quality. That ten-verse prayer (Luke 1:46?55) contains eighteen expressions from the Old Testament. It has been compared to Hannah?s prayer of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel 2:1?10.  

Prayer makes a big difference! But, tragically, that truth is one we have been slow to utilize. H. M. S. Richards once commented that ?prayer is the most talked about and least practiced of all Christian beliefs.? One survey reported that the average Christian spends only about three minutes a day in prayer. And the average pastor? About seven minutes.

We can draw two conclusions from Israel?s experience:

When we work, we work. But when we pray, God works. Consider again a truth mentioned in the introduction: When God works, He can accomplish more in a moment than we could in an entire lifetime. Someone has said, ?Depend on talent and get what talent can do. Depend on education, and get what education can do. Depend on organization, and get what organization can do. Pray, and get what God can do.?

Joshua and his troops did all they could. So should we. Wouldn?t it have been ludicrous for Joshua and his troops to abandon the battlefield with this excuse, ?It?s all up to Moses and God?? Exodus 17 teaches that it?s when divine power and human effort are combined that miracles happen. 

?Christ healed Romans and Jews alike while He lived on earth?but He did not choose to heal everyone. John the Baptist had his head cut off within miles of his Cousin who had the power to save him. God sees what is best. Can we say that it?s better for us to be alive or to be dead? Blessed are those who die in the Lord. Those spared have a purpose. Only God knows the whole picture.?

At times both David and Job struggled with despair and prayed words of complaint (see Psalms 38; 60; 77; and Job 10). David wrote Psalm 56 while hiding in a cave, facing the prospect that at any moment a spear would plunge through his heart (1 Samuel 22:1). And he wrote Psalm 57 while hiding from the Philistines. Sometimes called ?the twins,? these two psalms mention multiple problems, yet both end with a spirit of praise. Verses 7 and 8 of Psalm 57 form a fitting conclusion for this chapter: ?O God, my heart is quiet and confident. No wonder I can sing your praises! . . . Arise, O harp and lyre! Let us greet the dawn with song!? (TLB).