Living and working with family can be a daunting process. It can be the best of times and the worst of times! The finest of times is when associations are close and congenial. The worst of times involve stressful relationships that can lead to undesirable choices.

God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform! I do not know who first stated those words, but I find myself repeating them from time to time. I marvel at how God makes decisions to work in individuals that I or others would not choose to use. God sees beyond the imperfections and continues to accomplish His plan!

Like father, like son. It is an old saying that resonates when sons look up and attempt to imitate their fathers. I have five brothers in my family and there are many family traits and personalities that are demonstrated which show a resemblance of my father. Some traits are natural, like a smile or a stance, while others are acquired habits.

The walk of faith can be a difficult road to negotiate. There are times when the Lord may ask us to accomplish something that is beyond our ability to believe. One of those times was when He asked me to go to school to become a Pastor. I had previously not been a good student and had not learned to apply myself to the discipline of academics.

It is always amazing to me when I watch little children and the way they behave as they learn how far they can go before parents are willing to discipline them. Parents will often put a limit on how far a child can go or where they are allowed to play. Almost every child will test those limits to see if the parent is serious.

Acting upon impulses can be dangerous and bring a great deal of suffering to a family or group. To go out for dinner on an impulse is one thing and it is quite another to suddenly decide to help God start a family! One decision may only cause indigestion for a night while the other could be disastrous!

Promises are valuable in the lives of people. We launch into the unknown on the promises made by our marriage partner, we accept an occupation based on promises made to us at the time of hiring. Children will stand at the window and expectedly look out at an empty driveway anticipating a parent's return. When a promise is made there is an anticipation of its fulfillment! The same is true here in Genesis 12 as Abram accepts the spoken word of the LORD.

Humility can be a very difficult pill to swallow! A litany of questions that have no answers can cause a man to recognize how small he really is in the universe! I have stated and believe it more firmly each day that, "the older I get, the more I realize how little I know!" Job came to this point of being aware of his ignorance as God revealed Himself, and His complete control of all creation.

When God suddenly appears on the scene and speaks, it becomes a marathon of questions directed toward Job that leaves him speechless. Stephen Davey in his book on Job states, "This speech given by the Lord is the longest that is recorded in Scripture... What God is about to do over the course of two speeches is ask Job seventy-seven questions - all about creation."

Elihu challenges the perception that Job could have an equal standing with God and calls it a prideful and arrogant attitude (37: 14-18). As you read this section of Job be aware of Elihu's desire to present God as patient, just, mighty, majestic and powerful! He ends the long dialogue by asking Job to consider the works of God and then to teach the truths of God's character and person.