January 15 – Job 40-42

Today’s reading comes from Job 40-42. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Today we have finished the book of Job. We have seen the life he had lived and the reverence to God he did it with. We have seen Satan approach God seeking permission to destroy the fabric of Job’s entire life. From that destruction we have witnessed the remorse, strength, questions, and faith that Job contained. We have witnessed the back and forth between Job and his friends. We have also experienced the thoughts of a young man. And we have now concluded with God’s own words.

In all Job did he never cursed God. He never turned his back on God. He did certainly struggle, he did certainly question God. And because Job asked for God to show up and to correct him, and instruct him God did just that. In the end, because of his faith, because he was willing to learn, because he was willing to be wrong and submit to the authority and leadership of God, Job is blessed beyond what he previously had before the destruction in his life.

There is a powerful lesson we can learn from Job. If we are humble, if we have faith, if we are willing to listen and learn from God, to be open to his teaching, to allow it to mold and shape our lives … when the valleys of this present themselves we will come out stronger than before. Job did just that and in the end it is said of him … “After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so Job died, an old man and full of years.” (Job 42:16-17 NIV84) What a beautiful eulogy of Job.

The storms of life will define us. The definition will come from how we handle these storms. If we handle them well it may be said of us that we lived a full life, full of years, full of memories. If we do not handle them well it may be said of us, not in a eulogy at our funeral, but around the dinner table at family get-togethers about the negative ways we handled the storms of life. How do you want people to speak of you? Live as Job did, learning and growing from the pains, toils, heartaches, and calamities and you will be remembered well.

January 14 – Job 38-39

Today’s reading comes from Job 38-39. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

God is all knowing, God is all present, and God is all powerful. All along God has been in control. The calamities that have struck Job we not caused by God but they were allowed by God.  God has heard Job and his three friends banter back and forth. He has heard the descriptions of his character and abilities. He has heard the accusations made against Him. And now He is ready to respond.

He begins directly with Job. His words remind us of his work in creation. His words remind us of his power and majesty. His words remind us of his sovereignty. He asks where Job was as he wove the fabric of the universe into existence. We will learn that Job has no response to God’s questions.

In this we see God responding to the questions posed by Job. As I read I thought about the idea of questioning God. Is it ok to question God? From a simple surface level reading of God’s response we could say no, that it is a scary proposition. And in one sense I agree while completely disagree. Here is how.

As I study scripture I am fully convinced that it is a dangerous prospect to question God, to believe you know better. I mean he is God; creator, give of life, and sustainer of the universe. I think he knows what he is doing. However, to have questions, to seek wisdom, to seek understanding, to ask God why in humility, I think that is noble, I think that is pure. When calamities strike and you begin to question God, seek the tone of your heart. The tone of your heart will show the real reason for your questions. If you seek understanding and wisdom God will build up and instruct. 

January 13 – Job 35-37

Today’s reading comes from Job 35-37. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Throughout Job we have witnessed the calamities brought upon his family. We have seen his misery. We have felt his hurt and pains. We have sat on the sidelines and watched as three friends tried in a horrible way to counsel Job. Through it all we have seen the glory of God, his power and majesty, his sovereignty all revealed by Job and his friends. But in any of that did we see praise?

As Elihu continues his thoughts he asks this same very question … “People cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night, who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?” (Job 35:9-11 NIV84). I feel Elihu makes an awesome point.

Reflect on your life and how you handle the ups and downs of life. When times are good do you remember to praise and thank God for the blessings you know and experience? Or does it seem easy to forget God and what he has blessed you with? Now think of the valleys, the days that are hard … do you find yourself asking God why, maybe even blaming God, or at the very least frustrated with God? And then do you find yourself praising God through the valleys?

The author of James tells us to consider it joy when we face trials of many kinds because it is going to strengthen us and make us better (James 1:2-4). Are the valleys of life fun? Certainly not! But there is surly blessings that can be found in them. Just remember, the next valley you find yourself in, to ask what God is planning for your life that he is preparing you now for. In that you may just find praise and joy. 

January 12 - Job 32-34

Today’s reading comes from Job 32-34. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

So far through Job we have seen the back and forth discourse between Job and his three friends. While they have been going at it, another has sat in the wings listening to their arguments. This man is much younger and because of that he has purposefully sat in the shadows keeping quiet and simply listening. Through it all, while keeping quiet, while simply listening he begins to develop frustration with Job and his friends. He has listened long enough, now he must unload his thoughts.

Elihu realizes he is young, he realizes the men he is talking to have lived many years. He states this as the reason he has kept quiet for so long … “I am young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell you what I know. I thought, “Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.” (Job 32:6-7). Friends, I think that is wonderful wisdom for many of us to learn from and operate by.

 But … I think we would also be wise to be willing to learn from various generations. There is so much the younger can teach the older. The young must however remember that there is much wisdom in those who have lived and experienced the knowledge that comes through living many years. There is wisdom that can come only from living and experiencing life.

Let’s learn from Elihu that wisdom does come from age. However, let’s also realize that there are things that the younger generations can share and teach older generations. It is what makes all this work … learning and being willing to learn from each other. 

January 11 – Job 29-31

Today’s reading comes from Job 24-28. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

This morning I had an interesting conversation with Marty about the pain and ridicule that came from fans while playing a sport. As a pitcher he said he had to learn selective hearing to not hear the things fans would say when not having his best day on the mound. We know negative words hurt. I wander how much the negative words hurt Job?

In chapter thirty Job had heard the negative words of those around him … “But now they mock me, men younger than I, whose fathers I would have disdained to put with my sheep dogs.” (Job 31:1 NIV84) I wander if the negative words drove his depression deeper? I wander if Job would have suffered as long and hard as he had if the words from his friends … if the words from the casual observer had been positive, uplifting, and encouraging?

Friends, there is power in the words we say. Words can be deathly destructive or they can be life building. How do your words build up and encourage? Do you work hard to make sure others are uplifted, or do you find yourself constantly tearing others down? How can you be more uplifting? I think if we were to find the positive words in our heart and suppress the negative our world might look strikingly different.

January 10 – Job 24-28

Today’s reading comes from Job 24-28. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

The final line of today’s reading really struck me hard … “And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord-That is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28 NIV) Friends, that sums up Job’s entire discourse with his friends.

All throughout they have had this constant battle back and forth about what has brought these calamities upon Job. His friends blame some hidden sin issue in his life. While Job realizes that could be it, he knows he has lived his life in an effort to worship and praise God with it. In today’s reading we have even seen the back and forth about what happens to evil people. Job paints the most beautiful picture of what end will eventually come to those who choose to live the wicked path of life. That fullness is realized in the eternal separation from God if a life saving/changing relationship with Jesus is never gained.

After all this back and forth Job concludes with his friends that wisdom is worth more than any precious stone, any precious ore from the ground, or any of the riches conceived by man. Wisdom is a high value commodity, and the root of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Friends, do you fear God? I think when we hear this phrase we too quickly run to that idea of something horrible, something scary, and something that will endanger us. While that may be a part of the definition it is only a part. I think in fear there is a healthy amount of respect. As an adult I no longer fear the wrath of my parents or the negative they can do to me. But because they are my parents, because of the blessings they have shared with me, the lessons they have taught me, and the roots they have given me I have a healthy respect for their thoughts, opinions, and guidance. This respect comes from the love they have shown me. I think this is the similar fear of God that we would be wise to have.

God does not correct, God does not teach, God does not allow hardships in life just because he thinks we need punishment. I believe these things happen to mold and shape us into the people he desires us to be. God is like the master potter at work. I will end by leaving this verse from the New Testament in your minds … “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph. 2:10 NIV84)

January 9 – Job 21-23

Today’s reading comes from Job 21-23. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

In his back and forth Job and his friends continue to discuss what has brought this calamity on. In chapter twenty-one Job describes the wicked, the immoral of the earth. The way he sees it, the wicked live on, sometime in elegance while the righteous get by with little means … “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power? They see their children established around them, their offspring before their eyes.” (Job 21:7-8 NIV84).  Toward the end of the chapter in verse thirty-three he remarks how people follow after the wicked.

In Job’s mind the world is backwards. The wicked are blessed and followed while the righteous, those who strive to honor God, seem to suffer heartache and isolation. We might even argue with Job. We see similar things play out in our world. One of the most humble righteous seeking people of the twentieth century, Mother Teresa, had no personal wealth and seemed to wrestle with her isolation. On the other side of the coin we look at Hollywood and we see people who are immoral, dishonest, and wicked in many regards awarded with fame and fortune.

However, I wander if we are considering blessedness true blessedness when we evaluate it against fame and fortune? I think we, like Job and his friends may evaluate God’s blessings differently than God does. I don’t think that thought was lost on Job … “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:8-10 NIV84) I think Job knows and understands where true blessings come from.

So how do you define blessings? Do you measure them the way the world does? Do you measure them the way God does? And exactly how does God measure blessings?

January 8 – Job 17-20

Today’s reading comes from Job 17-20. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Again we see the back and forth between Job and his friends. Job is in serious torment after suffering the loss of everything and even his health has been effected. His friends keep lobbying that it is his sin that has been the cause of these calamities. Job has not fully denied this, but continually points that he has lived seeking to honor God in all he does, and has repented for the wrongs he commits. Friends, I think this is the proper lifestyle to follow. Still job cannot understand why God is allowing all this to happen.

While Job’s friends are not correct in their blame of Job’s calamities on sin, they are correct in their description about what does happen to wicked men. Bildad the Shuhite describes a wicked man in Job 18:5-21. Take a moment and go back and read those verses. In these verses we are given a glimpse of what happens to the wicked man:

• His lamped is snuffed out
• Light goes out
• His step is weakened
• Trapped by the heal
• A noose is hidden for him
• Death’s firstborn devours his limbs.
• The memory of him parishes from the earth
• Driven from light to darkness
• Such is the place of one who does not know God.

This does not paint a pretty picture. While I do not find this to describe the character of Job, I do find it to describe what happens to the wicked person. And while sometimes on this earth the wicked seem to have the blessings of God in material possessions, let’s remember that without a life saving relationship with Jesus Christ, they have no true hope, they have no true light, they have no eternal blessings! And that is an important and powerful lesson to remember.

As a side note, we are called as followers of Christ to love our enemies. We are to desire that no one perish without hope. So let’s remember, no matter how much someone has hurt you, wronged you, or been incredibly wicked to someone else, we should desire to teach them about a life saving relationship with Jesus Christ. God desires this for even the most wicked people on this earth.

January 6 - Job 10 - 13

Today’s reading comes from Job 10-13. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

To be completely transparent the book of Job has always been a little strange to me. The back and forth that takes place between the Job and his friends has always baffled me. To be truly transparent, I have never read through Job more than two times before this one. So I am not a scholar by any means.

In various classes, sermons, and other places I have always heard that Job’s friends are really not helpful in counseling him. As I read the back and forth between them I even see Job share that with his friends … “Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with you!” (Job 13:2 NIV84). That is not high praise for his friends who have come to his aid.

I wander if there is a nugget of truth we can find here in this counseling session. When I read the words of Job and his friends as they describe God I find myself nodding my head in agreement. What they all say is in agreement with what I find throughout the rest of scripture. So why are they not helpful? I think it is the approach they have come at Job with. Job has just come through the worst event any human could suffer through. While the words they share speak truth about God, it really isn’t what Job needs to hear.

If we wanted to, we could probably find some fault in Job. Has he closed himself off to the counsel and compassion of his friends? I don’t know. I can tell you this; I do not know how I would react to the counsel of friends if I had experienced what Job had. So while he may not respond well, maybe it is the best he can do following his tragedy.

I think there is a lesson here for us … How do we compassionately and lovingly support someone who has gone through a challenging time in life? Do we always strive to point out the reasons they have gone through this tragedy pointing to their faults? Or do we first show them love and support and over time, as they are ready to look back, use their struggles as a teaching time? Finally, how do we respond to those who are doing the best they can to be comforting and supporting when we have hit rock bottom? 

January 5 – Job 6-9

Today’s reading comes from Job 6-9. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Job has reached the full point of misery. Everything he has been blessed with in this life except for his wife has been taken from him. His flocks and herds, his servants, his property, and worst of all his children are all gone. Even his health has been effected. As we begin our reading today we are well aware of Job’s misery.

As many of us do when tough times are upon us we question God. Job knows that he has done his best to honor God with his life. He does not understand the misery, he does not understand the hardship, and from his words, he seems that he his ready to mail his life in. His friends seem to think there is some sort of sin that has brought God’s judgment upon him. They do not know what it is … in every way they have seen Job has been noble … but in their minds there is something deep and hidden that he needs to repent of.

Job has a healthy understanding of who God is. Job’s words in chapter nine paint a beautiful picture of God the creator. They also paint a picture of God the judge. Job’s friends seem to have persuaded him to believe he is guilty for something and that the pain he is suffering is because of his guilt. The story is still developing, but Job knows that God does not reason like a man does.

Job longs for an arbitrator to reason between him and God (Job 9:22-25). Friends, Job lived without and arbitrator, but we do not have to. In Jesus we have found one who will arbitrate for us. Because God is holy and we are the furthest thing from holy, we cannot be in God’s presence. But Jesus came to become our mediator, our arbitrator, to stand before God on our behalf with our sin upon him so that we can once again walk with God. Friends, I hope you are as thankful for that as I am. No matter how tough life gets here on earth, in Christ we have hope, and friends, that is comforting in times of distress!

January 4 – Job 1-5

Today’s reading comes from Job 1-5. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Today we begin the book of Job. In this chronological reading of the Bible we pause from Genesis because many Bible scholars and historians believe this would have been the time period Job lived and thus making this proper place to insert this book. Many of the circumstances found in the book of Job show a patriarchal society. Also we see Job offering sacrifices to God without the assistance of Priest, which indicates he lived before God gave his law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Also another indicator is the idea that Job’s wealth is measured in his flocks and servants. Couple this together with his lifespan of 140 years we are pointed to some time in the Genesis era.

The story of Job quickly unfolds with Satan coming before God along with the angels. God allows Satan to bring harm to Job’s family, his wealth, and even his personal health. From here we find Job mourning his loss and the beginning of the counsel he finds from his friends.

Throughout the rest of Job we will find Job and his friends asking the question if God is all loving, all knowing, and all powerful … why does he allow bad things to happen to good people? Job has been a righteous man. He feared God so much so that when his children threw feast he offered sacrifices for their protection (Job 1:5). Why has God destroyed his life this way? However through it all, he never curses God, even when prodded to by his wife (Job 2:9-11).

The struggle that Job is about to have is not much different then struggles we all face. If God is love as the Bible teaches, then why does bad happen in the world? Why do we see death, disease, famine, poverty, cancer, tragic accidents, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and many other cataclysmic events? Over the course of the next eleven days we will venture through Job and find the strength that only trials can bring.