READ: Job 28-30

THINK: Read Job 30:15-20 slowly again (maybe even a few times) until the words sink into your consciousness, becoming familiar to you and resonating with your present state of mind. Don’t try to analyze Job’s response or determine its validity. Simply open yourself to his experience.

PRAY: What goes on inside you when you hear Job talk about God’s silence? Perhaps you feel irritated, or maybe you relate because you’ve experienced times when God seemed inaccessible. Talk to God about your reaction to this passage. To help clarify your reaction, write about it. Give yourself permission to be completely open and honest.

LIVE: Right now, practice resting in the knowledge that God is with you in both words and silence – whether you’re doing things right or doing nothing at all, whether you feel he’s near or you feel nothing. If this is especially tough for you to do, pray the prayer “Lord, I believe a little; help me believe more.”

By: Eugene Peterson in Solo

READ: Proverbs 25

THINK: Researchers at Montana State University have challenged the idea that a high-sugar snack generates quick energy. They tested long-distance runners on stationary exercise bicycles and found that athletes who had a sugar-free drink before the workout were able to pedal twenty-five percent longer than those who had a sugar-laden drink. The study concluded that “athletes may be well-advised to abstain from sugar snacks before exercise.”

The Bible concurs that too many sweets can affect well-being. King Solomon used the illustration of eating too much honey to point up something more serious—the danger of overindulging in the sweet taste of self-glory. In Proverbs 25, the wise king gave two warnings about the danger of too much self-congratulations and boasting (Proverbs 25:14, 27). Looking for attention and bragging about our accomplish­ments might be sweet to the taste in the short run. But in the long run, bragging does to the personality what eating five pounds of chocolate-covered cherries does to the waistline.

Nothing makes us weaker than a constant diet of self-centeredness and pride. All our energy is used up on ourselves. How much better to deny ourselves the sweet taste of self-glory by exercising discipline and faith. That’s how we can become strong enough to meet the chal­lenges we face.

Faith steps in when pride steps out!

By: M. R. De Haan II in Our Daily Bread

PRAY: Confess your pride to God. Come before him and lay down all of your self-centeredness and selfishness. Ask him to help you be humble and rely on him in all things.

READ: Job 23-27

BACKGROUND:

Chapter 23 – Job’s response to Eliphaz’ accusations that his suffering is a result of sin in his life.

23:6 – Job assures his friends of his innocence.

23: 8, 10 – Job is frustrated because he feels as if God is ignoring him, but reiterates that despite his frustration, his heart for God is steadfast. He admits that God is testing him – not to purge away his sin, but to show that Job is pure gold.

Chapter 24 – Job describes the terrible injustice that exists in the world. He does not understand why God is seemingly silent and indifferent.

24:21-24  – Job says that God judges the wicked, but does so in his time.

Chapter 25 – Job’s friend Bildad speaks.  Bildad communicates God’s power and man’s weakness. While Bildad’s words were true, they were somewhat misguided, as he was trying to get Job to recognize his sin, even though we know Job was blameless.

26:2-4 Job responds with sarcasm because Bildad’s words, while true, were well known and understood by Job already and not the point of the current situation.

26:14 – Job speaks of the magnitude of God’s power and authority and the inability of humans to even begin to grasp the full extent of his might.

27:2 A solemn oath from Job to keep his faith despite his perception of denied justice.

THINK: Why do bad things happen to good people? If you haven’t asked it yourself, you’ve been asked it a time or two by someone else. We hear that and ponder that very question all the time. Traditional thinking would lead us to believe that we reap what we sow. If that is true, suffering and prosperity should be distributed in proportion with the evil and good done by a person (John Piper). We all know from first-hand experience that that is not always true. Job spent much of his time expressing his frustration with this very matter.

The bottom line is that our finite minds will never understand the wisdom of an infinitely wise God. 1 Corinthians 13:12 says it this way, “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” Not knowing everything right this second can be hugely troublesome to us. My challenge today is to allow the unknown to lead us to a deeper trust in God and gratitude for His control. Rather than despairing over our circumstances or the circumstances in our world, let’s focus on God’s character and know with complete confidence that He is good and He is wise.  He allows us to experience pain and sadness and He knows the injustices that plague our world. Praise God that His plan is to one day redeem us from this world of evil and restore us to Himself.

When the weight of the evil is overwhelming, choose to focus on and rejoice in the truth of a God that loves and holds us in the midst of chaos. Rather than becoming angry when life seems out of control, rejoice that you serve a God who is always in control. Above all, rejoice that you serve a God that does not give you what you deserve. As “good” as we may some days think we are, the truth is we are wicked and deserve death. In God’s grace alone, He chose to redeem us.  Keep your eyes and hope on a future with Jesus and the craziness of life will be washed away with the calm, loving voice of Jesus, assuring you of His promise to bring you home!
Written By: Cari Widdel