Job 11:1-20 – Zophar is Mean!

Read Job 11:1-20

Zophar is crude and rude, and I’m surprised Job didn’t send him packing. We want our friends to be truthful, but we hope our friends will try and sugar coat the hard stuff–just a bit. The hard stuff will still be difficult to deal with, such as hurt feelings, empty bank accounts, illness, death of loved ones, etc. There is a time for being blunt and a time to round off the edges, so to speak. Zophar missed that courtesy memo in his upbringing.

This so-called friend, Zophar, is impatient, too. He does not handle his friend’s delicate emotional state well. Some of the things Zophar says to Job are just downright hurtful. Especially when he uses the “what if” scenarios to seemingly “drive the knife in further” in terms of Job’s emotional state. Continue reading “Job 11:1-20 – Zophar is Mean!”

1 Samuel 20:1-23 – Helping a Friend

Read 1 Samuel 20:1-23

two hands shaking each other as friends would do

If David was in denial before this, he is now certain Saul’s intentions are to kill him. Interesting that as he fled the scene in our last reading, he now ends up in the presence of his friend, Jonathan.

David hasn’t forgotten who Jonathan’s father is. Crazy thoughts like, “should I trust Jonathan?” or “is Jonathan going to be loyal to his father or me?” were likely running through David’s head. But the question that was actually haunting David was What is my crime? How have I offended your father that he is so determined to kill me?” I thought that to be a particularly good question!

Continue reading “1 Samuel 20:1-23 – Helping a Friend”

1 Samuel 17:52-18:4 – New Friends

Read 1 Samuel 17:52-18:4

two cuddly teddy bears sitting in a field, facing away, one posed with it's arm around the other

What a statement David’s actions made that day for the Israelites and the living God. The soldiers didn’t waste any time plundering the deserted camp. I can just imagine the relief they felt. They would not have to endure the bondage that seemed so sure.

It seems for David it was “all in a day’s work.” He carries Goliath’s head like a trophy, yet not with selfish pride but with gratefulness to God for giving him the strength. David’s deed had obviously caught Saul’s attention. Saul wanted to know everything about David. There doesn’t appear to be any recognition or association with the harp player, David. We see two, distinctly different sides of the same man in the accounts we’ve been reading.

Continue reading “1 Samuel 17:52-18:4 – New Friends”
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