Satan – Be Still…

Job 9:1-35 – Who Am I?

Read Job 9:1-35

Job keenly displays his humility and his fear of God. What a response! And by fear, it’s reverence and respect, just as much as it is terror that God’s punishment will strike again.

Job is still in a dark place. This time he speaks, Job asks the question, “Who Am I?” Once he is done speaking of God’s power and strength, Job turns inward. When we imagine that God, creator of the universe, cares for us, we can find ourselves asking the same question. How inadequate we can often feel, unworthy to receive such grace and mercy. Continue reading “Job 9:1-35 – Who Am I?”

Job 2:1-10 – To Your Health!

Read Job 2:1-10

Again we see Job being tested. This time, we also see his wife and her attitude toward all that is going on. She has lost her children, and still the Accuser is seeking more access to Job from God. This access will make Job sick.

Boils doing sound like a lot of fun. Even his wife thinks the best thing he can do is just give in, blame God, and die. I sense a very hurt woman having a hard time with all of troubles that she is facing. Her faith is not as steady as Job’s apparently. Continue reading “Job 2:1-10 – To Your Health!”

Job 1:6-22 – Job’s First Test

Read Job 1:6-22

Before too much time passes, I wanted to pass on something I learned from my pastor husband, David, as I was preparing to start this reflection. An Old Testament scholar would know that the “Satan” we read about here must be taken into context. We bring a lot of “New Testament” knowledge about how evil is personified in Satan or the devil. People in Job’s time would not have that same knowledge. For them, Satan would be more of a prosecuting attorney or an accuser wanting to trip up or tempt one of God’s favorites.

Here, the accuser is pointing his finger at Job, the terrific guy who was notably God-fearing. God sure thought highly of Job as he told Satan, “He is the finest man in all the earth.” Don’t rush past that. God thought that about Job. Did Job know he pleased God that much? We are all God’s favorites, didn’t you know? Continue reading “Job 1:6-22 – Job’s First Test”

Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 – Enjoy Life

Read Ecclesiastes 3:9-15

God wants us to enjoy life, not trudge through each day just going through the motions. We often set unrealistic expectations on ourselves for what we can accomplish in a day and end up feeling like we failed. Here we’re told that God has given us the work we are to do. What is that work for you?

If we’re focusing on what God wants, and we already know that his timing is perfect, then our day should go exactly like it should. If we are enjoying the life God has given us, living it to please him, then we have accomplished something very great. There are plenty of people who don’t have this connection to God and are not feeling fulfilled.

Ezra 4:1-5 – Stay on Track

Read Ezra 4:1-5

Can our enemies also worship our God? That’s a good question. Maybe we should explore what makes someone our enemy? For me, it would be anyone who doesn’t believe as I do who is trying to harm me or distract me from my mission. With that understanding, I don’t think my enemies would be Christians who love Jesus.

The enemies discussed in our reading were giving good “lip service” to those working on the temple. Their attempts to trick the workers in believing they could also be worshiping the LORD failed. The help they offered as a lure was also rejected.