Job
8:1-11:20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Psalm 38:1-22;
Proverbs 21:28-29
Every
portion of our reading today caught my attention in one way or another.
No over-arching theme, but just thoughts and musings. Consider the
following:
Can
you imagine anything crueler to say to a parent whose child has just died than
"when your children sinned against [God], he gave them over to the penalty
of their sin" (Job 8:4)? I mean, really! That's some serious
salt in an already open and painful wound!
Job 9:11 reminds me that God's ways are
mysterious and often invisible, both in my moments of joy and in my moments of
despair.
"By
the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without
effect" (1 Cor. 15:10). Hallelujah.
I am what I am by the grace of God - this is a blessing, a pronouncement
of acceptance and welcome and delight and love. I'm not merely tolerated.
I am what I am, yes, and it is by the grace of God, by his good gift to
me. And his grace continues - the effect of it, the results of it - as I
am transformed into Christ-likeness. More good gifts!
There's
another hallelujah in 1 Corinthians 15:25-26. Although less jubilant, it
is no less fervent. Come, Lord Jesus, to make all things new, to defeat all
your enemies, to eradicate the great thief, death.
Could
not Job have prayed so much of Psalm 38? Though he had no consciousness
of sin or guilt, he endured piercing arrows (vs. 2), a diseased body (vs. 3, 5,
7), unceasing mourning (vs. 6), abandonment by loved ones (vs. 11), the terror
of pain and uncertainty (vs. 17), even false accusations (vs. 20). What
grief and sorrow. What agony.
The
"bold front" of the wicked in Proverbs 21:29 reminds me of the bluffing done
in a game of poker, or of the hearty self-deception that we practice against
our own motives. We're all too tempted to just ride it out, rather than
stop and "[give] thought to [our] ways."
Lord,
your word is timely and powerful and incisive. Help us to consider it as
bread and as honey, for our nourishment and for our delight. Amen.
- Sarah Marsh
How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.
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