I've been reading through Job this morning and it has been an enlightening journey. I think what separates us and Job is that he was a faultless man. His distress, and all his problems are such a shock to him, since he hasn't done anything wrong. I think his argument with God is the "why me, I didn't do anything wrong". Most of us could make a list a mile long of all the things we've done wrong and why we deserve trials. But not Job. I listed several of the verses that stuck out to me in this book. Some of them are the words of encouragement that his "friends" offer him ... but the ones I that I really really like are Job's honest moments of calling out to God in his frustration. I definitely read this in the Message, but my FAVORITE verse out of this collection is when Job is saying, I can't even pull myself up by my bootstraps, cause I don't even have any boots!!!!! I have found myself shouting that saying...in my apt, in my car ... "Why I don't even have any boots!" And I think God gets it. :) I didn't make it through the whole book of Job yet, but I plan to keep going, I kind of want to see how this resolves....32 chapters of a dude describing his frustrations with his life. That's serious stuff.
Job 5:17-19 "So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you! Mind you, don't despise the discipline of Almighty God!True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound; the same hand that hurts you, heals you.From one disaster after another he delivers you; no matter what the calamity, the evil can't touch you—
Job 6:11-13 Where's the strength to keep my hopes up? What future do I have to keep me going?Do you think I have nerves of steel? Do you think I'm made of iron?Do you think I can pull myself up by my bootstraps? Why, I don't even have any boots! :)
Job 8:20-22 "There's no way that God will reject a good person, and there is no way he'll help a bad one.God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy,With your enemies thoroughly discredited, their house of cards collapsed."
Job 11:13-20 "Still, if you set your heart on God and reach out to him,If you scrub your hands of sin and refuse to entertain evil in your home,You'll be able to face the world unashamed and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless.You'll forget your troubles; they'll be like old, faded photographs.Your world will be washed in sunshine, every shadow dispersed by dayspring.Full of hope, you'll relax, confident again; you'll look around, sit back, and take it easy.Expansive, without a care in the world, you'll be hunted out by many for your blessing.But the wicked will see none of this. They're headed down a dead-end road with nothing to look forward to—nothing."
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