January 10th : read Job 24-28

Job 24-28 covers Job speaking, Bildad speaking, and Job speaking again.

Job 28

“But do people know where to find wisdom. Where can they find understanding?
 No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.
‘It is not here,’ says the ocean. ‘Nor is it here,’ says the sea.

 It cannot be bought with gold. It cannot be purchased with silver.
It’s worth more than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx or lapis lazuli.
Wisdom is more valuable than gold and crystal.

It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold.

Coral and jasper are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above rubies.
 Precious peridot from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it.
    It’s worth more than the purest gold.    

 

“God alone understands the way to wisdom; he knows where it can be found,

 

 ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’

 

 

Psalm 111:10

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!

 

 

Proverbs 8:11

For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.

 

 

Proverbs 9:10

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

 

 

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

 

The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom, it's value and foundation, what it is and what it isn't. One of the common themes is the fear of the Lord.

 

Leviticus 25:17

Show your fear of God by not taking advantage of each other. I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 10:12

 “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul.

Deuteronomy 14:23

Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.

 

The fear of God includes worshipping Him, giving back to God what is His, and respecting others and treating them justly. These things, therefore, are things of wisdom.

 

God show me your wisdom to better praise you.  Show me your wisdom to better serve you. Show me your wisdom to better know right from wrong. Please give me the strength to follow your wisdom. Give me a healthy fear of you Lord.

 

 

January 9th : Read Job 21-23

Job  21-23 covers Job and Eliphaz speaking.

Job 23:8-12

⁸ I go east, but he is not there.
    I go west, but I cannot find him.
⁹ I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
    I look to the south, but he is concealed.

¹⁰ “But he knows where I am going.
    And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
¹¹ For I have stayed on God’s paths;
    I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from his commands,
    but have treasured his words more than daily food.

 

     What Job misses most is his communion with God. Job knows that God is there, but he can't find God. He treasures God's word in his heart. 

     Lord, I want to be refined, but I don't want to go through the fire. I thank you for your word in the Bible, may it always be a treasure in my heart. 

January 8th : Read Job 17-20

Job 17-20 covers Job, Bildad, and Zophar speaking.

    Who are these friends of Job? What is their reason for being there? What kind of friend am I? Jo I sometimes judge people according to their circumstances? I would hope that I would be comforting and not condemning. I know there have been times where, in my desire to make things better, I have said things that I wished I hadn't. I was so sure at the time that I was speaking wisdom, but it was really all foolishness.

     Lord forgive me for thinking I am so wise and not stopping to ask for your wisdom. Please help me in the future to seek your counsel before I speak, and if your counsel is to not speak, then help me to be silent.

January 7th : Read Job 14-16

Job 14-16 covers Job speaking, then Eliphaz speaks, then Job replies.

     As I was reading today I was growing tired of Job's friends speeches and was thinking how good it will be when God finally speaks. It dawned on me then that Job must also be looking forward to when God would speak to him. Job didn't have the advantage of having read the book before and knowing what was coming. It occurred to me that Job didn't just loose his children, crops, and livestock, he also lost his connection with God. All this time he has been praying and God has not answered him. It's no wonder he thinks God might be angry with him, but he is confused because he doesn't know what he would have done to deserve this kind of punishment. He said earlier in the book that he would know if he did something deserving of this torment, but he is blameless. I don't know how long Job waited for God to answer with no comfort from his wife and friends. It is not over for Job yet.

Lord let me not take for granted your wise counsel. Though you may rebuke me, it is infinitely better than your silence.

January 6th : Read Job 10-13

Job 10-13 covers Job pleading to God, Zophar speaks and Job responds.

     I don't know what else to say that hasn't already been said in my last 2 posts. One thin that did stand out more today is that even in the midst if great suffering Job still had a high view of God. His whole world is falling apart and he doesn't understand why this is happening but he speaks of God being mighty, powerful, majestic, and in control.

     God I pray that I can have such a high view of you, even in the good times but especially in the hard times.

January 5th : Read Job 6-9

Job 6-9 covers Job's response to Eliphaz, Job crying out to God, Bildad speaks and Job responds.

     Job's friends remind me of some prosperity teachers I've heard. If you're not healthy and wealthy then you are doing something wrong because otherwise God would give you everything your heart desires.
     I like Job's response in chapter 9.

 

“Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
    But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
 If someone wanted to take God to court,
    would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
 For God is so wise and so mighty.
    Who has ever challenged him successfully?

 He does great things too marvelous to understand.
    He performs countless miracles.

 “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
    When he moves by, I do not see him go.

 If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
    Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’

 And God does not restrain his anger.
    Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.

“So who am I, that I should try to answer God
    or even reason with him?
 Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
    I could only plead for mercy.

 

I used to really struggle with the question "Why do bad things happen to innocent people?". Finally I realized that suffering is not God's fault. Suffering is a result of sin. We live in a fallen world. And, there are no truly innocent people, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23).

 

Lord help me to give you the respect and honor that you deserve. I thank you for your mercy, by which I have been redeemed.

 

January 4th : Read Job 1-5

Job 1-5 covers Job's tragic losses, Job's first speech, and Eliphaz’s First Response.

     I learned a long time ago not to say what I would do in if I were in someone else's shoes. When I have found myself in difficult circumstances I didn't do what I thought I would do. I don't know what I would do if I just lost everything, and my kids all died. I don't even want to think about it. And then to have a friend say that these types of things don't happen to people who are following God, but to the wicked. That's like saying it's your fault that your kids are all dead, you must have sinned somehow. The bible tells us that it was not because of any sin Job committed, Job was a righteous man.
     I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. I react to things in my environment, similar to an allergy. An allergy is an overactive immune system, but a sensitivity is an overactive nervous system. Allergy medications don't help for sensitivities and there is no cure. I have been told by well meaning people that I just have to have more faith. I just have to believe God will heal me and He will. This is similar to Eliphaz's thinking it was something Job did that caused the tragedy and Job just needed to repent. It is not Job who caused the tragedy, or God. Satan has power, and he caused the tragedy. It is the cost of living in a fallen world. Yes, our bad choices can cause illness or tragedy, but sometimes illness or tragedy are caused by others. And sometimes illness and tragedy just happen through no fault of our own. Regardless of how it happens, God will get us through it.

     Lord, I thank you for my family, and for the privilege of raising our children. Please help me to not take them for granted.

January 3rd : Read Genesis 8-11

Genesis 8-11 covers the flood, the tower of Babel and  Noah's descendants up to Abram (Abraham).

    

"If there really was a world wide flood what would the evidence be?

Billions of dead things buried in rock layers laid down by water all over the earth."

     There are global flood legends all over the world, records of this tragic event spread throughout the earth after Babel. We all like the grace of God, but when it comes to judgement we tend to cringe. There are so many people that deny the global flood because of what it means. Justice is nice when we've been wronged, but when we have done wrong we have an excuse why justice shouldn't apply to us. "I was speeding because I was in a hurry." In truth I just didn't plan my time wisely and did not give myself enough time to get there. Why shouldn't I get a ticket? I used to work with a prison ministry and there were all sorts of excuses for stealing. "The store has lots of money." "The stores budget for that." "I'm not hurting anyone." But if you ask them if anyone has stolen anything from them, you get a completely different response, then they want justice, or retribution. It is our selfish human nature.
     As much as I cringe at  God's judgement on the earth, I also cringe at the thought of a world where there were only 8 people who were not completely wicked. We think our world is corrupt now, but in Noah's day it was so much worse. People hate injustice, how much more does God hate injustice. If God is a just God then he must punish sin. I am reminded that my sin is great, and I deserve punishment.

Thank you God that, just as you had a plan to save Noah and his family, you had a plan to save me.

1 Peter 3:18-22
Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—  those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.  And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

January 2nd : Read Genesis 4-7

Genesis 4-7 covers Cain and Abel, the genealogy from Adam to Noah, and the life of Noah up to the flood.

     If I could meet anyone listed in the genealogies I would want to meet Enoch. I would ask him about his relationship with God and how God took him away. I would love to watch how he interacted with God and the people around him on a daily basis. As far as I know, Enoch and Elijah are the only people to ever be taken to heaven without dying. I long for that kind of closeness with God, and at the same time I fear it. I know that I would have to give up a lot of my comforts and habits. I know if I gave God all of my life I would not regret it but the selfish sinful me can't seem to give up the completely pointless human pleasures. I really desire a life of meaning but I can't seem to give up the meaningless.

Lord help me to give up my sinful self and put on your righteousness. I don't want my world to have to fall apart before I cling to you. Draw me closer precious Lord.
    

January 1st : Read Genesis 1-3

Genesis 1-3 covers creation to the temptation and fall of Adam and Eve.

     What must it have been like to be placed in a garden of dirt and seeds and watch as God watered the earth and caused the seeds to grow in front your eyes. From seeds to trees laden with fruit. Imagine watching God create one of each kind of animal. God created them, He would have every right to name his creation, but He doesn't. Why would God make creatures in front of the man and give the man the honor of naming them? God made all of creation, not for his own pleasure, but for ours. Creation is for us to wonder at and for us to care for.

So often I take the world around me for granted, Lord help me to see your creation with fresh eyes and fresh wonder.