Job 4 - Strangely, much of what Eliphaz says to Job is echoed in the New Testament by Paul. He talks about how no man is righteous before God...Paul says much the same in the book of Romans. I say "strangely" because Eliphaz is wrong to lecture Job as he does! We see in the Book of Job that all the suffering Job has gone through is a test of his righteousness more than a punishment for his sin. Eliphaz believes that Job has sinned and that is why he is suffering (Always a great bit of wisdom to hear from friends "comforting" you!). Job knows he has done nothing wrong and has faithfully loved God and does not understand why these terrible events are happening to him. The challenge for us to take to heart in this reading is to understand that terrible things happen even to those who love God. Paul and Eliphaz are both right...there is no one who has ever lived that was righteous in comparison to God. There is no one truly GOOD. But the Book of Job also shows us that God holds Job up before the accuser as a righteous man (By human standards). Even though Job loves God and serves Him, he ends up suffering in life. Those of us who love and serve God do not get a free pass from the chaos of this world. But fortunately for us, we know a little more of the story than Job did. We know (like our reading in Romans 8:18 today) that the sufferings of this world are completely insignificant in comparison to the glory of the life that we will live eternally with God. Regardless of what happens in this life, keep your focus on the life to come.
Mark 8 - Two chapters after the feeding of the 5,000 (maybe a few weeks or months after in terms of Jesus ministry), the disciples don't understand how Jesus could possibly feed 4,000 people. Seriously! Come on guys! It is easy to judge the disciples and wonder how they could have forgotten the miracle of Jesus first feeding, but I think we have similar issues with selective memory as well. How many times have you seen God move in your life? How many times has Jesus met you in your time of greatest need? How many times have you been given strength from outside of yourself to get through difficult times? Yet time and time again, when we are faced with difficulties we turn to worry instead of turning to God. Remember the redemption and life that Jesus has brought to your existence before you freak out the next times things start to fall apart...he will not leave you or forsake you!
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