January 8 Reading

Job 1 - 7. Job is living THE LIFE. He's healthy, wealthy, wise, and has a very strong belief in God. Much like Abraham, remember?

The book of Job begins by recounting the facts surrounding Job; his wealth, his family, and his health. He seems to be living a sweet, sweet life, when suddenly Satan approaches God with his unwarranted, bitter philosophy that no one in the world really loves God for who He is; but rather Satan argues with God that people only love him for the material riches.

At this point, enters Job. The perfect candidate for Satan to prove his ideas to God.

In the beginning of this book, Satan was contually busy: Job 1:7, "From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it". He still does this today. He is always alert to try to find the "holes" in our faith; our weaknesses. Once he finds one, he focuses on trying to destroy our faith. God surrounds us with a "hedge" (1:10) of protection, but occasionally our faith is tested.

Unfortunately, Job's faith was tested to the extreme. He lost his family, wealth, and health, but he held fast to his faith in God. Even his own wife told Job, "Dost thou still retain thy integrity? Curse God and die." She showed her foolishness in her advice, but "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly".

Three of Jobs friends show up for moral support: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, "... they made an appointment together to come to mouurn with him and to comfort him" (2:11) for "... his grief was very great" (2:13). Do you have friends that support you? I hope so! They can be such a blessing!

When Eliphaz spoke, he began trying to figure out Job's situation and advise him. He tells Job what he though he should do and reproved him (Chapters 4-5). Job, however, defends himself and reproves Eliphaz of unkindness, "To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend..." (6:14).

Job, in his response to Eliphaz, says, "Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth?..." (7:1). Job's wondering if his time has come!

Sometimes when life overwhelms us, health-wise, and we feel near death, it is a time to consider what the divine purpose of God's will is. Our life, afterall, is in His hands! I am thankful for the life God has given me.

On a very personal note, I am scheduled for a very complicated open-heart surgery on January 29, 2010. I think to myself, what if I don't make it? If not, it's my time to go and I can be very happy with that (24/7 pain for a year is very hard to deal with and has taken a major toll on my physical body). I will join my Father and Christ, along with my loved ones that have already past. But, then, I think to myself, I need to make it! My family has suffered such grief over the past 5 years that it is unimaginable. I have things to do! Relationships to strengthen. My own spirituality to focus on! God has saved me from the clutches of death so many times over the past couple of years, that it is unreal, literally. He obviously has a plan for me and I need to quit messing around and figure out what it is!

I am blessed. I am happy. I am at peace. Like Job, how can I complain about aches and pains when I have my faith to hang on to?