Today’s Life Journal Reading is from: Job 26; Job 27; Mark 15; Mark 16 using the NKJV bible.

Scripture:

 ¹ But Job answered and said:

 ² “How have you helped him who is without power?
      How have you saved the arm that has no strength?

 ³ How have you counseled one who has no wisdom?
      And how have you declared sound advice to many?

 ⁴ To whom have you uttered words?
      And whose spirit came from you?

 ⁵ “The dead tremble,
      Those under the waters and those inhabiting them.

 ⁶ Sheol is naked before Him,
      And Destruction has no covering.

 ⁷ He stretches out the north over empty space;
      He hangs the earth on nothing.

 ⁸ He binds up the water in His thick clouds,
      Yet the clouds are not broken under it.

 ⁹ He covers the face of His throne,
      And spreads His cloud over it.

 ¹⁰ He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters,
      At the boundary of light and darkness.

 ¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble,
      And are astonished at His rebuke.

 ¹² He stirs up the sea with His power,
      And by His understanding He breaks up the storm.

 ¹³ By His Spirit He adorned the heavens;
      His hand pierced the fleeing serpent.

 ¹⁴ Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
      And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
      But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26, New King James Version)

From MHC:

Job derided Bildad’s answer; his words were a mixture of peevishness and self-preference.

 Bildad ought to have laid before Job the consolations, rather than the terrors of the Almighty.

Christ knows how to speak what is proper for the weary, Isa 50:4; and his ministers should not grieve those whom God would not have made sad.

We are often disappointed in our expectations from our friends who should comfort us; but the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, never mistakes, nor fails of his end. (Job 26:5-14)

Observation:

We mean well, but when consoling someone or just providing fellowship, there is a time and place for everything. Job was unhappy and in a state of grief. Yet though Bildad probrably meant well, rather than comfort, he chastise his friend.

Imagine how we would feel if something tragic befell us and rather than console, we are lecture. Doesn’t feel good and not really comforting.

Yet, something in human nature, compels us sometimes, to forget to bridle our tongues and pour salt on already hurt wounds, rather than allow our Father in and through us, to comfort and not be the healer, but just the needed fellowship in a time of hurt and confusion.

We have to be aware that sometimes part of comforting is not what we do say, but by what we don’t say. Sometimes, just simply being there and listening helps and more than anything, not using the time as an opportunity to “vent” or “chastise” but to move the situation from “Why…….” to reminding  “How……”.

It’s interesting how sometimes we try to cover up being harsh or blunt with, but that’s just the way I am….or it’s for the good….yet it’s interesting in Isiah 50:4 as reference in the MHC (Matthew Henry Commentary) these words of wisdom:

 “ The Lord GOD has given Me
      The tongue of the learned,
      That I should know how to speak
      A word in season to him who is weary.
      He awakens Me morning by morning,
      He awakens My ear
      To hear as the learned.
       (Isaiah 50:4, New King James Version)

This maybe who we are, but it’s not who our Father in Heaven are, and if we are to be ambassadors and reflections of Him, we have to take the “It’s the way I am” out of the equation and put, “It’s the way He is” in the equation instead.

There is a saying that goes along the lines that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, and though we are frail as humans and it’s part of human nature, we have to remember that we no longer belong to this world, but instead, we belong to Him, our Heavenly Father in Heaven and there is no excuse to justify old habits that can be decisive and are like words of a sword than words of honey.

Is it any coincidence that the Book of James, particulary James 3, is almost devoted to words spoken by believers?

   
¹⁹ So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; ²⁰ for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20, New King James Version)

and don’t forget:

²⁶ If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27, New King James Version)

Bildad must have meant well, but maybe the best thing, instead of trying to figure out everything that was wrong with Job, was maybe, emphasising that no matter what, we are His children and instead of taking hold of the situation and figuring out what the other person should really be feeling, instead guide and comfort and lead them to letting our Father in Heaven, comfort.

Easier said then done….lol, but there are some things in this world, it’s just not for us to figure out. We never will, never can and may never, have all the answers and it doesn’t make it any less wrong or a challenge, but instead a test of just learning to just have faith in our Father in Heaven and trusting Him.

Application:

We have to be aware that soemtimes Christ is really the best and only comfort we can have; Fellowship with others is great, but sometimes, people just don’t have the tools or ability to empathize or just be there, and maybe sometimes, its too much for someone to handle.

No one is a superhero.

No one is perfect.

We all make mistakes, have our bad days and our moments of complete fraility, but praise the Lord, that He is there and He understands and seeks to console and to heal us; Not kick us when we are down.

There are times when we seek, desire and need the comfort of a friend, a spouse or a family member, but we have to understand too that sometimes, people’s personal expectations and inabilty to know the right words can hinder too.

We have to trust God that He is and will see us through; He is there and may feel like no comfort now, but in the end, we will see what He has already seen, for He is faithful and will NEVER put us through anything, that He already knows, we have the strength to overcome.

At one time, Job was difficult to read and hard to understand, but as I put aside, my need to know “now” and took the time and patience, yes, patience, I began to understand Job and appreciate Job and enjoy Job.

I enjoy Job because this is a man, that God KNEW would and could perserve and come out victorious in the end; Yes, Job suffer much, but God trusted Job. He trusted Job enough, to allow Job to go through the trials put to him by the enemy, because God knew Job, better than Job’s friend and even Job himself knew.

In the end, Job learned humilty that he is never, may never and can never, know all the answers of why, but instead of saying “Why this”, or “Why that”, he learn to say, “How”.

What I really find amazing about Job is that it is a story of perserverance through suffering and allowing it to build his faith and character and make his worship and service to God stronger, rather than, like the friends, be quick to judge and condemn.

In the end, God bless Job for his faithfullness.

The closest I could come to describe this, is this is like boot camp.

Recruits face weeks of harsh environments, mind boggling training that may leave them wondering, what is the whole point of this and why am I doing this, only to come out in the end, not trained, but….discipline.

What is discipline?

A very simple definintion I found and I think is applicable is this:

• Learning self-control
• Recognizing acceptable limits
• Learning where to stop

Valuable lessons.

Prayer:

Lord, Thank You for your patience and love and perserverance with us. We are like young children, always wanting to know “Why the sky is blue” and pushing Your patience and the limits you set for us; I pray that as we grow and mature, we learn that sometimes, we aren’t always going to know “Why” but that is okay; The important thing is that we have trust in You, because all that is around us, You created and when You were done, YOU, called it “Good”.

So who are we to complain?

Lord, teach us to tame our tongues, our hearts and just grow and learn and be disciplined by Your word and I look forward, Father, to the day when we, Your children, our family, are together in Your prescence to sing songs of glory and worship to You, Heavenly Father.

In Your Name, I pray. Amen

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If you use the Life Journal and would like to participate in the daily readings, I would love to hear from you and your perspective on each day’s reading.

Please feel free to join in the linky that I post below, so others too, who uses the Life Journal/or SOAP method to read the bible can participate.

Don’t feel obligate to have to blog about each passage to be read, but if anything, feel free to share those passages that have the most impact on you that day.

There maybe some days that you may read your daily reading and find nothing to jot down in your journal or on your blog and that’s okay, but there maybe other days, that you will find yourself inspire.

This is about you being encouraged to have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, and spending each day with Him, You and Him.

It is my prayer and hope that this will be an encouragement to establish a personal daily reading as well.

To find out more about using the S.O.A.P. method, here’s a link to an ehow article and here’s the link to the Life Journal to find out more what it is, and how you can use it for your own daily bible readings. If you don’t want to order the journal or if it’s not available through your local church, another method is simply, buy a journal or notebook or even blog about your life journal readings.

Disclaimer: I am not personally affiliated with the church that the link goes to, but merely share it as a resource of what the Life Journal is, how to order it.

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