Job 34 August 29, 2008

Verses 31-32: Suppose a man says to God, ’I am guilty but will offend no more.  Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’

Reflection: I loved this chapter and it was so hard for me to choose a couple of verses to really think about.  I chose these 2 because they just demonstrate the mercy and Grace God has for us.  I mean, we are all sinners and we don’t deserve God’s goodness.  He willingly gives us the opportunity to know and have a relationship with him.  AND if we have sinned, all we need to do is ask forgiveness and everything is forgotten.  I love that it is this way with God.  My Father was always one to hold a grudge and remember past wrong doings, when something came up, and for a while I was the same way.  It would take me a long time to finally forgive the person who had hurt me and move on.  I am always in such awe that God can take all of this hurt and just forget about the sin instantly, only if we ask him.  I love God so much and it hurts me to think that every day I hurt him, but we were born into sin.  All I can ask is that God try and help me to stay on the right path, and when I do sin it is a comfort to know that forgiveness is just a prayer away.

I don’t mean that a person should sin with reckless abandon, knowing that they will always be forgiven.  I wonder if God sees through the apologies that sometimes people make, him knowing that they are just going to do it again.  It’s a tough subject for me, but I take solace knowing that God is never going to hold a grudge against me, nor will he ever deny me of forgiveness.

Prayer: Lord help me to not make empty apologies.  And help me to give forgiveness as readily as you do.

Job 33 August 5, 2008

Verse 6-7: I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.  No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.

Reflection: This was just a reminder to me that we can’t judge other people.  We are the same as the murderer and atheist because we all need Jesus.

Prayer: I pray for patience and strength so that I will examine myself before others and not judge them.

Job 32 August 4, 2008

Verses 7-8: I thought, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.  But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding.

Reflection: Instantly this brought to mind this time that I was at a Christian festival thingy, I don’t really know what you would call it.  Anyway, there was singing and dancing and a bunch of messages from different speakers.  Well, this little boy about 10 or 11 years old got up on the stage and began to preach.  It was truly amazing.  He was speaking like an adult but he barely came up to my chin.  This just shows me that Jesus can appear in any way, size, shape, and form.  From dreams to small boys, God continues to amaze me.  

Although, I must agree with these verses, it is also true that wisdom does come with aga more often than not.  I know that I have a hard time understanding that because adults have gone lived longer than me and experienced more, they are wiser.  For some reason this idea brought a certain memory to mind  I was sitting in church during worship and was looking around.  Everyone had their hands raised, reaching out to God.  I just remember feeling out of place and shy.  I wanted to reach out, but felt that if  i did, people would silently ridicule me because I was too young and unwise to want to touch God.  I know now that it was silly to feel that way because God welcomes everyone into his heart.  And if my heart was ready to accept him, he would enter into it.  No matter what age I was.

Prayer: Lord, so much has been going on in my life right now.  I know that in the past, I have doubted that my faith was real because of my age.  I ask that you continue to strengthen my faith and help me understand that just because I am not an adult, I still can’t have an amazing relationship with you.  Thank you lord for all that you give me.  I pray someday that I can have the wisdom and solid faith of the adults around me.