August 21
Job 1:1-3:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1-17; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 21:25-26
Why? This is one of the most common responses to suffering, difficulty, and hardship. We want to know why is this happening to me. This is also a most common question that keeps people from believing in God. How can an all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing God allow bad things to happen to good people? Job is a book that puts this question at center stage.
Job is a man who worships God and seems to have an ideal life. He has a large family, massive wealth, and is passionate about God. Quickly our attention transfers from Job on earth to a conversation between God, angels, and Satan in heaven. God draws Satan’s attention to Job, and when Satan claims that Job only worships God because of material prosperity God allows Satan to strip it all away. His wealth vanishes, his family (except his wife) dies, and his physical health wanes. Yet he responds by continuing to worship God.
The rest of Job will include conversations attempting to answer the question of why all of this bad stuff happens to a seemingly good person in Job. We will become flies on the wall while all of these conversations take place, and none of their answers will prove to be satisfactory. It will help us to learn that we will often not know the answer to the why but we can always rest in the who of God. If everything gets stripped away and suffering increases, we will always have God to cling to.
Father God, thank you that you are with me through everything that happens in life. Thank you for giving and taking away, so help me to always praise your name. Help me to turn to you and not away from you when suffering and difficulties occur in life. Amen.
Question of the day: If a skeptical friend asks you why bad things happen to good people how would you answer?
Why? This is one of the most common responses to suffering, difficulty, and hardship. We want to know why is this happening to me. This is also a most common question that keeps people from believing in God. How can an all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing God allow bad things to happen to good people? Job is a book that puts this question at center stage.
Job is a man who worships God and seems to have an ideal life. He has a large family, massive wealth, and is passionate about God. Quickly our attention transfers from Job on earth to a conversation between God, angels, and Satan in heaven. God draws Satan’s attention to Job, and when Satan claims that Job only worships God because of material prosperity God allows Satan to strip it all away. His wealth vanishes, his family (except his wife) dies, and his physical health wanes. Yet he responds by continuing to worship God.
The rest of Job will include conversations attempting to answer the question of why all of this bad stuff happens to a seemingly good person in Job. We will become flies on the wall while all of these conversations take place, and none of their answers will prove to be satisfactory. It will help us to learn that we will often not know the answer to the why but we can always rest in the who of God. If everything gets stripped away and suffering increases, we will always have God to cling to.
Father God, thank you that you are with me through everything that happens in life. Thank you for giving and taking away, so help me to always praise your name. Help me to turn to you and not away from you when suffering and difficulties occur in life. Amen.
Question of the day: If a skeptical friend asks you why bad things happen to good people how would you answer?
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