Job has never been one of my favorite Bible books. I always found it very hard reading and Job's friends speeches incomprehensible. (Sorry, just being honest here.) But the last few chapters have always intrigued me. The ones where God asks Job, "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"
The next four chapters extol some of God's awesome power and majesty to a chastened Job. I have always found these chapters awesome, but never as much as when I read it today -- very slowly -- in the New American Standard Bible.
God's wisdom and power make my, or rather our puny problems appear inconsequential. Whatever the difficulty that needs to be resolved, God is able to handle it. He is omniscient and omnipotent and he does deliver His children.
We are fortunate to have the words of Job to encourage us to seek to know God as He actually is and not as we tend to want to embrace Him.
When God finished speaking, Job, thoroughly humbled, said, "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You." What a blessing!
If you would like to read any or all of Job in the New American Standard Bible, click here.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Hammering A Toe
Now, that might sound like a strange title but it's very apropos for this post. Those of you who are still subscribed to this blog (which I call MAP) undoubtedly know it has been a long time since I posted regularly here. I have been busy with life and trying to build up another blog, Jan's Funny Farm, in order to find a means to survive financially. Plus, I've had a lot of excess stress since my mother died three years ago and I haven't felt prepared to post on this blog.
It stays on my mind that I want to continue it. But in what capacity? For some time I thought of posting a Bible verse a day, but I was so overwhelmed with things that have to be done I never got around to it. Then I made a decision to post something, anything until I could figure it out. So at 10:53 am on Friday, January 15th, I dived in and just posted an entire chapter, Matthew 1. I didn't think MAP had any readers left, so it didn't matter. It was a beginning.
Now, at this time I had a recovering cat and a sore toe, but both were improving. I fed the dogs about 6:30 pm, Buddy on one side and Sam & Merci on the other. Buddy (about 40 pounds) finished his food and suddenly leaped at Sam's dish. One foot landed squarely on my sore toe so hard I thought he'd broken it. I screamed! Still, they had to go for their after dinner walk. It was a short one! When we turned toward home, Sam (about 65 - 75 pounds) started barking at something across the street. I stopped to peer into the darkness. Sam, highly excited, leaped into the air while swinging his body around. When he does that, it just about knocks me down. This time he landed squarely on the painful toe. I screamed.
There were two more incidents at bedtime. There was a lot of screaming that night. And during the next week because the mishaps kept occurring and the infection set in around the toenail. My recovering cat took a sudden turn for the worse. By Wednesday, pain, exhaustion and a couple of other health issues crowded out all thoughts of MAP posts. (Imagine hitting your thumb nail with a hammer. And then again and again and ..... Pain would cloud your mind.)
In the early hours of Sunday, January 24, my cat died. Before I could get dressed and bury him, I knocked a large spray bottle off a table directly onto my toe. It burst the sac of infection. I screamed and cried. Yet the nightmare wasn't finished. There was another blow to the toe to come at bedtime. Were there more after that? I can't and don't want to remember!
Although MAP posts fell by the wayside through this, my faith in God has not. When I can't sleep for the pain, I try to remember the good things God has done for me -- for us -- and praise/thank Him for it. Going through a painful trial does not mean He has abandoned us or is any less deserving of praise. In fact, our praise/thanksgiving is more precious at such times. It's easy to be thankful when things are going well.
The last few days, Ephesians 6 has been running through my mind. So today as I was reading it, I decided to share it with you. Ephesians 6 is the "Armor of God" chapter. I've heard a few jokes recently about needing steel toed boots, but what I really need is the armor of God to protect me in my struggle "against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
You can pooh-pooh this connection if you want or call it coincidence, but consider that I spent several days limping on a sore toe without incident and my cat was doing well. However, within a few hours of posting the first Bible chapter, things changed, and posting was soon neglected. Again.
I don't promise to post here daily, but I do intend to post more frequently. Even if only a Bible verse. Sometimes a Bible verse is all it takes to turn a cloudy day into a sunny one.
I know God does help us through the emotional pain of losing someone close to us, as well as through the pain of losing a beloved pet. And he also helps us through the physical pains of life, even when they seem overwhelming and God is silent. My toe is still painful and ugly but I am hopeful it will heal soon.
It stays on my mind that I want to continue it. But in what capacity? For some time I thought of posting a Bible verse a day, but I was so overwhelmed with things that have to be done I never got around to it. Then I made a decision to post something, anything until I could figure it out. So at 10:53 am on Friday, January 15th, I dived in and just posted an entire chapter, Matthew 1. I didn't think MAP had any readers left, so it didn't matter. It was a beginning.
Now, at this time I had a recovering cat and a sore toe, but both were improving. I fed the dogs about 6:30 pm, Buddy on one side and Sam & Merci on the other. Buddy (about 40 pounds) finished his food and suddenly leaped at Sam's dish. One foot landed squarely on my sore toe so hard I thought he'd broken it. I screamed! Still, they had to go for their after dinner walk. It was a short one! When we turned toward home, Sam (about 65 - 75 pounds) started barking at something across the street. I stopped to peer into the darkness. Sam, highly excited, leaped into the air while swinging his body around. When he does that, it just about knocks me down. This time he landed squarely on the painful toe. I screamed.
There were two more incidents at bedtime. There was a lot of screaming that night. And during the next week because the mishaps kept occurring and the infection set in around the toenail. My recovering cat took a sudden turn for the worse. By Wednesday, pain, exhaustion and a couple of other health issues crowded out all thoughts of MAP posts. (Imagine hitting your thumb nail with a hammer. And then again and again and ..... Pain would cloud your mind.)
In the early hours of Sunday, January 24, my cat died. Before I could get dressed and bury him, I knocked a large spray bottle off a table directly onto my toe. It burst the sac of infection. I screamed and cried. Yet the nightmare wasn't finished. There was another blow to the toe to come at bedtime. Were there more after that? I can't and don't want to remember!
Although MAP posts fell by the wayside through this, my faith in God has not. When I can't sleep for the pain, I try to remember the good things God has done for me -- for us -- and praise/thank Him for it. Going through a painful trial does not mean He has abandoned us or is any less deserving of praise. In fact, our praise/thanksgiving is more precious at such times. It's easy to be thankful when things are going well.
The last few days, Ephesians 6 has been running through my mind. So today as I was reading it, I decided to share it with you. Ephesians 6 is the "Armor of God" chapter. I've heard a few jokes recently about needing steel toed boots, but what I really need is the armor of God to protect me in my struggle "against principalities, against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
You can pooh-pooh this connection if you want or call it coincidence, but consider that I spent several days limping on a sore toe without incident and my cat was doing well. However, within a few hours of posting the first Bible chapter, things changed, and posting was soon neglected. Again.
I don't promise to post here daily, but I do intend to post more frequently. Even if only a Bible verse. Sometimes a Bible verse is all it takes to turn a cloudy day into a sunny one.
I know God does help us through the emotional pain of losing someone close to us, as well as through the pain of losing a beloved pet. And he also helps us through the physical pains of life, even when they seem overwhelming and God is silent. My toe is still painful and ugly but I am hopeful it will heal soon.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Psalm 148
Psalm 148 kjv
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
1Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.
2Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.
3Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.
4Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.
5Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.
6He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.
7Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
8Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:
9Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:
10Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:
11Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:
12Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:
13Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.
14He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Psalm 46:1
This is one of my favorite Psalms. And it's a good one to review when you have one eye swollen shut and one painful, swollen toe that won't go into a shoe, and ..... This, too, shall pass, as the poem reminds us.
Psalm 46:1 KJV
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.
1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Psalm 46:1 KJV
To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.
1. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Psalm 103
If anyone wonders why I posted Matthew 1, then Matthew 2, and now Psalm 103 --
I am trying to get myself back in the habit of posting on mercyandpercy and if a Bible verse or chapter is all I can manage on any given day, I decided to go with it. As I can, I will be posting other items. If I am the only one who reads MAP postings, so be it. I'm not doing this for readers. I'm doing this to acknowledge God in my life.
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
I am trying to get myself back in the habit of posting on mercyandpercy and if a Bible verse or chapter is all I can manage on any given day, I decided to go with it. As I can, I will be posting other items. If I am the only one who reads MAP postings, so be it. I'm not doing this for readers. I'm doing this to acknowledge God in my life.
1Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
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