OUR DAILY BREAD : BE PRESENT

[cimi]

December 26
Thursday


BE PRESENT

READ:
Job 2:3-13
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They sat down with
him on the ground
seven days and seven
nights, and no one
spoke a word to him,
for they saw that his
grief was very great.
__Job 2:13
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After 20 children and 6 staff members were murdered in a Connecticut school, the entire nation was stunned that such a horrific thing could happen. Everyone focused on the tragedy and the questions surrounding it: What kind of person would do such a thing, and why? How can we prevent it from happening again? How can we help the survivors? Amid the chaos, an unlikely group moved in and made a difference.

From Chicago came dogs__ specially trained golden retrievers that offered nothing except affection. dogs don't speak; they simple offer their presence. Children traumatized by the violence opened up to them, expressing fears and emotions they had not spoken to any adult. Tim Hetzner of Lutheran Church Charities said, "The biggest part of their training is just learning to be quiet."

As we learn from the book of Job, people in grief do not always need words. Sometimes they need someone to sit silently with them, to listen when they need to speak, and to hug them when their sorrow turns to sobs.

God may not intervene to change circumstances and He may not explain suffering, but He comforts us through the presence of other believers (Col. 4:8). __Julie Ackerman Link

````````````````He's with us in the valley, ```````````````
````````````````Amid the darkest night``````````````````
```````````````He tells us in our sorrow;`````````````````
````````Faith will give way to sight. __D. DeHaan``````````
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LIstening may be them most loving
and Christlike thing you do today.

**********************Today's Bible Reading __ Job 2:3-13***********************

3 Then the LORD said to
Satan, "Have you considered
My servant Job, that there is
none like him on the earth, a
blameless and upright man,
one who fears God and
shuns evil? And still he
holds fast to this integrity,
although you incited Me
against him, to destroy him
without cause."

4 So Satan answered the
LORD and said, "Skin for
skin! Yes, all that a man has
he will give for his life.

5 But stretch out Your hand
now, and touch his bone and
his flesh, and he will surely
curse You to Your face!"

6 And the LORD said to
Satan, "Behold, he is in your
hand, but spare his life."

7 So Satan went out from
the presence of the LORD,'
and struck Job with painful
boils from the sole of his
foot to the crown of his
head....

9 Then his wife said to him,
"Do you still hold fast to
your integrity? Curse God
and die!"

10 But he said to her, "You
speak as one of the foolish
women speaks. Shall we
indeed accept good from
God, and shall we not accept
adversity?" In all this Job
did not sin with his lips.

1 Now when Job's three
friends heard of all this
adversity that had come
upon him, each one came
from his own place__
Eliphaz the Temanite,
bildad the Shuhite, and
Zophar the Naamathite. For
they had made an
appointment together to
come and mourn with him,
and to comfort him. 12 And
when they raised their eyes
from afar, and did not
recognize him, they lifted
their voices and wept; and
each one tore his robe and
sprinkled dust on his head
toward heaven. 13 So they sat
down with him on the
ground seven days and seven
nights, and no one spoke a
word to him, for they saw
that his grief was very great.