Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

June 26
Wednesday


I will speak in the
anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the
bitterness of my soul.
__Job 7:11
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In May 2011, a young woman took cover in a bathtub during a tornado that devastated her city of Joplin, Missouri. Her husband covered her body with his and took the blows from flying debris. He died, and she survived because of his heroism. She naturally wrestles with the question, "Why?" But a year after the tornado, she said that she finds comfort because even on her worst day ever, she was loved.

When I think about "worst days ever," I think of Job right away. a man who loved God, he lost his animals, his servants, and his 10 children in one day! (Job 1:13-19). Job mourned deeply, and he also asked the "Why?" Questions. He cried out, "have I sinned? What have I done to You...? Why have You set me as Your target?" (7:20). Job's friends accused him of sinning and thought he deserved his difficulties, but God said of his friends: "You have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has" (42:7). God did not give him the reasons for his suffering, but He listened to Job and did not fault him for his questions. God assured him of His control over everything, and Job trusted Him (42:1-6).

The Lord may not give us the reasons for our trials. But thankfully, even on our worst day ever, we can know for sure we are loved by Him (Rom. 8:35-39). __Anne Cetas

``````````We're grateful, Father, that You know our hearts`````````````
``````````with our pain and joy. Thank you that you never````````````
````````````leave us nor forsake us, as Your Word tells````````````````
`````````````us. Please hold us close during our trials.````````````````
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God's love does not keep us from trials,
but sees us through them.

*********************Today's Bible Reading __ Job 7:11-21**************************

11 Therefore I will not
restrain my mouth; I will
speak in the anguish of my
spirit; i will complain in the
bitterness of my soul. 12 Am
I a sea, or a sea serpent, that
You set a guard over me?

13 when I say, "My bed will
comfort me, my couch will
ease my complaint," 14 then
You scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,

15 so that my soul chooses
strangling and death rather
than my body. 16 I loathe my
life; I would not live
forever. Let me alone, for
my days are but a breath.

17 What is man, that You
should exalt him, that You
should set Your heart on
him, 18 that You should visit
him every morning, and test
him every moment? 19 How
long? Will You not look
away from me, and let me
alone till I swallow my
saliva? 20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You,
O watcher of men? Why
have You set me as Your
target, so that I am a burden
to myself? 21 Why then do
You not pardon my
transgression, and take
away my iniquity? For now
I will lie down in the dust,
and you will seek me
diligently, but I will no
longer be.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, Job's three friends, believed that Job's
suffering (Job 1-2) was caused by his sins and that he needed to
repent before God could bless him again. Eliphaz was the first to
accuse Job (chs. 4-5). Responding, Job rebutted his friend (6:1-7:10)
and then complained against God (vv.11-21). Job spoke of the
futility (7:1-2), brevity (vv.7-10), and misery of life (vv.11-21). "What
is man, that you should exalt him?" (v.17) Echoes Psalm 8:4, but
not as a praise that God had noticed and exalted him. Instead, Bob
complained that such intense divine scrutiny was a crushing burden
and misery for him (Job 7:18-21).