OUR DAILY BREAD : HANGING ON NOTHING

[cimi]

June 22
Saturday


HANGING ON
NOTHING

READ:
Job 26:5-14
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He stretches out the
north over empty
space; He hangs the
earth on nothing.
__Job 26:7
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A world map published by the National Geographic Society has this notation: "Earth's mass is 6.6 sextillion tons." And what supports all that weight? Nothing. The planet we inhabit spins on its axis at 1,000 miles per hour as it hurtles through space in its orbit around the sun. But it's easy for that to remain unnoticed in the midst of our daily concerns about health, relationships, and how to pay the bills.

The Old Testament character Job repeatedly considered God's creation in his struggle to make sense of the numbing loss of his health, his wealth, and his children. "[God] stretches out the north over empty space," Job said. "He hangs the earth on nothing" (Job 26:7). Job marveled at the clouds that did not break under the heavy water inside them (v.8) and the horizon "at the boundary of light and darkness" (v.10), but called them "the mere edges of His ways" (v.14).

Creation itself did not answer Job's questions, but the heavens and the earth pointed him to God the Creator, who alone could respond with help and hope.

The Lord who upholds the universe by the "word of His power" (Heb. 1:3: Col. 1:17) is in control of our everyday lives. Experiences that seem "empty places" are all undergirded by our heavenly Father's power and love. __David McCasland

```````````Dear Lord, we praise You for Your infinite power.```````````
`````````You created the world out of nothing and uphold````````````
`````````it by Your word. Help me to remember that You``````````````
`````````````are also in control of every part of my life.``````````````
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When we reflect on the power of God's creation,
we see the power of His care for us.

************Today's Bible Reading __ Job 26:5-14******************

5 The dead tremble, those
under the waters and those
inhabiting them. 6 sheol is
naked before Him, and
Destruction has no
covering. 7 He stretches out
the north over empty space;
He hangs the earth on
nothing. 8 He binds up the
water in His thick clouds,
yet the clouds are not
broken under it. 9 He covers
the face of His throne, and
spreads His cloud over it.

10 He drew a circular
horizon on the face of the
waters, at the boundary of
light and darkness. 11 The
pillars of heaven tremble,
and are astonished at His
rebuke. 12 He stirs up the
sea with His power, and by
His understanding He
breaks up the storm.

13 By His Spirit He adorned
the heavens; His hand
pierced the fleeing serpent.

14 Indeed these are the mere
edges of His ways, and how
small a whisper we hear of
Him! But the thunder of
His power who can
understand?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Job had lost everything (Job 1-2). His loss was compounded by the
poor comfort that his friends Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar offered
him. Why? They believed that suffering is always the result of sin.
During three rounds of debate (Job 4-31, they argued with Job over
this common explanation of suffering. In his third reply to Bildad
(26-31), Job spoke of the mystery and majesty of God's ways (26:1-
14). He extolled God's omniscience__He knows and sees everything
(vv.5-6), God's omnipotence__He created and controls everything
(vv.7-13), and God's transcendence__what we see of God in creation
is but the fringes of His ways; what we hear is but a whisper of His
power! (v.14).