Diving into Job

Tonight we started a Bible study on the Book of Job (we are doing the same thing on Thursday at noon if anyone is interested). So I read through the book again and was reminded of how this was such a troubling book for me.

I have always struggled with the idea of bad things happening to good people - as I believe most of us have. But I also know the realities of life, and I know that bad things do happen to good people. As we have started this book on of the things that really stood out to me were the three friends of Job. Later on they are problematic, but at the beginning, they do just what I like to see friends do - they come and sit with Job as he is going through a difficult time.

Having friends like that is a true treasure. Having someone who will come and just be with you as you endure trials and struggles is a true gift. I have a few of these friendships, and I treasure them.

So today, I invite you to think about the people who have come and sat with you during difficult times. Think about the support and live you have been given. Then let them know. So often we take these friendships for granted - let's try not to do that anymore.

Grace

As we have been reading through the Bible in the Bible Challenge, I have come back to some gems that I had not spent a lot of time with recently. And it always amazes me how I see something new in the Scriptures, even if it is a story that I have read over and over again.

Today we covered the story of Joseph, and in reading through it this time my mind hung on the word "redeem." Even in the most difficult of times that Joseph faced, God was with him, empowering him, redeeming him, and using him to redeem others.

It is a reminder to me that God is a God of grace. He blesses us over and over again, sometimes without us even realizing it until after the fact. Even in the lowest points of our lives, or maybe especially then, God is there - lifting us up and giving us what we need to make it through those "valleys of the shadow of death."

So today, I invite you to reflect on the grace God has showered on you. Reflect on the blessings you have been given, and take some time to reflect on the ways God has entered into your life.

90 Day Challenge

At Our Savior's we have started a 90 Day Bible Challenge. The Challenge is to read through the entire Bible in 90 days. We have reading guides and a ning site set up to facilitate discussion as we strive to read through this book of faith in a fairly short amount of time.

For me, this is a wonderful challenge. In the past I have read through the entire Bible, but it has been over a much longer period of time and sometimes the stories have lost a bit of heir power when they are broken up rather than read as a whole. This pushes me to dive back in and read these life-giving stories in their entirety in a much shorter period of time.

It also helps to focus me. Too often I get tied up on the busy-ness of church work that my devotion time is shortened. This forces me to take half and hour every day to dive in and live with Scripture again, something I love to do.

So if you are interested in joining us in this challenge, let me know and I will get info to you. Have a blessed day.