DAY 25: Job and His Friends: Mourn Those Who Mourn: Job 1-2

Hey Ladies!

Ok, so today's text is from Job. The book of Job takes place in the land of Uz, which is a large area east of Canaan. One important theme to consider is that we may never understand why there is suffering in our world, but we can learn the lesson Job learned. Even in tough circumstances, God is in complete control, and we can trust him. 

Reading the headlines in the newspaper or watching the news about bad things can stir up a lot of emotions- sadness, anger, and fear, to name a few. These stories can also raise a lot of "why" question in our mind. Why do thousands of children starve to death? Why are countless people killed in wars? Why are there so many diseases, accidents and senseless crimes?

You may even have some personal "why" questions. Why did someone I love suddenly die? Why did my mom lose her job? Why do I have to study so hard just to pass my classes? Why do the Redskins always lose :)? After my track injury till the time I needed surgery, I remember asking, "Why did I have to get hurt?" a lot.

Job had a lot of "why" questions.. Why did he lose all his property? Why did he break out with terrible sores? Why did he have to suffer when others were untouched? This book raises these questions as Job's friends attempt to help him find answers. But in the end, Job realizes he will not find answers to his sufferings on this side of heaven. Instead of answers, Job is reassured that God is in complete control and can be trusted in the worst of circumstances.

When those "why" questions threaten to undermine your faith, remember Job. Turn to God and trust him completely with your situation

The main things I found in the passage for today were humility and integrity. Hard times show the world what you're really made of. What do hard times reveal about you? A tendency to despair? To whine? Or to be humble? That's what hard times brought out in Job- humility. when horrible things happened, he didn't blame God or anyone else. he also didn't demand better treatment. Instead he acted humbly and praised God. Humility means yielding to God's leading instead of your own. The odd thing about humility is that you can't fake it. The moment you notice you have it, well it's not really there. It's something that only god can teach you.

I know it is hard to keep integrity when things get hard. And sometimes it seems easier just to act like Job's wife during the storms of our life. But we have to hang in there and pray to God. Before I go  through something hard, like exams, I pray to God, asking him to keep me afloat.

Have a good one!

Anne :)