August 22

Today's Reading
This longest section of Job reads like an ancient drama or an epic poem. His friends, beginning today with Eliphaz, each try to convince Job that his problems are because of some hidden or unconfessed sin. Job denies it and wonders why God abandoned him. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? I have! It's part of life's struggle. A few seasons of trouble that didn't come as a result from our own sin can make us less likely to criticize others going through difficulty.

Part of the purpose of 1 Corinthians was to address certain areas that were out of balance among the Corinth church. For instance, their worship services could be positively chaotic. Paul brings them back to the purposes of certain things in worship and warns them that they need to make some changes.

Psalms. It is tempting to take a momentary snapshot of the wicked and believe that wickedness pays off. Not so! In the end, they always fall. When you compare and contrast this to the message of Job, you notice that God DOES notice and it matters how we live. Not every trouble is because of sin, but we still reap what we sow!

Proverbs. Always, always, always God looks at our hearts. We need to search out our own motives for what we do.

What thoughts do you have today?