In our online time today we spent our time discussing Job 1-24. There is so much more to this book than the "scene setup" in chapters 1-2 and "God shows up" in 40-42.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 reminds us that our hearts are more deceitful than anything else, and we can’t even understand the depth of the deceit. But God does understand and know our hearts . . . so some of the 3 friends’ perceptions draw from their listening to their heart and experience and dreams and visions. Job, as miserable as he was, still clung to God’s truth. Yes, he complains. Yes, he asks why (many times). But he knows that wisdom comes from God (12:13ff). He just wants God to "clue him in" on His purposes . . .
Though we didn’t discuss 1 Corinthians 1-8 this week, if you have comments on that portion, you are welcome to do so. The plan is to discuss it next week or the week after.
Remember, if you have missed some days, just jump right back in on today’s day. Please don’t give up!
Plea for Grace 
How can I not comment on Job 19:25-27. Job says with such confidence “I know!”, “He WILL stand”, “”I WILL see him”. And he echos our own cry, “How my heart yearns within me!”
One thing I have learned through my life experiences is that we have a choice – we can either trust that God is who he says he is and that he loves us to the moon and back, or we can choose to believe that God doesn’t care and isn’t listening.
Job’s circumstances didn’t change after he made that proclamation. In fact, he gets to hear more harsh words from his “friends”. But I have to believe that his heart changed, and his confidence in God grew.
The more we say, “My heart will choose to say, ‘Blessed be the name of the Lord'”, the more real it becomes, and the more we truly believe it and live it.
Amen! Job gives us the example that we MUST fix our eyes on God and His Word, not on our circumstances.
So true it comes down to what we believe about God. Keeping our eyes on Him and His word is the only way to walk through our circumstances. The only other choice is the pit. So not a choice at all. Yet it seems that’s where Job’s friends were heading him, the pit of guilt, shame, depression, and self condemnation. It can be hard at times to believe God. I guess we get tested. For instant my daughter is struggling with a situation where she knows that God spoke something to her and it lines up with the word but right now the situation in our real-time looks so the opposite and impossible. Well what do you do with that? Give up on it or continue to believe God spoke even when reality doesn’t match up right now? I think it goes back to the choice to trust God and let God be God. It seems that that was Job’s choice too in the midst of horrific circumstances. He came out victorious in that he chose to trust God and continue to believe no matter how everything else looked or whatever came at him and let God be God. I think only God through the power of His Spirit can do this in and thru each of us. On our own we would crumble like a cookie.