Can you believe it?!? We move into November’s readings this week! How the time has flown as we have spent this year in God’s word!
Job is not my favorite book – I have always had a hard time understanding it – but to read it in the Message has really opened my eyes to it. I fell in love with chapter 11:7-12. Zophar is talking sideways most of the time – but when he talks about God in these verses, the hairs on my neck stood up – it was so awesome! And then in Chapter 12:13-25 when Job answers him – whew! It reminded me that sometimes I take God for granted – I make Him a safe and gentle God – and He is not! And then how Job takes on God – almost as if he is chastising Him! As we read along – it is a good thing for Job’s friends that he was to miserable to get up – cause sometimes it sounds like he is on the verge of KO’ing them! Then the part of Job that I have always loved in every version I have read it in - Chapter 19:23-27. Such an incredible statement of faith!
When you read Acts 15 in the Message it shows you that some of the challenges the first church faced are still alive and well today – from division within the church body to division between friends. Did you notice as you continued to read Acts that most of the time when there was a riot or some other uproar around Paul’s teaching – it was usually the Jewish leaders? And then towards the end of Acts when Paul is taken prisoner it is by the Jewish leaders, and they follow Paul as he is sent from judge to judge so that they can continue to make trouble for him. We read this type of stuff and wonder what was up with the Jewish leaders that they could not simply accept this change – but how often do we – as the Church – act with alarm when somebody proposes something new?
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Oct 29….... Job 20, Mark 3-4
Monday, Oct 30…... Job 21; Mark 5-6
Tuesday, Oct 31…..Job 22; Mark 7-8
Wed. Nov 1…...… Psalm 121, Mark 9-10
Thurs, Nov 2…..… Job 23-24; Mark 11-12
Friday, Nov 3…… Job 25; Mark 13-14
Sat. Nov 4……...…Job 26-27; Mark 15-16