Job, in chapters 28-29 sure spoke the truth that too many of us have also had to learn the hard way. When you are on the top of the heap, firends gather around you and praise your name - but at the first sign of trouble they turn on you like vultures. He just said it a lor more poeticly than I did. In Chapter 30 we have a new player on the field. Elihu is the fourth man with them. He has kept quiet because he is the youngest - but now that the three older men have run out of things to say - he is going to put his two cents worth in! But even in his chapters of words - he also says some profound things - this comes from chapter 36: 26-30 “How great is God—beyond our understanding! The number of His years is past finding out. He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how He spreads out the clouds, how He thunders from His pavilion? See how He scatters His lightning about Him, bathing the depths of the sea.”
We got to read Galatians this week. I love to read Paul’s testimony every time he writes it - as he does in the beginning of this book. Then the letter continues with the argument of law versus grace. There were those who had come to the Galatia churches preaching a gospel of works - that you had to be circumcised. Paul had to remind them that salvation is a gift with no strings attached and there is absolutely nothing that we can do to ear in. It is fascinating - and yet sad - to read that the things that were problems for the first church remain problems today. How many times have we heard “you must be saved and you must be???????? in order to go to heaven” But as Paul tells the Galatians - it just isn’t so. Nothing that we can do will earn us salvation. Salvation is a gift that we ask for and is given.
This week’s readings:
Sonday, Nov 12…....Job 37-38; 1 Cor 12
Monday, Nov 13…...Job 39-40, 1 cor 13-14
Tuesday, Nov 14…..Psalm 149; 1 cor 15-16
Wed. Nov 15…...…Job 41-42; 2 cor 1-3
Thurs, Nov 16…..…2 cor 3-6
Friday, Nov 17……2 Cor 7-10
Sat. Nov18……...…Psalm 124; 2 cor 11-13
Posted by Valerie at November 13, 2006 08:27 PM