Job 14 God's Word is air and water and bread. I am currently malnourished, dehydrated, and suffocating. How could I let this happen? I understand the vitality of a well-fed soul. Why have I allowed famine to creep in? It happens in small choices, tiny decisions that don't seem important at the time but can … Continue reading Most Miserable
Face to Face
Job 13 "Behold, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it. What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. But I would speak with the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. As for you, you whitewash with lies; worthless physicians are you … Continue reading Face to Face
Ask the Beasts, the Birds, the Trees…
Job 12 My desk sits near a window in our old farmhouse. It allows a good view of the side hill and woods and, if I lean back enough, the old apple orchard where the deer meet each morning. There's a Christmas tree graveyard in these woods, where my boys have dumped our old trees … Continue reading Ask the Beasts, the Birds, the Trees…
A Broken Record
Job 11 Does it seem as though Job's friends are stuck in a loop? As if they keep telling the same story and the listener is expected to nod and smile as if it was new information? My mom calls this being "a broken record." I heard that phrase a good bit growing up when … Continue reading A Broken Record
A Little Cheer Before I Go
Job 10 Ah, a cup of strong coffee in the morning. Or, a cup of peppermint tea to warm the heart after dinner in the evening. A glass of wine with friends, where the laughter and conversation is more heady than the wine. A good book on a quiet afternoon. Just a little cheer before … Continue reading A Little Cheer Before I Go
The Testimony of Orion
Job 9 He is my favorite constellation. In Winter, Orion stands in the southern sky. Which means, when I pull into the farmhouse driveway on a clear night and shut off the car lights, I have a pretty good view of the Hunter over the closest corn field. Some nights, the sky takes my breath … Continue reading The Testimony of Orion
When Words Burn
Job 8 Let's talk about words. Let's use words to discuss the power of words, the power of the tongue. A tiny part of the human body with a megaphone attached. Let's string some words together in a fine pearl necklace to explain how words can heal or wound. Not a long strand of pearls, … Continue reading When Words Burn
Targeted – Job’s Reply
Job 6 **I couldn't fall asleep the night I wrote the following in my journal. I was awake, worried about my son, who was recently diagnosed with a very difficult and rare auto-immune disease. He can live with this disease, but it will be a daily challenge, no let-ups, no breaks from it. I was … Continue reading Targeted – Job’s Reply
What Friends Say – Part 2
Job 4 & 5 **When Job's friends speak, I have a hard time sifting out the truth from their limited understanding. I keep reminding myself that they didn't know the whole story, that they were not aware of God's purpose in all of Job's suffering. I try to imagine myself in their shoes. The following … Continue reading What Friends Say – Part 2
What Friends Say – Part 1
Job 4 & 5 Oh, Eliphaz...so pious! You speak from your place of health and comfort into the misery and sorrow of your dear friend. Could you not sit silently just a few more days? "If one ventures a word with you, will you be impatient? Yet who can keep from speaking?"Job 4:2 Eliphaz summarizes … Continue reading What Friends Say – Part 1
Christina Grubb 