Really Afraid for a Really Good Reason

Job 23 He says if we seek Him we will find Him, when we seek for Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). But I've been seeking with every ounce of strength in my heart before and found only dark rooms and empty hallways. Please, explain the dead silence. Explain the locked doors. Tell me … Continue reading Really Afraid for a Really Good Reason

Careful not to Choke on the Bones

Job 22 Well we've come to the middle-ish part of Job's story. His suffering has been well documented. His friends have opined and advised ad nauseum. Job has offered his own solemn questions, sorrows, and personal doubts to God Himself. But wait...there's more. Just a few last words from Eliphaz and then Bildad (chapter 25). … Continue reading Careful not to Choke on the Bones

He Said What He Said

Job 21 Hang on a minute. Let me say what I'm gonna say. Then you can carry on with your mocking. But just think for a second - was I talking to you? No? Then maybe you should shut-up. Okay, so maybe Job didn't say it quite like that. He said what he said, though. … Continue reading He Said What He Said

With Friends Like These…

Job 20 Just pause for 20 seconds in the grocery checkout line and read the magazine covers. First, note how they are all aimed at women, mainly because marketing companies know women typically do the household shopping. Second, note how each headline creates a crisis (oh, no!) and then offers the magic solution (oh, good). … Continue reading With Friends Like These…

Thoughts on Easter – But, What Do I Know?

Job 19 On a recent drive to a city south of us, I was reminded, Winter is not forever; Spring does come back around each year. On the drive down, we commented on the green haze around the trees, the bright blue sky with the fluffiest clouds, and the warmth from the sun through the … Continue reading Thoughts on Easter – But, What Do I Know?

The Hunt for Words

Job 18 It's so hard to give more time to Bildad. But God allows him this space to say what he said, to accuse Job yet again. And if I am weary of the words Bildad utters, how much more was Job weary! And if Job was weary of Bildad's inane diatribe, how much more … Continue reading The Hunt for Words

Broken and Spilled Out

Job 16 & 17 Every couple of years, I like to contemplate my own demise. When I say "like," I mean I do it, whether I like to or not. When I say "contemplate," I mean I obsess over the inevitable approach of my last breath. When I say "demise," I mean when I exit … Continue reading Broken and Spilled Out

Steadfast

Job 15 Do we get tired of ourselves, the sound of our own voices, the mix-tape on a loop in our brain, accusing, maybe excusing ourselves? Does our inner criticism wear us down? Do the words and opinions of others, even those dear to us, crush us, maybe break us? We have read the accusations … Continue reading Steadfast

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…