Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.
Proverbs 9:10 ‘The Beginning of Wisdom’
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Job 42: 1-6 ‘Job Is Humbled and Satisfied’
1 Then Job answered the Lord:
2 ‘I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 “Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?”
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 “Hear, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you declare to me.”
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
and repent in dust and ashes.’
I am writing on the day a police officer has been shot dead in the line of duty. Also, we are midway through the enquiry into the Manchester Arena bombing. We are left wondering why these awful events happen and that such afflictions and illness affects some and not others.
The book of Job reminds us of the wonderful prose and poetry of Isaiah, and with the book of Proverbs it forms part of the Wisdom literature. Job was a wealthy and influential sheikh, a good man, but he suffered much and could not understand it. The book focuses on Job, his seemingly undeserved suffering, and his three friends’ questioning. Loss of possessions and family and physical pain shook his faith. One by one his friends try to make him see that he must be a wicked man, but Job knows that it is untrue.
In the end God speaks to Job but does not answer his questions. However, seeing God satisfies him, realising that his own concept of God had been too narrow.
We do not understand all God’s ways. Despite all that befalls us, however, just like Job we have to trust our Loving God. He will NEVER leave us to cope on our own. He is there through all that happens and Christ made the ultimate sacrifice by his death on the cross. Then, three days later he rose to offer new life for all, and his spirit remains with us to this day.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
we know that we have often failed to understand your ways.
Help us to trust you, that whatever happens to us,
our loved ones and all humankind,
you are with us, never leaving us, in times of joy and sorrow.
Your Son Jesus Christ came as our Lord and Saviour, Amen.
Reflection © 2020 Matthew Earl.
Image of Job from Sweet Publishing / FreeBibleimages.org.
Image of person in prayer by Gwen Meharg, www.DrawNearToGod.com courtesy of © ROOTS for Churches Ltd www.rootsontheweb.com
A printable version of this Daily Devotional can be downloaded from here
All material within this order of worship is reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356