Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 09 July 2014

been a bit of a day and I'm just exhausted. tuckered, played out.

Had to have Dear Wife to an ophthalmologist's office several towns away for on 08:30 appointment.  We made it in time.  And there we were until around 11:30.  Nothing bad on the doc or the office -- they were great.  The problem is that we've got several stages of mis-diagnoses and poor supply.
To take the latter first, the first thing they did was put her glasses, the ones we got just at the end of summer last year while I was still working for my last employer in Alabama, through a device to determine the prescription.  And came to discover that contrary to normal practice for her lenses, and contrary to what the optometrist in Alabama assured us, these lenses had NO prisms ground in to the lens.  None.  She's had lens prisms to adjust for her strabismus and other conditions, since she was about 5 years old.  So now we know why she couldn't see with them.  I'd be a bit more sympathetic, but very same optometrist, using the very same lab. provide me with a pair of bifocals as I've been wearing for the last 15 years or so.  I never could get acclimated to them, so when our coverage here kicked in, I got a new pair.  And we discovered that the upper portion of the lens on my left side was plain.  No work had been done on that section whatever.  Again, the fault of the lens lab, but the eye doctor in Montgomery had assured me that she had inspected them before dispensing them to me, and that they were correct.  She lied.  So both Wife and I have had problems for around a year due to someone else's deceit and/or incompetence.  Not happy.
But the diagnosis part of wife's eye exam isn't good either.  She went in for evaluation by the M.D. upon recommendation of the D.O. in the same practice, presenting with an existing diagnosis of cataracts and glaucoma.  She's legally blind and becoming functionally and totally so as well.  The doc did a whole lot of exam -- the three hours or so seems to indicate that, right?  Well, it's not glaucoma and cataracts.  Probably a bit of both.  But what we appear to have is damage to the cornea.  Here's where it gets ugly.  Wife has a hatful of medical issues.  One of them is called Sjogren's Syndrome.  It's an autoimmune condition, and it means among other things that she makes little saliva, which leads to dry mouth and gums, problems chewing and swallowing food, tooth problems, etc.; it means she normally doesn't not perspire, meaning she can't sweat to cool the body; and it means that the glands that make tears don't function at all or very well. So the eyelids stick to the cornea, and you get scratches and damage to the cornea, and the cornea thickens in response, affecting light transmission, but in the meantime you get scratches and gouges on the surface of the cornea which obscures and fuzzes the images incoming and everything becomes a dim blur.  Some years ago in Japan, a drug was developed to address the issue.  We had been getting it for her while living in Arkansas and Tennessee.  But it was not covered under any insurance program, and we were paying around $330 per month, every month, for it.  The docs in Alabama ordered her off of it, would not authorize a new prescription, and she's been suffering ever since.  The new rheumatologist here just put her back on it, and it's pretty much covered under our insurance, and just went generic anyway.  But the damage is done.  And at this point, very little can be done about it.  Some years down the road, she might fit the general guidelines for a cornea transplant, but the likelihood of that ever happening is slim. 
So, as I said, she will be suffering for a long time due to the incompetence and bad performance of so-called professionals.  I'm not in a mood to be real charitable towards some of them. 
So we got out of there.  Went back home, ate a bit (we'd had nothing whatever to eat since last night) and let her nap for an hour.  Went off to the pharmacy to pick up two of hers.  And back home. 
A very late dinner, and she's asleep now as I clean up from dinner and tap the keys a bit.

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The Old Testament reading for today completes the book of Job, with chapters 40, 41, 42.
And the Lord is present.  The section ends with Job restored.  He has seven sons and three beautiful daughters.  His fortune is restored twice over, and lives to see his son's sons, even four generations.
Good so far.
But we always like to have things tied up neatly, don't we?  We want to understand, and that's not evil.
But there is no explanation given. We really don't know why Job has gone through all of this.
There is a strain of belief in the American church that the Lord's people will always do great.  And in the Eternal focus of things, I believe that is true.  But in the here and now, not so much  You need only to get the news of Christians persecuted in China.  India.  Pakistan. Vietnam.  Cuba.  Egypt.  Iraq.  Iran.  Sudan.  Libya.  Nigeria. Syria.  Arabia.  Yemen.  Turkey.  Uzbekistan.  And so very many more.  Hideous, ghastly, awful stuff.  Happening today.  The Lord allows it.  And I know of people in this country who have suffered terribly despite their faith, and sometimes because of it.  The Lord knows, and I believe that He allows it for reasons of His own.  I don't know those reasons, any more than I know why Job, and his children and servants suffered as well.  We trust the Lord despite the situations.  I know He cares, and sometimes that has to be enough.

Job 40  Back to Top

1	Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
2	Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
3	Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
4	Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
5	Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
6	Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7	Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8	Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9	Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10	Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11	Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
12	Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13	Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
14	Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
15	Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
16	Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
17	He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
18	His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.
19	He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
20	Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.
21	He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens.
22	The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.
23	Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth.
24	He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

Job 41  Back to Top

1	Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?
2	Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?
3	Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?
4	Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?
5	Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?
6	Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants?
7	Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears?
8	Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.
9	Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?
10	None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?
11	Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.
12	I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.
13	Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?
14	Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about.
15	His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.
16	One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.
17	They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.
18	By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.
19	Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.
20	Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.
21	His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.
22	In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.
23	The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.
24	His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.
25	When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves.
26	The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.
27	He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
28	The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
29	Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.
30	Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.
31	He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.
32	He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
33	Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.
34	He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Job 42 

1	Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2	I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3	Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4	Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5	I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6	Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
7	And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8	Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
9	So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job.
10	And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
11	Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.
12	So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
13	He had also seven sons and three daughters.
14	And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch.
15	And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.
16	After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.
17	So Job died, being old and full of days.

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The New Testament reading is verses 22-41 of Acts chapter 15.  These passage are important for many reasons, but one of those reasons is that here we see the New Testament Church, a term I've often heard from the pulpits and from the platforms and pamphlets. 

Acts 15:22-41

22	Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23	And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
24	Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25	It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26	Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27	We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28	For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29	That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
30	So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31	Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
32	And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
33	And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
34	Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.
35	Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36	And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do.
37	And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38	But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39	And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40	And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41	And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.