Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 24 August 2018

Rather quiet today.  No "watching" of kids.  No doctor appointments.  Wife called one doc this morning to postpone the Monday morning appointment:  a couple of things hit, and we don't have the $45 co-pay for a specialist.  As some know, we had to decline to fill a prescription from yesterday's doctor appointment, it's more than $100 since our insurance company does not cover even a penny of it.  Such is life.  So Wife is pretty limited in movement around the house today, and even going outside the house has been limited to stepping onto the porch for a couple of minutes to wave at Niece and SEVEN kids bouncing on their trampoline.
We had intended to run by the one hospital in the system and get blood drawn for "labs: for both of us, but under the circumstances we decided to defer the matter.  Perhaps late next week.  We shall see.

Yesterday's doctor trip was what it was.  They did X-rays of her knee, though that method's ability to discern soft tissue damage is doubtful.  We shall see.
But it could be worse.  As we were leaving, a vehicle in front of us had the route blocked as they were assisting a woman into the car.  Wife quietly told me that they'd been in the imaging office near her (I wasn't allowed in) and the woman had just been informed that she has perhaps two weeks to live.  Perhaps.  Perhaps not that long.  So we keep things in perspective.  There is sadness and tragedy -- and joy too -- all around us.  Need to be aware of it, not just wrapped up in our own issues or those close to us, if any.  The latter is not just a flip statement:  I for one spent MANY years as fully alone as any hermit monk ever was.

Our 30th wedding anniversary is just over two weeks hence.  We will not be having a party, and won't be enjoying the well-wishes of kids or a cruise on the Danube.  But we have each other, and have come this far through a lot of rough roads.  God is good, and we are grateful.


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Job 29

1Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,continued: Heb. added to take up

2Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

3When his candle shined upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness;candle: or, lamp

4As I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

5When the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

6When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;me: Heb. with me

7When I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

8The young men saw me, and hid themselves: and the aged arose, and stood up.

9The princes refrained talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

10The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.The nobles…: Heb. The voice of the nobles was hid

11When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me:

12Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him.

13The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

15I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

16I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

17And I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.the jaws: Heb. the jawteeth, or, the grindersplucked: Heb. cast

18Then I said, I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.

19My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.spread…: Heb. opened

20My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.fresh: Heb. newrenewed: Heb. changed

21Unto me men gave ear, and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

22After my words they spake not again; and my speech dropped upon them.

23And they waited for me as for the rain; and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

24If I laughed on them, they believed it not; and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

25I chose out their way, and sat chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

Job 30

1But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.younger…: Heb. of fewer days than I

2Yea, whereto might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

3For want and famine they were solitary; fleeing into the wilderness in former time desolate and waste.solitary: or, dark as the nightin…: Heb. yesternight

4Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

5They were driven forth from among men, (they cried after them as after a thief;)

6To dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth, and in the rocks.caves: Heb. holes

7Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

8They were children of fools, yea, children of base men: they were viler than the earth.base…: Heb. men of no name

9And now am I their song, yea, I am their byword.

10They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.and…: Heb. and withhold not spittle from

11Because he hath loosed my cord, and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

12Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destruction.

13They mar my path, they set forward my calamity, they have no helper.

14They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters: in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

15Terrors are turned upon me: they pursue my soul as the wind: and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.my soul: Heb. my principal one

16And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

17My bones are pierced in me in the night season: and my sinews take no rest.

18By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

19He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

20I cry unto thee, and thou dost not hear me: I stand up, and thou regardest me not.

21Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.become…: Heb. turned to be cruelthy…: Heb. the strength of thy hand

22Thou liftest me up to the wind; thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.substance: or, wisdom

23For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

24Howbeit he will not stretch out his hand to the grave, though they cry in his destruction.grave: Heb. heap

25Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?in trouble: Heb. hard of day?

26When I looked for good, then evil came unto me: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

27My bowels boiled, and rested not: the days of affliction prevented me.

28I went mourning without the sun: I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

29I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.owls: or, ostriches

30My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

31My harp also is turned to mourning, and my organ into the voice of them that weep.

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Psalm 149

1Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.Praise…: Heb. Hallelujah

2Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.in him…: Heb. in his Makers

3Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.in…: or, with the pipe

4For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

5Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.

6Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;mouth: Heb. throat

7To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

8To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

9To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

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Today, we turn our attention to the Epistle to the Ephesians.
I don't want to comment on some of this, in large part because some of it has been contentious for a very long time.  I am not strict Calvinistic double predestinator, but I see where some of it originates.  I know that the Lord knew us individually before the world began, with all of our (my) sins and faults, and let us live anyway, as much a proof of His love as you could ask.  But that leads to a lot of other questions that I can't answer.

Ephesians 1

1Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;

9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:

18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,

19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.