Today's Readings and Stuff == Tuesday, 21 August 2018

As was noted yesterday, yesterday was a tough day.  Another death in the extended family.
Wife's honorary great-uncle passed.  His ex-wife, Wife's aunt had passed two years ago, dearly loved by many (and a better mom to Wife than her real mom ever was).  And one of the two daughters of that aunt died just last year, very suddenly.  Her sister had been emotionally dependent on her, so the loss of both in relatively short order, hits hard.  To now lose her semi-father was devastating.

I expected a quiet day.  WRONG!  Wife had to be over at Niece's by 08:20 so that Niece could be at work by 09:00, so we rose at 06:00-ish.  I hoped for a bit of peace and quiet:  both the great-niece and great-nephew had been sleeping in until late, the boy didn't wake the other day until around 11:30.  Didn't happen.  I had hauled Wife's "stuff" over with her, then came home and started on this.  Which lasted a good 20-30 minutes or so.  Then ...  both kids were up and quite active.  Meaning that I was required to be present:  dealing with a 5-year-old girl who starts kindergarten next week isn't too bad.  Dealing with a 1-year-old boy who is energetic and then some, isn't a good fit for someone as disabled as Wife.  So the services of who the little guy calls "Unk!",  were required.  Right This Minute.  And we stayed quite busy, quite busy indeed.
Parents came home.  So we came back over.  But Wife was in her "cook" mode.  Intending to make a kettle full (like nearly a gallon of tomato sauce for pasta, from scratch.  Garden full of ripe and ripening tomatoes.  So, of course, Yours Truly was called back away from the keyboard to go pick tomatoes.  She then set me to washing them, and coring them, so that they could be blanched, peeled, pureed, and then into the kettle for three hours.  But as I was sitting down, was informed that she couldn't find one of the needed spices (a catastrophe for sure) so back across the back yard to borrow a tablespoon or so of it, and then take the bottle back.
So, about 9 hours after intended, making another effort.

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More in Job.  Ever feel that the Lord isn't being fair??  Job surely did.  Now, that issue of "fairness" is one of those rabbit trails that I'm not up to following.  I know that the Lord is good, and that His love is amazing.  Do I always like what's going on?  Of course not.  Someday, I may understand, if it's still that important to me.  Hopefully, it won't be.  But yes, the road can be bumpy, and when that happens, where else should we turn?

Job 23

1Then Job answered and said,

2Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.stroke: Heb. hand

3Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

4I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

5I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

6Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

7There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

8Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

9On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

10But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.that…: Heb. that is with me

11My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

12Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.esteemed: Heb. hid, or, laid upmy…: or, my appointed portion

13But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

14For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

15Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

16For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

17Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

Job 24

1Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know him not see his days?

2Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof.feed…: or, feed them

3They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge.

4They turn the needy out of the way: the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

5Behold, as wild asses in the desert, go they forth to their work; rising betimes for a prey: the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

6They reap every one his corn in the field: and they gather the vintage of the wicked.corn: Heb. mingled corn, or, dredgethey gather…: Heb. the wicked gather the vintage

7They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

8They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

9They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge of the poor.

10They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

11Which make oil within their walls, and tread their winepresses, and suffer thirst.

12Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out: yet God layeth not folly to them.

13They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

14The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

15The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me: and disguiseth his face.disguiseth…: Heb. setteth his face in secret

16In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the daytime: they know not the light.

17For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

18He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed in the earth: he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

19Drought and heat consume the snow waters: so doth the grave those which have sinned.consume: Heb. violently take

20The womb shall forget him; the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered; and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

21He evil entreateth the barren that beareth not: and doeth not good to the widow.

22He draweth also the mighty with his power: he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.no…: or, he trusteth not his own life

23Though it be given him to be in safety, whereon he resteth; yet his eyes are upon their ways.

24They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all other, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.are gone: Heb. are nottaken…: Heb. closed up

25And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?

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We have been in the Psalms since the beginning of the year.  Within the week, we shall be transitioning to another book under the "Poetry" heading.
The Psalms are special.  Many MANY years ago, I was in one of those very early Internet forums in which a bunch of things were discussed.  In one, we were lectured by some biggie in a denomination called the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (I'd never heard of them but they are still around) that the ONLY appropriate allowed songs of worship in a legitimate church are the Psalms.  So, by that measure, "Amazing Grace" and the rest of the hymnbooks are evil and forbidden.  Yes, he was serious.
I don't go that far.  I do regard the Psalms as special, because they are.  Treat them accordingly.

Psalm 146

1Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.Praise ye…: Heb. Hallelujah

2While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

3Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.help: or, salvation

4His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God:

6Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:

7Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:

8The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:

9The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

10The Lord shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.

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Galatians 4

1Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;

2But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.

3Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:

4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.

9But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.

11I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

12Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.

13Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

14And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

15Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

16Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?

17They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.

18But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

19My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,

20I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.

21Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

22For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

23But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

24Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

25For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

26But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

27For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

28Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

29But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.

30Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

31So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.