Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 18 August 2018

"My Faith Has Found A Resting Place"
That came to me in mid-morning.  I don't know that it says it all, but it says a very great deal.

This has been an odd day (as if that were unusual, surely).  Late this afternoon, while Wife was heavily involved in making a very early supper, we got call from Next-Door-Niece.  Seems that Wife's brother-in-law's company picnic was today. So he'd invited Niece & husband and kids, and nephew and wife and kids.  All at the park of a local minor league baseball club. Lots of perks too, like free parking, and unlimited free food from the concession stands.  But then, in the midst of our meal preps, a call.  Would we like to come too?  Free passes to enter, free food, all that.  Wife wanted to try:  she's been sitting in recliner with the feet way elevated for most of the last few days, so cabin fever had taken hold (a rarity).  So, the half-made food went into the refrigerator, and off we went. 
Lasted about 3-1/2 innings and then wanted to come home, so we did.
I just got done putting the lotions, Icy Hot, Aspercreme+lidocaine, and lidocaine on the feet, legs, and knees.  This is the most walking she'd done in a week, and she's in some real pain. 

But one interesting thing came out of it.  Ran into a couple at the game that I'd gone to high school with.  Hadn't laid eyes on either for more than 40 years.  Got to talk with them a bit.  So, perhaps, that leads to something worthwhile.


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anybody else ever felt like Job?  I have.

Job 17

1My breath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.breath…: or, spirit is spent

2Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?continue: Heb. lodge

3Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

4For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

5He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

6He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a tabret.aforetime: or, before them

7Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.my members: or, my thoughts

8Upright men shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.be…: Heb. add strength

10But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

11My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.the thoughts: Heb. the possessions

12They change the night into day: the light is short because of darkness.short: Heb. near

13If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.said: Heb. cried, or, called

15And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

16They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

Job 18

1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

3Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

4He teareth himself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?himself: Heb. his soul

5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

6The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.candle: or, lamp

7The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

9The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

10The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.laid: Heb. hidden

11Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.drive: Heb. scatter

12His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13It shall devour the strength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.strength: Heb. bars

14His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

15It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

17His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

18He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.He…: Heb. They shall drive him

19He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20They that come after him shall be astonished at his day, as they that went before were affrighted.went…: or, lived with himwere…: Heb. laid hold on horror

21Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

Today's Readings And Stuff -- Friday, 17 August 2018

Happy Friday to all.

Three entries today for 'song of the day'.

I was getting dressed with "Open My Eyes That I Might See".  It's along the lines of where my mind has been lately.  Pay attention to the words, please.

But it led to another "Open The Eyes Of My Heart".  Can't argue with that either, can we?  I can't.  Go look at Isaiah chapter 6.  Yes, we truly want, truly need to see Him.  Need it like we need air and water, more so actually, and nothing else matches.  Nothing, and we do wrong when we put anything before Him.  Those are, too often, our idols.

And that led to the answer, of course.  "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus".  Can't argue with that, not a bit.

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Job 15

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?vain…: Heb. knowledge of wind

3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

4Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.castest…: Heb. makest voidprayer: or, speech

5For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.uttereth: Heb. teacheth

6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,

13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

21A dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.A dreadful…: Heb. A sound of fears

22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

32It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.accomplished: or, cut off

33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

Job 16

1Then Job answered and said,

2I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.miserable: or, troublesome

3Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?vain…: Heb. words of wind

4I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.

6Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?what…: Heb. what goeth from me?

7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.hath…: Heb. hath shut me up

12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.on high: Heb. in the high places

20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.scorn me: Heb. are my scorners

21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!neighbour: or, friend

22When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

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Today, Psalm 144.  This is one of those Psalms that, in my youth, was NEVER mentioned.  Never.  Might as well have not been in our Bibles for all the attention that it go.
And such is often the case today:  verse 1 gives some people the hives.


Psalm 144

A Psalm of David.

1Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:strength: Heb. rockto war…: Heb. to the war, etc.

2My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.My goodness: or, My mercy

3 Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!

4Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

5Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

6Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.

7Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;hand from: Heb. hands from

8Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

9I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.

10It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.salvation: or, victory

11Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

12That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:polished: Heb. cut

13That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:all…: Heb. from kind to kind

14That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.strong…: Heb. able to bear burdens, or, loaden with flesh

15Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord.

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Galatians 2

1Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

3But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:

4And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

5To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

6But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

7But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

8(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)

9And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

10Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

11But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.

12For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.

13And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.

14But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,

16Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

17But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.

18For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.