Today's Readings and Stuff -- Monday, 26 August 2019

Last Monday in August.
And a bit of a family-type milestone.  Six years ago now, Dear Wife prevailed upon me to take early retirement, pull up stakes, and relocate a thousand miles north, here to the land of the Ice Giants and Mafiosi, so that we could move next door to her niece.  The fact that said niece had given birth to a little girl and named her after Dear Wife was part of the argument. When we arrived, the Little Angel was less than a year old, couldn't walk or do much except to be adorable.  Well, she grew.  And, this morning, she began 1st grade at school!   We've been part of her life, on nearly a daily basis, as far back as she can recall.  Perhaps we made a difference.
When we'd first moved out of the area, Wife had wanted to take the Little One's mother, Wife's niece, with us.  That was in 1992.  We weren't able to do so.  I don't know if that would have been better for her or not, but it would have been different, perhaps.  We, or at least she, had already had some impact:  for a little while we'd lived right across the street from the duplex that Wife's parents owned and that Wife's sister, her new husband, and her two kids -- including the niece -- were living.  So she'd already been a positive (one of the few, frankly) influence.
We try to touch lives.  We'll never have bridges or colleges named in our honor, but perhaps, just perhaps, we've been able to accomplish something as we walk this road.




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Job    33

1Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

2Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

3My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

4The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

5If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.

6Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

7Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

8Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

9I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

10Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

11He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

12Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

13Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

14For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

16Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

17That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

18He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

19He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:

20So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

21His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

22Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

23If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

24Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

25His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:

26He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

27He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

28He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

29Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

30To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

31Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.

32If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.

33If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

Job  34

1Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

2Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

4Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.

5For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

6Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

7What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

8Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

10Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

11For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

12Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

14If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

15All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

16If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

18Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

19How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

20In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

21For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

22There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

24He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

25Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

26He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

27Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

28So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

29When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

30That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

31Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

32That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

33Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

34Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

35Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

36My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

37For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

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We have been in the Psalms every week day since the New Year.  Today and tomorrow will mark the completion of the Psalms for our tour this year.  There will be other entries in this section that is nicknamed "Poetry", but the Psalms have been a good place to be for more than eight months.  Good Stuff here.

Psalm 149

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

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

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

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;

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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Ephesians 2

1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9Not of works, lest any man should boast.

10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

11Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

12That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

14For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

15Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

17And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

18For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.