Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 28 August 2020

 Winding down the month of August.  September, the first of the --brrr! months is only a few days hence.  Not a positive in my own view of things, but whatever.  We've been enduring heavy rain and storms since yesterday.  A fair amount of damage in the region, as well as some power outages that are not fully repaired and at least on electrical surge that caused a small fire.  But our friends along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Lousiana had much worse, and areas in the states to their north and east are being hit with nasty stuff even now.  So I guess the heavy rain isn't so bad, and it's been a pretty dry summer anyway.  It'll do.  

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We're into the last few days in the book of Job.  It's tough reading, in no small part because it resonates with many of us.  Job's wife had recommended that he curse God and die.  That is what he did NOT do.  Ever.  Cry out, sure.  Try to understand, yes.  But he continued to seek the Lord, not to curse nor to reject Him.  To confess that he did not understand.  Most of us like to "judge" the circumstances, and the Lord's provisions, by our own standards.  That's a mistake.  At least a mistake.  But he did not reject God, and the Lord did not reject him.  As we will be seeing in the next few days.

JOB 37

1At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.

2Hear attentively the noise of his voice, and the sound that goeth out of his mouth.

3He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.

4After it a voice roareth: he thundereth with the voice of his excellency; and he will not stay them when his voice is heard.

5God thundereth marvellously with his voice; great things doeth he, which we cannot comprehend.

6For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

7He sealeth up the hand of every man; that all men may know his work.

8Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.

9Out of the south cometh the whirlwind: and cold out of the north.

10By the breath of God frost is given: and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

11Also by watering he wearieth the thick cloud: he scattereth his bright cloud:

12And it is turned round about by his counsels: that they may do whatsoever he commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

13He causeth it to come, whether for correction, or for his land, or for mercy.

14Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God.

15Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of his cloud to shine?

16Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is perfect in knowledge?

17How thy garments are warm, when he quieteth the earth by the south wind?

18Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?

19Teach us what we shall say unto him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

20Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

21And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the wind passeth, and cleanseth them.

22Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

23Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict.

24Men do therefore fear him: he respecteth not any that are wise of heart.

JOB 38

1Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,

2Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

3Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it?

6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof;

7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

8Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

9When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it,

10And brake up for it my decreed place, and set bars and doors,

11And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?

12Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

13That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

14It is turned as clay to the seal; and they stand as a garment.

15And from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm shall be broken.

16Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?

17Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

18Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.

19Where is the way where light dwelleth? and as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

20That thou shouldest take it to the bound thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

21Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born? or because the number of thy days is great?

22Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,

23Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

24By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

25Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder;

26To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on the wilderness, wherein there is no man;

27To satisfy the desolate and waste ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

28Hath the rain a father? or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

29Out of whose womb came the ice? and the hoary frost of heaven, who hath gendered it?

30The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

31Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

32Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

33Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?

34Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

35Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, Here we are?

36Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts? or who hath given understanding to the heart?

37Who can number the clouds in wisdom? or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

38When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

39Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion? or fill the appetite of the young lions,

40When they couch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

41Who provideth for the raven his food? when his young ones cry unto God, they wander for lack of meat.

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PROVERBS 2

1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

8He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

9Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

10When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

16To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

17Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

18For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

20That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

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EPHESIANS 5

1Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. 2And walk in love, as the Messiah also loved us and gave Himself for us,  a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3But sexual immorality  and any impurity  or greed  should not even be heard of  among you, as is proper for saints. 4Coarse and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral  or impure  or greedy  person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom  of the Messiah and of God.

Light versus Darkness

6Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wrath  is coming on the disobedient because of these things.  7Therefore, do not become their partners. 8For you were once darkness, but now you are light  in the Lord. Walk as children of light  — 9for the fruit of the light  results in all goodness, righteousness, and truth  — 10discerning  what is pleasing  to the Lord. 11Don’t participate in the fruitless  works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13Everything exposed by the light is made clear,  14for what makes everything clear is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper,  and rise up from the dead, 

and the Messiah will shine on you.  

Consistency in the Christian Life

15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise — 16making the most of the time,   because the days are evil. 17So don’t be foolish, but understand  what the Lord’s will  is. 18And don’t get drunk  with wine,  which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit: 

19speaking to one another

in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,

singing and making music

from your heart to the Lord,

20giving thanks always for everything

to God the Father

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

21submitting to one another

in the fear of Christ. 

Wives and Husbands

22Wives,  submit   to your own husbands  as to the Lord, 23for the husband is the head of the wife  as Christ is the head  of the church. He is the Savior of the body.  24Now as the church submits to Christ, so wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives,  just as Christ loved  the church and gave Himself  for her 26to make her holy, cleansing  her with the washing of water by the word. 27He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.  28In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30since we are members of His body. 

31For this reason a man will leave

his father and mother

and be joined to his wife, 

and the two will become one flesh.  

32This mystery  is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.