Today's Readings and Stuff -- Wednesday, 19 August 2020

 Well.  Still endeavoring to get back into some sort of regular patterns.  That includes matters great and small, but sometimes even the small ones are both necessary and causes for thought.  For example, tomorrow is "trash day", meaning that's the day that the truck comes by and collects the contents of the bins out at the street.  Rather a good metaphor for things:  it's a good idea to be consistent in throwing out the  "trash" in all our lives and minds.  Yes, we need to pitch out the "used" cat litter and empty milk jugs and egg cartons and such.  But we also need to get rid of all those things that take up the space and time in our hearts and minds that distract us from the Lord.  I am struck, often, with the memory of the admonition about seeking the Lord with ALL our hearts.  Not just part, but all.  Too often, our minds (mine too) are like one of those "hoarders" types.  I know, and you may also, persons who know the batting averages of all the star players on the baseball team of your choice from 17 years back, but little of God's Word, though they may be in church every time the doors are open.  We can do better.  "Clearing the decks" is a good admonition for a naval ship going into battle, and we are in a battle as well.

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Today, chapters 19 and 20 in Job.  

Yes, Job is not all happiness and light.  It's full of trouble and pain.

And yet, Job here utters one of the best lines a human can.  From verses 25 - 27 in Job 19, "I know that my Redeemer liveth .. " and following.  Job didn't understand the circumstances or purposes of his trials.  But he kept fixed on the Lord, no matter what.  The words echo through the centuries since.  It is no coincidence that Handel put those words into the libretto for his towering work, Messiah.  We need that same determination and faith, no matter what.  Remember this?  I know

JOB 19

1Then Job answered and said,

2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

4And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

5If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

6Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

7Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

8He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

9He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.

17My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

18Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

JOB 20

1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

3I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

4Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

5That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

6Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds;

7Yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung: they which have seen him shall say, Where is he?

8He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found: yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

9The eye also which saw him shall see him no more; neither shall his place any more behold him.

10His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

11His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

12Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue;

13Though he spare it, and forsake it not; but keep it still within his mouth:

14Yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of asps within him.

15He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly.

16He shall suck the poison of asps: the viper's tongue shall slay him.

17He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

18That which he laboured for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down: according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

19Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor; because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not;

20Surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly, he shall not save of that which he desired.

21There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

22In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

23When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

24He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

25It is drawn, and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall: terrors are upon him.

26All darkness shall be hid in his secret places: a fire not blown shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

27The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.

28The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath.

29This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

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Psalm 145

PSALMS 145

David's Psalm of praise.

1I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

2Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

3Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

4One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

5I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.

6And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.

7They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.

8The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.

9The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.

10All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee.

11They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;

12To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.

13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

14The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.

15The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.

16Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

17The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.

18The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

19He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.

20The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.

21My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

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Galatians 4

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.