Title: Common Nonsense / Topic: Foolishness

Today’s Reading: Job 18; Psalm 114; Acts 27; Acts 28

Scripture: Job 18 (excerpts) & Acts 27:9-12
Job 18 (excerpts)
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
5 "The lamp of the wicked is snuffed out;
the flame of his fire stops burning...
11 Terrors startle him on every side
and dog his every step...
16 His roots dry up below
and his branches wither above.
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;
he has no name in the land...
21 Surely such is the dwelling of an evil man;
such is the place of one who knows not God."

Acts 27:9-12
9 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, 10 "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." 11 But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there...

Observation: The two passages above caught my attention. The Job passage chronicles Bildad's rebuke of Job. Bildad regards himself as spiritual and wise. His remarks, however, are simplistic and false. There are many people who see life in black and white, with no shades of gray. Bildad ostensibly came to comfort Job. Some comfort! Here he is condemning Job by implying that only evil people face calamity as Job is facing. This is commonly believed by many people, including Christians. But it is not common sense, it is common nonsense. And the Acts passage shows that majority rule often leads to disaster. Paul was not listened to because he was thought to be a religious kook. "The advice of the pilot and the owner of the ship" was what swayed the majority and the decision to go on was made based on their "expert" advice.

Application: There is a lot of common nonsense out there. Whether the opinion of experts, or the popular, people believe or can be lead to believe so many untrue and even foolish things. And it is so easy for people to judge others wrongly as Job was judged. That is because conclusions are drawn without really taking the time and effort to understand the situation and because the approach is often with pride and/or arrogance.

Bottom line: True wisdom comes from God and bears his character of love, justice, mercy, humility, and goodness. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, may I think rightly -- with your divine wisdom, not my own human logic, as the basis of my thinking. Help me not to be swayed or influenced by popular trends or cultural pressures, but keep my heart and soul anchored on your eternal truth. Give me Godly wisdom, and the discernment and discretion to speak it effectively.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Faith In The Fire / Topic: Trusting God

Today’s Reading: Job 13; Job 14; Acts 17; Acts 18

Scripture: Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him;
I will surely defend my ways to his face.

Observation: I love Job. He is being put through the wringer, both physically and emotionally. His friends have begun to turn on him, and his wife did so long ago. He must feel abandoned by everyone and smitten by God. Yet, in the middle of his struggle, he makes this statement of faith, "though he slay me, yet will I hope in him." What great faith! And his followup comment shows his confidence in his relationship with God, even though his current situation is confusing to him, "I will surely defend my ways to his face." He knows that God is reasonable and when (not if) he appears before God, he will certainly be given an opportunity to present his case to God.

Application: Let Job be an inspiration to all of us. Job suffered so much more than most of us would ever be subjected to, yet even in the depths of his suffering, he kept his bearings regarding God. God is in charge, I am subject to Him. Job never forgot this -- I must never lose this perspective either.

Prayer: Lord, I thank You that Your ways are far beyond my ability to fathom. Help me not to worry about it when I can't figure You out. Help me to accept blessing and calamity from Your hand, with the understanding that You have in mind the bigger picture of what's best in the ultimate sense. May I always trust in You, my Savior and my God.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.