JULY 5, 2016

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” 
― Theodore Roosevelt

JOB 31-32

Job searches himself for any possible wrongdoing...

35(“Oh, that I had someone to hear me!

I sign now my defense—let the Almighty answer me;

let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

36Surely I would wear it on my shoulder,

I would put it on like a crown.

37I would give him an account of my every step;

I would present it to him as to a ruler.)—

ACTS 13:1-23

Paul confronts a sorcerer...

There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10“You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

JOURNAL 

Taking personal inventory is a good and necessary step in the journey of following Christ. To go through my actions and see if I have hurt anyone or done something that would have wronged another is good and healthy and keeps me humble. It also has a way of helping me to not take on things that are not my responsibility. 

To see Job go through his inventory of actions...weighing each as he searches for possible reasons for his current circumstances, is both encouraging and discouraging. For Job never knew the reasons behind his fall and suffering. We get to see behind the scenes but Job never does. Yet in the end it draws him closer to God.

To understand and know the depth of human darkness is to understand that there are those that will oppose God and anything good. Just as with Job...it is not for me to know why or necessarily to understand...I can only be responsible for my actions and how I lead those to whom God has put as my responsibility.  Still...I cannot make someone behave a certain way, I can only lead and love by example.

23Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 

 ~ 2 CORINTHIANS 6:3-10