email : Webview : Duane Brooks - Every Day with Jesus

May 24, 2019

Job 1:20-22

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”
In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
New International Version (NIV)

We are all just one phone call from our knees. The people of Jefferson City, Missouri can testify. A little before Midnight on Wednesday night of this week, a crushing tornado upended their city. It brought back memories of the F-5 tornado which decimated Joplin, Missouri back in 2011. Tornadoes leave mayhem and broken hearts in their wake.

                After losing all of his substantial possessions, Job lost all of his children to a mighty wind. Ten children for whom he had prayed and held high hopes were suddenly gone. How would he pick up the pieces of his life? Elizabeth Kubler-Ross spoke about the stages of grief we humans endure. We go in and out of emotions like denial, anger, depression, bargaining and acceptance. Her stages sound like they go smoother in progression than they actually do in my own experience.

                When all of life caves in, what then? Job’s pattern of worship sustained him in the worst moment of his life. He tore his robe and shaved his head expressing his grief. Then he fell to the ground in worship. Job had no expectations of God. God gave him him his kids. Now they were gone. Somehow, he blessed the name of the lord. Of course this book does not end with chapter one. We witness in the ensuing chapters the titanic struggle Job endured with his friends and God.

                Every day we are accumulating the spiritual resources we will use in our worst moments. Nothing can prepare us for the loss of loved ones. There is no easy answer for those who have lost children. Job’s faith did not anesthetize him or alleviate his pain. But where would Job have been without his faith? Where would we be without ours?   As we live lives of worship we are setting the pattern by which we will deal with both the best news and the worst news of our lives. So whatever else we do today, let us worship God who gives and takes away. Let us bless his name. Nothing in all creation can separate us or our loved ones from God’s love.

Pray with me:

Father, our whole lives are in your hands. We thank you today for the amazing gifts our families are to us. Thank you for parents, siblings, spouses, children and grandchildren. We take nothing for granted, God. Let us live lives of authentic gratitude today for all of your good gifts. When the winds blow and the floods rise, let our lives be built on the firm foundation of relationship with you through your Son who gave up his life for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan. Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download
the app at readscripture.org. Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully,
Duane

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