Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind: ‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up your loins like a man, I will question you, and you shall declare to me. Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, July 9, 2020
by R. Fergus Moir, Clergy Stuff
God is having none of Job’s whining. “Who’s polluting the air with his ignorance? Grow up, Job. Look me in the eye and tell me where you were when I created every single thing in all of existence?” Like, there’s no comeback to that. And while I appreciate God’s sass, the message is actually quite compassionate. Maybe, just maybe, we ought to stop talking long enough to actually hear truth. Maybe we need to stop seeing ourselves as the center of the universe, stop wallowing in our own suffering, and open ourselves up to what is happening around us. Yes, in the midst of our own pain, it is a challenge to not focus on ourselves. We need to remember to have self-compassion, and to know that our pain is real. But at the same time, if we choose only to wallow, and not to look beyond ourselves to the bigger picture of the universe, we can become entirely overwhelmed.
God calls us back to ourselves, back into relationship with God, back to the safety of knowing who is really in charge (here’s a hint: it’s not us). God promises to be God. And I can tell you that when I am suffering, those are exactly the words I need to hear.
Gracious God, reassure me in my suffering that I am not alone. Amen.
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