My reading for this morning concluded the book of Job in the Old Testament. I hate to admit it, but I have never read through the entire book of Job before. I always had the impression it would be a long, sad read, but it was not that at all. I was thoroughly surprised by use of beautiful similes to get the story across. I found it to be a beautiful book. The portion of scripture that really jumped out at me this morning was from Job 40:3-5
3 Then Job replied to the Lord,
4 “I am nothing—how could I ever find the answers?
I will cover my mouth with my hand.
5 I have said too much already.
I have nothing more to say.”
That is me so many times. I should just cover my mouth with my hand and listen for the Word from the Lord.
Later in the morning, I drove to the church to take care of some business and to have lunch with Barb. When we were about to start eating, a well-dressed and well-spoken woman showed up asking to use the phone. We were in the work room and offered her the phone near us. Her time with us started me to thinking about how we make decisions on who is truly needy and how to help them. I was torn from many directions regarding this visitor and asked Dan about it when he returned home this evening. He referred me to this scripture, which along with the information provided by the visiting woman, answered my concerns.
1 Timothy 5:16 (New Living Translation)
16 If a woman who is a believer has relatives who are widows, she must take care of them and not put the responsibility on the church. Then the church can care for the widows who are truly alone.
Then later this evening, Dan shared with me from a book he is reading by Dallas Willard called Renovation of the Heart. Part of the book talks about disciplines we can use to help in transforming our thought life toward the mind of Christ. One thing is to memorize certain key scriptures so that they are always on our minds as we go through circumstances of life. So, Dan challenged Desmond and me to memorize scripture and this is the first:
1 Corinthians 13 (New International Version)
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Our goal is to have this memorized by next Monday. I am so competitive, I started tonight and memorized the first three verses already!!
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