August 22nd One Year Bible Readings

Job 4:1-7:21 ~ 1 Corinthians 14:18-40 ~ Psalm 37:30-40 ~ Proverbs 21:27
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on DailyAudioBible.com (podcast) or OneYearAudioBible.org ~

Old Testament - Today in Job chapter 4 we read about Eliphaz the Temanite's first response to Job, including these words in verses 3 through 6: "In the past you have encouraged many a troubled soul to trust in God; you have supported those who were weak. Your words have strengthened the fallen; you steadied those who wavered. But now when trouble strikes, you faint and are broken. Does your reverence for God give you no confidence? Shouldn't you believe that God will care for those who are upright?" How do these words of Eliphaz's speak to you?  Are these fair words for him to be saying to Job?  Are they fair words for us to consider in our own lives today as well?

Then in chapter 6 Job responds to Eliphaz as follows in verse 2 through 6: "If my sadness could be weighed and my troubles be put on the scales, they would be heavier than all the sands of the sea. That is why I spoke so rashly. For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows. He has sent his poisoned arrows deep within my spirit. All God's terrors are arrayed against me. Don't I have a right to complain? Wild donkeys bray when they find no green grass, and oxen low when they have no food. People complain when there is no salt in their food."  How do these words of Job's speak to you?  Are these fair words for him to be saying in reply to Eliphaz?  Are they fair words for us to consider in our own lives today as well?

Below is a powerful image for Job's words in chapter 7 verse 11:

New Testament - I don't know if you've ever heard Billy Graham say that he likes to read the newspaper in one hand with the Bible in the other hand?  I will try to provide an example of how we can do this today, thanks to an article a couple of years ago in Newsweek titled "In Search of the Spiritual" at this link.  This is an opportunity to read Paul's words today in First Corinthians chapter 14 on orderly worship, and then compare to what you read in this Newsweek article.  I'll let you work out your own conclusions.  Be like Billy Graham - read the news of the day in one hand with the Bible in the other hand.   Tim Challies (one of my favorite bloggers) has an interesting take on this Newsweek article on his blog at this link.

(On some more Billy Graham / magazine notes, did everyone catch the Newsweek magazine article about Billy titled "Pilgrim's Progress"?  You can read it online here.  Billy is now 90 years old - below left is a TIME cover from 15 years ago.  And below right is another TIME cover from just 2 years ago with an article about Billy ministering to President's which you can read at this link.)

The One Year Bible Companion book dives into the question "Does 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 mean that women should not speak in church services today?"  I encourage you to pick up this book, as it is invaluable in going through the One Year Bible and covers great questions like this.  I will share with you a little bit of their answer on this today - "Women have much to contribute and can participate in worship services. In the Corinthian culture, women were not allowed to confront men in public.  Apparently some of the women who had become Christians thought that their Christian freedom gave them the right to question men in public worship.  This was causing division in the church.  Paul was asking the women not to flaunt their Christian freedom during worship.  The purpose of Paul's words was to promote unity, not to teach about women's role in the church."  Thank you Tyndale for this Q & A.

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in First Corinthians titled "Spiritual Gifts and Self Control" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 37 verses 30 & 31 read like amazing Proverbs: "The godly offer good counsel; they know what is right from wrong. They fill their hearts with God's law, so they will never slip from his path."  Are you filling your heart with God's teachings?  Are you doing this so that you will never slip from His path?  Are you offering good counsel to those around you?  When others around you see you, do they see someone that clearly knows what is right from wrong?  Below is a little Right & Wrong sign humor for you :) - 

Proverbs - Proverbs 21 verse 27 is one of those that makes you go "ouch" - "God loathes the sacrifice of an evil person, especially when it is brought with ulterior motives."  Well, not the evil person part making me go ouch, so much as the "ulterior motives" part.  I do think there is so much wisdom in Jesus' admonition to give without letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing.  I am afraid that sometimes I have not only let the right hand know when I'm giving - but many other people as well!  That's ulterior motives.  And it's not right obviously, as we see in this Proverb today and as we hear from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.  How about you and your giving or acts of kindness - Do you give with pure motives?  With no ulterior motives?  With no strings attached?

Worship God: Well, I'm not 100% sure if when Michael Gungor and Israel Houghton wrote the hit song "Friend of God" that they had Job's words mind mind from today's readings in chapter 7 verse 17: “What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often?"  But let me know your thoughts after watching this worshipful video.  This video features Chris Tomlin and Israel Houghton from Passion 2007.  (Israel's voice is like butter!)  Oh - and you might want to take Chris Tomlin's advice in the opening of this video and get up out of your chair and dance!  :)

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

Comments

[Ramona]

Job 4:1-7:21

Eliphaz says twice in his first response to Job, “my experience …,’ (4:8; 5:3) and sums up his response by saying in the fifth chapter,

27 "We have found from experience that all this is true. Listen to my counsel, and apply it to yourself."

Do I use “my experience” as the end all and be all of the universe? If I do that, I have placed myself in God’s seat. I have stated that all knowledge is summed up in my little pea brain, I definitely know that it is not. However, if I flippantly do what Eliphaz had done then I am like him, presumptuous. According to the Word, that presumption is a sin.

And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.
(Deuteronomy 17:12 KJV)

Job declares something that almost all of us do when faced with hardship, we blame God and we assume wrongly that all our hardships come because we did something wide of the mark. When we think like that we long for death or we desire to go back in time to will our non-entry into the world. Suicide, a permanent solution to a temporary problem... All who trust in the Lord should have hope based on the Words He has spoken to us in the Bible.

I Corinthians 14:18-40
I am not going to get caught up in the debate on speaking in tongues, though I confess, I do speak in tongues in the privacy of my devotional time. However, my salvation is not based on Speaking in Tongues, or Laying on of Hands or giving someone a “Word of knowledge.” I am Saved because of what Jesus Christ did for me on Calvary. My walk in Christ grows deeper by keeping myself attached to the Vine, that is Christ, and the evidence to others is the Fruit of the Sprit I should be producing. Am I a fragrance of Christ to others, or am I an Odor?

Since this letter is one of correction, the point of this passage is correction and balance, which is the key to life. Truth taken to the extreme is error. Speaking in tongues was something Paul did, but not to the exclusion of everything else and certainly not in a public form, where there was no one to interpret what was being said. The key phrase here is “Decently and in Order.”

Psalm 37:30-40

32 Those who are evil spy on the godly,
waiting for an excuse to kill them.

Boy did this verse hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m seeing this played out everywhere, in business, in government, and yes, in churches. People are not suppose to deal in truth and if they do or those holding the power (they just think they have power), may not kill them bodily, but they will attempt to kill by character assassination.

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20 KJV)

Proverbs 21:27

When we treat God like this verse states, bringing sacrifices and offerings to get something from God or to appease God for an evil we have done, then we are treating Him like idolaters treat their gods. We, in effect, are trying to “bribe” God to overlook an offense. Our religion then is not one of obedience but one of wiping the slate clean by our own “works.” That may be good enough for idols but it “Ain’t” what God is all about.

For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God's favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. [Lev. 13:45, 46.]
(Isaiah 64:6 AMP)

If our “righteous” acts are not good enough for God, how much more are the acts we do in our attempt to appease God when we have willfully sinned? Something to think about.

[Walter L Mosley]

Can you give me information on the illustrations for Job? If you don't know the artist's name, where did they come from, perhaps an illustrated Bible? Thank you.