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Mar 27, 2023 06:00am

The Bible Recap: Days 8-14

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(The following are reflections from the writer’s personal journey through The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble – a Bible reading plan to read the Bible chronologically in one year. To learn more about The Bible Recap, visit thebiblerecap.com.)

Day 8: Read Job Chapters 17-20

My Takeaways:

Anyone get angry at Job’s “friends” (AKA: frenemies)?! Anyone’s heart break for Job? Job is still trying to process everything, while his friends add insult to injury! How many times have we felt this statement of Job’s: “My spirit is broken” (v. 1)? How many times have we felt: “Where is my hope?” (v. 15)

Job is at his lowest of lows, and frenemy Bildad has the nerve to say: “Hoe long until you stop talking? Shown some sense and then we can talk.” OUCH. After that, he proceeds to tell what happens to an unjust man, implying that man is Job. OUCH, AGAIN. I think this is when Job realizes his friend is acting like he is superior to him.

But here is what stood out to me. In Chapter 19, Job talks about God and what He has done to Job. These statements aren’t true, but to Job, they feel true. This shows us this truth: our feelings lie to us! We can get so caught up in them, we believe them.

But, Job also says a few more things in this chapter:

my breath repulses my wife (Mrs. Job hasn’t been the nicest to him…)
my family finds me repulsive (again, ouch)
I wish my words were written down (irony: they are! We are reading them!)

And the best statement (verses 25-27) for today: “BUT I KNOW MY REDEEMER LIVES…and I will see Him myself. My eyes long to look at Him. My heart longs within me.”

Even though frenemy Zophar accuses him of concealing evil right after that, Job knows his redeemer lives…even though he can’t feel it.

May we know, too. Our Redeemer, full of compassion and mercy, lives, and we will see Him too, one day.

And we can bank on His promise in 1 Peter 5:10: “After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

Day 9: Read Job Chapters 21-23

Day 10: Read Job Chapters 24-28

My Takeaways:

Job and his frenemies are still talking…I wonder if this takes place over days? If not, this is an emotionally exhausting conversation!

The thing that stood out to me was this: Job cleaves to what he knows.

First, he stands firm in his righteousness – he didn’t sin and maintains his integrity in his responses. (In other words, he is saying, “Frenemies, I am sticking to my story. You are wrong!”).

Second, though it feels to Job like the wicked prosper (chapter 24), he talks about how they don’t in the end (chapter 27).

I feel like amid Job’s pain and sorrow, he reminds himself of the truths about God and righteousness. He knew God and God’s character and has to remind himself (and his frenemies) of this).

What an example to us! We are doing the Bible Recap to learn about God and His character – it’s these character traits we can rely upon when life gets hard, and God doesn’t answer our questions. When God is silent and we need Him to talk. When people judge us and they don’t really know the truth of the situation.

I love what Tara-Leigh said here: “Job knows how to live in the tension (the trial) – he can be angry and sad and yet not mistrust God’s heart when things are falling apart.”

That is our word for today. When things seem like they are falling apart, don’t mistrust God’s heart. Cleave to what you know about God, and stand firm on it. God will break the silence and show up. He will reveal Himself to you on His time. Be patient and wait. He is faithful.

Day 11: Read Job Chapters 29-31

My Takeaways:

Today’s reading kinda hit me hard in the gut. It gave me a whole different take on trails in life. It also made me very uncomfortable. Let me explain…

Job is on the defense on his life and character, talking about all the good he has done and the honor he has received.

He even gives us “If I have done _____, then let ______ happen to me…”

And according to Tara-Leigh, the thoughts of Job’s heart have finally surfaced: he has pride and entitlement (God doesn’t tolerate pride in the Bible). And Tara-Leigh makes another comment that really hits me hard: this pride and entitlement could only surface through this trial.

Yikes. This trial of Job losing everything? I am uncomfortable at this point in the reading. What trials has He allowed in my life to expose my pride?

I remember learning years ago the process of refining gold. Refiners would put the gold into a crucible (melting pot), turn up the heat, and use that heat to bring forth impurities, the dross. After removing the dross, the gold was more pure and more precious than before.

God uses the crucibles, or tests, in our lives to reveal our innermost thoughts and feeling – He brings them to the surface and exposes them. Not because He is a mean God, but to show us what is holding us back. To get rid of these impurities. To expose a part of us we may keep hidden. To expose it to His light so that we may be healed. So that we may become purified and look more like Christ in the process.

Job’s crucible (“melting pot” and “test”) exposed his pride. Think back to your toughest trials…what did they expose? God doesn’t waste any hardship – they are meant to draw us closer to Him, all the while refining us. Because, if we are drawing breath on earth, we have a purpose. We have a testimony that others need to hear, if only it is this: “But I know my redeemer lives…” (Job 19:5).

Day 12: Read Job Chapters 32-34

My Takeaways:

The book of Job wears me out in a few ways…

It makes me super uncomfortable knowing this was spiritual warfare, and God allowed it.
It pricks my heart when we see why God allowed it (to bring forth the impurities of pride and entitlement hiding in Job’s heart). God uses trials in our lives to bring out the dross, or impurities, to purify us to look more like Jesus.
And, let’s be honest: his frenemies won’t stop talking!

Today, there’s a new person to the party, Elihu. Actually, he’s been there the whole time (again, what an emotionally exhausting conversation…) and now he is very angry and wants to speak. LOL, anyone surprised?

He said he was “full of words” and he wasn’t kidding. It’s all he does. He’s like a parent who says, “Listen to me!”

Today was one of those days I had to find my one pearl of wisdom, that one thing that stood out to me amid Elihu’s long speech/rant (we aren’t done yet, friends – he continues tomorrow…).

Here is mine: “For God speak time and time again and a person may not notice it.” (Job 33:14). This was the one thing Elihu said that resonated with me. I feel that is true! I think God speaks all different ways and oftentimes, we blow it off as coincidence, luck, or overlook it. But, I am a big believer that when God has something to say to us, He will make sure He repeats it – whether it is something in your Bible, a preacher says it, a trusted friend mentions it, or your favorite devotional touches upon it.

Day 13: Read Job Chapters 35-37

My Takeaways:

I am going to need to borrow a Beth Moore quote over today’s reading: “With friends like these, who needs enemies?”

I kinda feel like Job’s other friends are looking a little better now after hearing Elihu… And, I am thinking that Elihu wins the award for pride, arrogance, and meanness when talking to Job and degrading him. I mean, “Ouch, Elihu!”

All these chapters have shown me is that the best way to comfort someone is sometimes sitting in silence, being there for them. Trying to explain why something happened can not only be hurtful, but we could also totally be wrong.

But, guess what?! The best part is coming…God speaks after this! And, He has a lot to say!

Day 14: Read Job Chapters 38-39

My Takeaways:

Hallelujah, friends! Frenemies are done speaking, and we finally hear God speak! (We have waited nearly 40 chapters for this!) But, we see a different side to God: He is sarcastic with Job! Has anyone thought of God as sassy?! Though He doesn’t address any of Job’s questions, He does something that can help us all: He reminds Job (and all of us) of who He is.

Sometimes (okay many times) we might lose sight of this when our hearts ache, questions linger or feeling lie. But, stanza by stanza, He reminds Job of what He has done on earth – in nature and creation.

My question to you is this: In all the stanzas, what attribute/description of God stood out to you? What part of creation or nature has He given special detail to that surprised you?

I loved the one about the wild ox, manager, and Jesus-hint dropping.

Did today make anyone else happy to hear God?! Though we want to hear God’s answers to Job’s questions, it was a great reminder to all of us: God is in the details! Right down to feeding the ravens and lionesses! Isn’t He amazing?