Day 39 of 90 Devotion

Dearest e-votees-

Day thirty-nine of our cover to cover voyage through the Bible. We completed Job and are now into Psalms (aka the Psalter) (18 books down, 48 to go). If you want to see the readings for our trip through the Bible you can follow this link:

www.christthegoodshep.org/biblein90days.html

Peace,
Karl

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Day 39 Readings: Job 42:1 - Psalm 24:10

Job has received his answer from God. He responds with repentance and contrition. Job's "friends" are instructed by God to make sacrifices and to have Job pray for them. Job ends up with double of all his livestock categories and a new set of 3 daughters and 7 sons. He lives a good long age seeing his great-grandchildren through his new family.

It seems a small consolation to have a child-for-child replacement of your lost children. Akin to when well-meaning parents try to placate a grieving child with a new puppy to make up for the one that was hit by the car. Job ends with about as many questions as it had when it began. Job never really gets an answer to the question he was asking. He is just compensated for his faithful pain and suffering. With a book like Job one might just try to fly under God's radar.

Now we enter into Psalms. We have 150 hymns or songs or prayers during all sorts of times and circumstances in life. Some are attributed to David or Asaph or the sons of Korah or others. They reflect honest emotions and petitions to the God of all. Dietrich Bonhoeffer called this book the prayerbook of the Bible.

It is worth slowing down and reading these psalms as if you were praying them yourself. Maybe even reading them out loud. Psalm 22 spilled out of Jesus' mouth from the cross. Psalm 23 is a common prayer at funerals and memorial services. As you read other psalms think about where they might be suitable to pray. You might find some clues from the headings on the psalms but don't be restricted by those. Scripture is living and active and breathing--God's spirit can use them in your life in a profound way that wasn't the intent of the author. Trust God to guide you.


God, help us turn to you no matter what we face--celebration, devastation, profound joy or bone-chilling grief. Teach us to rest fully in you and on your mercy. Bless our days ahead as we linger in your prayerbook. Amen.