“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off? 8 Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same. 9 By the blast of God they perish, And by the breath of His anger they are consumed. 10 The roaring of the lion, The voice of the fierce lion, And the teeth of the young lions are broken. 11 The old lion perishes for lack of prey, And the cubs of the lioness are scattered.” Job 4:7-11 NLT
Lord God,
Eliphaz. I am glad he is not my friend. He had forgotten anything good Job had done and we read at the beginning that Job was a good man. And Eliphaz was his friend then! Eliphaz says that only troublemakers and sinner suffer what Job is going through! Sat opposite Job in his own good health and his own self righteousness! How very black and white and judgemental. Bad suffer, good thrive.
Ha! I have known wonderful Christian parents whose children have tested them to the limits. And beautiful Christian children who have had the worst childhoods. Life is not black and white.. But amidst this fallen world of sin and sickness and trouble and temptation we have a powerful friend, Jesus, who brings us faith, hope and love. He showed us who You are and how much You love. In sickness or in health in trouble or blessing we have You God, in Jesus.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
Worship Sunday 26th January 2025
For the joys and for the sorrows
The best and worst of times
For this moment, for tomorrow
For all that lies behind
Fears that crowd around me
For the failure of my plans
For the dreams of all I hope to be
The truth of what I am
For this I have Jesus
For this I have Jesus
For this I have Jesus, I have Jesus
(Repeat)
For the tears that flow in secret
In the broken times
For the moments of elation
Or the troubled mind
For all the disappointments
Or the sting of old regrets
All my prayers and longings
That seem unanswered yet
For the weakness of my body
The burdens of each day
For the nights of doubt and worry
When sleep has fled away
Needing reassurance
And the will to start again
A steely-eyed endurance
The strength to fight and win
Lyrics: Graham Kendrick