Back again-the Book of Job
I have read the entire Bible many times. Sometimes I read it from beginning to end, other times I have completed reading plans that have daily readings from both the Old and New Testament. In this season of intense prayer, I have changed the way I read the Bible. I shared that I have continued to trust God and trust His timing in all things. I realized that although my prayer life was intentional and consistent, I had stepped away from turning to His truth in the Bible. So, I started a new habit. I mentioned I have read the Bible many times but I am far from memorizing the Bible. In fact, there are countless times when I read a verse in the Bible and it seems like I am reading it for the first time. I love the description of the Bible as the living word, even if I recognize a verse, it speaks to me in a different way dependent on what is going on in my life or the lives of loved ones at the time. I had breakfast with a friend this morning and shared that each time I have read the story of the Prodigal son that I read it from a different perspective. When I struggled with my own sibling relationships, I compared myself to both sons. As I began to raise my own children, I compared myself to the father. Each time, the living word meets me where I am and brings me deeper into my study and understanding of His truth above all else.
I mentioned I have changed how I read the Bible? Each night I hold the Bible in my hands as I close the day in prayer and I pray for God to guide my hands and to speak to me. This new habit has pulled me in to not just reading a chapter or verse, but finding it difficult to set the Bible down. I am definitely in a season of hungering to learn more. Last night, as I sat in prayer, I open the Bible and it took me towards the end of Job, not the beginning, but the end. I read how God reminded Job that He is all powerful and reminds Job to not question Him. He reminds Job of His works. Finally, God restores Job with “his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10, NIV). In this season, I have read the Book of Job several times and compared to myself to Job as well as his friend. I have said that my life felt like the life of Job and then corrected myself, because as much as I am dealing with trials, I am still very much in a season of abundance. You see, I can dwell on the negative or I can recognize the blessings that God has and continues to provide.
When I opened the Bible last night, I knew it wasn’t coincidence that it opened to the end of the Book of Job. As I talked to a friend yesterday, she called out that when I speak of this season, I recognize that it will not last forever and that God is steadfast and with me through it all. The end of Job is a reminder of God’s power, it is a reminder that although Job suffered, he was rewarded twice as much. That is a message of hope-it was a timely message of hope for me.
Today, I pray that you seek His word above all else. Even in the difficult days, lean into His word, continue to be prayerful, and never forget that God is all powerful and always with you.
I pray these words spoke to you, please share with a friend. Don’t miss a blog, subscribe to my web page.
