Thoughts for the Day

Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and inflicted loathsome sores on Job from the soul of his foot to the crown of his head. Job took a postherd with which to scrape himself, and sat among the ashes.

Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still persist in your integrity? Curse God, and die.' But he said to her, 'You speak as any foolish woman would speak. Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?' In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

The story of Job is one of the greatest stories in the Old Testament. It explores the question of justice, and how God can be just if He allows suffering.

Job is considered by all to be 'blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil'. At the beginning of the story he is wealthy with a loving family, but Satan argues that God has ring-fenced Job so that nothing but good happens to him. Satan argues that if bad things happen to Job surely he will curse God. The reading today show the first of the dreadful things that will happen to Job.

In our current situation with a pandemic can we say with Job, "Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?" Now I don't think God does send a pandemic, I think we are often the authors of our own misfortune. We are not puppets controlled by God, we have free-will and frequently we make wrong choices, allowing disasters to occur. The question is a bigger one really. When something bad happens people cry, "Why me?" and immediately blame God. But the question we should ask is "Why not me?" and go on praising God!

Tuesday 2nd June, follow up thoughts

Heavenly Father,
help us to ask for help
but not blame you if the answer
is different to what we expect;
and help us to see that
your plan always
includes the bigger picture.
Amen.