Hey folks. We're getting close to have been going a whole month with this project. Exciting times. Today I've renewed my sponging off the state whilst also applying for a ton of jobs. Would be nice to get something soon if only because today I was hit with the crushing realisation that there's a good job I won't be able to do secret santa with any one group of people this year. This sucks because I rule at secret santa. Last year I got the guy at work who nobody wanted, not because he was odd or anything, but because he had good taste and tacky comedy stuff just wouldn't work. And yet my present to him of a hand made fish and chips voucher was the best present anyone got. It's sad that this is one of my main motivations for wanting work over Christmas I know... m going to say it here in case some of you don't get to the end but please do feedback if you can. I don't put the questions in there so that they're rhetorical! On my facebook or on here would be brilliant. Onto business then
Today’s readings
Job 8:1-10:22
Matthew 19:16-30
Proverbs 3:11-20 (Start at the But...)
Ok so today we continue with Job and I must say it feels like we're racing through this book compared to Genesis. We get another big long rant from one of Job's friends. This one is called Bildad. And again, there's a lot of truth in what he's saying. But he still misses the point. God doesn't just help the good and punish the evil. Because those labels of good and evil don't work with God. God sees us as His children and He wants to love us all and wishes we'd treat each other with the same level of respect. Even when it seems like the person doesn't deserve it. To God, sadly, we're all evil and bad people because of sin and it is only through His love and patience and the sacrifice of Jesus that we receive any support at all. The other thing that this makes me think of is, and I'm very quick to include myself in this, how people who think they are good listeners sometimes miss the point of what the other person is saying because it doesn't fit in with our stock answers. Now it's always nice to have advice that you can give to people but the truth of life and humanity is that every person is unique and every situation slightly different so true listening means taking a person for who they are, not comparing them to previous experience. Tough and challenging but so worthwhile to relationships.
Job's reply is true. He realises that there is no way we can ask God for His blessing or mercy based on our own life. And remember, Job's life was so good that God wanted to show it off to his angels. He was like the star pupil and even he realises that nobody is worthy of that love. That can be a really hard thing to think of too and is a stumbling block for many non Christians. But really, God knows our potential is to be incredible and loves when we are but sadly we're never incredible all the time.
Job is quick to realise that there is no point in getting angry or defiant as his life has always depended on God's blessings and so he can't lose faith when things appear to be going wrong. He sticks to this belief because he has nothing else certain in his life. Job asks in verse 24 of chapter 9 about who is responsible for the evil people running the world if not God. Well that is a controversial thing to find in the Bible until you realise we know the answer because Job's story is all about us knowing that Satan is pouring this misfortune on him, not God.
Chapter 10 is more hard reading as Job continues to ask God to kill him because he sees no other way out. I can't begin to imagine how rubbish his life must have been by that point and I think of the times when I was at my lowest and turning my back on God. At Uni I got really depressed and hated my course and my whole situation after a messy break up. But I still had a future I could shape and a present worth living in. I compare that to my situation now where I'm pretty much spinning my wheels and hoping and praying something comes up soon. And yet I'm happier now than then and I can't help but think my faith is helping. Even though I'm back at the parents and with no real career path beyond a desire to do youthwork, I'm confident in God's provision and plan for me. None of us wants to end up in a situation anything close to Job but knowing God in the good times absolutely prepares you for the rubbish times. Take time in your day to thank God for what you do have rather than worrying for what you don't.
Into the New Testament we swoop (sticking with the flying verbs), and Jesus is talking money. Now money and Jesus don't often mix and we've already seen one time where he pays off Temple tax with fishy coins. But this is an instance which again can cause a lot of confusion for folks. Does Jesus mean that we're to sell everything we have if we want to be a Christian? And what does He mean when He says that the disciples will rule in Heaven... Tricky questions. I think the first is more simple than the second. Verse 22 tells us that this man was holding onto a lot of things that he couldn't bear to lose. Now to me, Jesus' point is that if we were called specifically to follow Him by selling off all our possessions then woud we do it? People are called in different ways but the most important thing is to be listening for the call and willing to follow through with God's will no matter how odd or dangerous it might seem. It's no coincidence that this is happening directly after Jesus talking about being a child when you come to Him. That sense of excitement at the thrilling and dangerous side of Christianity is what we need to cling on to. There will be trials and times when things are rubbish but if your hand is holding Jesus' first then you'll be able to sing His praises all the while and receive blessings till you're with Him.
Now Peter, never one to let something go unsaid, pipes up with a point of how the disciples HAD given up everything they owned to follow Christ so surely they should get extra Nectar points or something. And Jesus says that yes, they will be able to rule once He comes back. There are a few caveats on this though. Firstly, everyone else who has sacrificed anything to follow Jesus will also rule. And let's be honest, every Christian is sacrificing something in following Christ if they really are following Christ because they are rejecting a whole way of life that the world teaches them to live. Secondly, they'll be ruling once Jesus comes back to earth. Well I'm not an expert on the afterlife and we'll revisit this, probably in August when we look at Revelation, but to me Heaven is about worship, there's no rulers or leaders. Just us worshipping God forever. To me this is Jesus once again getting a little frustrated with how the disciples miss the point again and so He is almost being sarcastic with them. He still speaks the truth but it's hidden in that last sentence. The disciples are so eager to be the first among those saved that they may end up becoming the last in their understanding, but to Jesus everyone will be equal.
Finally some Proverbs to finish with and apologies on the link. The Message doesn't always put verse numbers on individual verses so the website got a bit confused. Really this is just further introduction telling us how great a gift wisdom and insight from God is and how we can use those gifts to help us lead the life He wants. There is an interesting bit at the beginning which made me think of wrestling (yay!) Proverbs is telling us to know our role and let God discipline those who need it. Now your parents (and we all have them) will usually tell you off because they want you to do something differently so it will make your, or their, lives easier. God who is perfect tells you off because He always loves you and has your best interests at heart so take the bad times as they come and remember that your life has a plan that you can fulfill by concentrating on God.
Linking today's passages isn't easy and I'm not going to try. There's a definite theme of possessions being more important than God and whether that's what we really ought to be aiming for. Andy's Soul Survivor blog is really good on this point and I'm glad he's writing them instead of random youth leader. What do they know anyway? Oh the irony...
And that's your lot for today. Yesterday's tune is here and is grungey goodness. Today's is dead easy and probably the naughtiest track I can get away with. Don't worry, I've got a radio edit link for tomorrow! Questions, criticisms and comments welcome as always
Jon
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