Am I Enough – Job Speaks - Friends

Greetings Dear Reader,

It is so clear that Job understands what friendship is.  He has lost everything except his life, his “friends”, he wife, and his faith.  He sits in sackcloth (read that burlap) and ashes.  I think that we can look to Job for a clear understanding of friends.

The other day my brother commented on the failure of Job’s friends when talking about the death of Robin Williams.  “Job's ‘friends’ were so concerned about the morality of his tragedy that they forgot to bring their hearts and simply mourn with him.”

We tell people that we care about them whilst judging, hurting, and condemning them.  We say that we are just being honest of being a good friend when we do not see the pain and damage we cause by our actions.  How do we dare call ourselves followers of Christ when we refuse to be honorable with our friends and family?

A friend loves at all times.  A friend does not judge and condemn.  A friend is bound by what they promise.  The show compassion, kindness, and support.  They do not intentionally hurt others to get what they want.  I see people I love doing this to people I love.  It is so far from what Christ wants us to be as his followers.

I know that I have done the same in the past and the pain of it echoes still in those I have betrayed and in my heart.  We damage others telling ourselves that it will not turn out badly.  We take our wants over what a true friend, sibling, parent, child, or spouse should be.  We then choose to believe the lie that there will not be painful, life-altering consequences.  It never works out that way.

Job also reminds us that when betrayed by those who are supposed to be friends and family we have a friend who pleads our case before God.  He speaks clearly that we have a friend, Christ, the Messiah who pleads with us to God for justice.  I do not need to seek vengeance or use my anger against those who betray me.  I can love them, forgive them, and pray for them.  God will hear my advocate and see to justice. 

Later we will see how important it is for me to assure that my heart is directed toward my friends in love and forgiveness.  No matter how much they hurt me I must give my best.  I must still be a true friend so I do not become guilty of the same sin.    

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 16:1-22

Then Job replied to his friends,

"I have heard many things like this before. You are all pathetic at comforting me.

Will your long-winded speeches never end? What disturbs you that you keep on answering me?  I, too, could speak like you if we could trade places. I could string words together against you and shake my head at you.  I could encourage you with my mouth, and my quivering lips could ease your pain.  If I speak, my pain is not eased. If I stop talking, how much of it will go away?

”But now, God has worn me out. You, God, have destroyed everyone who supports me.  You have shriveled me up, which itself is a witness against me. My frail body rises up and testifies against me. 

"God's anger tore me apart and attacked me. He gritted his teeth at me. My opponent looked sharply at me.  People gaped at me with wide-open mouths. In scorn they slapped my cheeks. They united against me.  God handed me over to unjust people and threw me into the hands of wicked people.  I was at ease, and he shattered me. He grabbed me by the back of the neck and smashed my skull. He set me up as his target, and his archers surrounded me. He slashes open my kidneys without mercy and spills my blood on the ground.  He inflicts wound after wound on me. He lunges at me like a warrior. 

"I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and I have thrown my strength in the dust.  My face is red from crying, and dark shadows encircle my eyes, although my hands have done nothing violent, and my prayer is sincere. 

"Earth, don't cover my blood. Don't ever let my cry for justice be stopped.  Even now, look! My witness is in heaven, and the one who testifies for me is above, the spokesman for my thoughts. My eyes drip with tears to God because in a few short years I will take the path of no return.  But my witness will plead for a human in front of God. The Son of Man will plead for his friend!

Am I Enough – Eliphaz Speaks Again – Anger is not Sin

Greetings Dear Reader,

Eliphaz is very correct that intentional sin will always be dealt with by God.  He is wrong that everyone who sins will suffer greatly in this life.  He is wrong that Job’s expression of his pain is sinful.  Job has not questioned God’s right to do as he will.  He has asked God why he is doing what he is doing.

The very core of truth is that anger is not wrong.  Anger at death, pain, and loss are not wrong.  If we blame God falsely that is wrong.  If we use our anger to harm others then it is wrong.  Like every other emotion anger has place in the life of a righteous person.  It is important, however, that is only has that place.

It does not follow that since Job is angry he is wrong.  It does not scan that we can sin without consequences.  As we will see in the coming days, Eliphaz is wrong in his understanding of God.  God does not lead us into sin.  God does not allow sin to go unanswered.  Anger alone is not sin.

As a Christ follower I can be angry.

As a Christ follower if I am angry at God I am always wrong.

As a Christ follower I must use my anger as an excuse to sin.

As a Christ follower I cannot hold onto my anger.

As a Christ follower I cannot expect to get away with intentional sin.    

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 15:1-35

Then Eliphaz from Teman replied to Job,

"Should a wise person answer with endless details and fill his stomach with the east wind?  Should he argue with words that don't help, with speeches that don't help anyone?  Yes, you destroy the fear of God and diminish devotion to God.  Your sin teaches you what to say. You choose to talk with a sly tongue.  Your own mouth condemns you, not I. Your lips testify against you. 

"Were you the first human to be born? Were you delivered before the hills existed?  Did you listen in on God's council meeting and receive a monopoly on wisdom?  What do you know that we don't know? What do you understand that we don't?  Both the old and the gray-haired are among us. They are older than your father. Isn't God's comfort enough for you, even when gently spoken to you?  Why have your emotions carried you away? Why do your eyes flash when you turn against God and spit these words out of your mouth?  Why should a mortal be considered faultless or someone born of a woman be considered righteous?  If God doesn't trust his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight, how much less will he trust the one who is disgusting and corrupt, the one who drinks wickedness like water. 

“I'll tell you; listen to me! I'll relate what I have seen.  I'll tell you what wise people have declared and what was not kept secret from their ancestors.  (The land was given to them alone, and no stranger passed through their land.) 

"The wicked person is tortured all his days. Only a few years are reserved for the ruthless person.  Terrifying sounds are in his ears. While he enjoys peace, the destroyer comes to him.  He doesn't believe he'll return from the dark. He is destined to be killed with a sword.  He wanders around for food and asks, 'Where is it?' He knows that his ruin is close at hand. 

"The day of darkness troubles him. Distress and anguish terrify him like a king ready for battle.  He stretches out his hand against God and attacks the Almighty like a warrior.  He stubbornly charges at him with a thick shield. 

"His face is bloated with fat, and he is fat around the waist.  He lives in ruined cities where no one dwells, in houses that are doomed to be piles of rubble.  He won't get rich, and his wealth won't last. His possessions won't spread out over the land. 

"He won't escape the darkness. A flame will shrivel his branches. He will be blown away by his own breath.  He shouldn't trust in worthless things and deceive himself because he will get worthless things in return.  It will happen before his time has come, and his branch will not become green.  He will drop his unripened grapes like a vine and throw off his blossoms like an olive tree because a mob of godless people produces nothing, and fire burns up the tents of those who offer bribes.  They conceive trouble and give birth to evil. Their wombs produce deception."

Second Thoughts – The Perseid Meteor Shower 2014

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

Thanks to clear skies and mild temperatures I was able to spend the last two nights outside in my hammock and enjoy the Perseid Meteor Shower.  I turned in early so that I could awaken early and enjoy the show.

The waning gibbous moon gave a bit of a challenge on the first night but there were still some spectacular moments. I awakened the first time at about 1:00 AM when my daughter, Christmas snuck out to put an extra blanket over me. Thanks to her limited sneakiness I was awake for about an hour and treated to several beautiful falling stars whilst the moon was sequestered behind the large oak tree in the yard. 

I went back to sleep and awakened at four to spend a half hour watching during what is the best viewing time.  What I saw was spectacular.  I did not count and decided I would remember to do that the next night. 

The second night it was a bit warmer and the sky hazy but as the temperature dropped the sky cleared.  The moon had waned further allowing more viewing area.  The dance was at its best around 4:10 and I began to count.  After twenty I realized that I would rather just take in the beauty.

What captivated me most during both viewings was the depth and majesty of the naked stars. The heavens truly do declare the glory of God. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Am I Enough – Job Laments in Hope

Greetings Dear Reader,

I am privileged to live in a century old farm house.  In the yard are some trees that are not quite as old but are very old still.  When we first moved in one of them appeared to be dead and a danger to the house.  It had to be cut down in early fall.  The concern was that it would fall during winter. 

Resurrection Tree - Photo by Natalie Foley

I had plans to put a round table top on it the following spring and use it as an outdoor table for evening suppers and morning writing.  God had other plans.  In spring shoots began to rise from the stump.  At first I thought that some others seeds had taken lease on the top of the winter weathered stump.  I chose to let them grow.

By summers end it was obvious that new branches had sprung from the old stump.  They were a foot tall and had deep green leaves on them.  Over the last five years the branches have grown and the new growth is over ten feet tall.  The stump has a crown of strong limbs that host a bird’s nest and a constant reminder.

Job is in so much emotional and physical pain.  He wants to die.  He also knows that God breathes life back into things that seem dead.  He uses a cut down tree as an example.  He is sure he will die and that he will rot away.  He wants to die because of his loss and pain.  In the midst of his pain you can hear the hope.  You can hear that he knows he will see God after this ordeal is over.

He knows that there is so much more than the short life we have now.  His perspective even in the depths of his suffering is one of the eternal.  He sees beyond it all to hope.  Later we will hear him say is more clearly but like a tree cut down he knows he will sprout again.

It could be that this is why I continue.  I have goals beyond this life.  I have dreams and aspirations after the mortal coil holds me no more.  I jokingly tell God that I want a starship to explore all he has made.  I long to spend time with my Grandfather, my Sister Sarah, and my Daughter Rachel.  They have all gone on ahead of me and the loss of each is constant thread of sorrow in the tapestry of my life.

The current streams of pain weaving through my family will also become part of that tapestry.  I will hold on to hope.  Sorrow does not come to stay.  Hope reminds us that even the dead will rise.  This life is short.  There is so much beyond it.  I just need to hold on to Christ and hope.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 14:1-22

"A person who is born of a woman is short-lived and is full of trouble.  He comes up like a flower; then he withers. He is like a fleeting shadow; he doesn't stay long.  You observe this and call me to account to you. 

"If only an unclean person could become clean! It's not possible.  If the number of his days and the number of his months are determined by you, and you set his limit, then he cannot go past it.  Look away from him, and he will cease to be.”

“Meanwhile, he loves life as a laborer loves work.  There is hope for a tree when it is cut down. It will sprout again. Its shoots will not stop sprouting.  If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump dies in the soil, merely a scent of water will make it sprout and grow branches like a plant. But a human dies and is powerless. A person breathes his last breath, and where is he?  As water drains out of a lake, or as a river dries up completely, so each person lies down and does not rise until the heavens cease to exist. He does not wake up. He is not awakened from his sleep.  I wish you would hide me in Sheol and keep me hidden there until your anger cools. Set a specific time for me when you will remember me.” 

"If a person dies, will he go on living? I will wait for my relief to come as long as my hard labor continues.  You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the person your hands have made.  Though now you count my steps, you will not keep a record of my sins.  My disobedience will be closed up in a bag, and you will cover over my sins.   As surely as a mountain falls and rocks are dislodged, so water wears away stone, floods wash away soil from the land, and you destroy a mortal's hope.  You overpower him forever, and he passes away. You change his appearance and send him away.  His sons are honored, and he doesn't know it. Or they become unimportant, and he doesn't realize it.  He feels only his body's pain. He is only worried about himself."

Am I Enough – Job Appeals his Case

Greetings Dear Reader,

It interests me greatly that Job first tells his friends to shut up.   It is obvious that in his pain he is weary of false accusations.  He makes it clear that to be silent is wisdom.  He also intends to appeal his case to the only person who can truly judge him.

A Crooked Stick

When he begins his appeal to God he makes it clear that he has dealt with his known sin.  Even though it would kill him he is willing to face God with integrity.  He also does the single thing that a man pursuing righteousness must do.  He asks God to reveal his sin.  A little over a year ago I spent thirty days asking this question and pondering the answers.  I will revisit this thirty day challenge again next year. 

We are all sinners. We are all crooked sticks unfit for anything useful.  It is in God’s recreation of us that we find meaning.  It is in Christ that we live, move, and become something of value.   I can only achieve any type of righteousness by accounting quickly for the wrong that I do to God and others.

My Grandfather used to say often, “Keep short accounts with God.”   If I know I am wrong I must redress the wrong as quickly as possible.  It does not matter what I want or how I wish things were.  It matters that I pursue Christ by pursuing righteousness, holiness, and purity.  It matters that I keep my word.  It matters that I am honorable in my dealings with others professionally and socially.  It is vital that I realize that there are no secular issues.  Everything is about following Christ in every moment of every day.   Anything else is foolishness.

I will fail.  I will fall.  It is by God’s grace that I will find the path again and do what is right.  No matter what it costs me I must work to be above reproach, beyond blame, and in Christ.  He then will take care of everything else.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 13:1-28

            "My eye has certainly seen all of this! My ear has heard and understood it. After all, I know it as well as you do. I am not inferior to you.  However, I want to speak to the Almighty, and I wish to argue my case in front of God. But you are smearing me with lies. All of you are worthless physicians.  I wish you would keep silent. For you, that would be wisdom.  Please listen to my argument, and pay attention to my plea. 

"Will you talk wickedly for God and talk deceitfully on his behalf?  Will you favor him as if you were arguing in court on God's behalf?  Will it go well when he cross-examines you? Will you try to trick him as one mortal tricks another?  Will he really defend you if you secretly favor him?  Doesn't his majesty terrify you? Doesn't the fear of him fall upon you? 

"Your recollections are worthless proverbs. Your answers are absolutely useless.  Be quiet, because I want to speak. Let whatever may happen to me happen!  I am biting off more than I can chew and taking my life in my own hands.  If God would kill me, I would have no hope left. Nevertheless, I will defend my behavior to his face.  This also will be my salvation because no godless person could face him. 

"Listen carefully to my words. Hear my declaration.  I have prepared my case. I know that I will be declared righteous.  Who can make a case against me? If someone could, I'd be silent and die. 

"Please don't do two things to me so that I won't have to hide from you:  Stop oppressing me. Don't let your terror frighten me.  Then call and I'll answer. Otherwise, I'll speak, and you'll answer me.  How many crimes and sins have I committed? Make me aware of my disobedience and my sin.  Why do you hide your face from me and consider me your enemy?  Are you trying to make a fluttering leaf tremble or trying to chase dry husks?  You write down bitter accusations against me. You make me suffer for the sins of my youth.  You put my feet in shackles. You follow my trail by engraving marks on the soles of my feet.  I am like worn-out wineskins, like moth-eaten clothes.”

Am I Enough – Job Speaks Again - Sovereignty

Greetings Dear Reader,

Humans have an independent spirit that is largely responsible for our vast advances and great discoveries.  We do not lightly endure oppression and subjugation.  We constantly look outward to what is undiscovered. 

Job so clearly sees the awe and mystery of creation.  He knows there is so much to discover and enjoy.  Even in the midst of his sorrow, pain, and loss he does not fail to see the beauty of the world.  He also understands that the entire universe is the single composition of the divine.

It is this understanding that allows him to keep his integrity before his false accusers.  So often we demand that God comply to our own standards.  So often we insist that God be reformed in our image.  That same independent spirit that is so beautiful in us causes us to rebel against the idea that there is a God who created, owns, and rules over everything.

Until we accept the sovereignty of God we struggle to accept our accountability to him.  We look at the flaws of those who serve him and find him flawed.  We proceed to examine the universe from the wrong direction.  We do not see our need when we reject the power and position of the one who can meet it.

I must always begin from this place.  God is the sovereign of the universe; full stop.  From that I can embrace that the infinite diversity in infinite combinations of all there is as a testament to how unique and beautiful creation is.  I can see the place of man in this dance and embrace that I have a rich part to play.  I can only, however contribute my verse to the song if I do it in obedience to God by following his Son.

Centuries of Meditations – Thomas Traherne

2:23

Above all, man discovereth the glory of God; who being himself Immortal, is the divinest creature. He hath a dominion over all the rest, and God over him: By him, the fountain of all these things is the end of them: for he can return to their Author deserved praises. Senses cannot resemble that which they cannot apprehend; nor express that which they, cannot resemble, but in a shady manner. But man is made in the Image of God, and therefore is a mirror and representative of Him. And therefore in himself he may see God, which is his glory and felicity. .His thoughts and desires can run out to everlasting. His love can extend to all objects, his understanding is an endless light, and can infinitely be present in all places, and see and examine all beings, survey the reasons, surmount the greatness, exceed the strength, contemplate the beauty, enjoy the benefit, and reign over all it sees and enjoys like the Eternal Godhead. Here is an invisible power, an indivisible omnipresence, a spiritual supremacy, an inward, hidden, unknown being greater than all, a sublime and sovereign creature meet to live in communion with God, in the fruition of them.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 12:1-25

Then Job replied to his friends,

"You certainly are wise people, and when you die, wisdom will die. Like you, I have a mind. I am not inferior to you. But who doesn't know these things? I am a laughingstock to my neighbors. I am one who calls on God and expects an answer. A man of integrity, a man who is righteous, has become a laughingstock.

"A person who has an easy life has no appreciation for misfortune. He thinks it is the fate of those who slip up. But robbers' tents are prosperous, and there is security for those who provoke God, for those whose god is their power.

"Instead, ask the animals, and they will teach you. Ask the birds, and they will tell you.  Or speak with the earth, and it will teach you. Even the fish will relate the story to you. What creature doesn't know that the LORD'S hands made it?  The life of every living creature and the spirit in every human body are in his hands.  Doesn't the ear distinguish sounds and the tongue taste food?  

"Wisdom is with the ancient one. The one who has had many days has insight.  God has wisdom and strength. Advice and insight are his.  When he tears something down, it cannot be rebuilt. When he puts someone in prison, that person cannot be freed.  When he holds back the waters, there is a drought. When he releases them, they flood the earth. 

"God has power and priceless wisdom. He owns both the deceiver and the person who is deceived.  He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools out of judges.  He loosens kings' belts and strips them of their pants.  He leads priests away barefoot and misleads those who serve in a temple.  He makes trusted advisers unable to speak and takes away the good judgment of respected leaders.  He pours contempt on influential people and unbuckles the belt of the mighty.” 

“He uncovers mysteries hidden in the darkness and brings gloom into the light.  He makes nations important and then destroys them. He makes nations large and leads them away.  He takes away the common sense of a country's leaders and makes them stumble about in a pathless wilderness.  They grope in the dark with no light, and he makes them stumble like drunks.”

Second Thoughts – The Death of Robin Williams

Greetings Dear Reader,

Sometimes I will end the day with thoughts that are important to get out.  Usually I just write them and put them in my journal folder.  I have chosen that on occasion I will share them with you Dear Reader.

Every man’s death diminishes me.  Some more than others but every soul matters to me.  Every life has value.  Every spirit has a connection to my spirit.  Today one of those who gave me laughter, tears, and things to ponder has gone where I cannot yet go.  At 12:02 in the afternoon a coroner in California pronounced Robin Williams dead. 

I still carry with me so much laughter from Mork.  So many moments from Dead Poets Society informed my heart as both a teacher and a writer.  The Fisher King reminded me that I was different from so many people and that it was OK to be thus. He touched the spirit of Christmas in me that walks every day in Toys.  

Currently it is though that Robin Williams took his own life due to depression.  My greatest sorrow is that he lost hope.  I really would have sat with him, talked and listened, or done anything to let him know that he was truly loved.  I am not arrogant enough to believe that it would have saved him.  I just know I owed him a debt.  He helped me laugh and think.

Once again I find that I am at a loss for what to say that matters.  I just know that I am diminished today in a way that I cannot fit into any of my neat little boxes. Robin Williams would be opposed to me trying to do so.  I am angered, saddened, and hurt by the loss of laughter yet to come.  I will honor him by doing better at living my favorite quote from him.

“You're only given one little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.”  Robin I cannot help you now but I promise to hold on to my spark of madness and fan it into a flame that you can see wherever you are.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Am I Enough – Zophar Speaks – A Little Truth

Greetings Dear Reader,

Once again one of Job’s friends begins to goad Job.  There is truth in what he says.  God’s wisdom is above our wisdom.  God does see everything.  There is no limit to God.  One cannot invest too much in these truths.  It is knowledge of these things that allows faith to function. 

Zophar is also guilty of misjudging Job.  We know that Job is righteous.  Zophar joins with the other two in assuming that Job has some hidden sin that makes him a hypocrite.  He is right in his solution.  If we are guilty of sin the right thing to do is to pray and remove the sin.  Good solutions can only proceed from correct diagnosis.

I am sure that this is one reason why Christ cautioned us so severely about judging others.  When we decide that others must have a secret sin that has brought about calamity we limit compassion.  We judge without evidence.  We accuse without knowledge.

It does not matter how true my understanding of God is if I do not apply his rules for dealing with others.  Zophar is rude to Job.  I must be loving, respectful, and kind.  I must accuse someone without evidence and that should be done in love as well. 

All truth is God’s truth.  The truth, however, is not meant to be a hammer.  Everything about following Christ is intended to guide us into the freedom found in truth.  I must not mince words. I must not accuse without evidence.  I must not judge others when I have my own sin to contend with before God.

I must not fail to acknowledge truth and respond in faith to that truth.  If I find that I am wrong then I must not quibble over words.  I must not redefine what I said so that it fits what I want.  I must do what is right.  If, however, the truth is on my side I must assure that I hold to that truth in faith.  I must not be harsh with others.  I must speak the truth in love.   

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 11:1-20

Then Zophar from Naama replied to Job,

"Shouldn't someone answer this flood of words? Should a good public speaker be acquitted?  Should your empty talk silence others so that you can make fun of us without any shame?  You say, 'My teaching is morally correct,' and, 'As you can see, I'm innocent.'  I only wish God would speak and open his mouth to talk to you. He would tell you the secrets of wisdom, because true wisdom is twice as great as your wisdom, and you would know that God forgets your sin.

"Can you discover God's hidden secrets, or are you able to find the Almighty's limits?  God's wisdom is higher than heaven. What can you do? It is deeper than the depths of hell. What can you know?  It is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. If God comes along and imprisons someone and then calls a court into session, who can stop him?  He knows who the scoundrels are. And when he sees sin, doesn't he pay attention to it?  But an empty-headed person will gain understanding when a wild donkey is born tame”.

"If you want to set your heart right, then pray to him.  If you're holding on to sin, put it far away, and don't let injustice live in your tent.  Then you will be able to show your face without being ashamed, and you will be secure and unafraid.  Then you will forget your misery and remember it like water that has flowed downstream.  Then your life will be brighter than the noonday sun. The darkness in your life will become like morning.  You will feel confident because there's hope, and you will look around and rest in safety.  You will lie down with no one to frighten you, and many people will try to gain your favor.  But the wicked will lose their eyesight. Their escape route will be closed. Their only hope is to take their last breath."

Am I Enough – Job Laments but in Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

As I read through this chapter I feel so much compassion for Job.  How much anguish must he feel?  The loss of his children, the accusations of his friends, and the feeling that God is doing this to him must all amount to unbearable pain.  We suffer enough from feeling betrayed by friends and family.  How much more must he feel if he thinks that God has abandoned him?

The righteous do suffer.  It is not because of judgment or sin but because of the fallen nature of the world.  In Job’s situation God has something to prove.  Remember that his pursuit above all is to show to his entire creation that there is a path through all of this that is good and just.

We must keep in mind that Job laments from a position of faith.  He wants the suffering to end.  He is angry and hurt. He wants to understand why these things have happened.  In all of his agony he acknowledges that God is sovereign.  He wishes to be set free from the captivity of his circumstances but never denies God’s right to put him in those circumstances.

We can read Job’s questions from two perspectives.  Faith is a filter. It gives us perspective.  If I read Job’s questions as anger and bitterness forged in doubt then I see God as unjust and hateful.  If I read them knowing that God loves Job and sees him as righteous then I can accept that God knows what he is doing; that he really does have a plan for the world.

I must lament the pain and evil that creates it in the world.  I must endure whatever comes my way but I do not have to deny my anger, hurt, and offense at it.  I can call on others to do what is right when they are not.  I can ask God to free me from the captivity in which I find myself.  The key is that I must do all of it in faith. 

Without faith it is impossible to please God.  Whatever is not done if faith is sin.  The just shall live by faith. Without faith nothing makes sense.  I have lost a child.  I have been betrayed by friends.  I have been homeless.  Nothing I have endured compares to Job’s loss and pain.  Still in the midst of those times the only instances where things were bearable were when I crawled through them in faith.  I cannot imagine facing the pain and sorrow without it.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 10:1–22

 "I hate my life. I will freely express my complaint. I will speak as bitterly as I feel.  I will say to God, 'Don't condemn me. Let me know why you are quarreling with me.  What do you gain by mistreating me, by rejecting the work of your hands while you favor the plans of the wicked?  Do you actually have human eyes? Do you see as a mortal sees?  Are your days like a mortal's days? Are your years like a human's years?  Is that why you look for guilt in me and search for sin in me?  You know I'm not guilty, but there is no one to rescue me from your hands. 

"'Your hands formed me and made every part of me, and then you turned to destroy me.  Please remember that you made me out of clay and that you will return me to the dust again.  Didn't you pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?  Didn't you dress me in skin and flesh and weave me together with bones and tendons?  You gave me life and mercy. Your watchfulness has preserved my spirit.  But in your heart you hid these things. I know this is what you did. 

"'If I sin, you watch me and will not free me from my guilt.  How terrible it will be for me if I'm guilty! Even if I'm righteous, I dare not lift up my head. I am filled with disgrace while I look on my misery.  Like a proud, ferocious lion you hunt me down. You keep working your miracles against me.  You keep finding new witnesses against me. You keep increasing your anger toward me. You keep bringing new armies against me.

 “Why did you take me out of the womb? I wish I had breathed my last breath before anyone had laid eyes on me. Then it would be as if I had never existed, as if I had been carried from the womb to the tomb.” 

“Isn't my life short enough? So stop this, and leave me alone. Let me smile a little before I go away to a land of darkness and gloom, to a dismal land of long shadows and confusion where light is as bright as darkness. I'll never return.”

Am I Enough – Job Speaks - Justice

Greetings Dear Reader,

A movie that my Daughter Christmas introduced me to is The Man Who Sued God.  It is a humorous and interesting take on God and justice.  So much of the world clamors for justice in one way or another.  Job makes it clear that God determines what is just.  That is vastly different than our perspective on things.  We do not get to say what is just for God and what is not.

Job rightly sees that God is sovereign.  He points out that no one can call God into account.  We need to remember the two primary questions being asked in this story.  Job is asking God “Why” and God is asking Job, “Am I enough”? 

As I watch my children walk through pain and suffering and I see the pain erupting in my own heart I must remember who makes all of the rules.  My Son Maxim in the midst of his own pain was discussing this writing with me.  His observation that this story also ask the question of how much someone will endure and keep faith is an excellent one.

Too many people who have suffered much less than Job have used their suffering to reject God and his authority in their lives.  Saying “God was not there for me,” is never valid.  Job points out that God is right there so often and we do not see him.  We find God when we seek him with a full heart.  We find him in faith not in demanding what we see as justice.

I must go back to Job’s early question.  Do I dare accept good from God and not what I consider bad?  I do not want to be wrong in my righteous by being unjust with God.  I dare not blame God unjustly. 

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."

Job 9:1-35 

Then Job replied to his friends,

"Yes, I know that this is true. But how can a mortal be declared righteous to God? If he wished to debate with God, he wouldn't be able to answer one question in a thousand.

 "God is wise in heart and mighty in power. Who could oppose him and win? He moves mountains without their knowing it, and he topples them in his anger.  He shakes the earth from its place, and its pillars tremble. He commands the sun not to rise. He doesn't let the stars come out. He stretches out the heavens by himself and walks on the waves of the sea. He made the constellations Ursa Major, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the clusters of stars in the south. 

”He does great things that are unsearchable and miracles that cannot be numbered.  He passes alongside of me, and I don't even see him. He goes past me, and I don't even notice him.  He takes something away, but who can stop him? Who is going to ask him, 'What are you doing?'  God does not hold back his anger. Even Rahab's helpers bow humbly in front of him.”

"How can I possibly answer God? How can I find the right words to speak with him?  Even if I were right, I could not answer him. I would have to plead for mercy from my judge.  If I cried out and he answered me, I do not believe that he would listen to me. He would knock me down with a storm and bruise me without a reason.  He would not let me catch my breath. He fills me with bitterness.  If it is a matter of strength, then he is the mighty one. If it is about justice, who will charge me with a crime? If I am righteous, my own mouth would condemn me. It would declare that I am corrupt even if I am a man of integrity. If I am a man of integrity, I have no way of knowing it. I hate my life!  It is all the same.”

“That is why I say, 'He destroys both the man of integrity and the wicked.'  When a sudden disaster brings death, he makes fun of the despair of innocent people. The earth is handed over to the wicked. He covers the faces of its judges. If he isn't the one doing this, who is?”

"My days go by more quickly than a runner. They sprint away. They don't see anything good. They pass by quickly like boats made from reeds, like an eagle swooping down on its prey.  Even if I say, 'I will forget my complaining; I will change my expression and smile,' I still dread everything I must suffer. I know that you won't declare me innocent. I've already been found guilty. Why should I work so hard for nothing?  If I wash myself with lye soap and cleanse my hands with bleach, then you would plunge me into a muddy pit, and my own clothes would find me disgusting.

A human like me cannot answer God, 'Let's take our case to court.' There is no mediator between us to put his hand on both of us. God should take his rod away from me, and he should not terrify me. Then I would speak and not be afraid of him. But I know that I am not like that.