Sunday – Poetry

Reading – Job 13-14

Highlight Verse:

“As for me, I would speak directly to the Almighty. I want to argue my case with God himself.”

‭‭Job‬ ‭13‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I remember a conversation I had with a friend in college.

They were catholic and I asked if they ever read the Bible.

I couldn’t understand their response.

They asked why they would read the Bible when their priest would tell them anything they needed to know.

That may be a good relationship with their priest but not with God.

I’m with Job here. I want to go right to the source.

At the time Job was written, Israelites had to go through the priests for atonement through sacrifices.

But the writer of Job seems to have had a close enough relationship with God to understand that the Father wants a relationship with each person.

Job’s words here introduce that concept in the context of his anguish and suffering.

Job’s words show how inadequate a proxy relationship with God is.

If Job is to have any understanding of his suffering and healing, he must hear it from God Himself.

Spoiler alert – he does hear straight from God later in the book.

Stick around to see what God says (or read ahead if you just can’t wait).

Have you ever experienced faith by proxy, through a priest or through your parents?

When did your relationship become personal between you and God?

If your faith is still dependent on someone else, what’s keeping it from becoming personal?