Scriptures
Job 5:8-27 New International Version (NIV)
8 “But if I were you, I would appeal to God; I would lay my cause before him.
9 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.
10 He provides rain for the earth; he sends water on the countryside.
11 The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety.
12 He thwarts the plans of the crafty so that their hands achieve no success.
13 He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away.
14 Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.
15 He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.
16 So the poor have hope, and injustice shuts its mouth.
17 “Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty.[a]
18 For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.
19 From six calamities he will rescue you; in seven no harm will touch you.
20 In famine he will deliver you from death, and in battle from the stroke of the sword.
21 You will be protected from the lash of the tongue, and need not fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine, and need not fear the wild animals.
23 For you will have a covenant with the stones of the field, and the wild animals will be at peace with you.
24 You will know that your tent is secure; you will take stock of your property and find nothing missing.
25 You will know that your children will be many, and your descendants like the grass of the earth.
26 You will come to the grave in full vigor, like sheaves gathered in season.
27 “We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.”
1 Peter 3:8-18 New International Version (NIV)
Suffering for Doing Good
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil
and their lips from deceitful speech.
11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”[a]
13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats[b]; do not be frightened.”[c] 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.
Comfort In Chaos
Stuff happens. No matter who you are or where you are, sometimes stuff just happens. If you are reading this you know what mean. All your plans can go left in a hurry. John Steinbeck said the “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” The question we must wrestle with today and throughout Lent is how do we handle the chaos? How do we handle living from paycheck to paycheck when suddenly we miss a check due to the flu? How do we rebound from financial stress and strain? When the storms of life are raging, blowing all the debris of doubt on our path, Where is there comfort?
One natural thing to do is look for blame. To figure there must be a problem with us. Today like Yesterday one of Job’s friends is trying to give him some good and wise counsel about GOD and how Job should handle his chaos. He says “If I were you I would lay my case before GOD. He goes on to share with Job some attributes of GOD and how when one accepts GOD’s discipline then will be blessed. This theology is alive and well today. Many who see the homeless and hungry in our society only look at the person and not at the societal causes of poverty. “They should pull themselves up by their bootstraps”, “They must just be lazy”, I did it why can’t they? Rarely do we ask ourselves how we may be playing a role in the demise of others.
Yes GOD is fair and just, but not everyone who suffers is suffering for doing wrong. Just ask Jesus who did everything right, healing the sick, binding up the brokenhearted, setting captives free, and for this, he was murdered on a cross. The text in 1 Peter reminds us that we can avert some challenges in this passage, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. 11 They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
Yet with this as a backdrop the writer goes on to say, “For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Sometimes GOD chooses to allow us to go through, not due to any fault of ours. For some, Lent is a training time, learning to trust, for others it is a cleansing time. Either way one can take comfort in knowing GOD has not forsaken us and will bless us. Keep doing good, regardless of the consequences.
Point To Ponder: How do we view others in chaos? What role if any have we played in the hurt and pain many experience? What can you do today to help someone who may never be able to help you back?
40 Days of Lenten Meditations 