Devotions - Monday, August 25

The lectionary I follow has turned to the book of Job. This is a difficult book to read in daily, short segments. By reading only a few verses, one might develop an erroneous impression as to what the book is saying.

You know the basic plot - Job is identified by God as a mortal who is upright and blameless, one who fears God and turns away from evil. The question raised in the first chapter is whether Job would turn to God where he not so wealthy and fortunate. So, all that he has is taken from him.

There are these friends who come to be with Job. They start out doing the right thing - they sit with Job and observe his grief. But then, they begin to speak. One by one they try to convince Job that he has surely done something to deserve his fate.

Their speeches are very poetic and convincing. I read one of them this morning, from the fifth chapter. Were I not acquainted with the whole of the Book of Job, I might be convinced that the circumstances of our lives are a direct result of the way we live our lives. The piece I read this morning is beautiful, but it is really a counter argument to the book's message.

Understanding context is very important. Knowing something about the whole is essential to evaluate the part.

When you take up your Bible to read, affirm for yourself what it is that you already know about the story. Think on the things you have been taught and believe. Be aware of the assumptions and convictions already in place in your heart and in your mind. This is not a preventative to allowing the scriptures to speak to you, it is preparation which will allow the verses to sustain the faith already within you.

The whole is essential to evaluating each individual part. There is an end result toward which all this is moving. We are more likely to remain on track when we have spent some time considering the rails upon which we are moving.