Job 11:8

It is higher than heaven, what can you do?

   It is deeper than Sheol, what can you know?

 

I had my day all planned out. Then I woke up and rushed through the day following no plan. I probably really did not wake up at that point, but I might as well have not been awake while I was planning, for all the good it did me. I did not even realized I missed my medication until about six hours after I normally take it. Apparently, I still need the medicine as I could tell in hindsight that I was impacted.

“It” was also “they”, “higher” was “high as”, and “what can you do” was unanimous. It does not feel right, but I have no way to dig for more.

“Sheol” was “the depths of the grave” or “hell”, and “what can you know” was unanimous. This felt right but did nothing to illuminate the issue within the first stitch.

I spoke with an old colleague this afternoon and found that I had inadvertently had a huge impact on his career. I had no idea he was even involved, but my efforts affected him anyway. This is how I like to hope that my efforts for Christ will impact others well beyond what I can actually do myself. This is of course the idea that Jesus had when He told us to work on His behalf. He was just one man and could not speak individually to billions of people in one lifetime.

I have not been a huge fan of the NBA in many years and know next to nothing about the people involved, but someone just scored more than Kareem ever did. In the article I saw, the new guy had his arms raised in triumph. My reaction was that he must have a super inflated ego now. It makes me wonder if the hall of fame votes should be left to the writers actually covering the players at the time they are playing and then disclosing the votes ten years after they retired. Kareem was a giant in his era, and this new guy is in his, but the game has changed, and I do not know how anyone judges the two together.

The topic of the verse is heaven and hell (in the King James at least) and the question is how can we as simple people understand the depths of the universe God has created. The answer is that we can do nothing and know nothing, but it does not mean that we have to sit back and ignore the implication of knowing there is a heaven and there is a hel,l and we have been provided the opportunity to influence our fate, and the fates of those around us, and of those around those we are around.

My most apparent spiritual gifts are not randomly talking to strangers about their place in eternity or giving big speeches before the masses. But I do have gifts related to teaching and having faith that the Bible I teach from is the Word of God. I never want to turn away the opportunities God places before me, but I need to maintain joy in following Him in the routine of study and teach, study and teach, study and teach.

 

(Written 2/9, Posted ?, Job 238)