Job 22:17

Who said to El, ‘Turn away from us!’,

   ‘What can Shaddai do for us?’

 

The sermon from this week focused on not letting your heart be hardened when you hear from God. We are to be actively listening to God at all times, but some have a tendency to turn away when they do hear from Him. In my mind, it is like someone who in the military waits for his orders, and then does the opposite. Some one at work who waits for directions, and then goes and goofs off.

‘Who’ was also ‘they’ and ‘which’.  ‘Turn away from us’ was also ‘leave us alone’, and ‘depart…’.

‘For us’ was also ‘to us’.

Our oldest child overcame a huge obstacle yesterday, and I am so proud of her. I had a similar struggle when I was younger. and I remember cleaning the house rather than prepare, often. Similar to how I now want to figure out how to get even healthier, but  I still eat flour or sugar every so often. Or how I have all day with no goal except to exercise and never come close.

Paul talked about the thorn in his side that he prayed and prayed for God to remove, but it never happened. Paul struggle to do the thing he knew he should and struggled to not do the things he should not. The Old Testament tells us nothing is new. The New Testament tells us we struggle with the same old things as everyone else.

A baseball card I wanted to complete a rainbow came up the other day. It was of a future hall of famer, autographed, and a one of one. I bid more than I wanted to and still did not win it. I did not expect to win it, but I had hope. Every so often, I am tempted to pray to win a card I want more than others, but then I catch myself and realize that if it were God’s will, He will know what I want and provide. Otherwise, I can do without.

PS – past halfway with #536, feeling good about the progress.

Written 8/18/26, Posted 9/8/26, Job 536/~1070