February 26 - Lent

Job 21:1-21 - Job's words come as a sharp contrast to many of the Psalms. There and elsewhere we are told that the wicked do not ultimately prosper. But Job sees it differently. His question is, "Why does good stuff happen to bad people?" Typically, you and I ask the reverse, "Why does bad stuff happen to good people?" Which question do you see more often in your life? How does Jesus factor into to either question?

John 8:39-59 - "Before Abraham was, I am." Jesus is making a very clear point in these words. To his hearers at the time, there is only one who can claim, "I am". Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, introduces himself as "I am". When Jesus says this about himself there is no mistaking who he claims to be. For this reason they pick up stones to throw at him, because they believe he has blasphemed (spoken against God). These words were offensive to them. Does Jesus ever say anything that offends us?

February 24 - Lent

Job 19:1-12, 21-27 - Job holds God accountable for the tragedy he is experiencing. Here's a difficult question that probably won't yield a satisfactory answer: Is it more faithful to blame God and cry out to Him, or believe God is not involved?

John 8:1-20 - Is Jesus just ignoring the law when he allows the woman to go unpunished? Notice that Jesus doesn't argue the point about the law, but instead places the question on the accusers. Who is righteous enough to judge another? Only Jesus. His choice in the case of this woman is to forgive. In many ways we are still like the scribes and Pharisees in this text, not just in condemning people, but in judging for ourselves in all ways. Certainly we judge and consider some unworthy of forgiveness, but we also judge and decide for ourselves what isn't sin. We either stand in judgment of others, or in judgment of God's word. Thanks be to God that Jesus' words to the woman are also meant for us, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."

February 22 - Lent

Job 17:1-16 - Job is clearly in the depths of despair. "My spirit is broken. I am one before whom men spit." Even in this state Job will not give in to the suggestions of his friends or wife. They've told him to confess his sin, or curse God and die. But Job knows that there is no hope for him in death, if it be apart from God. Just ending it all is not the solution Job needs. He requires a redeemer who lives.

John 7:14-31 - "No one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come." I would imagine there was a lot of turmoil during this exchange. People are accusing him of being demon-possessed in one instance, and in the next wondering if he might be the Christ. What does Jesus say in this passage that is unsettling for the people and particularly the leaders? What words of Jesus do you find unsettling?

February 19 - Lent

Job 14:1-22 - Verse 7: "For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that it's shoots will not cease." Verse 14: "If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come." When Job is faced with the reality of his situation, and not the platitudes of his friends, he realizes that on his own man's end is a sad fate. Yet Job has hope. The hope of a cut down tree. The hope in a Creator who desires to renew His creation. That hope sustains Job through trial.

John 6:41-59 - Jesus is the bread of heaven, the renewal that Job longed for. That said, it's difficult to accept or understand Jesus' words here. Is Jesus speaking about cannibalism, is he referring to the Lord's Supper, is this just metaphor? I think we would prefer something more "spiritual" and less earthy from Jesus. This whole fleshy thing, this body and blood, this death on a cross is too vulgar for our tastes. But our hope is found in Jesus who took on our flesh, joined us in death, and joins us to himself in resurrection. We very often hear difficult words from Jesus, but would we rather hear easier words without the power to save?

February 17 - Ash Wednesday

Job 13:1-12 - Job answers his friends. He says he will argue his case with God. This certainly doesn't seem like the right thing to do, but how does it compare with arguing about God? Does God encourage us to argue with Him, to plead our case? How does Jesus affect this dynamic?

John 6:1-21 - Jesus recognizes that his miracle with the bread and fish makes him immensely popular with the people. Why doesn't Jesus just let the people celebrate him and try to make him king? How is this experience similar to his temptation in the wilderness?

February 15 - Epiphany

Job 11:1-20 - Zophar's assessment of the situation is that Job actually deserves worse than he's experiencing. His advice: "Just do the right thing Job, and everything will start to go well for you."

John 5:19-29 - Verses 22-24: "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

February 12 - Epiphany

Job 8:1-22 - Bildad "comforts" Job. Notice how Bildad's "pious speech" makes him overly confident about knowing God's ways. He's not entirely wrong about God and justice, but he fails to see the mysteries of God. We still make this mistake when we try to explain why bad stuff happens. The glaring examples are when idiots say that a community or nation is suffering because of some specific sin. But even on the smaller scale we are more comfortable with suffering if we can explain it. When a quiet neighbor is revealed as a murderer, are first impulse is to clamor for an explanation. Bildad is doing the same with Job. The reality is that we cannot explain why some suffer and others do not. And even more mind-boggling is the innocent suffering and death of the only one who is without sin.

John 4:27-45 - Verses 39-42: "Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world."

The woman's personal testimony serves as an introduction to the truth about Jesus. It is a powerful testimony, but ultimately the people lean not on the woman's words about Jesus, but on Christ himself.

February 10 - Epiphany

Job 6:14-30 - Job responds to his friends' advice. They think that it is within Job's power to stop his suffering. In their minds Job has done something wrong and needs to repent. Job knows that this is no the case, and will not lie in order to appease his friends. Just as Job was tempted to try and end his own suffering, so was Christ. "If you're really the Son of God, come down from that cross!" Job's ultimate answer to suffering/evil is Jesus, though he does not know it yet.

John 3:22-4:6 - John stays consistent with his message that he was only preparing the way for Jesus. He must decrease and Jesus must increase.

February 8 - Epiphany

Job 5:1-27 - Who's speaking in this section? At first I thought I was reading Job's words, but realized that I needed to go back to chapter 4 where the monologue began. These are the words of Job's friend, Eliphaz. His speech seems pretty good, but notice what he does in order to comfort Job. Beginning in verse 8 he tells Job to seek God, and goes on to defend God's goodness and mercy. In verse 17 Job is encouraged to see God's punishment as discipline. He finishes by saying that all this will ultimately work out. Regardless of whether he's right on some or all of these words, how would you react in Job's position? In what ways do we try to defend God, or gloss over tragedy when a person in our life is suffering? How does Jesus give a different answer?

John 2:13-25 - Jesus is no dove. His conflict is often with the religious leaders who have exchanged the ways of God with the ways of man. In this particular case they have taken over a section of the Temple reserved for Gentiles (non-Jews), and used it for financial gain. What sign will he give them to show his authority to do this? His true and selfless sacrifice.

February 5 - Epiphany

Job 2:1-3:10 - Does Job have the right to be angry with God? His wife's advice is to curse God and end his suffering, but Job's reply is that God is God. We cannot only accept what we want from Him. Job is suffering in innocence, and in that way points us to Jesus. He also stood accused by Satan, and suffered in innocence. As we read on in Job we'll see how difficult it becomes for Job to suffer silently, and how often we make the mistakes of his friends when dealing with our own and others' suffering.

John 1:19-34 - I've probably heard or read this passage a dozen times, but I just realized that John never answers the Pharisees' question about baptism. They ask why he baptizes and he answers, "with water." Huh? In addition he points out that there is one (Jesus) whom John is unworthy to baptize. It's a powerful thing we see again and again from John and from Jesus. They are able to focus on what's important. People are constantly trying to drive them to defend themselves or answer some riddle, but they are not deterred. John's mission is to point to Jesus. He's not going to waste time defending his baptism to some hostile leaders.

Pray: Dear Lord, you were not deterred from your mission to die and rise again so that all might have life in your name. Give me focus this and every day to Your calling. You have called me into specific areas of life. You have placed me among people who need me and the gifts You have given me. Help me to recognize my neighbors and serve them with joy. Do not allow distractions to take my eyes off of you or live reactively toward others. Give me focus to point to your Son as John the Baptist once did. Amen.

February 4 - Epiphany

Job 1:1-22 - Satan, the Great Deceiver deceives even himself. He simply cannot come to terms with God's sovereignty over all things. As many theologians have pointed out, Satan is still God's Satan. What is significant about Job's words of grief expressed at the end of the chapter? To whom does Job attribute both blessings received and tragedies endured? Job's worship seems suprising at first, but how is worship really the most appropriate response to tragedy?


John 1:1-18 - "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world." (verse 9). The greatness and glory of Christ is manifested in this famous chapter of Scripture. Many Christians think Jesus simply shows up in the New Testament era. Many Christians believe that Jesus simply made a way of salvation possible for us to either take or leave. Here Christ is given His due for His work in Creation and for impacting ALL MEN. Though not all are saved and receive the blessing of membership in God's family by faith - all are impacted by Christ and His Incarnation.

February 3 - Epiphany

Zechariah 14:1-21 - There are powerful and even frightening images here regarding the Day of the Lord. Notice also the images that remind us of Jesus: "his feet will stand on the mount of olives" "the Lord will be one, and his name one" "there shall no longer be a trader in the house of the Lord". How is the Day of the Lord frightful and comforting?

Titus 2:7-3:15 - Paul is giving final encouragement to Titus. What are some of the things Paul is encouraging Titus to do and say? Think of a time when God used someone to tell it to you straight.

February 2 - Epiphany

Zech 12:1-13:9 - "10'And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn."

Titus 1:1-2:6 - Here we see Paul lay down the qualifications for Elders in the Church. Why do we, as redeemed sinners, need good, godly leadership? What kind of interpersonal relationships are assumed as part of our participation in the Body of Christ? How is this different from the way relationship is commonly practiced in the world?

February 1 - Epiphany

Zechariah 11:4-17 - This is not the most uplifting passage to start off a week or a month. Clearly God has had it with his people, and the shepherds he sends over them as a flock will do more harm than good. Zechariah himself is appointed as a shepherd but doesn't want to be responsible for Israel. As gloomy as this passage is, it highlights for us the powerful imagery of Jesus as our shepherd. I always think of shepherds in positive and even soft ways. But a shepherd not only had to fend off attack, he also sometimes had to slaughter his sheep. This makes Jesus' words all the more powerful: John 10:11, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

2 Timothy 4:1-18 - ¹ I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ²preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ⁵As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.