Always Reforming

    I've been reading through the book of Job lately, and I've been struck by the unifying theme--awe of God.  Now, I'm sure I'm not the first to notice this, but I feel like modern interpretations of the book of Job focus on Job and his miserable comforters.  As is the case with most modern theology, we make this tale very anthropocentric.  It's all about how we need to stay the course in troubled times or how we need to remember that people going through tough times are not always sinners. These applications are good to make, of course, but they are not the main focus of the narrative.  The main point is that God is ineffably greater than His Creation.     We see this theme in a few different ways.  Firstly, on several occasions we see different speakers express the same sentiment--that man could not possibly be found just in the sight of God. The most telling example is Job 9:2  where Job himself says this.  It is telling becau...

    The beginning of a new year generally encourages reflection on the previous year.  Today at church all the men of the congregation stood up and gave a general update of the state of the union, if you will, from the past year.  It was encouraging and divinely challenging.  We have been so blessed as children of God, and we need to live our lives in a manner that manifests our appreciation of this familial blessing.     I began my short time (that lasted longer than I planned) with these words from Luke 11:11-13: " What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”  God is a powerful Father, but more significantly, He is a good Father who seeks our good.  As Romans 8 tells us, He ...