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Bible Reading & Book Review

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So, I got caught up today!  Matthew's been having trouble staying caught up (it is a lot to read for a 7yo), but he's trying really hard.


So, my notes for today:

In Job 15:17, one of Job's friends answers him, "I will answer you from my own experience."  This comment really struck me, especially because I have just finished reading a book that relates to it.  The book is John Grisham's The Appeal about a negligence case going to the Supreme Court of Mississippi.  I won't say anything that will give the book away (though I will tell you it's not a very fun read), but the main thing I noticed in this book is that everyone's "conviction" related directly to their personal experience and what they had been through.  The people who had never been through anything bad had a totally different perspective than the ones who had suffered greatly.

I'm mentioning this because I wonder what "experience" Job's friend had.  Was it mostly positive, or was there pain and suffering in His life?  My assumption is that his life was mostly positive, black-and-white, because of the response he gives Job.  Much of what he has to say is correct, but his bottom-line is: if you're wicked, you will suffer.  If you are righteous, you will have a good life.  Therefore, if you are suffering, you must be wicked.

As we know, God causes the rain and the sun to fall on the good AND the evil.  The circumstance isn't always as black and white as we think it is.  



In Matthew, we're reading the sermon on the mount.  Very familiar verses today, but one thing I noticed.  The things that unbelievers worry about are:
  • What will we eat?
  • What will we drink?
  • What will we wear?
Jesus is telling his followers not to worry about these things.  How often, though, do we find ourselves worrying about these things?  I don't know about you, but pretty often for me.  But these are the things that unbelievers worry about.  So does "not worry about" mean "don't think about"?  Because, at some point, I need to do meal planning, right?  But when I re-read this, instead of "worry" I saw this:
"These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers." 
It's not that we shouldn't think about these things.  But when they dominate our thoughts, that's when it becomes worry.  Instead, we are exhorted to "Seek God's Kingdom first."

I'm still thinking about that one...