Job 42 – Theodicy

Theodicy – the question of God’s goodness in the face of our suffering.

Have you ever faced suffering and asked, “Why me, God?”  Have you ever wondered why an all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing God would allow our suffering? “If I suffer,” we think, “then either God is not all-powerful (and can’t stop it), or not all-knowing (and doesn’t know about it), or not all good (and doesn’t love me enough to help).”  I believe this comes not from a mystery of God’s character, but a misunderstanding of suffering. Read more

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Job 10 – Cracked Lenses

As I read Job’s conversation with his “friends”, I’m so reminded of the different views we have of God, and how many of them are faulty.  It’s as though different situations we are in can crack the lenses through which we look at God, and distort the truth. Read more

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Job – a short reflection

I’ve always been fascinated with the opening to the book of Job.  And then again with the ending.  As for the middle, well, its poetry.

The scene is set in the courts of heaven.  God is there on the throne, holding court with the angels, when who should enter but Satan.  Probably the last guy I’d expect to be presenting himself before the Almighty.  I’ve read lots of explanations of this including: Read more

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Gen. 45 – Puzzles and Pieces

“So then it was not you who sent me here, but God.” – Gen. 45:8

We can’t see the whole picture until we have all the pieces and discern how they fit together.  My dad loves doing puzzles, and occasionally the urge reaches through my genetics and grabs me, too.  Then we break out a puzzle, reveal the pieces, create the border, and fill in the middle.  But some puzzles don’t show you the whole picture – you have to put it together blindly until the picture is revealed. Read more

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Gen. 37 – 39: The Uncomfortable Story of Tamar

The bible is filled with these “little gems” like today’s reading.  But that’s one of the things I love about the bible; it doesn’t try to put a pretty face on our history (as God’s people, this is OUR history!)  In fact, it seems to relish in revealing the ugly side of characters, from Cain’s murderous anger to Noah’s drunkenness to Abraham’s lies to Jacob’s shiftiness to Joseph’s arrogance.  And that allows me to identify so much better with these people than if they were spotless ideals. Read more

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