When I was in college I took three courses in religious studies in place of history or geography classes. They were challenging classes! They challenged what I thought I knew about religion and they encouraged me to see my faith from different angles. The three courses were titled LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF JESUS, RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD, SURVEY OF CHRISTIANITY. As I recall, all of those classes had heavy emphasis on reading and writing. In one of the classes we were encouraged periodically to seek Biblical wisdom whimsically. The professor asked us to grab a copy of the Bible and flip it open and point our index finger to the page at hand and read it and gain inspiration. It’s NOT easy! Reading the Bible can be daunting, confusing and like those religion classes in college–challenging! Speaking for myself, I tend to read the same hopeful passages over and over. It’s comforting.

For the sake of this exercise here is the passage I flipped and pointed to today:

Job 1:6-12

⁶ One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser also came among them. ⁷ The Lord said to the accuser, “Where have you come from?” The accuser answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸ The Lord said to the accuser, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” ⁹ Then the accuser answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰ Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹ But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹² The Lord said to the accuser, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So the accuser went out from the presence of the Lord.

Yikes! In this passage is the Lord bargaining with the Devil? Are the two of them having pushy conversation while one of them attacks Job and the other protects Job? And beyond my initial response is this…what can I gain by reading this passage today?

God’s faithfulness to defend…

God’s belief in those who believe back…

The enemy may enter our lives, but God will protect…

What have you gained today by reading this bit of Job’s story?

Look deeper! There is something there for you.