Devotion
Why do bad things happen to good people?
David Jacobs
I am a firm believer of good things happening to good people. What you reap is what you sow; if you sow good things, it will grow more good things; so bad, more bad things. However, what happens when bad things happen to good people?
One of the best person I have ever known was also my oldest friend. We knew each other since we were babies, growing up together with our families. He was good at everything; he was the captain of our high school soccer, baseball, and basketball team. He was the class president and valedictorian of our school. He didn't drink, smoke, or curse. He was a good Catholic boy that volunteered always. He eventually went to and graduated from Harvard, finishing at the very top of his class. Everyone in our hometown knew of and were proud him.
One day, he slipped and fell off of a balcony in a freak accident and died. That was it. We were all devastated; his family was unsure how to process the information, let alone move on without him. It left us all wondering: Why God? Why?
At the beginning of Job, it sets the tone for what is soon to come. He was not just a good man; he was a perfect man. He loved God, loved his family, and even asked for forgiveness on his family's behalf. Like my friend, God should reward him for his behavior...right?
Prayer
We must remember, there are more than just the forces of God at work. As we will read in the next verses, Satan is real and does all that he could to test Job's faith. Lest we forget, God has rewarded us; He has given us life, created the earth, and sent His son, Christ, and with his blood, we have been redeemed. There may be tragedies that occur during our time in the worldly kingdom, but what matters is the eternity we spend in the heavenly one.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
