GONE ......

......ON VACATION....NOTHING HERE UNTIL TUESDAY, JULY 7TH!  

ALSO KNOWN AS HANNALEE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WAHOOOOOO!

HAPPY 4TH! BE SAFE! BE COOL!  WE ARE!! :)  

Psalm 70-73

Day 164

t-48 hours to leaving for the cabin! wahooooooooooo! 

Psalm 70  "Hasten"   = HURRY!! There is a urgent call for help!   It's not so much a frantic call for help, but rather a proclamation  of his faith that God will help and deliver him...help is on the way!

Psalm 71   a prayer in old age...."even when I am old."  at the end of a long and troubled life, there is still no let up and trouble has schooled the psalmist in trust!  Nothing can make him despair.  As long as God is with him, the future is full of hope.

Psalm 72    Now this one was funny and Dusty cracked me up....verse 6, our versions read "he will be like rain falling down on a mown field."  Dusty -- they mowed the grass back then??!   that cracked us up!  But it does show that times were good.....if the grass weren't growing and there wasn't rain....the lawn wouldn't need mowing.  So, the king and his nation were prospering.  How do we know that ?  Because the lawn needed mowing! :)  ha!!!  

 

Psalm 73  The beginning of book 3...no more psalms from David......King David has appointed several Levites to be music ministry leaders. Asaph is one them and he writes many of psalms to come.  

tomorrow:   74-77

Psalm 63-69

Day 163

 

Psalm 63  This is  personal lament......a personal prayer for deliverance from personal enemies.  Some call it a song of trust.  the Psalmist's almost mystical delight in God's presence nearly obscures any sense of need for personal security.  Have you ever been so thirsty and without water that it is almost scary about where/when you might a  drink?  that raging thirst is a metaphor for the desperate need for God's presence in our life.  Trust Him and praise Him.

Psalm 64  Another lament.  all will fear God and eventually, one day, all creation  will bow before God praising his supremacy and works.

Psalm 65 God provides.  The wonder of God's bountiful provision is the them of this joyful praise!  Finally...NOT a lament! :)  God sends His blessing on the land and there is a thanksgiving for a good harvest.  

Psalm 66-67 a liturgy of praise and thanksgiving......a hymn in praise of God's might and his care for his people.

Psalm 68  a parade in the psalms.....a festival celebration in the temple.  Not just a parade for fun, but an exciting event that is a tangible expression of the Hebrews heartfelt worship of the King of glory!

Psalm 69   after a long list of sufferings, David prays to God.  He prays for deliverance...he has no where else to turn and knows that God will answer his prayer in divine timing!  

tomorrow:  70-73

Psalm 58-62

Day more than halfway something! :) 

Okay....thank you mother for putting the birthday song on here for me! THAT was funny....sorry I didn't hear it until today--2 days late!  But I had a great birthday and am back at the computer for a couple of days.....until we get OUT OF THIS HEAT and head to Colorado!! Man, oh man!!!  New diamond earrings for my birthday!! From my sweet husband!!! He is a REALLY good shopper and is better than I am at presents....he's so sneaky! :)   Then I got new perfume, (Beautiful) and an Itunes gift card so I can buy apps for my iphone! :)  wahoooooo!  And of course a much needed swimsuit that is coming in the mail and money from the in-laws that I used to buy 3 pairs of new shoes and a new purse! Chaa-ching!!!  I had a wonderful 39th bday!!!!   Next year however........  :)  

Psalm 58  This is a curse upon enemies as a lament.  The violent language is probably explained as a curse that the psalmist utters to counteract the effect of a curse the enemies are believed to have pronounced previously.  

Psalm 59 is a prayer for protection and punishment...a prayer for deliverance from personal enemies.  

Psalm 60 the nation prayers for deliverance for they have been defeated

Psalm 61  this is a prayer of a burdened king for protection   ...another lament!   

Psalm 62     a psalm of patient trust that puts confidence in Go'ds protection...God is the psalmists (and ours!) only help.  

tomorrow:   63-69

Psalms 40-45

Day 161

I'm dragging myself to the computer today.......I'm not bored with reading the Bible, I"m just not doing us much justice in the commentary part lately!!  SO SORRY!!!!   But here we go......gotta blog!!   

Psalm 40 and 41 finished the first book.  Psalm 40 is a random composite psalm.  VV 1-11 are a thanksgiving, but then vv 12-17 are a lament.  Perhaps these had been two different pieces and independent of each other and then combined to make one liturgy.  This is also almost identical to Psalm 70.

Psalm 41  a prayer for healing from sickness...a lament.  The psalmist is mortally ill with enemies who are glad of it....even a dear friend has become an enemy.  This psalm you can sing! :)  

Psalm 42-43  a prayer for healing in preparation for a pilgrimage (a lament)!  These two psalms are a single lyric consisting of threes stanzas with a refrain.

Psalm 44 this psalm is prompted by a  disastrous defeat....its a national lament.  Israel is bewildered....after all the stories of God's amazing actions in their early history and their complete reliance on him and now this!!!  God had deserted them  and they are disgraced and cannot understand why.   Notice the switch from "me" and "my".....a single voice that is perhaps the high priest leading them in prayer.

Psalm 45  This was a song for a royal wedding.   King Ahab of Israel was marrying Jezebel, the princess from Tyre.  

Psalm 21-25

Day 160

Well...so my old iphone, the "original" iphone...as opposed to the 3G or now the latest out as of today the 3GS.....is just now an ipod.   My new iphone, the 3GS, is in my hands....and the screen isn't cracked and the glass isn't falling out or poking my ears when I talk.  So I'm glad I got the new one.  It, like the old, does so much more than I"ll ever use or ever even know it does.  But the ATT store opened early today....at 7:00AM for the "rush" to buy a new phone.  I was 4th in line.  Got there at 6:58am.   There wasn't a rush here in Big Elk City.  But there was a CSI detective in the store to be sure that peace and order were kept!!!  OH MY !  REALLY??!   BUt it was "standard procedures" for ATT...he had been there since 9:00pm last night guarding the store and was relieved by another officer at 8:00am this morning.   You just never know who might get rowdy!! :)   It took me over an hour and a half in the store...and I was 4th in line....there was maybe a total of 8 people.   Not too crazy....just not too speedy.  

Can't you just hear the songs in the psalms???   Mom added a new song to the play list...yes, I hear the songs..there are several that we've read already.....we are singing the psalms and well as reading them!   

Psalm 21  This is a psalm of thanksgiving after the king's victory in battle.  

Psalm 22  suffering and saving ..this is the psalm of the cross because Jesus used the opening words to cry his anguish on the cross (compare verse 1 with Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34).  

Psalm 23   The old standard!  The best known and most loved psalm of all.  This pictures God, the Good Shepherd (see John 10).  He provides all his people need and leads them through life.  

Psalm 24   This psalm is a processional hymn, ....perhaps when the Ark was first carried into Jerusalem.  The is at the gate....open the doors for God himself to enter!!

Psalm 25  a prayer in trouble  another acrostic alphabet poem in Hebrew.   The psalmist is harassed by the incessant attack of his enemies and disquieted by his own conscience.   

Psalm 9-20

Day 159

Well....I'm at my mom's for the day. My daddy has been cutting wheat and rye and we had to get JJ over here to drive the combine with Papa John!! They've been to the John Deere store...where they were "only going to buy combine parts" but came home with that AND ANOTHER little tractor and anhydrous ammonia to hook up to it!!! Papa is a softie!!! :) Then they cut a little rye and put it in a bucket to take to the coop to see if it was ready....daddy knew it really wasn't....but I think he did it just for JJ! Then since they couldn't cut it, they went across the road to plow up weeds where daddy cut yesterday. B y then me, Dusty, and Hannalee all got a nap and then Meme took JJ for a ride on the gator.................ALLL over the farm. Now daddy's plowing by himself and JJ is playing tractors with Meme here in the house in the air conditioning.

So I'm blogging...without any "resources" and will use mom's John Wesley Bible and its footnotes!!

Psalm 9 The next several psalms are an acrostic poem...if you could read it that way in Hebrew! :) The successive lines start with each Hebrew letter in alphabetical order. Verses 1-12 are a song of praise for God's victory over worldly forces.

Psalm 10 The psalmist is wondering why God seems far away when enemies are near. There is a plea for God's attention and salvation.

Psalm 11 This is an affirmation of God's saving power.

Psalm 12 A prayer for those in need...an oppressed community feels utterly alone, surrounded by liars. There is a plea to God for silence to that which is causing the oppression.

Psalm 13 A plea for God to remember and rescue.....the psalmist pleads for God to answer his prayer and details the disastrous results if God were to remain inactive.

Psalm 14 A reflection on wickedness and unbelief.

Psalm 15 a prescription for holiness....watch out and read again the 3 positive statements that are followed by the 3 negative statements in v. 3. A holy person not only words for the preservation of the community but also can discern whether others are acting "wickedly" or not.

Psalm 16 A refugee's song. the psalmist expresses confidence that God will not allow him to suffer an untimely or violent death.

Psalm 17 A plea of the righteous in danger.

Psalm 18 a royal thanksgiving for victory....a pledge of love to God.

Psalm 19 a celebration of God's order....the heavenly bodies.....God's order and power.

Psalm 20 a intercession for the king.

tomorrow: more catching up.....Psalm 21-27

Psalms 1-8

Day 158

The psalms!! I love them!! We'll be reading them for quite awhile....get ready!!!   I can't wait to keep track of my favorite ones!!!  This should be a fun book to read. The Psalms are the timeless hymns of ancient Israel that were collected into 5 books:

Book 1   Psalms 1-41

Book 2   Psalms 42-72

Book 3   Psalms 73-89

Book 4   Psalms 90-106

Book 5   Psalms 107-150

We'll read everything in the psalms...from the joy and glory to the doom and gloom.  The Psalms will  cry out for us and worship with us.  We'll love their depth and relish in the faith found there.  Some are hymns, in praise of God's character.  Some are laments of a community crying out from a national disaster.  Some are of loyalty and the king.  All are about God's glorious power and might; his steadfast love; his justice; his love.

Psalm 1  this psalm starts us off with pointing us towards wisdom....the way to happiness.  Our lesson here:  true happiness comes from pleasing God!  There is another path to choose from, but it is the path that leads to doom.

Psalm 2   The Lord   has power to put his own king on the throne....pointing to the coming Messiah!!  

Psalm 3 This is a cry to God in a time of danger

Psalm 4   an evening prayer of inner peace......trusting in God sets mind and body at rest

Psalm 5  prayer at first light.....this appeals to the God who loathes every semblance of evil....This is the God we worship and serve.

Psalm 6 a cry of anguish.....David is sick at heart......disturbed in mind and ill in body.  The pslamist pleads with God for his life and is assured of God's answer

Psalm 7  Refuge in God.....David sang this song because of Cush the Benjaminite.  The psalmist casts himself on God, knowing his cause his just.  He calls on God to clear his name, to suppor the right and break the wicked.  

Psalm 8   David marvels that God not only bothers about "mere mortals" but has set them oer all other creature.  The psalm ends as it began...with a refrain of praise to God!

Praise God today.......

tomorrow:  playing catch up....lots of reading.....9-20

Job 40-42

Day 158

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! :)  I've been away from the computer for so long that I had to click 3 times on "new post!"  The reunion was great......we had a very good time and JJ had a blast!  He ran barefoot in the water and dirt and grass and mud all weekend!!  He thought it was heaven!!    We were a little hot down in the canyon but had a breeze now and then.  Our A frame "cabin" (a slight upgrade from a tent!)  was HOT....but luckily we had 3-4 box fans in it and that helped circulate some air.  

so...elihu had his tirade after being silent throughout the whole book...not speaking and only listening as a bystander and holding back out of deference for his elders.  He could bear it no longer and blurted out...

Chapter 36  God is almighty, all wise.

Chapter 37 God is great and commands the thunder and lightning, rain, and snow.  

Chapter 38 & 39  God answers and responds to Job.....where were you when I made the world?  What did Job know about the creature that God created?  Can he tame them like God?  

Chapter 40-41   is Job God's equal,that he calls him to book and questions his justice? Job's reaction is the climax of the book.....Job now realizes that he had been dabbling in things beyond his understanding, totally out of his depths.  Before, he had gone to hearsay:  now he has seen God for himself, as he longed to do.  There is now no question of putting his case:  seeing God is enough!  His questions remain unanswered (isn't it always that way?!) but he is satisfied..it is unthinkable that this God could ever let him down or act inconsistently.  He can trust, where he does not understand.  And that is the lesson of Job.....to accept what comes....God IS in control! 

Chapter 42   God has taken Job to task for his reaction to suffering, but his integrity is beyond question.  Job's good name is as clear as his conscience.  It is the three friends who have been wrong.  Job's was an honest search for truth.  Job accepts his suffering and is restored beyond measure with friends and family and fortune and lives a long life to enjoy it all!   If we would all be so faithful and blessed.   

Tomorrow!! Psalms 1-8

Job 32-34

Day 157

Well, Katie made it home yesterday and now we are in full swing of packing for our family reunion this weekend.   We are going down to Red  Rock Canyon with Dusty's family....all 150 of them.  Seriously.  My father in law is 1 of 15 kids......LOTS of cousins!!!!!!!!   JJ and Hannalee will have tons cousins to play with.  It will be a good time.......hot probably, but good.

Chapter 32-33  Elihu speaks again.....his has been listening "from the wings" to the different speeches of Job and his friends, apparently to put in his two cents worth but restrained from doing so by cultural mores.  Not only was it considered disrespectful for young people to speak before their elders have had their say, but a young person's "wisdom" was often considered deficient.  Elihu doesn't see it that way....in fact, he and others, believe he speaks with divine inspiration.  Elihu's lengthy speech does introduce important truths that Job's other friends miss....especially the possibility of a gracious God! 

Chapter 34 Elihu makes a point that Abraham and Moses both made....God is not the author of evil (Gen. 12:25 & Deut. 32:4).  God is not the author of evil ........although he allows the evil one to prowl the earth (1 Peter 5:8).  While Job in his anguish and frustration, has accused God of acting unjustly, Elihu wisely reminds him that God's scales balance perfectly and his mercy and goodwill sustain all!!   When we see sin and suffering all around us, its easy to blame God.  But we must recall Jesus' words...."in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world! (John 16:33).

Thanks be to God for Jesus!!! 

I'll be gone and will not blog until Tuesday.  

Job 24-28

Day 156

We've been having fun with Katie here.  She is VERY helpful and loves to play with the kids.  She's great with Hannalee.....she feeds her, dresses her, and will even change a POOPY diaper!!  Is this what having a nanny is like?! :)  ha!  And yes, I'll post pictures tomorrow of Hannalee's baby dedication at church.  It was precious and she was happy the whole time.  She waved at all 700 people and just giggled and smiled....she thought she was on parade!  We are blessed to be parents to both children and have promised to raise them both in a Godly Christian home.   We are even more grateful that all of our parents were there and even my best friend from college.  

Chapter 24  Job is crying out for a swift resolution to the injustice that he is suffering.  Everyone wants God's timing to be their timing, don't we?!  It is so very hard to wait for him to act when everything within us is screaming for an end to the pain.  But throughout the story of God, from Genesis to Revelation, God's timing is perfect....PERFECT.   Trust me...I was 34 before I got married!!  God's timing!! :)  

chapter 25   I am but a worm!!!! This speech of Bildad's is only 6 verses long.  He finally just gets to the point doesn't he...humans are worms!  Not a pretty picture at all. But right in that no human can be righteous on his or her own.  But poor Bildad...he never knew Jesus! Thank goodness we do, amen?!  We are declared righteous through his blood and we won't have to be "worms" again!  Christ died for all...worms included! :)   

Chapter 26  -27   Here, Job is swearing his innocence and interrupts Bildad .  Job then continues to speak of God's power, to the end of the chapter.  In the created universe, we catch a glimpse of God's dynamic power.  But who can think to comprehend that power in all its fullness?  As Job continued, his friends had wanted him to deny his integrity, but Job will not perjure himself.  So many difficult things here in these chapters to interpret,  with many a bewildering thing in these speeches....painful ironies and telling the truth!  

Chapter 28  We aren't sure WHO is speaking in this chapter....Job or the author?   It doesn't say but the heart of Job's problem is how to understand the inscrutable ways of God.  No miner can uncover a vein of wisdom and all the wealth in the world will not buy it.  Only God knows where to find it.  We become wise though reverence for God and by rejecting evil.  

tomorrow:   29-31

Job 21-23

Day something......where ARE we???  

we've had company all weekend..... and I inherited a kid for 3 days and added a niece to the mix to go with the inherited kid!!!   My best friend from college and her family came down.....they have 2 kids....one old enough to get to stay a few days longer when mom and dad went home.  THAT's the inherited kid.  She'll go back to Tulsa on Wednesday.  I've promised a manicure and riding a horse.  Can't beat that.  Plus...the best part...she's VERY HELPFUL!!! She's great with JJ and Hannalee....she's carried her around on her hip since Saturday.  Then Kyra, a niece who lives here in Elk, get to spend the night because she and Katie were having fun.  At 12:45am, after hearing the fridge door, I went upstairs to tell them to turn the TV and lights off.  I found them this morning on the couch downstairs!! They got cold!!  They didn't put two and two together that the same vents they had to open because they were hot, would help them if they got too cold.  Funny.  I cleaned up the sheets and "bed" up there this morning......found 15 jolly rancher wrappers and a small bag of cheetos!! hahahahahaha! They had fun!!

Now to Job...who isn't having fun.   :)  Well, I just can't  back track the 2 days I've missed, so fast forward with me to chapters 21-23.  :)  

chapter 21  So Job's friends and their speeches have had one theme and one theme only:  the fate of wicked!! Some friends!!  Job didn't reply to their speeches and to their claims but pursued the theme of God's violence against him. Now however, in his final speech, Job addresses the cumulative arguments of the friends concerning the fate of the wicked.  Job's speech is a simple one.  He introduces his words  by asking, sacrastically, for a hearing granting the friends permission to mock him!!!  Job recognizes the radical nature of what he is about to say...not only will it shock his friends, but the thought of it is also enough to terrify Job himself!  

Chapter 22  from here until chapter 27 this will be the 3rd cycle of speeches.....round three! Ding!  :)  Eliphaz would rather invent sins for Job than allow that his own view might be inadequate.  He sticks to the same stubborn line of argument.  Job is in the wrong.  (now don't forget....we know that God knows what is going on.....NONE of them do!  God is allowing, in a conversation "off stage", for Satan to test and try Job).  Job ahd though to hide his sins from God.  Let him makes peace with God, put away his sin, and all will be well again.   

Chapter 23  Again Job responds to Eliphaz and there are many grammatical difficulties here:  from obscurities to wicked talk!  Job's speech has a note of bitter defiance.  He has not betrayed his community or even his God.....and he will NOT betray himself.  Job insists that he is innocent and has integrity.   Whereas Eliphaz had advised tJob to seek God through prayer, repentance, and submission, Job seeks the resolution of a trial.  Job's confidence is checked by his inability to find God......but he knows that God is his integrity.  Where is your integrity?   Place it in God and all will be well!  

tomorrow:  chapters 24-28

Job 11-13

Day 154

well, JJ and Aiden were playing in the water yesterday---- they played in the sprinklers, JJ made mud, the hose, some water sticks...then they were eating lunch (a picnic of course!) JJ was sitting across from Aiden and then moved over to the other side to sit NEXT to him.  Then he put his arm around Aiden and said, "you're my best friend.  I love you!" Kristi and I were nearly in tears!!! It was precious!!!!! 

I see I started this at 8:30....its now 4:42.   Where does the day go???!  :)

Chapter 11 Zophar joins in and his words are the harshest of all.  He has no patience with Job's irreverant talk.  Does Job think himself innocent?  God is letting him down lightly.  Job must put away his sin then God will restore him.  Everything is black and white to Zophar.  He doesn't doubt that his position is right.  yet he hits the mark when he asks "can you fathom the mystery of God?"  for it is in these  terms that God will answer Job.  Not now...later...in chapter 38-42.  Keep reading! :)  And then Job will be satisfied.  

Chapter 12-13  Job begins another response and has been so stung by the words of his friends that he has resorted to sarcasm!   I can't imagine why, though?!! :)  His friends are not the only ones who can work things out.  God is all wise, all powerful.  If he turns the norms of wisdom and justice upside-down.  What can anyone do about it?!  Job's experience gives the lie to the arguments of his friends.  HE will put his case to God directly and God will acquit him.   

Aren't we glad God is on our side......amen!!!  

time for a city wide garage sale trip....it's "Route 66 Days" here this weekend.....time to go junking!! :)  

tomorrow:   14-16

Job 8-10

Day 153

today's goal:  blog before 10:00pm!!! :)  

chapter 8 Nothing like another friend to throw salt into Job's wounds!!!  Eliphaz was a little gentler on Job and now Bildad keeps accusing him in the same manner that Eliphaz did....he isn't righteous enough.  He thinks the only way for Job to get out of his pain is to beg for God's forgiveness.  What none of the people are realizing, except for us, is that God knows exactly why these things are happening to Job.....to test him and his faithfulness to the Lord! It's like watching a play and God and Satan had the conversation in chapter 1 off stage and we are the only ones that got to overhear the conversation.   

chapter 9-10  Job finally gets another word in......HOW COULD GOD DO THIS?  is his response!  Job does believe in the "just-ness" of God but his own case will not square with his own belief.  God has condemned an innocent man.  Job goes from stating and proclaiming that God is superior and just and almighty...but then wants to "square off" with him and his supreme power and authority over the universe.  Job is fantasizing about going up against God in a court of law.   As misguided as Job is, God has long foreseen and arranged to fulfill Job's desire for a mediator who will bridge the gap between himself and the Almighty!!!   Through faith in Christ, the Mediator, we are all forgiven of sin and  reconciled to God!  

tomorrow:  11-13

Job 5-7

Day 152

Snakes and Sonic!!!!

Well...we just killed a SNAKE!! And I mean a big one!!!!!!  Dusty chopped him into pretty darn good!!!   It was on the back porch....the SECOND time we saw him.  First time was at the overhead garage door.....I was hoping to take a run over him with the big ol' Jeep Commander.  But alas, he went and hid in the back somewhere.   We warned JJ about him, looked for him and then low and behold, a few hours later, there he was!  Then tonight we got  our free root beer floats from Sonic.  Not that we love them, it just is what you do.....it's free, its summer time and its a float!! I mean......how else can you "eat" small town America and summer in one bite?!! :)  Okay...of course with watermelon, corn on the cob, fried okra, fried squash too....THAT is how you EAT summer!! :)  YUMMERS!!!!  You can still get your free float...til midnight...Anywhere, USA that has a Sonic!!!   It was good....but the idea and the evening was better!  :)  

Chapter 5  Eliphaz is still a talking and rambling on...remember.....Job hasn't asked for his advice.  :)   Eliphaz thinks he has a "cure" ....he's convinced that Job has sinned and this is his punishment.  Eliphaz is very black-and-white in his thinking and his conclusions for Job's suffering are far off base!  He thinks Job just needs to repent and seek God's mercy.  While Eliphaz's assumptions about what God is up to in Job's life is wrong, he does highlight a wonderful truth about being God's child.  He does discipline us, to turn us back to him.  To be called by him. To be used by him.  God desires to draw us close to his side to walk in joy with us.  His joy awaits you!!!!!  Go get it!!!   Receive it!!!  

Chapter 6-7   Job finally gets a word in with Eliphaz and responds.......if I were at the end of my rope and a friend told me to be patient......I would not heed that advice....not helpful!!  Job is at the point that he wants to cease to exist.  His friends have failed to show sympathy when he needed it most.  He had literally done nothing to deserve the suffering.  And is life is a succession of pain-filled days and sleepless nights.  Job turns to God and pours out his hear to him...his fear, his longing for death...Why won't God leave him alone?  If sin is the trouble, why won't he forgive???  The reason...because that isn't what is going on ....its not about sinning, its about being faithful to God. Period.  In all that he suffers and experiences, Job is true to God.  THAT is a HUGE lesson.  Even when weakened by circumstances.....we can still remain true and faithful to our Lord and Savior....and NOT blame him.   Love Him. Adore Him.  Glorify Him. 

tomorrow:  Job 8-10

Job 1-4

Day 151  I know......I missed Esther.  

Job!!  Poor, poor Job!     Such many and great lessons I think we will learn from him.  He is plagued by adversity from the beginning of the book!  Job is a righteous man, yet one catastrophe after another wreaks havoc on his life!!!!   After Satan and God have a nice little conversation about Job, we see pieces of the puzzle of Job's life that he cannot see......he is unaware that God has complete  faith and trust in him to be tempted by Satan.  We will learn that, unfortunately, bad things do happen to good people....but even in suffering, God is sovereign!  

Chapter 1 Job's first test is one nightmare after another.  His servants were put to the sword; fire fell from the sky and burned up his sheep; the camels were carried off; the house collapsed with all of his children inside......all Job's faithful response???  He tore off his robe and cried out!!!  AND what did he cry out???  PRAISE TO GOD!!!!!!!!    He never cursed the Lord with wrongdoing...not once...not even in his heart!!!  God knew he wouldn't!

Chapter 2  A second test.......his wife was ready for Job to denounce God so that he would be put out of his misery.  She maybe was even a temptress....she had a role in trying to help Satan derail from his faithfulness.  And then we have 3 his three friends!  They weep and morn with him for 7 days!

Chapter 3  Job speaks finally and cries out and his response to his suffering is WHY!!?????   Five times in this chapter he asks why.  See where they are......vs. 11, 12, 16, and 20, 23. 

Chapter 4  So....I had this typed....and the electricity  went off.......but here's Eliphaz.....when bad things happen to good people we want to try and make sense of it...we want to reason it out.  Job's friend, Eliphaz, is the first to offer help.....never mind the fact that he never asked for help! :)   He is claiming to speak on behalf of God when he counsels Job.  He is well meaning but in the face of unexplainable suffering, we can humbly admit that we do not know all that is in God's mind!