The Job Challenge
I am currently reading the book of Job in the Tampa Bay area. I encourage you to read with me in your corner of the world too.
Whenever a new year rolls around, we see new devotional books come out. Some have been written by friends of mine and I am very proud of them. Occasionally the author will share a gem from the Bible, that quite frankly, I never would have found on my own. Still, my favorite devotional book is still the Bible itself. To me, nothing can replace the actual Bible, and as we study the Bible on our own, God Himself reveals those precious gems. Of course, my friends who write devotional books are not trying to replace the Bible. They encourage the readers to read the Bible.
Same with the Sabbath School quarterly authors. Our Sabbath School lesson quarterlies are well prepared and written. Like devotional books though, the purpose of the Sabbath School quarterlies is to get us to study the Bible. Last year, when our Sabbath School lesson was on the book of Matthew, Maurice Ashton challenged us all to read the book of Matthew. That challenge was well received by many of you. Since the current lesson is on the book of Job, I would like to encourage everyone to read the book of Job for themselves this quarter. Those 42 chapters cover everything from the conflict between good and evil, and the gospel, and good news of a Redeemer. We find practical doctrinal teachings about death and the hope of a resurrection, as well as practical examples of how to help those who are suffering, and yes, how not to help those who are suffering.
Now if you are not an avid reader, 42 chapters may seem like a lot. If you just break it down to only 3 chapters a day, you can cover the entire book in just 2 weeks. Since the book is also divided by different people doing the talking, you break it up into sections that way as well. That way you get the complete thought that may over lap a chapter. If you don’t like reading, you may enjoy listening to someone else read. Remember, in Revelation 1 there is a blessing to those who read the book and listen to the book being read, (See Revelation 1:3). I believe that blessing goes for every book of the Bible, including Job. Maybe you can read or listen as your family reads for family worship, or you can study it with your small group. The other night in bed, I went to Job on my Youversion Bible app, and selected my favorite version and listened to several chapters before falling asleep.
This quarter I am reading the entire book of Job again, and I encourage and challenge you to do the same.
If you have already read it recently, may I suggest reading it again in a different version? I always find new gems when I try different versions. Again if you don’t like reading, I challenge you to listen to it. You will find that BibleGateway.org offers audio options for many Bible. You will also find Audio Bibles in the Android and IPhone/IPad app stores. Some can be used off-line, others require a connection.
Either way, I invite you to share on the Sabbath School Network discussions, the things God has shown you. God promises you a blessing if you do!
Besides web sites and apps, you can also listen to your Bible or other books in Audible Format. Check it out.
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