Aaron Hufty – Page 15 – The Everyday Prayer

Be Quiet

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:11-13, 22:5-6, 9-11 (day two) Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great. 2:13

A great bulk of the book of Job contains a discourse between Job and his friends. Much space is given to their perspectives, their advice, and their prodding Job to admit fault. While each argument made by his friends can be analyzed, it is the first action they take that should instruct us most. They sat beside him, and they were quiet. Very few of us are called to be counselors, and almost no one will ever experience the complete loss that Job felt. Sometimes presence is the most reassuring thing you can do for a friend. Are you a fixer? Do you feel compelled to help people figure things out? This is a wonderful attribute in almost any situation, except grief. Learning to sit is a balm. Learning to be quiet is one of the greatest gifts you can learn to give.

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.
“Pooh!” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner

Exit Strategy

Re:Verse passage – Job 2:1-10; 3:11, 20-26 (day two) Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 2:9

This is a hard passage. When things cannot get worse for Job, even his spouse calls for him to throw in the towel. There is always an exit strategy to the circumstances you are in, always. More often than not there are more than one options given to you. The most difficult chapters of your life may center around which option to take. There is a way that seems easy, but is it right. Being in a tough place is not always a sign lack of faith. Be careful not to equate situation with sin. Seek after the Lord, not just an escape. Ultimately you must decide which path you will take. Job chose a hard path, but is was right.

Faith Despite Circumstance

Re:Verse passage – Job 1:13-22 (day two) The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. vs. 21b

May none of us ever have to experience the devastating losses that Job had to endure with not a minute to catch his breath. It simply overwhelming to consider all that was taken from him on that day. Have you ever had the privilege to walk beside a believer journeying through grief? It is a responsibility that we will all experience at one time or another. What is remarkable is how their faith is made evident despite the tragedy. Often they comfort those who have come to give comfort. Where does this security come from? Only the Lord, to be sure. We will never be able to disaster-proof our faith, but we can get it to the point that we are not shaken when disasters come. That starts today. Begin building those muscles of hope through prayer, study, and listening.

Righteous Living

Re:Verse passage – Job 1:1-12 (day two) The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”

Let’s be clear; your faith walk is always preparing you for something. Perhaps you can relate when people talk about feeling very near to the Lord during trials or times of suffering. The other side of that coin can sometimes be convicting. When things are going well we tend to think of God less. This is to our spiritual detriment. Job was chosen because he was righteous even in his abundance. It was his pattern and privilege to submit to the Lord. Daniel did not become righteous when he was challenged, he simply adhered to the pattern of his life (Daniel 6:10). Jesus did not need 5000 to display his righteousness, his life was marked with a devotion to God the Father as a part of his very being (Luke 4:16)

What we are about to study throughout the book of Job is a testament to righteous living regardless of circumstance. Why don’t we begin right where we are, today?

Get to Work

Re:Verse passage – Luke 19:11-27 (day two)

Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;²¹for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ vs. 20-21

At the end of the day the question we must all answer is; what did you do with the resources your were given? It isn’t too difficult to get into the weeds with this parable. Was the master just and fair? Why did the citizens not like him? Did he take what was not his? There is much to plumb in these questions, but what strikes me is that we may each be called to live and work in a place where there is injustice and inequity. This, however, does not absolve us from doing our best with what we have. What good are we to our brothers and sisters, our neighbors and co-laborers if we refuse to engage with the world simply because it’s not fair? We have each been given an assignment to love, share, and care for each other. What are we waiting for?

Burdens and Shame

Re:Verse passage – Luke 18:9-14 (day two)

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ vs. 13

Re-read that verse again with a 2020 pandemic gaze. Did you see it? First century social distancing, who knew?! With all the political ramification of what I just wrote aside, let’s focus for a minute on the heart of this tax collector. The shame of sin is an incredible burden to bear; particularly for those who know they were made for more. If you are walking in a season of disobedience you likely don’t have to be told. You wear it around your shoulders like a harness. Marley’s ghost would say to Scrooge “it is a ponderous chain”. But believers must not let the shame of sin be the end of the story. Jesus clearly states that the man that laid that burden down went home justified. Isn’t it time to release that burden? If the yoke of sin is heavy, Jesus offers one that is easy.

But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ Matthew 11:28-30

Small Things Matter

Re:Verse passage – Luke 16:1-18 (day two)

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” vs. 10

If you’ve ever spent time in a choir rehearsal that wasn’t going particularly well, you have probably heard someone say; “this is just rehearsal, we’re saving it for the performance.” These words irritate every director I’ve ever known. That kind of “we’ll do better in performance” mentality didn’t work well in a public school classroom, and it especially doesn’t work in the classroom of faith. When we practice our praise, we worship. There is no time when we are out of audience with the Lord, and therefore never a time when he is not the object of our praise. It is the same with any resource. We must steward as God would have us to steward: money, time, people, worship.

Humility

Re:Verse passage – Luke 15:11-24 (day two) I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men. vs. 19

I hate to be wrong. The truth of the matter is that I often am…wrong, that is. It bothers me not simply because I didn’t have the right answer at the time, but it means going backward. It means admitting defeat or ignorance. It means starting over. In his landmark book Mere Christianity C.S. Lewis talks about this in terms of arithmetic. No matter how precise and exact your formulas, equations, and processes are, if you make a mistake in your arithmetic there is no amount of formulae that will make it accurate. Sometimes getting forward means going backward. Back to the beginning, to the mistake; addressing it, and then moving forward. In the case of believers it is a matter of recognizing how fallen we are. The reality of who we are in comparison to our great God puts a perspective of grave humility. We want to be near, if only to eat from the table scraps. But that is not how God meets us. Come with humility, receive the embrace of forgiveness.

Receiving Sinners

Re:Verse passage – Luke 15:1-10 (day two) Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.²Both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” vs. 1-2

Have you ever been invited to a function talks about charity, homelessness, poverty, or other societal woe and yet nowhere in the event is someone who looks, represent, or who personally knows these issues first-hand? Don’t get me wrong there are many wonderful organizations that raise awareness and funds for great causes, but I think you understand my point. Would those same people come to a banquet if everyone was disheveled and hurting? Similarly in our churches do we talk about helping the hurting world, and yet don’t welcome them into our walls? Yes, Jesus received and ate with sinners, do you?

Reward?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 14:12-24 (day two)

…and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. vs. 14

What’s in it for me? Don’t feel bad, that is the normal response to about any sort of social interaction. If we are going to put effort, time, and resources into something we want to know what we can expect in return. In this exchange with Jesus, we are indeed promised a reward, but not in a monetary sense. The more immediate concern, however, is what it does for those we are called to serve. We have something to offer that they do not have. It may be something very temporal such as food or clothing. Your blessing to them is a gift far greater than you could receive. It also gives you currency when sharing the greatest gift, Jesus. What you are offering, through Jesus, is life everlasting. Stop thinking only of yourself. What’s in it for them?