Treasured Words
Today’s scripture selection: Job 23-24
Key verse: Job 23:12
While Job was making his defense to those who accused him unjustly he said this:
“I have not departed from the commands of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”
Whose commands? Whose words? God’s of course.
Despite his misery; despite all his questions – Job was rock-solid sure of one thing: he had been faithful to God’s words. And, not only faithful, he had treasured those words.
What words do most people “treasure”?
- Words of praise
- Words of commendation
- Words of assurance
- Words of promise
And what is the source of those words? Is it family; friends; your boss; your employee’s?
What a contrast that is from the image of a man who, though broken in many ways, still is able to honestly say that God’s words mean more to him than the very “daily bread” that keeps him alive.
I read recently of how eighty-five percent of the homes in America own a Bible – and that, in fact, the average household in America has 4.3 Bibles on hand. I’m not sure how statisticians compile such statistics – but if true – they are worth noting. So is this: just because they are “on hand” doesn’t mean they are ever read. That’s a shame.
A long time ago a fellow named Job, in the midst of suffering, could proclaim God’s words meant to him more than his daily bread. They were above all, the words he “treasured.”
Can we say the same?
Prayer: Lord, may your words be something I treasure, and try to follow, every day. AMEN.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. “Elpis” is the Greek word for “expectant hope.” He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and a member of Spiritual Directors International. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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