51 "Call for help, Job, if you think anyone will answer! To which of the holy angels will you turn? 2 The hot temper of a fool eventually kills him, the jealous anger of a simpleton does her in. 3 I've seen it myself - seen fools putting down roots, and then, suddenly, their houses are cursed. 4 Their children out in the cold, abused and exploited, with no one to stick up for them. 5 Hungry people off the street plunder their harvests, cleaning them out completely, taking thorns and all, insatiable for everything they have.
6 Don't blame fate when things go wrong - trouble doesn't come from nowhere. 7 It's human! Mortals are born and bred for trouble, as certainly as sparks fly upward. What a Blessing When God Corrects You! 8 "If I were in your shoes, I'd go straight to God, I'd throw myself on the mercy of God. 9 After all, he's famous for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to his surprises. 10 He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth, sends water to irrigate the fields. 11 He raises up the down-and-out, gives firm footing to those sinking in grief. 12 He aborts the schemes of conniving crooks, so that none of their plots come to term. 13 He catches the know-it-alls in their conspiracies - all that intricate intrigue swept out with the trash! 14 Suddenly they're disoriented, plunged into darkness; they can't see to put one foot in front of the other. 15 But the downtrodden are saved by God, saved from the murderous plots, saved from the iron fist. 16 And so the poor continue to hope, while injustice is bound and gagged.
17 "So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you! Mind you, don't despise the discipline of Almighty God! 18 True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound; the same hand that hurts you, heals you. 19 From one disaster after another he delivers you; no matter what the calamity, the evil can't touch you - 20 "In famine, he'll keep you from starving, in war, from being gutted by the sword. 21 You'll be protected from vicious gossip and live fearless through any catastrophe. 22 You'll shrug off disaster and famine, and stroll fearlessly among wild animals. 23 You'll be on good terms with rocks and mountains; wild animals will become your good friends. 24 You'll know that your place on earth is safe, you'll look over your goods and find nothing amiss. 25 You'll see your children grow up, your family lovely and lissome as orchard grass. 26 You'll arrive at your grave ripe with many good years, like sheaves of golden grain at harvest. 27 "Yes, this is the way things are - my word of honor! Take it to heart and you won't go wrong." Job Replies to Eliphaz
61 Job answered: 2 "If my misery could be weighed, if you could pile the whole bitter load on the scales, 3 It would be heavier than all the sand of the sea! Is it any wonder that I'm screaming like a caged cat? 4 The arrows of God Almighty are in me, poison arrows - and I'm poisoned all through! God has dumped the whole works on me. 5 Donkeys bray and cows moo when they run out of pasture - so don't expect me to keep quiet in this. 6 Do you see what God has dished out for me? It's enough to turn anyone's stomach! 7 Everything in me is repulsed by it - it makes me sick. Pressed Past the Limits
8 "All I want is an answer to one prayer, a last request to be honored: 9 Let God step on me - squash me like a bug, and be done with me for good. 10 I'd at least have the satisfaction of not having blasphemed the Holy God, before being pressed past the limits. 11 Where's the strength to keep my hopes up? What future do I have to keep me going? 12 Do you think I have nerves of steel? Do you think I'm made of iron? 13 Do you think I can pull myself up by my bootstraps? Why, I don't even have any boots! My So-Called Friends
14 "When desperate people give up on God Almighty, their friends, at least, should stick with them. 15 But my brothers are fickle as a gulch in the desert - one day they're gushing with water 16 From melting ice and snow cascading out of the mountains, 17 But by midsummer they're dry, gullies baked dry in the sun. 18 Travelers who spot them and go out of their way for a drink, end up in a waterless gulch and die of thirst. 19 Merchant caravans from Tema see them and expect water, tourists from Sheba hope for a cool drink. 20 They arrive so confident - but what a disappointment! They get there, and their faces fall! 21 And you, my so-called friends, are no better - there's nothing to you! One look at a hard scene and you shrink in fear.
22 It's not as though I asked you for anything - I didn't ask you for one red cent - 23 Nor did I beg you to go out on a limb for me. So why all this dodging and shuffling? 24 "Confront me with the truth and I'll shut up, show me where I've gone off the track. 25 Honest words never hurt anyone, but what's the point of all this pious bluster? 26 You pretend to tell me what's wrong with my life, but treat my words of anguish as so much hot air. 27 Are people mere things to you? Are friends just items of profit and loss? 28 "Look me in the eyes! Do you think I'd lie to your face? 29 Think it over - no double-talk! Think carefully - my integrity is on the line! 30 Can you detect anything false in what I say? Don't you trust me to discern good from evil?
71 "Human life is a struggle, isn't it? It's a life sentence to hard labor. 2 Like field hands longing for quitting time and working stiffs with nothing to hope for but payday, 3 I'm given a life that meanders and goes nowhere - months of aimlessness, nights of misery! 4 I go to bed and think, 'How long till I can get up?' I toss and turn as the night drags on - and I'm fed up! 5 I'm covered with maggots and scabs. My skin gets scaly and hard, then oozes with pus. 6 My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out - an unfinished life!
7 "God, don't forget that I'm only a puff of air! These eyes have had their last look at goodness. 8 And your eyes have seen the last of me; even while you're looking, there'll be nothing left to look at. 9 When a cloud evaporates, it's gone for good; those who go to the grave never come back. 10 They don't return to visit their families; never again will friends drop in for coffee. 11 "And so I'm not keeping one bit of this quiet, I'm laying it all out on the table; my complaining to high heaven is bitter, but honest. 12 Are you going to put a muzzle on me, the way you quiet the sea and still the storm? 13 If I say, 'I'm going to bed, then I'll feel better. A little nap will lift my spirits,' 14 You come and so scare me with nightmares and frighten me with ghosts 15 That I'd rather strangle in the bedclothes than face this kind of life any longer. 16 I hate this life! Who needs any more of this? Let me alone! There's nothing to my life - it's nothing but smoke.
17 "What are mortals anyway, that you bother with them, that you even give them the time of day? 18 That you check up on them every morning, looking in on them to see how they're doing? 19 Let up on me, will you? Can't you even let me spit in peace? 20 Even suppose I'd sinned - how would that hurt you? You're responsible for every human being. Don't you have better things to do than pick on me? Why make a federal case out of me? 21 Why don't you just forgive my sins and start me off with a clean slate? The way things are going, I'll soon be dead. You'll look high and low, but I won't be around."
81 That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. 2 Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral - not many dry eyes that day! 3 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail.
4 Forced to leave home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. 5 Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. 6 When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they hung on his every word. 7 Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. 8 And what joy in the city! 9 Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. 10 He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him "the Great Wizard." 11 He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him. 12 But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God's kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! 13 Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip's shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn't leave Philip's side.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down 15 to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 Up to this point they had only been baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on them. 17 Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, 19 and said, "Sell me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your price!" 20 Peter said, "To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that's unthinkable - trying to buy God's gift! 21 You'll never be part of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. 22 Change your ways - and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make money. 23 I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust." 24 "Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to the Master that nothing like that will ever happen to me!" 25 And with that, the apostles were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God's salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their return to Jerusalem.
(Read Acts 8:1-4)
Though persecution must not drive us from our work, yet it may send us to work elsewhere. Wherever the established believer is driven, he carries the knowledge of the gospel, and makes known the preciousness of Christ in every place. Where a simple desire of doing good influences the heart, it will be found impossible to shut a man out from all opportunities of usefulness.
(Read Acts 8:5-13)
As far as the gospel prevails, evil spirits are dislodged, particularly unclean spirits. All inclinations to the lusts of the flesh which war against the soul are such. Distempers are here named, the most difficult to be cured by the course of nature, and most expressive of the disease of sin. Pride, ambition, and desire after grandeur have always caused abundance of mischief, both to the world and to the church. The people said of Simon, This man is the great power of God. See how ignorant and thoughtless people mistake. But how strong is the power of Divine grace, by which they were brought to Christ, who is Truth itself! The people not only gave heed to what Philip said, but were fully convinced that it was of God, and not of men, and gave up themselves to be directed thereby. Even bad men, and those whose hearts still go after covetousness, may come before God as his people come, and for a time continue with them. And many wonder at the proofs of Divine truths, who never experience their power. The gospel preached may have a common operation upon a soul, where it never produced inward holiness. All are not savingly converted who profess to believe the gospel.
(Read Acts 8:14-25)
The Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of these coverts, in the extraordinary powers conveyed by the descent of the Spirit upon the day of Pentecost. We may take encouragement from this example, in praying to God to give the renewing graces of the Holy Ghost to all for whose spiritual welfare we are concerned; for that includes all blessings. No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best endeavours to instruct those for whom we pray. Simon Magus was ambitious to have the honour of an apostle, but cared not at all to have the spirit and disposition of a Christian. He was more desirous to gain honour to himself, than to do good to others. Peter shows him his crime. He esteemed the wealth of this world, as if it would answer for things relating to the other life, and would purchase the pardon of sin, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and eternal life. This was such a condemning error as could by no means consist with a state of grace. Our hearts are what they are in the sight of God, who cannot be deceived. And if they are not right in his sight, our religion is vain, and will stand us in no stead. A proud and covetous heart cannot be right with God. It is possible for a man to continue under the power of sin, yet to put on a form of godliness. When tempted with money to do evil, see what a perishing thing money is, and scorn it. Think not that Christianity is a trade to live by in this world. There is much wickedness in the thought of the heart, its false notions, and corrupt affections, and wicked projects, which must be repented of, or we are undone. But it shall be forgiven, upon our repentance. The doubt here is of the sincerity of Simon's repentance, not of his pardon, if his repentance was sincere. Grant us, Lord, another sort of faith than that which made Simon wonder only, and did not sanctify his heart. May we abhor all thoughts of making religion serve the purposes of pride or ambition. And keep us from that subtle poison of spiritual pride, which seeks glory to itself even from humility. May we seek only the honour which cometh from God.
