My Redeemer

We are having a beautiful few days in the Holland area. The fall colors are at their peak. We have enjoyed some gorgeous scenes. With temperature near sixty we were able to walk one of our favorites this afternoon, the boardwalk along Macatawa Lake and Kollen Park. We enjoyed our time in Palos Heights last weekend with family. Sarah and Joel had a good time celebrating her 40th birthday. The week has gone by fast, again. We are doing a late afternoon movie (The Girl On The Train) and then supper out somewhere.

One of this week's lectionary lessons was Job 19:23-27 and verses 25-27 read from the NRSV,
"For I know that my Redeemer lives and that at the last He will stand upon the earth; and after my skin has been thus destroyed, then in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see on my side, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me."

The Spiritual Formation Bible states, "These famous verses contain the central truth of the book of Job: In the darkness of suffering, Job affirms that he will see God -- if not in this life, then in eternity. He refuses to give up on God, remaining in relationship even when no comfort comfort comes and his questions are unanswered."

It goes on to ask, "Why do you continue to pray despite trouble and suffering? If you have ceased to pray, what is it about God that keeps you from abandoning God altogether...Imagine yourself in a dark place, looking for God. What do you see? Can you see the road on which you travel or what surrounds you? Can you see God? If darkness is all you can see right now, as an expression of your faith and desire to see God, repeat Job's words in your heart, "I know that my Redeemer lives."