Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, January 29, 2024
Shalom,
The Lessons Of Job, part 5
What are you gonna do?… in the midst of trouble!
Rabi’s note: I borrowed the title today from my late mother-in-law, Millie Manno. She would always take a deep breath and say with resolve, “What are you gonna do?” She lived to be 102 and told me how glad she was to “have a rabbi in the family,” although she was a lifelong faithful Catholic. Such a cutie. End RN.
Many things in the kingdom of God seem to be available in inverse proportion to their need.
Rabbi Trail: What do I mean by that? Faith is the classic example. It is only when our faith is being tried (by trying circumstances) that we find out how much (or little) we have. Everybody has (or seems to have) plenty of faith when things are going along swimmingly. When circumstances change and we’re being tried in the crucible (as was Job), that’s when we learn if we have faith or not. End RT.
Worship is the example we’re going to use today. So, let me ask, when we feel like we’re being tried in the fire, what are we gonna do? Like the commercial character who hits himself up side the head and says, “I coulda had a V8,” we should hit ourselves up side the head and say “I shoulda worshiped.” The last verse of Psalms is our calling… Psalm 150:6 Let every thing that has breath praise Adonai. Halleluyah!
When will we know if we are true worshippers? When we respond to adversity like Job… Job 1:21b “Adonai gave and Adonai has taken away; blessed be the Name of Adonai.” Job makes a further confession of faith sometime later… Job 13:15a Even if He slays me, I will wait for Him. The Hebrew word for “wait” is “Yachal” (Yud-Chet-Lamed) meaning to wait with expectancy. It is first used in the Scriptures in Genesis 8 to describe Noah waiting for the dove to return. Noah was waiting for deliverance and so was Job.
We too, when confronted with adversity must place our hope in Adonai and wait for Him to bring deliverance. And while we’re waiting, “What are you gonna do?” Let’s give Him praise. Psalm 34:2(1) I will bless Adonai at all times. His praise is continually in my mouth. 3 My soul boasts in Adonai. The humble ones hear of it and rejoice. 4 Magnify Adonai with me and let us exalt His Name together. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
19 Sh’vatMonday29-Jan-24
Exodus 18:13-23 1 Kings 8 Psalm 99 Luke 23:1-25 1 Thessalonians 4