I LOVE this chapter (8) I can just feel God's power in me when I read this. It is a place to go to when things seem to be not going well, when I feel hopeless or exhausted by this world. These words bring me something beyond comfort- there is no word for it. Look at this God! He is amazing! He is big! He is powerful! He is going to work it all out, no matter what happens this day; how I might fail, how someone might treat me or what tragedy may occur. He has got this- and it's all going to be so very, very good.

Chapter 5

I spent many years after being saved focused on what I thought I needed to do instead of who God was and what He had done. As a result my life was like the tide....close to God and then far away....I made lots of mistakes and went down many wrong roads before I was finally discipled and taught Who God is. I think is an important chapter for a follower if Christ to understand, in verses 15-17 Paul uses the words "free gift" five times!
We do nothing for this gift. No purchase nesassary, no relationship, no friendship, no action on our part. It is a free gift given to us...(besides turning to Him and accepting it of course)
I was thinking this week about when I give someone a gift and how important their response is to me...so how do I respond to God's gift to me?  I desire to respond on daily basis to Him who gave me this amazing free gift...that I did not earn or deserve.

My prayer is to remember it daily and give Him praise and glory and joy.

LoriMI wrote:

Yesterday I decided to get a jump start on our reading this week, so I went ahead and read Chapter 16.  As I was thinking of the ramblings of Job’s unhelpful friends and frankly, even Job’s droning on and on, I said to myself,  “I can’t wait until God speaks.”   Sooooo... I quickly rifled through the pages to see how much longer it would be before we heard from God – 22 more chapters!  22.  More.  Loooong.  Chapters.   And that’s when it hit me...

That’s how my heart should be every day...

Longing to hear from God.

And that’s what I should say every day...

I can’t wait until God speaks!
 

 
That is a great thought. So true, I don't long for God enough. I heard someone say recently that we do not think about or long for heaven enough. My almost 4 year old son does a better job then me - he says often "mama, I can't wait to die so that I can be in heaven with Jesus!" 

I am really struggling with this book. My journal pages are almost blank, there is nothing highlighted in my bible and the words are depressing. I am thinking that for me this is a book that I should read several chapters of a day instead if one.

Today 2 Timothy 3:16 reminds me and encourages me to continue on:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

RaneeS wrote:

Hi I'm Ranee,  I thought I would prefer to try this on a forum verses facebook.  Trying to get away from FB but I still need the interaction of people to do a bible study as a new beginner.  I was in a good group through the book of Numbers but I felt they were very advanced college level and I'm just in K. LOL So I primarily read my lessons in Numbers.  I'm going to try and get back on track soaking as well as reading.

My main observations have been primarily on why God let Satan goad him.  God didn't have to prove anything to Satan.  I'm not sure why he didn't just tell Satan to buzz off.  And I know there is a lesson in all of this of course but I felt sadness that God took away Job's children/family to prove this point to Satan.

 

Welcome Ranee, so happy to have you here! I came here for the same reason-need to try not to spend too much time on Facebook!

I have been sitting thinking about your comments. I also find it very sad. True, God had nothing to prove to Satan and He certainly could have told him to buzz of.....but God does have something to prove to us, doesn't He? When I read the stories of the Bible I often think wow- what a gift that we can learn from these people that lived before us. It is very sad that Job was tempted but God knew that he would stay strong and Job's reward was so much greater then what he had before. So I may be wrong but I can of see this as an expression of God's love for us. He wants us to learn too and he wants to bless us through our sufferings. He also wants to be glorified.
Another thought I had was Wow, Satan really has no power- He is chained. Imagine what he would do to us if he could? God is protecting us from him, in this very moment He is protecting us. I can see in this story His great love for us.

Numbers  10
Discussion question:

When I was in college I moved very far from home and started a life there. For 15 years I followed my own path...deceiving myself that I loved God but making terrible decisions and suffering the consequences of them. Eventually I came to the end of my strength, stuck in the bottom if a pit and God began the slow process of pulling me out- one of the things he clearly told me to do was to move back home. I didn't really didn't want to, I didn't see what could be there for me. I had good friends, a great career......it was really hard to follow God into the unknown and a couple times I almost turned back. That was almost 7 years ago and the ways that God has blessed me are...well there are no words I can say to describe it! God is so good, I try not to question why He is so good to me when I was so bad to Him. It is amazing.