Hey, Bible readers. I'm Tara Lee Cobble, and I'm your host for the Bible Recap. Today, we got to hear from good old Eliphaz again. That's right. Bad friend number one is back to double down on his busted theology. But before he starts talking, Job has some good things to say. In 14:5, Job says, Man's days are determined. You You know that phrase, your days are numbered? If you've ever heard somebody say that in conversation, they're probably using it as a threat, maybe even a joke threat. They'll say, your days are numbered, buddy. But in the grand scheme of things, that is no threat to me. It's a promise and a comfort. Job said to God, you have appointed man's limits that he cannot pass. I love that God is sovereign over my lifespan. Each day is appointed and my life will last the exact amount of time he has determined. The exact amount, no more, no less. That's a great comfort to me because, listen, if he's done with me here, I don't want to be here anymore. Let's get this show on the road. I'm ready to go. And if he still has an assignment for me here, then I don't want to miss out on that either.

I trust his timing in it all. In the back half of chapter 14, Job gets bummed out talking about his future. And that makes sense given all he's been through. Let's cut him some slack and not rush him to healing. After all, his friends certainly didn't. They were not patient with his pain. Okay, chapter 15. This is where Eliphaz speaks again, falsely accusing Job, misunderstanding his heart and his motives. He thinks Job's grief is a sign that he doesn't trust God. Those two things aren't mutually exclusive. Jesus grieved and mourned, and he is God. I have so much compassion for Job here. It's really hard to feel alone in your pain, but it's even harder to feel unknown in your pain by people who are supposed to know and love you. In my Bible, chapter 16 is titled Job Replies, Miserable Comfortors are you. He's just shooting it straight. I love it. He's calling them out on being terrible friends. In 16:3, he even begs them to be silent and to stop advising him. Did you catch that? He says, Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? This whole section makes me want to think very carefully about how and when I advise others.

God called us to mourn with those who mourn, not advise those who mourn, and certainly not to condemn them for their mourning. Yesterday, we saw how Job was starting to see God's hand in all of this. He recognized that God played a role in this, albeit a passive one. And in 16:7, Job begins to attribute the harm to God and to doubt God's goodness. He starts to believe that God hates him. He blames God for all the things Satan did. If you're in a dark place, this book is probably serving as a comfort to you. But if you're not in a dark place, be patient with Job. Don't engage with his story the same way his friends did. They just wanted to wrap it up and have him repent or change so that they could get on with things. Suffering always lasts longer than we want it to. But sitting in someone else's suffering with them teaches us patience and compassion. The kinds of things that God feels toward those who are weeping and mourning. And those are certainly the kinds of things we want others to display to us when we're struggling. Let this book help you strengthen your patience and compassion muscles.

Where did you see God's actions or attributes today? This was my God shot. I noticed how God is sovereign over a lifespan. As I mentioned, this is a great comfort to me. I don't want anyone to kill me except God. I certainly don't want the enemy to be sovereign over that. I don't trust him, but I trust God. The life of Job and the death of his family members, Job recognized that God is sovereign over all that, like we read about in Job 14:5. We've been seeing God's sovereignty over so many things since we started reading the Bible together. And it's fitting that we notice all these separate areas because the word sovereign really means that God is the supreme authority and that all things are under his control. So what we've seen a lot this week is where his sovereignty has been displayed in various there he is. We will continue to see this all throughout scripture, so keep looking for that. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a page in scripture where that's not displayed. So here's my challenge to you. Notice if and when it feels offensive to you. That he's in charge?

Where do you want to be the God of your own life? Where do you feel like he's infringing on your rights with his sovereignty? That was a real struggle for me on my first trip through Scripture. So I feel for you if that's where you are right now. Hang in there. Keep looking for him in these pages because he's where the joy is.

Okay, Bible readers, we've been at this for seven days now, so I just want to check in with you. How are you doing? What have you learned so far? If you're behind, don't beat yourself up about it. You're probably reading more of the Bible than you would if you were doing this on your own. And listen, I know we're in the thick of things with Job right now, and this book is not an easy read. It isn't exactly a bright and shiny way to start out the new year, but it's real life. And some of you may relate to Job in his hardships. However you may be feeling, I want to remind you to keep looking for God and reflecting on the attributes of his character that you've seen in the chapters we've read. Lean into those things and ask him to grant you an increasing desire to know him more. I'll see you back here tomorrow. My friends at Hope Nation have another fun song battle for all the Christian music lovers out there. Whether your 2023 included music by Brandon Lake, Lauren Dagle, or for King & Country, this game reca all the best music from the year.

Watch with your family or share it with your church small group. Click the link in the show notes to check it out.