Psalms

Reading in the New KJV... much better than the Message!  It's hard to read this quickly because there are just So many awesome passages!  I think it's interesting that all the songs/choruses I remember from as a kid are from Psalms.  I wish I could sing/play so I could teach all these to my kids!  So many verses that I recall were songs!  My next reading plan is going to have to include reading some of Psalms every day.
      David spends a lot of time repenting and praising the Lord, but I noticed also that he keeps asking God for justice for those who have wronged him.  I always thought it was wrong to ask the Lord to stick it to the bad guys but David did it. Not that That makes it right, but it shows the human side.  We want those who have done us wrong to get what they Deserve, yet we are pretty quick to ask God Not to give Us what We deserve.  
     Another point that sticks out to me is that David isn't just asking for God to take care of him, personally, but for his people.  He intercedes for his people.  We all need to be doing that too!  
I'm having a real hard time just reading through Psalms, cause I want to stop and Study, focus, memorize... 

Job and Psalms

     Job~ We need to read God's answer to Job, over and over!  Remind us Who He is!  I had to ask, What's the point of Job?  He learned the hard way that suffering is not only for those who "deserve" it, but for everyone, maybe more for the righteous (we Do have an enemy that Hates us).  
     The issue is really Not about how to alleviate the suffering, or figure out the reason for it, or find the greater purpose in it.  The issue is ~ Do we choose to find God within the pain?  There may be no rescue or restoration, there may never be an explanation, we may never see how the tragedy fits into God's plan, but we Can still stand fast in the knowledge that our God is right there with us. He sustains us through the pain, and will comfort us, lead us and bless us.  He may not  cure the disease, shower us with financial blessings, heal our children, or remove the cause of the pain, but He doesn't leave us to face it alone.  
     I always try to find the Reason behind the situation; what God is trying to teach me here, but sometimes it's just that there is Sin in the world.  There is pain, suffering and loss.  That's just the way of the world.  It's hard for me to accept that there might not be a purpose, a point to the whole thing!  
     It takes an adjustment of perspective, from "What's the point? What is God trying to teach me?"  ~ Instead~ "How do I respond to this pain? How do I act and feel?  How do I continue to praise the Lord, and seek Him and Accept that the "rain falls on the just and the unjust."

Oh, and Psalms in the message...Lame!  All the poetry and beauty is lost somehow... I will be reading it in KJV...back to message for proverbs maybe. 

Job

Job is Much more fun in the Message version. It's so much easier to follow the long diatribes by everyone!  
     Job is one stubborn guy!  Even after his friends come to "help" him, he sticks with his story that he didn't sin to cause all the trouble!  On top of all the loss and sickness, his friends, and, obviously, the rest of the town, believe he is hiding some secret sin in his life.  
      Job mentions his Reputation over and over.  I found that pretty interesting, he was Very concerned with his reputation. He was very worried about what other people thought.  It was a Big deal to him.  It's really not so different with us today!  What will people think, what will everyone at church say?  
     I loved when he tells his friends even If he were to stand before God "Not Guilty", God still has the Right to judge him!  And then he asks for someone to Intercede for him, someone to be his advocate, his attorney, so to speak.  Which brings us to the new testament telling us that Jesus is Our advocate!!  Woo Hoo!  That is some awesome news when you think about it!  
I can't wait to get into Psalms and Proverbs!!!

Politics

Reading Chronicles~ bleh! Not the most fascinating for me, to put it mildly.  However, the timing is ironic.  Voting day~ the reading for the last few days has been about the leaders of the countries and how Their choices influenced the people, how the leadership of a country, whether for or Against God, very clearly directs the choices of the people.   
     Time after time, when the king was all excited about God, the Whole nation repented and were enthusiastic about following Him, yet as soon as the king was replaced by a liberal king, everything Very quickly returned to paganism and idolatry.  Even if the king were not Evil, per say, just liberal ~allowing the local neighborhoods to maintain the shrines etc ~ the people fell right back into the practices that they had previously rejected.  
     I found this to be especially relevant at this particular time in our country!  We haven't Yet experienced such a Rapid descent into paganism and occultism as the Israelite countries did at the time, but once it starts, it's an incredibly quick slide into the ugliest slime.  Sadly, America is Not the chosen people of God to start with, so I can't think that this country would be afforded the grace and mercy He continually showed to the Israelites.  Looks to me like we are headed for Big trouble!