Daily Devotion for Lent 2025, Day 6

Today's Reading: Job, Chapter Six

As Job replies to the critique of his friend, his poetic language lets us know right where he is: his vexation and calamity are heavier than the sand of the sea!

And as he grieves his loss, we can also see that Job has no appetite.

He seems ready to die although he is still not going to curse God before he goes as his wife suggested earlier.  

Job names the fear of his friends as greed in that they wouldn't want to share with him which may not be quite fair.  Sometimes when we are in need, we imagine that no one would want to spend any of their resources to help us.  Some of this may be our pride.  I think most people prefer to be self-sufficient if at all possible.  If we must rely on the charity - even that of our friends - we would rather not go on!

Self-reliance can actually be an illusion.  If enough hardship comes our way, even the mightiest can

Someone still brought her the milk.

topple.  It reminds us of the phrase attributed to John Bradford, who upon seeing criminals led to their execution in 1553 stated, "There but for the grace of God go I."

As we consider our own means today, we like to think it was all earned through our own hard work and ingenuity.  While the sweat of your brow is important, it is also good to remember that we all have had breaks go our way in life.  

During the season of Lent, it is helpful to be thankful for what we have.  It is also helpful to be charitable to those who have experienced misfortune.

But in our giving, it may also be the most helpful of all to do so with a humble approach!

Prayer for the day:

Gracious God, we thank you for all that we have and all that we are.  We are thankful for the work ethic that was given through the influences of those who raised us.  We are thankful for the times we have escaped the snare of misfortune when it could easily have trapped us.  And we are thankful that in Christ, our happiness doesn't rely on feeling superior to those who have it worse.  Help us to remember to seek forgiveness when it does.  We pray these things in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Photo by Alex Motrenko via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.