Love Comes Near Bible study - December 23 Read Matthew 2:16-18 Write Job 5:12-13 Job 5:12-13 - "He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. 13 He takes the wise in their own craftiness; and the schemes of the wily are brought to a quick end." ----- "Herod thinks he's outsmarted God. He wields his earthly power, but it's no match for His. "Reflect on the verses you wrote today from Job. What emotions do you feel reading these verses?" The Job verses talk about crafty people achieving no success, the wise being crafty, and thwarting the schemes of the wily -- that that is what God does. I think this verse is in relation to the wiliness or craftiness of Herod in his deciding to kill all the children under two in Bethlehem. God thwarted Herod by getting Joseph, Mary, and Jesus out of danger and into Egypt. It makes me think that is saying that God is definitely not on the side of wily, crafty, evil people and brings ruin to evil people. How does that make me feel? I don't know. That kind of makes me think of karma, and "what goes around comes around." People get their just desserts, if God's will is to have its way in the world. It kind of makes me want to seek refuge in the Lord where goodness and mercy and love prevail, righteousness in spirit and thought are hopefully there where the Holy Spirit dwells. ----- "How do you reconcile the horrific massacre of innocent life, with the knowl- edge that God's sovereignty stands?" How can evil deeds be tolerated by a God who is good and merciful to all people? This world we live in isn't the kingdom of God. If God would have His way, I would think that things such as masssacres and war and murder and hatred would not exist in the world of humans -- not that conflict would not exist, but that humans would have conflict resolution methods and tools to use to peaceably resolve their conflicts. It pains me to read such things as, "More than 250,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four-and-a-half years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State." . Is God's sovereignty truly standing in this world of men who don't seek peaceful solutions to their differences? God thwarted Herod's evil plan to kill the messiah Jesus before His time. At least in that one way God's will prevailed. "The prophecy spoken by Jeremiah, originally personified Rachel as represent- ative of all the mother's in Israel. When the prophet first spoke these words, they pointed to the Israelites being exiled from their home. And because Israel was no longer a nation, it was as though they are dead. But, now, in the Christmas story, we see the prophecy further fulfilled as a mother's worst nightmare comes true, when her innocent child is murdered." ------ Love Comes Near "How is there anything good or comforting to draw from this tragedy in the Christmas story? I'm not sure there is. "But, we can certainly use it as a reminder of our own loss and the loss of others. Christmas is a time of great celebration, but for many -- perhaps even for you -- it can be an especially difficult time of year. The Bible says that God has set eternity in our hearts. Read Ecclesiastes 3:11. Ecclesiastes 3:11 -- "He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." "We were created with a longing for home. And a knowledge that this isn't it. I believe that on earth we experience that same longing for home in our fam- ilies. And it's why there can be so much pain associated with this season. Whether it's loss through death or broken relationships, Christmas with all its talk of family and memories and meals around the table, can invoke a lot of pain for some. "If you are suffering because of a loss this Christmas, I pray that you feel wrapped up in His promise of comfort. Read Psalm 34:18. "If you have not experienced a significant loss, I'm sure you know of someone who has or who is hurting because of broken relationships. Ask God how he might lead you to reach out to them this Christmas. "We may not hold any earthly answers to the pain of our loss, but we do hold an eternal hope. And by showing love to others in their loss, we can be a reminder of that hope, as we wait for His return."