All his days the wicked man suffers torment, the ruthless man through all the years stored up for him. – Job 15:20

Today's Scripture Reading (August 26, 2024): Job 15

Actor Matthew Perry died on October 28, 2023; he was found deceased in his hot tub. At first, his death was ruled as an accident, although by the end of summer 2024, that ruling was changed to murder. Perry had died as a result of the acute effects of the drug ketamine, and those who profited off of selling and administering the drug to Matthew Perry were charged with the crimes that instigated the actor's death and with the cover-up that took place after Perry had died. Matthew Perry was fifty-four when his life ended.

On August 15, 2024, I was sitting in my office watching the press conference announcing the charges against the five defendants accused in Perry's death. But as the officials announced and described the events surrounding Perry's death, as well as how and why the defendants were being charged, my attention was caught by the pictures of Matthew Perry that were being shown on the other half of the screen. In every shot, a smiling Perry was shown. Yet, it is not much of a leap from the smiling face on the screen to the pain that drove Matthew Perry to the drugs to which he became addicted and eventually led to his tragic demise. And, somehow, none of it seemed fair.

Did you ever wish the world worked differently? It is the cry of our culture. Why do good people struggle, while sometimes those who do evil seem to enjoy unlimited bounty during their lives? Yet, that is the reality of our lives. It is also a reality that the Bible, and especially Job's story, freely acknowledges. The world doesn't seem fair, and good people often suffer things they don't deserve.

It is the reality of Job's life. God has already declared his judgment on Job's character. "Then the Lord said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil'" (Job 1:8). Job has found favor with God, despite the trials he is now experiencing.

But Eliphaz is trying to sell a theology that is opposed to God's declaration. According to Eliphaz, it is the wicked who suffer and the good who receive the blessings of God. Job has suffered a massive loss, so he must have committed massive sins.

The message of Job challenges Eliphaz's belief. Both good and evil people experience both blessings and struggles. It was a concept Jesus taught in his "Sermon on the Mount;"

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:44-45).

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Job 16