
First Presbyterian Church
Schaller, Iowa
Rev. Michael Sydnor
** IN PERSON ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES HAVE BEGUN **
PASTOR'S PAGE
After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken the truth about me, as my servant Job has. Job 42:7 (NIV)
Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
When we consider Job, we think of a man who suffered a lot and was incredibly patient. Although Job did suffer a lot, he was not patient. He complained continually and was insistent that he did nothing wrong and that he was treated unfairly.
God never says that God did anything wrong but does agree that Job was righteous and did not deserve to suffer as he did. God makes the argument that all of us make: life is unfair. So, how were the friends wrong. They insisted that Job was not righteous because God always rewards the good and punishes the wicked. They did not recognize that there are times when the good suffer and the wicked seem rewarded.
So, when we conclude that someone has been rewarded for their bad deeds, we might want to think again. That person might not have done anything wrong, or life might have been unfair.
If we think that a person’s prayers for healing were not answered due to a lack of faith, we might want to reconsider. Prayers can be answered in so many ways. Sometimes we are healed, other times we are given strength to cope with illness. Sometimes our financial needs are answered by unexpected gifts of money, but at other times we learn to live with less or discover that certain needs are merely wants. We can not know God’s relationship to anyone, but we can pray for them and hope for the best for them. So, let us speak right about God and say that God lets it rain on the just and the unjust and shares God’s love with good and bad alike.
Our next online devotional will occur on June 1st at 7:00 p.m.
If you see a request on Facebook to give stars to First Presbyterian, please ignore it. We aren’t eligible for the program. We wouldn’t participate in it if we were as we are a nonprofit and are not trying to earn money.
If you wish to mail a check, you can use the following address: First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 69, Schaller, Iowa 51053, or you can drop the check off at the State Bank of Schaller.
Please pray for our leaders. Continue to pray for the people on our prayer list. Pray for our Vacation Bible School program. Pray for the families of Florene Cork, and for Randy Leask. Pray for our children and teachers. Let us pray for our troops who are still deployed overseas and for those who are struggling with their wartime experiences.
May God bless and keep you,
Michael