5B18.   Job 7:1-4, 6-7.  Job says, “I shall not see happiness again.”  He feels hopelessly lost, unable to help himself to find any sense of happiness or self-worth.  It is time for him to turn to God to do what he cannot do on his own.

Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6.  God rebuilds and gathers together those who cannot help themselves, “for he is gracious.”  He is all powerful and uses his power to help the powerless.

Mark 1:29-39.  “Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever” unable to help herself.  Jesus raised her up from her sickness and continued on to help others who were helpless with sickness and demon-possession.  He was able to bring God’s powerful aid to those in need because God worked through him in his humanness.  “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.”  Jesus, in his humanness, sets an example for all humanity to go to God to find the help we need and to appeal for help for others.

A river of the needy people came to him.  “They brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons.  The whole town was gathered at the door.”  They said, “Everyone is looking for you.”  He poured out from himself all the goodness that God had given him to give, not for his own good but for their good.

1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23.  Paul feels obliged to preach the gospel but without expecting or requiring any compensation from those to whom he preaches.  He goes to all possible lengths, he says, “to save at least some.  All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it,” the good news that Jesus has saved us from our sins to give us eternal life.  Jesus said in John 14:23: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” The good news is that, when we love Jesus by giving over our lives to his will, God will love us by sharing with us his life by living within us.