very President who has served our nation has been criticized. Some of that criticism may be justified, but not all of it. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th man to sit behind the desk in the Oval Office and he led our nation through some of our most turbulent times. Lincoln had more than his share of critics. One of his biographers, Donald Phillips, noted that #16 was "called about every name imaginable by the press of his day". I guess some things never change, huh?

Anyone who sets out to do something good will be criticized. Sometimes it happens to people who are just minding their own business. At least that's how it happened for Job in the Old Testament. He was a God-fearing man who was loved by his family and respected by his community. Things changed for him in a matter of a few days or less when his business ventures collapsed, his children died in a storm, and he got deathly sick. On top of all of this, Job's "friends" who come to comfort him turn into his worst critics. They believe he has done something wrong and is being punished by God. We know his calamities are actually being allowed by God to test Job's faith. Too bad Job and his buddies didn't see that.

In the midst of all this criticism from those who should be comforting, Job teaches us a lot about having grace under pressure. Let's see what we can learn from him in what is the beginning of the 3rd round of his "friends" accusations. Thanks for tuning in!