Suffering gives way to the "Secret Councils of God." Job 15:8
Job's friends sat on the ground with him for 7 days and 7 nights.
Never spoke a word to him.
Could we do that?
Our culture is so driven to just explain away how I'm supposed to be living.
Job fell on the ground and worshipped, Job 1:20,
when the news hit that his 10 children were dead.
All of his multitude of cattle and oxen and donkeys and sheep were gone.
Matthew 7:14
"The gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life,
and those who find it are few.
"When God tears great gaps,
we should not try to fill them with human words.
They should remain open.
Our only comfort is in the God of the Resurrection."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What grabbed my heart today's reading was in Matt 7, on not judging others but first taking the plank out of our own eye first. I am in a place with a loved one who has openly committed a sin that God speaks and calls by name. I have counseled and advised this loved one on what the Word of God says, now I can say no more. Have prayed for God to convict them and open their eyes to the Truth. While this has been going on, He has convicted me of the sin in my own heart and life.....I am much more aware of my own failings and how it truly is all grace...all grace. I've always known this, but I have had a brand new teaching in the sin in my own heart and life. It has opened my eyes....it has given me unexpected times of worship. It has been awesome in that aspect. A whole new level with Christ. Never expected that to happen.
ReplyDeleteLove reading Job...most people have a hard time reading it. After you read it through once and discuss it, you see the beauty and the lessons in it and it is not so hard to read anymore. Today the friends sit with him in silence, which is wise.....of course, later, they have to give their two cents worth. But for today they keep silent. We all need to learn to be silent with our friends at times and just listen to them and listen to God and not try to make up advice or give our "humble but accurate opinions".... Even though I would like to really give a tongue lashing to my loved one, I am learning that I have to sit back and be silent and let God do all the convicting. I know this loved one is saved and they are on such thin ice. My God is a big God and He is going to do so much better in teaching my loved one His truth.
May we all learn from His Word and let His Word speak. It is powerful. We will find unexpected places of worship when we do listen. Just as Job fell on the ground and worshiped when he heard the news of the death of his children and the destruction of his wealth.
One of my first thoughts was Satan does not know what it is to have children. He says, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” My daughter experienced a devastating betrayal in the work force and my first thought was, I wish it happened to me instead of her, how I wanted to take the hurt, betrayal, anger so she wouldn't have to, but thankful that God helps her bear it and has blessed her through it. We are able to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord" through it all.
ReplyDeleteMatthew 7 comes a such an opportune time when I so want to judge others, their actions, their motivations and do it loudly! I'd rather bear good fruit that glorifies Him more, but honestly, it is hard, but He is faithful.
“And when they saw him from a distance, they did not recognize him. And they raised their voices and wept, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads toward heaven. And they sat with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his suffering was very great.” ~Job 2:12-13
ReplyDeleteGood friends are comfortable with silence. What was there to say? Maybe after 7 days, it was time to go home, instead of starting to accuse, to blame, to wonder what caused all the distress. We know what’s to come in the days ahead, when Job’s friends get off track. But let’s take a minute here and appreciate that these were good friends to sit and grieve with him.
”A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” ~Matthew 7:18-20
Recognizing prophets test: You will know them by their fruits. So many speak using the Name of God as their reference but many stumble because of them. We have a measuring stick to test their authenticity here. And the same test should be applied to our own lives to discern our authenticity where the Lord is concerned.
Nise, before I even read today's scriptures, I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am about what has happened to your daughter. No details are necessary, but as a mother, I know how much it hurts to watch your daughter experience hurtful things.
ReplyDeleteI pray that the Spirit will fill you both with His Comfort. He sees. He understands. He ministers to our deepest needs. And we can trust Him with our hurts.
Wish we were having a coffee together somewhere and we could talk about things more deeply. I know you are working this out. All of us care and will be praying.
The enemy is a defeated foe. What he has used against your daughter, God will redeem it for good.
Praise to Him who loves us most of all.
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ReplyDeleteI feel like Peter Pan! I keep leaving shadow comments. Anyone know what's wrong?
ReplyDeleteThen Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? Job 1:9
ReplyDeleteI believe that each of us here have been blessed beyond measure by our good God. But that does not mean that we don't have things that we are going through right now that are down right TOUGH.
Fear God, Bev?
Fear God, Annette?
Fear God, Nise'?
Fear God, Mary Lou?
Fear God, Michele?
Fear God, Anonymous?
We've learned to say He is God, our God, and stop trying to figure things out. We TREMBLE at His Word. Just like Job feared God and sought to walk uprightly before his God.
As I read the beginning of this book, I have to let go of trying to figure God out. I would be just like Job's friends, looking at him under the sin microscope...trying to make sense out of the calamity he was going through.
We have to stop that, here in Job. We have to learn TRUTH and see that the LORD was working here in a way that was unexplainable to the great men on earth.
God was up to something big in Job's life. And I have benefited from this book so many times in the deep sorrows I've been through.
I believe this book was written just for me. I couldn't have made it through some days without the lessons learned here in the divine calamity Job experienced.
God is God. Period.