It was in the beginning of time that Job lived.
Not the wealth of stories that we have about God, Who walked the earth.
Job had worked hard to raise 10 kids and lead them well; He worked hard on the land.
Job's friend has no mercy on him. Zophar tells a man who just lost his 10 children that he did not get what he deserved. Job is not in shock, not disconnecting, ... No, the man is wrestling with his sin. Job is asking God in Job 13:23: How many are my sins? Make me know my sins! His deep heart-wrenching thoughts are coming from a good place in his heart yet some thoughts like Job 13:3 cannot possibly be from a good place: "I want to speak to the Almighty and I desire to argue my case with God." Can we really argue with God? So what's the point here? There are both good and bad residing in our hearts at the same time.
How beautiful that Job is leaning, falling forward, on the Almighty. He knows his limits. "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him, yet I will argue my ways to His Face." Job 13:15. There it is again. Such Good! Such Bad!
And what touches me is that God calls us in this passage to withhold our judgment on man. Let the Almighty judge Job, not Zophar, not me. We are to move in love into people's lives, not trying to straighten them out. Zophar believed in a prosperity-type gospel. But the question arises even today. If bad things happen to you continually, like Job, you must be doing something wrong. What beauty pours out from Job's lips in the midst of his confusion and chaos when he says: "I will trust Him," ... No matter what God does---and here is a man who has suffered immense loss. Job knows something of the Greatness of God that most do not. Let us strive not to be "worthless physicians" (Job 13:4) helping others with our platitudes of words and actions that really don't mean that much. Let us say with Job: I will trust you God in this present circumstance that I am in, this very day.
PRAYER FROM PSALMS
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OVERVIEW: Job 11-13
I have been Zophar, diagnosing the sin of another recently. When I read Job, I am reminded nobody needs a friend like Zophar. I wonder what part of her tight place is consequences and what is hardship undeserved. Neither is my business or is helpful to "assess."
ReplyDeleteSo many times this year, I've been convicted within minutes of reading the Word in the morning, falling into some sin that is exactly what the exhortation was in the Reading. I am amazed how the Word reads our hearts as we read its Story. Now my prayer is for it to change me, not just point out the waywardness, the sin.
Let the battle cry of our hearts be like Job's: Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Beautiful prayer Bev. I whisper it for each of us today:
"I trust that you will perfect that thing that concerns me this very day, these very circumstances you have allowed."
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