JOB MOMENT – (03JUN19) Bildad decides to address the things
that Job had spoke on regarding his innocence before God and his longing for
death. Although he thought that he was helping Job, Bildad was not doing
anything, but making matters worse. He first accused Job’s children of doing
wrong and receiving the judgment that was due to them. With friends like these,
who needs enemies you may ask? Even if that were the case, it was the wrong
time to say such a thing after a parent has lost not one, not two, but all ten
of his children. Many parents, who have dealt with the loss of a child, have
shared their experience as being the most difficult time in their life. They have
often expressed that nothing is worse than a parent having to bury their
children because it goes against the normal order of things. Therefore, Bildad
was not sensitive to the pain that Job was experiencing at that time.
Bildad did not believe that Job had not brought about
calamity on himself as did Eliphaz. He unknowingly was gaslighting Job by trying
to convince him that he had done something wrong, but by seeking God earnestly,
he would be restored back to his former glory. As in the case of Israel, God
did tell them that if they were to ever turn away from Him and repent, even if
they were scattered across the land, He would bring them back to their home.
Yet, this was not a case of God needing to keep a word of mercy and
restoration. Job was indeed blameless, but once again, it was easier for his
friends to think that all would be set straight again if only Job would repent.
Both of Job’s friends were clearly wrong in his case.
There are indeed times when we bring about judgments on ourselves
due to our sins. But we must be careful that we do not falsely assume that
everyone who is going through hardships is due to them being judged by God. We
sometimes forget that as a Christian, there will be trials because the devil
will be sure to bring them. Jesus went through the same challenges that we face
and yet, He knew that He would be victorious in the end and often prayed to his
Father. Just as Jesus relied on his Father to give Him strength to carry out
His task, we too must rely on our Heavenly Father to give us strength to endure
to the very end. Something to ponder….
QUESTION OF THE DAY – (03JUN19) Does living right always
guarantee that your life will go right? No! This is a common theme throughout
Job’s book in that we would like to think that living a righteous life
guarantees ease. Nevertheless, this is not always the case. Job would be in
today’s time the Christian who prays to God daily, reads his Bible, attends
church or group study, is hospitable to his neighbors, and even volunteers at
the homeless shelter. He is careful to obey God’s statutes, love his family,
friends and neighbors, as well as witness to the lost. Yet, he is suddenly
struck with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. This is where many Christians have found
themselves – maybe not in the exact scenario, but in a similar difficult
situation. They thought that if they dot all their “I’s” and cross their “T’s,”
they would live a life of bliss and prosperity. After all, isn’t this the
message that is being preached in many of America’s pulpits today? If you give enough,
plant enough, claim enough, shout enough, praise enough, and sow enough…you
will receive the blessings of Abraham. Well, someone may ask, “How in the world
did I get Ishmael instead of Isaac?”
Job had yet to learn that trials do not come because you
have done something wrong, nor does prosperity always come because you have
done something right. The Bible says that God reigns over the just and the
unjust. The same God who blesses the just also blesses the unjust in hopes that
they would come to the understanding of how good He is and give Him glory. At
the same time, the unjust have struggles as well as the just so that we can exercise
our faith muscles. We all know that if you do not use your muscles, they will
grow weak. Trials give us the opportunity to use our faith muscles that were
lying dormant during times of prosperity. Once again, you do not really know
that you have a measure of faith until it is tested. For example, without
starting the engine of many older model cars, how would people have known if
they had any gas? They wouldn’t have known until they turned the engine on. Unlike
humans, God knew what Job’s end result would be, but Job was still in the dark
about it because his faith was being tested. Many of us are having to utilize
our faith muscle because we too do not know the inner workings of our end results.
Yet, we do know and can take great comfort that all things work together for
the good of those who love the Lord. Something to ponder…
JOB MOMENT – (03JUN19) Job, in his own way, was placing a
challenge to God. Although He knew that He could not possibly win against the Almighty,
he sought to have his case heard. He wanted to know the charges that were being
brought against him. He had no desire to exercise his Miranda Rights because he
was his own counsel. He wanted a chance to defend his honor and integrity. He thought
that he had the right to face his Accuser. He had not been allowed to interview
any jurors because the case had been decided by single Judge. There was no one to
testify on his behalf because even his friends were possible witnesses for the
prosecution.
His case was seemingly loss before it had begun because the fix
was in. Heaven’s Grand Jury had indicted him. He had been arrested and given
hard labor. He had been denied a public trial. He did not have any legal
representation. The prosecution had rested its case. The Judge had determined
his guilt. The sentence had been passed and it was death. The green mile he had
to walk. All appeals were denied. He could only hope for a stay of execution. Just
maybe the phone would ring. Job was in the fight of his life and it seemed
unfair. Have you ever felt as Job did? Only God’s love and remembering past victories
can comfort you in times when God’s justice system does not seem to be working.
Despite how you feel, God’s scales of justice are never off balance nor
perverted. Something to ponder…
No comments:
Post a Comment