"Surely you have instructed many, and you have strengthened weak hands. Your words have upheld him who was stumbling, and you have strengthened the feeble knees; but now it comes upon you, and you are weary; it touches you, and you are troubled."
--Job 4:3-5 (NKJV)
From the daily Bible reading on August 23, 2013 of Psalm 145:8-21; Luke 20:1-19; Job 4-5.
Job is described as blameless and upright, a man who feared God and shunned evil. He served as priest for his family and observed rituals and offerings in his service to God. Satan wanted to use him to prove to God that the only reason this mortal remained faithful was because God treated him so well. The man was blessed with many strong and good children and a wealth of livestock. If all this were taken from him, Satan reasoned, and even his health impacted, then he would turn and curse God. So God allowed Satan to have his way with Job, just to show him wrong. Everything was taken from Job - his livestock, his servants, even his children were killed and destroyed - but still his faith did not waver. Then Satan inflicted him with boils from head to foot. This had the effect closer to what Satan desired, seemingly the last straw.
As Job commiserates his current state, he is joined by three dear friends who came from afar to comfort him. They sit together, these four men, on the ground for seven days with no one speaking a word. Finally Job opens his mouth and curses the day he was born. He doesn't exactly come out and blame God for his woes, but he certainly questions how all that had befallen him had come about. Clearly Job would have liked to have ended it all right then and there.
Sympathizing with Job's plight, his friend Eliphaz tries to encourage him by noting that in times past Job himself had counseled and helped others who had suffered similar troubles. He had given courage and strength to the weak, had helped restore and renew their faith in God those who had grown doubtful. But now, when horrible calamity strikes him, he can take no comfort from his own counsel. He is at a loss and doesn't know what to do. The priest is not able to minister to his own needs.
While Eliphaz's subsequent analysis and advice were far off the mark, in this sentiment he was very much correct. No matter how strong we may be for others in their trials, no matter how much we may be able to help them, we may not be able to cope when it happens to us. When Satan breaks down our defenses with his constant attacks, we lose perspective and are of little use to ourselves. After a long and bitter enough assault, we get to the point where we just want it all to end, even if we have to take our own life to make it stop. Job had arrived at that point, as have many people since, perhaps even some of our friends. But suicide is never the solution. Eliphaz reasoned that Job must have sinned and was being punished, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people. The sun shines on both the good and the evil, the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike (please reference Matthew 5:45). Job never lost faith, and neither should we. Eventually he turned to God in prayer and his questions were answered. God is in control, and although we may have to suffer now, we will be more than compensated in the future if we only remain true and faithful. Trust in the Lord, for He is the answer to all our woes. Amen.
Heavenly Father, We know You are in complete control, and we know that in the end You will make all things right. But sometimes, Lord, when life just keeps beating us down to where we can't even stand up and we wonder if the pain and suffering will ever end, we wonder why it is all happening, how You could allow evil to exist in Your creation. Father, help us bear up to these times and not falter, but remain steadfast and true to You and Jesus. We look to You for our hope and our salvation. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.
As Job commiserates his current state, he is joined by three dear friends who came from afar to comfort him. They sit together, these four men, on the ground for seven days with no one speaking a word. Finally Job opens his mouth and curses the day he was born. He doesn't exactly come out and blame God for his woes, but he certainly questions how all that had befallen him had come about. Clearly Job would have liked to have ended it all right then and there.
Sympathizing with Job's plight, his friend Eliphaz tries to encourage him by noting that in times past Job himself had counseled and helped others who had suffered similar troubles. He had given courage and strength to the weak, had helped restore and renew their faith in God those who had grown doubtful. But now, when horrible calamity strikes him, he can take no comfort from his own counsel. He is at a loss and doesn't know what to do. The priest is not able to minister to his own needs.
While Eliphaz's subsequent analysis and advice were far off the mark, in this sentiment he was very much correct. No matter how strong we may be for others in their trials, no matter how much we may be able to help them, we may not be able to cope when it happens to us. When Satan breaks down our defenses with his constant attacks, we lose perspective and are of little use to ourselves. After a long and bitter enough assault, we get to the point where we just want it all to end, even if we have to take our own life to make it stop. Job had arrived at that point, as have many people since, perhaps even some of our friends. But suicide is never the solution. Eliphaz reasoned that Job must have sinned and was being punished, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes bad things just happen to good people. The sun shines on both the good and the evil, the rain falls on the just and the unjust alike (please reference Matthew 5:45). Job never lost faith, and neither should we. Eventually he turned to God in prayer and his questions were answered. God is in control, and although we may have to suffer now, we will be more than compensated in the future if we only remain true and faithful. Trust in the Lord, for He is the answer to all our woes. Amen.
Heavenly Father, We know You are in complete control, and we know that in the end You will make all things right. But sometimes, Lord, when life just keeps beating us down to where we can't even stand up and we wonder if the pain and suffering will ever end, we wonder why it is all happening, how You could allow evil to exist in Your creation. Father, help us bear up to these times and not falter, but remain steadfast and true to You and Jesus. We look to You for our hope and our salvation. In Jesus' holy name we pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment