Today's readings from the Chronological Plan are Job 12-14. Click here to read online.
Just a couple of comments about Job's "speech" overall.
Job acknowledges God's supreme power and wisdom and that no one can understand His ways. But Job knows this is not a punishment for some sin in his life. He doesn't know what it is, but he knows it's not that. His friends are right, in some ways, but their insights don't apply to Job's situation.
Yes, God does sometimes punish us for our sins (as we rightly deserve, btw!) - but that is not the case here.
Job's friends also seem to be motivated by their own moral superiority to Job - after all, they're prospering so they're obviously right, while Job's life is obviously an indicator that he's wrong. They're beginning to seem like they're more interested in winning this argument than in helping Job.
I think it's a good reminder for us to be less hasty to judge people and their situations, and be more willing to offer a listening ear. Job's friends were truly friends during that first whole week where they sat with him in silence and empathized with his suffering.
Does that mean we should never confront fellow believers about sin? No. Should we hold each other accountable? Absolutely! However, we need to make sure to deal with the plank in our own eye first and we need to make sure that we are motivated by love for our friend and a desire to see their relationship with God restored, and not by some puffed up sense of our own spirituality. We need to then share the truth in love and humility.
On with today's SOAP devotional.
S - Job 13:15a Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.
O - Job is at the end of himself. He has hit the lowest of lows. He has lost everything, except a seemingly bitter wife, including material possessions, wealth and ALL his children. He has also lost the respect of his peers, his "friends" are doing anything but comforting him. It seems hopeless. And yet Job is still able to declare "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him."
A - No matter what happens to us circumstantially in our lives, we can cling to the hope we have in God. He alone is worthy of that trust. He alone is faithful and trustworthy. We know that He has a plan for our lives and we need to trust in that knowledge even when it seems contradictory to what our senses are telling us. We need to remember that we usually see only the underside of the tapestry as God is weaving a beautiful picture that will one day be unveiled. It often does not make sense to us from our earthly viewpoint, but it does from a heavenly one. Sometimes He allows us glimpses of the finished tapestry, but more often than not we have to trust that the mess we're in right now, is contributing to the masterpiece that will be revealed in eternity.
P - Lord, I thank You for Your faithfulness to us that is unswerving, both when we are faithful to you and even when we are unfaithful to You. I praise You for Your trustworthiness even when we have fallen away. And I praise You for the hope that we can have in You no matter what our circumstances. Thank you that even when we don't understand what is happening, or why it is happening, that You are in control and that You WILL work all things together for good. Amen!
Tomorrow's readings are Job 15-18. Click here to read online.
8 comments:
Great thoughts, Tammy. A verse that stood out to me was Job 12:5 - Men at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
You touched on this one already when you talked about not sitting in judgement of others. We need to be careful not to think that because someone else has sinned in a way we have not means that we are more righteous than they are. We are all sinners, and there are no degrees of sin. All sin is equal. Simply because our earthly legal system considers one to be worse than the other doesn't make it so in the sight of God.
One more - Job 13:5 - If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.
There is a quote by Mark Twain that you may have heard before... “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”
This is something I have been working at for a while now. I am a talker. Anyone who knows me knows that I can talk a lot. My sister and I carry on 2 - 3 hour phone conversations on a regular basis (partly because she lives far away, but partly because we both are capable of talking a lot). Anyway, I've been working at not letting every thought that passes through my head come out of my mouth and being a better listener. Here was another reminder from the book of Job.
Great post Tammy! Without the Word, without the indwelling, Job knew God well enough to know that God loved him, and that He could keep his hope and trust in Him despite what God seemingly did to him. Could we say the same? I would like to say that I could, but would I...really? I am working on drawing myself so close to Him, that should I ever have to be in a situation like Job's, I could do the same things.
This book is dear to my heart,very dear. As I was growing in my faith and my spiritual maturity, God kept asking more things of me. Give up this, quit doing this, start doing this, etc, etc. One day I got to the point, where I had such an inner struggle going on. I wanted to do God's will and be who He wanted me to be, but I didn't want to loose myself, and my "happiness" (I hate to bring that word up again) I didn't want to put a block between my husband and I because he felt I was too "Holy". I was also afraid that if I gave in, that then there would just be something else God wanted, and what if I ended up being a Job? What if God took one or all of my children from me? I don't want that, so if I just stop surrendering now, will that never happen? What about the other Christians who aren't being called to this high of calling and sacrifice? I was kind of like Job, where he wanted to know why others and their deep wickedness weren't being punished. I too was looking to why God wasn't dealing with others first. I finally decided that being close to the Lord and fulfilling His will for my life (whatever that may be) was more important than my fears, or my earthly relationships. God is my everything and Heaven is my home. He may never ask anything of me as great as what He allowed Job to go through, but whatever He does ask of me, or allow to happen, I want to be able to praise Him throughout it all, and know in the uttermost of my being, that God loves me, and my hope is in him! God is faithful, and we will see that in great lengths at the end of this book!
enjoyed your refelctions. vs. 15 is my favorite in all of the book of Job. It became so real when seeing my dad pass away so it has become precious to me and my family.
kristilea- i'm so sorry that you are afraid to use the word happiness. that gave me the impression that my discussing grieved you and I'm very sorry for that because it is the exact opposite of what I was trying to do regarding the concept of happiness. how awful that it now puts a bad feeling in your mind or that you dred further discussion by using it. So, not what was intended.
Oh, please don't worry about it Mrs.Oz, I was saying it in an almost sarcastic way. I'm not offended or unpleased at all. I took yesterday's discussion as just that...a discussion. That's the great thing about living in the country that we do; is that we can believe what we want, and share what we want. Even though someone may dissagree with you, a respectful discussion can be good because you never know what good may come out of it.
As for the poll on the sidebar, why isn't "I'm at least 3 days AHEAD" an option??!! ;)
I prefer being ahead because I KNOW there will be days I'll forget or we'll have a weekend of company and I won't have the alone time and it's easier to get ahead now than catch up later for some reason! I find it hard to participate in the discussions this way, though...
You're right Tammi - I should've had a read ahead option! I can't change it now as people have already voted - but next time I will :)
I just saw the poll and I just have to say I'm impressed. Keeping up with a reading plan is not easy and I'm amazed that so many involved in reading here are up to date.
I'm excited I am too because this sort of thing is hard for me. I do think this blog is helping me though.
Way to go VG for being ahead. I have a friend doing a bible in 90 days plan and she just amazes me.
Yeah, I know a bloggy friend doin' the 90-day thing too, but that's a bit TOO ambitious for me! I think next year I'm gonna try going through it twice or a reading plan that does the OT once, NT twice, and the entire Psalms and Proverbs every month or something like that.
I'm only ahead now because I know there will be days (and sometimes weeks) where I won't read at all for whatever reason or excuse. If I get ahead while I'm conscientiously reading daily, then I won't fall behind if I miss a day or two. Catching up from even a week of not reading isn't that big a deal.
So really, I'm just planning for failure! ;)
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