I don't think I've ever gone for this long without posting before! Thank you so much to all of you new and returning participants, you have sure made things a lot easier on me. Plus, it's so refreshing to hear from so many different women - you each have your own style of writing and unique insights into the passages we've been reading and I have so appreciated reading each and every one of your posts. I am so looking forward to this year of growing together!
One quick note of business: I've noticed that everyone is discussing both the OT and NT passages in their posts. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and am not discouraging this in any way. I just wanted to make sure no one felt like they HAD to discuss both passages. If only one passage jumps out at you, or you feel led to share from only one passage, that is totally ok! All right - moving on....
There was so much that struck me in today's passages I hardly know where to begin.
One important thing to learn from this passage is how to help friends through times of grief. Job's friends initially got it right - they simply sat with Job and encouraged him by their presence. No pat answers, no glib words that end up hurting instead of healing, no meaningless babbling, in fact - no speaking at all. Often that's what our friends need from us - the comfort of our presence. Our presence lets them know we love them, that we're there for them, and that we're willing to walk through the valley with them.
The first chapters of Job also give us our first sneak peak into the spiritual battle that is taking place around us 24/7. These battles take place out of our sight, but we dare not let them take place "out of our mind". We need to be aware of the reality of spiritual battle, and fight it with the Sword (Word!) and with prayer.
The conversation between Satan and God is also an excellent example of the sovereignty of God and that everything that happens in our lives is filtered through His hands. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that nothing bad will happen to us - as Job's multiple tragedies attest - but God is on His throne and He is working in us and through us in all our circumstances, both the good ones and the bad ones. Just because we can't see the purpose in our suffering, doesn't mean there isn't one.
The amazing thing to me is Job's initial response to all this tragedy. I think our initial, automatic responses say a lot about our character - it reveals our true self. That is who we are on instinct, without worrying about what others think or putting on a mask, it's us in all our unfiltered glory. I'm not so sure what such a series of tragedies would reveal about me (and I pray I never have to find out - certainly not to that extreme!), but what it reveals about Job is astounding.
He grieves, and then immediately he falls to his knees and worships God.
Job 1:20-21 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” (emphasis mine)
How could Job respond this way? Because he KNEW God. He knew God intimately and he trusted God even in the face of tremendous heartbreak. He knew that God was the only one who could give him any real comfort.
Yes, later on, Job questioned God and grappled for understanding (totally normal, human actions that God can handle!), but his initial response was rooted in the intimate relationship he had with the Lord.
How can we have this response to tragedy when (not if) it strikes?
This transitions perfectly into a portion of the Matthew passage: by building a solid foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 7:24-26 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (emphasis mine)
The storms of life will come. There's no ifs about that, only whens. But when the storms of life come, I want to be like Job, who had built his life and his faith around a firm foundation. I want my initial, automatic response to reflect a heart that knows and trusts God.
How do we do that? How do we build this firm foundation?
The passage tells us right here. By hearing the words of Jesus (studying the Word) and putting them into practice.
Just what this blog is for. We are to be iron sharpening iron as we encourage each other to build strong foundations in order to withstand the storms of life that will come our way, so that our first and automatic response to tragedy will be to fall on our knees in worship. Lord, may it be so!
Tomorrow's passage: Job 3-4 and Matthew 8:1-17
7 comments:
One of the things that stuck out today was that God suggested Job as someone Satan could seek out. God is sovereign and will only give us what we can handle and He knew Job could take on the worst of all circumstances. This stood out for me today because I thought of my own life and God seems to work things out quickly. Is this a reflection that I can't handle much???
I wonder if Job's reaction would have remained faithful and God-centered if it hadn't been for the "helpful advice" of his friends? He seemed to have the right attitude until they started talking!
Pam's comment has me thinking about a NT passage where either Peter or Paul counts it an HONOUR to be considered worthy to suffer for God. God obviously found Job worthy to suffer, worthy to stand the test, too. I admire the attitude of these sufferers, but I gotta admit, I don't WANT very badly to be among them!!! It's hard to accept the hard things and consider the experience an honour.
The last nine years have been a constant trial for us. We felt led to move out here and yet nothing we've tried has done well and we've struggled financially virtually the entire time. It's been particularly discouraging and disheartening ever since we bought the trucking company two years ago. It's hard to wrap my head around the possibility that we were led out here to the "wilderness" to be tested, and that it's an honour to be tested for so long, but maybe if I could change my attitude about that, I'd learn the lesson quicker!!
(something all y'all could pray about, if you're so inclined...)
Not sure if it was the silly pregnant hormones or what but reading how Job's friends just came and SAT with him, no words said, was comforting and brought tears to me eyes. In situations where friends are hurting it is hard to know how to comfort, & how to be there for them, but this passage shows that just being THERE is a good start...
Of course you say intially Job's friends got it right and I know we'll get to what they said to him! The side note in my Touchpoint Bible points out that if we are more sensitive than Job's friends were, we will listen patiently and speak words that heal...
I like your point about how everything that happens to us, even the bad or tragic is filtered through His hands.
PS. just for clarification, my previous comment is NOT to say I believe God must think I'm worthy of great testing, just that if I could think of testing as an honour it might change my whole attitude!!!
What impacted me the most this morning was Matthew 7:21...
Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
The most important thing is to OBEY the will of our Heavenly Father. Sometimes that can be the hardest thing for me to actually do.
All excellent points, ladies! This blog is so encouraging to me. I've taken to writing down notes in my journal as I'm reading so that I can comment here later. I'm realizing that is a great way to plant the word in my brain! Awesome! Here are some of my thoughts.
In matt 7:2 where it talks about judging and we will be judged by the standard by which we judge, does that apply to the thoughts we think and entertain as well? I'm thinking yes, which is scary to me, because if people knew what I was thinking, whoowee, there'd be trouble.
Job 1:21, the same one you quoted tammy, in which he worships struck me. Jobs worship of God was not based on his situation. How we feel about our situation does not change who God is. Sometimes our worship is a result of a good thing that happened, but other times we have to move past our emotions and speak the truth about God. And that can be hard, especially when things are as crappy as what Job was going through.
Great post, Tammy, and great comments, too. The same things stood out to me as well. Particularly that God is always in control of the situation, no matter what. Satan has no power other than that which is allowed him by God. I'd been told, or led to believe, all my life that the bad things that "happen" to us are a result of living in a fallen world. God is love, God heals and protects, and the bad things that happen do not come from Him. While reading this book last year, I really had to change that mindset. God doesn't just allow bad things to happen, He causes them as well. It doesn't mean He doesn't love us, or that He takes pleasure in watching us suffer. In fact, I believe he suffers along with us, which is something I haven't really thought about too much before. God suffers along with us. All of us. Can you imagine how much He suffers every single day, over all of us? It makes my troubles and suffering seem much less worthy of complaint.
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