Doing the Hard Thing for God; Job 41-42, Proverbs 21

May the mumbling commence!

Paying attention to the Lord’s voice is important.  Doing what the Holy Spirit calls us to do is equally important.  Sometimes, we feel we are called to do something that grate against what we might wish to do. 

Now, that we are finishing up Job today, I think about Job’s three “friends.”  You know, those guys who mostly attempted to tear Job down.  If I were Job, I would be bitter with them.  Especially if God were to commend me, as He did Job.  Read what the Lord asked of Job:

And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 

Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." 

So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the Lord commanded them; for the Lord had accepted Job.  And the Lord restored Job's losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. (42:7-10)

The Lord asked Job to pray for his friends, who did little to comfort or console him in inexplicable agony and suffering.  Wouldn’t it be a little easier to remain silent and allow these “friends” to get the just rewards of their behavior?  After all, they had preached to Job over and over again that reaping what you sow is the way of the Lord.  A little reaping would like quite nice to Job now, wouldn’t it?

But, Job’s restoration seems inextricably linked to the fates of his “friends.”  The Lord restored Job when he prayed for his friends.  And Job did the Word of the Lord with no hint of complaint or dragging of feet.  That, my friends, is remarkable.  I only wish that I might do the same if I were in Job’s position.

Think about this, though: our fates are linked to the fates of our fellow human beings.  Relationship is important at all times – when we think everything is going fine and when we would rather not make the effort. 

Our God is a God of love – and loves implies healthy relationships.  Let us seek to reach out and heal all our relationships.  The impetus is on me – whether I feel I am the one who erred to the one who was hurt.  It starts with me.  It starts with you.

This is incredibly difficult to do.  Easy to sit and write about.  Easy to sit and think about.  But extremely difficult to do.  The more I live, the more I am sure that the godly things are difficult.  That is why Jesus called the path to heaven narrow and seldom chosen.  Show us the way, O Lord!  Read from Proverbs chapter twenty-one:

There is no wisdom or understanding

Or counsel against the Lord. (Verse 30)

Apart from the counsel and way of the Lord, there is neither wisdom nor understanding.  Let us tune in to God’s counsel and God’s way – together.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out