Discipleship Encouragement and Correction
Talk About Support; My Trust is in God Alone
I have been reading the Book of Job for about a week. Truly, there was no man of his day more obedient and humble before God, or for that matter a man more greatly blessed in life and possession; that is, before the day that Satan showed up before God in the heavens. Apparently, Satan doesn’t have much to do but go from to and fro; walking back and forth on earth attempting to ruin our days. The Apostle Peter tells us that he is as a lion, seeking whom he may devour. In this case though we are taught that it was the Shepard, God Himself, Who pointed Job out to Satan, saying:
Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”
If Job had heard the conversation, I wonder if he would have been tempted to sarcastically say ‘thanks a lot.’ (of course, we went over a Lot in Genesis 12.) However, Job knew nothing of what was going on and that it was God Who allowed his testing by Satan. So, we find Job going through shock and awe; losing his sons and daughters, livestock…most everything, although God left his wife. She told him to ‘curse God and die!’ ‘Thanks again,’ I found myself mumbling when I read her comment. Anyway, he was miserable, which led to his statement in verse 9 (above). The statement is so wrong, but it taught me not to rely on the words of men spoken in depression and hopelessness. There is no fount of life there. Thank God that He gave us His Word, and He joyfully promised that I will rise in Christ one day. Nonetheless….
Friends arrived. We have got to love our friends, right? Well, at least Job didn’t have a house to clean. Small blessing. Still, Job’s friends knew little of what was going on and why this happened. His friends meant to help out and said many fine words, but the counsel offered didn’t apply: Job was a righteous man and it was not for sin that he suffered. Boy, did Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar remind me of myself! What they said only added to Job’s misery. I can’t tell you how many times in my zeal to aide another, I misspoke because I didn’t know the will of God on the matter. I can barely tolerate my own thoughts and counsel; my heart is so deceptive of my real need and complaint. Thank God His Spirit intercedes! And that is about where I am at this point: my trust is in God alone. I love my wife, children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors, but there are things unseen and the will of God pronounced, that I know not of. All I can do, if I am not already doing so, is to wear the sackcloth and ashes with you and sit…quietly, praying that my mouth would be as closed as Daniel’s lions.
