Job 42:1–17

February 1, 2011

Job answers the LORD, "I know you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be ruined... my ears had heard of you before, but now my eyes have seen you..." Beside this scripture I have written:

"Praise God!  4/14/08"

This scripture is how I would describe the journey we have been on. For the majority of our lives we have believed in God, been good people, and have been Christ followers. But in this storm, we have seen the Hand of God!! There is no other way to explain what all has happened. There is no better place to be than living with the Hand of God on your life.   

God then tells Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar that He is angry with them because of what they had done. Then incredibly, God tells them to take a burnt offering to Job; to have Job pray for them; and then God would listen to Job's prayer and forgive them and withhold His punishment from them. After they did this and after Job prayed for them, God again blessed Job's life and gave him success again. AFTER! After the friends admitted their wrong doing to Job they were forgiven because of Job's intercessory prayer. And, because Job did not hold any grudges and because he prayed to God on behalf of his friends, Job's afflictions were gone and he was blessed again by God—receiving double of what he had before! Job 42:12 - "The LORD blessed the last part of Job's life even more than the first part." Job sees God—and that is enough.

"For God gave Job more than Job ever dreamed. God gave Job himself."~ From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado.

And that is enough. We would gladly face "the storm" all over again to see, hear, touch, and feel God's presence in our lives. Blessed be the name of the LORD.

Addendum: 1/3/15 ~ When you have seen the Hand of God you cannot remain the same. It is no longer about believing in God, or being good people, or even calling yourself a Christ follower. It is finally understanding (albeit in a simple and incomplete way) who God is and what man is in relationship to Him. God is the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, and we are mere man. He is God, we are not. Conventional idealism would oppose the concept of "mere man," and would view that thought as belittling to man's intelligence, stature and capabilities when in truth embracing the concept of "mere man" does the exact opposite. We can only achieve and become who we were created and meant to be when we fully (in our finite minds) embrace and understand WHO the Almighty is; who we are in relationship to HIM; why we were created in HIS image; and then fully surrender our will to HIS. Then (and only then) can we reach our fullest potential and we can become the person God created us to be. It is not an imprisonment of "self," it is a liberating freeing of one's spirit and will to the King of kings and Lord of lords. And, oh what peace, joy, contentment and fulfillment comes when we are willing to finally step aside and "let" God be GOD!

This morning, as I was reading Job 42, the heading for Job 42:7–17 jumped off the page. I did a double take and looked at it again.

End of the Story   

The End of the Story: God let Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar know that He was angry with them for what they had done. When they finally understood that their actions were wrong and they were misguided in their ways, they repented, and Job was given the honor of praying an intercessory prayer for them. Job went to the Lord on their behalf. The Lord forgave them, and the Lord blessed the last half of Job's life even more than the first.

Oh how I wish we could be given the honor or praying an intercessory prayer for my sister and brother-in-law, but before an intercessory prayer can be prayed, there must first be repentance. Only they can make that choice.


Next Entry: Psalm 1:1 – 3:8

Job 38:1 – 41:34

January 29, 2011

When you read these chapters the only thing you can think to say is: "Majesty, worship His Majesty."

Up until now in the book of Job everyone was talking "about" God as if He was absent and not hearing them. Now they are face to face with the living God. By my count God asked Job 65 questions in these chapters. 65!!

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?"

"God's questions aren't intended to teach; they are intended to stun. They aren't intended to enlighten; they are intended to awaken. They aren't intended to stir the mind; they are intended to bend the knees..." ~ From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado

And that is what it does. "Majesty, worship His Majesty."

Addendum:  The LORD—He is the One!!! These chapters ought to be required reading every few days. If you ever start to put your "self" on the throne, these verses will quickly put everything back into the right perspective. The LORD is God; we are not!! Job was a self-sufficient and "honest and innocent man, honoring God, and staying away from evil" because it was the right thing to do. But for the first time he came face to face with the Almighty God and his response was, "I am not worthy; I cannot answer you anything."  When you begin to grasp who the LORD God Almighty is the only response you can give is "I am not worthy."

PSALM 8

O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is YOUR name in all the earth.

You have set YOUR glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants YOU have ordained praise because of YOUR enemies, to silence the foe and avenger. 

When I consider YOUR heavens, the work of YOUR fingers, the moon and the stars which YOU have set in place, what is man that YOU are mindful of him, the son of man that YOU care for him? YOU made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.

YOU made him ruler over the works of YOUR hands; YOU put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the seas, all that swim in the paths of the sea.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is YOUR name in all the earth!

Next Entry: Job 42:1–17

Job 32:1 – 37:24

January 25, 2011

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar have finished talking. They are all convinced that Job is a hypocrite and that the only reason a person would suffer is because of sin in their life. They saw God as a reactionary god. Job knew he had not committed any sin that resulted in the "punishment" he was receiving. But, therein lies the problem. Job thought he was being punished, when in truth, God had allowed Satan to attack Job because he was an "honest and innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil!"

Wow! Job was given what we were given; the opportunity to witness the Hand of God in his life. 

Elihu begins to speak. He has listened while everyone else talked, and now he can sit quiet no longer. He too assumes Job has sinned, but his argument was against how everyone else (including Job) viewed God. (Psalm 8 - "What is man..."?) Who are we to question or accuse God? God owes no one an explanation. Elihu passionately speaks about who God is.

Jane's (Her Name is Jane) KJV Bible has cross-references printed down a center column on each page.  While reading this section, I noticed Jane had circled the cross references for Job 34:21.

• Job 31:4
• II Chronicles 16:9
• Psalm 34:15
• Proverbs 5:21
• Proverbs 15:3
• Jeremiah 16:17
• Jeremiah 32:19

I looked up the verses.  Every verse has the same message. God knows; He's watching; He's aware of everything; and He sees what is good and evil.

While looking up and reading Jeremiah 16:17 - "I see everything they do. They cannot hide from me the things they do; so their sin is not hidden from my eyes," I noticed Jane had also circled the cross references for Jeremiah 17:7 - "But the person who trusts in the LORD will be blessed. The LORD will show him that he can be trusted." I looked up those cross references for that verse.

• Psalm 12:2
• Psalm 34:8
• Psalm 125:1
• Psalm 146:5
• Proverbs 16:20
• Isaiah 30:18  

Every verse has the same message. God will bless those who trust and wait on Him. Wow!!! The first cross references I looked up (that Jane circled for Job 34:21) are all about God knowing. He sees what is happening. He sees the good and bad.  He's aware, and He's watching.

The cross references for Jeremiah 17:7 (that Jane also had circled) are all about God blessing those who trust and wait on Him. The last verse circled was Isaiah 30:18. It reads, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him."

Isaiah 30 is what Jane asked me to read in September '07, just days before my first deposition. When I finished reading the chapter Jane spoke and said, "Read the part about wait on the LORD again." I didn't remember reading that, so starting from the end of the chapter, I used my finger to trace the words saying to myself, "wait on the LORD, wait on the LORD. What if it's not in here? Jane thinks it is in here! What am I going to do? Wait on the LORD, wait on the LORD." And there it was in Verse 18, "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; therefore He will rise up to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him." It goes on to say in Verse 21, "If you go the wrong way, to the right or to the left, you will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the right way. You should go this way." Wow!

It is such an encouragement to be reminded that: 1) God knows; He sees what is happening; He's aware; He's watching; and 2) God blesses those who trust and wait for Him.

I began to wonder. Were there other times Jane had circled cross references in her Bible? Had I just missed them before? I decided to look and see. So starting from where I was reading in Job, I leafed through all the pages in her Bible from Job back to Genesis. I found only one other time. It was for Deuteronomy 32:35 - "I will punish those who do wrong; I will repay them. Soon their foot will slip because their day of trouble is near, and their punishment will come quickly." I looked up the cross references (Romans 12:19 and Hebrews 10:30). Again, wow!  The ONLY cross references Jane has circled in her Bible SENDS me to verses throughout the Bible with the following message just as "the storm" is picking up velocity: 

1)  God knows, He's aware, and He's watching.
2)  Blessed are those who trust and wait on Him.
3)  Vengeance is the LORD's!

This is HIS battle not ours. God is still using Jane to "speak" to us. This time through what she has circled in her Bible. Is it a coincidence that these three cross references are the ONLY ones she has circled? I think not. Is it a coincidence that even though I began keeping a journal while reading through the Bible over two years ago that this is the EXACT time we find them? I know not.

May all Glory and Honor be given to Christ the King.

I believe.

Addendum: 1/2/15 ~ Oh how grateful I am that I began this journal over five years ago and that there is a record of what all God has done. I am in awe of how God works and provides for those who trust Him. It is the start of a new year. My husband and I went walking this morning and surrendered everything to the LORD—again. It is so comforting to KNOW that HE knows; that HE is aware; HE is watching; HE blesses those who trust and wait on HIM; and that "the storm" is HIS battle.

Job 34:10 - "God can never do wrong! It is impossible for the Almighty to do evil."
Job 34:30 - "He keeps the wicked from ruling and trapping others."
Job 37:23 - "The Almighty is too high for us to reach. He has great strength; he is always right and never punishes unfairly." 

WE KNOW:

• This battle is not ours, it belongs to the LORD
• He blesses those who wait and trust in Him
• God is in control, and that is ENOUGH!

Psalm 140:12–13 - "I know the LORD secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise his name and the upright will live before him."


Next Entry: Job 38:1 – 41:34

Job 29:1 – 31:40

January 22, 2011

Job continues to defend himself and speak of his innocence. He goes on and on about all he has done. But, it doesn't matter how "good" we are or what we have done, we are nothing compared to God. Our thoughts are not his thoughts, and our ways are not his ways. Who are we to decide if God has the "right" to do what HE decides to do? Who are we to question what God does or does not do? Psalm 8 - "What is man that you are mindful of him?" It's all about understanding the relationship.
                                           

God

↓

Man

I Peter 3:15-16 - "But respect Christ as the holy LORD in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed."

Addendum: 1/1/15 ~ "The words of Job are finished." Job's last words are all about I—me—my. There were at least 43 references to I—me—my in the first 25 verses of Chapter 29. Job 29:11 - "Anyone who heard ME spoke well of ME, and those who saw ME spoke well of ME."

On and on Job talks about himself. Job was "an honest and innocent man, honoring God and staying away from evil," but you have to wonder after reading these chapters. Was he honest and innocent and stayed away from evil AND honored God? A self-sufficient man. Or, was he honest and innocent and stayed away from evil BECAUSE he honored God? A God-reliant man. Job 3:25 says, "Everything I feared and dreaded has happened to me." That sounds like a self-sufficient man. Chapters 29–31 sounds like a self-sufficient man.

Before you think I am being too hard on Job for being "human" let me say this: being self-sufficient is exactly how I (and most other "Christians" I've known) lived my life for a very long time. If I needed God, I could go to Him. If I needed help, He would be there. He was the spare tire in the car and not the driver. It wasn't a conscious overt decision to be self-sufficient. I was a good person. I was a capable person. After all, isn't that the way we are supposed to live? We've been taught our whole lives to be strong, independent, capable, and full of good self-esteem. Surely that is what God wants us to be... right? Wrong. If I had told my story earlier in my life it would have sounded like Job's description in Chapters 29–31. I did this—I did that—I—me—my. A self-sufficient person.

God is not impressed by what WE can do. His desire is not for us to be SELF sufficient. His desire is for us to obey His very first command—NO other gods—and that begins with SELF. We need to be willing to surrender to HIM our self, our pride, and our need to be in control. I—me—my. It is not a one-time deal, it is on a daily basis. God's desire for each of us is not SELF-sufficiency. It is to learn what it means to be GOD-reliant.

Job "gets-it" in the final chapter. He finally sees WHO God is and it brings him to his knees and he changes his life. This is the lesson God has taught us throughout this seven year trial/trail journey, and it has brought us to our knees and we have changed our lives. This is why we can now say that we are the recipients of a Blessed Event and not the victims of a vicious lawsuit. It is also why we can say we are grateful, truly grateful for this trial/trail time in our lives.

Our story is HIS story. It has nothing to do with us/me and it has everything to do with HIM. To GOD be ALL Honor and Glory. Amen.


Next Entry: Job 32:1 – 37:24

Job 28:1–28

January 21, 2011

Wisdom → Understanding. A few years ago I started a study to discover the differences between wisdom and understanding. Proverbs makes it very clear that wisdom and understanding are two very separate things. This same theme of wisdom and understanding is throughout the entire Bible. Here in Job 28, God answers my question about the differences.

Job starts out with what "wisdom" is not. It isn't wealth. You cannot attain it by mining for gold or treasure. It's not in the deep ocean and it's not in the sky. Wisdom cannot be brought with gold, even the finest gold. So where can wisdom be found? Where does wisdom come from? Where does understanding live?

Job 28:23 - "Only God understands the way to wisdom, and he alone knows where it lives."
Job 28:28 - "Then he (God) said to humans, "The fear of the LORD is wisdom; to stay away from evil is understanding."

Wow! There is the answer. You cannot obtain true wisdom unless you understand who God is. When you know God, you "fear" him. Not "fear" as in scared of being zapped by a mean and punishing angry God. No, not at all. "Fear" as in being in awe of who God is. Understanding you only possess one small grain of sand in your comprehension of the majesty of who THE LORD is while you also realize that all the grains of sand in the world would still not be enough to fully describe God.

Job 28:28 - "The fear of the LORD..."
Proverbs 9:10 - "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom."
Isaiah 33:6 - "The fear of the LORD is the key to the treasure (wisdom)."

So wisdom is clearly God-given in response to our "fear." Wisdom is God's. He can only give it to us when we are surrendered to Him. Wisdom you get from God. "Understanding or knowledge" is what you do with the wisdom God gives you. Job 28:28 - "..to stay away from evil is understanding." In other words—DO! Do what you have learned and stay away from evil. Do what I (God) have shown you. I could fill the pages of this book with what God calls evil. Not what I have decided is evil but what God has clearly said is evil. Understanding.   

Understanding is following the wisdom that God gives you when you fear Him. 

Proverbs 2:2–11 - "Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding. Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding. Search for it like silver and hunt for it like hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the LORD, and you will find you know God. Only the LORD gives wisdom; he gives knowledge and understanding. He stores up wisdom for those who are honest. Like a shield he protects the innocent. He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects those who are loyal to him. Then you will understand what is honest and fair and what is good and right to do. Wisdom will come into your mind, and knowledge will be pleasing to you. Good sense will protect you; understanding will guard you."

Proverbs 3:5–6 - "Trust the LORD with all your heart, and don't depend on your own understanding. Remember the LORD in all you do, and he will give you success."

Addendum: 12/30/14 ~ Proverbs 2:7–8 - "Like a shield he protects the innocent. He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects those who are loyal to him." Psalm 140:12–13 - I KNOW the LORD secures justice for the poor (makes sure that justice is done) and upholds the cause of the needy (protects the innocent). Surely the righteousness will praise his name and the upright (those who are loyal to Him) will praise HIS name.

Amazing promises. HE will protect us from "the storm."


Next Entry: Job 29:1 – 31:40

Job 27:1–23

January 20, 2011

Despite all the accusations that were constantly being hurled at him, Job knew that he was innocent and had a clear conscience. This whole chapter is amazing. There is so much I want to write about but can't.

The Bible says we reap what we sow. Even the world understands this and calls it "karma." I'm only responsible for what I sow. The if—when—where—or how there is "reaping" belongs to God and God alone. What I do know is that someday we will all stand before God. We will answer to Him for our life choices. Every knee will bow.

Job says the wicked will feel alone. What hope do they have? They amass things, but those things will disappear over night. Fears will overcome them; the wind will chase them; they will feel as if even the wind is making fun of them.

Job 27:11 - "I will teach you about the power of God and will not hide the ways of the Almighty."

The Life Lesson for Job 27 included these verses about a clear conscience.

Acts 24:13–16 - "They cannot prove the things they are saying against me... I always try to do what I believe is right before God and people."

Romans 9:1 - "My conscience is ruled by the Holy Spirit, and it tells me I am not lying."

I Timothy 3:9 - "With a clear conscience they must follow the secret of the faith that God make known to us."

Hebrews 9:14 - "He offered himself through the Eternal Spirit as a perfect sacrifice to God. His blood will make our consciences pure from useless acts so we may serve the living God."

I Peter 3:16 - "...but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life will be made ashamed."


Next Entry: Job 28:1–28  

Job 25:1 – 26:14

January 19, 2011

Job and his friends continue to go back and forth. Job continued to claim his innocence and his friends continued to accuse him of sin.

From the topical page inserts in my Bible:

Fear Insert: "Faith is often the child of fear.. .Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation... at the beginning of every act of faith there is often a seed of fear."

God's Presence Insert: "And because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper. But it is in burnished candles that God comes, and through whispered promises he speaks: 'When you doubt, look around; I am closer than you think.' "


Next Entry: Job 27:1–23

Job 22:1 – 24:15

January 18, 2011

Job 23:10-12 - "But God knows the way that I take, and when he has tested me, I will come out like gold. My feet have closely followed his steps; I have stayed in his way; I did not turn aside. I have never left the commands he has spoken; I have treasured his words more than my own." 

Life Lesson:

"We must come back to the truth that while God is in absolute control of all life, He is not the cause of all life's mishaps. Rather, His plan allows those mishaps for the great purpose of raising up "many brethren conformed to the image of Christ"... what we think is best and what He does are as different as whipped cream and concrete. We think He'll make us happy. In effect, we envision these warm, fuzzy feelings. But He plans to make us holy... it is through gaining God's perspective that we begin to see true wisdom." ~ From When God Seems Far Away by Mark R. Littleton

Addendum: 12/3/14 ~ "My feet have closely followed his steps; I have stayed in his way; I did not turn aside." Job started out by saying his thoughts in present tense and future tense. God knows.  I will be vindicated.Then he goes on to state his case in past tense.

God knows our hearts. We can trust him to judge fairly. We are: Walking and following HIM on His Footpath. Past. Present. Future. That is how I want to live my life and how I want my life to be known.


Next Entry: Job 25:1 – 26:14

Job 20:1 – 21:34

January 17, 2011

Zophar answers. Again assuming that what was happening to Job was because he was evil Zophar says, "The happiness of evil people is brief, and the joy of the wicked lasts only a moment. Their pride may be as high as the heavens, and their heads may touch the clouds, but they will be gone forever, like their own dung... Evil may taste sweet in their mouths, and they may hide it under their tongues. They cannot stand to let go of it; they keep it in their mouths. But their food will turn sour in their stomachs, like the poison of a snake (Psalm 140) inside of them... This is what God plans for evil people; this is what he has decided they will receive."

Job responds. Job is becoming weary. Weary from the emotional, physical, psychological, and mental toll of this trial. He is also weary of his friends falsely accusing him of being evil, and he expresses his frustration to them and God.

From Life Lesson:

"The key to forgiving others is to quit focusing on what they did to you and start focusing on what God did for you. Unforgiving servants always end up in prison. Prisons of anger, guilt, and depression. God doesn't have to put us in jail; we create our own.... Hatred will sour your outlook and break your back. The load of bitterness is simply to heavy. Your knees will buckle under the strain, and your heart will break beneath the weight. The mountain before you is steep enough without the heaviness of hatred on your back. The wisest choice, the only choice, is for you to drop the anger." ~ From In the Grip of Grace by Max Lucado

Addendum: 12/3/14 ~ Praise is key to forgiveness and letting go of hurts and anger because they cannot co-exist together. Praise keeps everything in life in the proper perspective. This is why we say that by far, the most important thing Jane (Her Name Was Jane) taught us, was the importance of keeping praise first and foremost in our lives. When praise is at the forefront of your lives, you can let go of everything else. All the real or perceived injustices—gone. Anger—gone. Fear—gone. Unrest—gone. Hurts—gone. Angst—gone. Self-imprisonment—gone. When those things are gone from your life, the voids where they once existed are filled with peace, joy, contentment, understanding, a calm demeanor, and freedom. When you open your hands to surrender and let go, your hands are also open to receive the blessings that only God can give. To hold onto grudges brings imprisonment. To let go brings freedom. We choose freedom. We choose to praise the LORD!


Next Entry: Job 22:1 – 24:15 

Job 18:1 – 19:29

January 13, 2011

Bildad speaks again. He speaks on the assumption that Job is reaping what he has sown. Bildad describes what happens to wicked people. While what he is saying is true, it does not apply to Job.

Job 18:7-10 - "They will fall into their own evil traps. Their feet will be caught in a net when they walk into its web. A trap will catch them by the heel and hold them tight. A trap for them is hidden on the ground, right in their path." (Exactly what they planned for others - Psalm 140.)

Job replies. Job 19:25-27 - "I know my Defender lives, and in the end he will stand upon the earth. Even after my skin has been destroyed, in my flesh I will see God. I will see him myself; I will see him with my very own eyes. How my heart wants that to happen!" Praise the LORD!!

From Life Lesson ~

Blamers - They avoid accepting responsibility for their actions by criticizing other people or blaming past experiences which cannot be changed or undone.
Hurtful Joker - They specialize in laughing at people instead of laughing with them.
Fault Finder - This person seems to have an insatiable need to point out others' defects... usually with a smile saying, "I'm just trying to be helpful."
Cannibals - These people don't criticize in a joking manner or settle for mere nitpicking. They go for the jugular... they attack through the most severe forms of personal criticism and put downs with complete disregard for the feelings of others. 

Destructive critics may say they are only interested in remodeling you into a better person by sharing a little constructive criticism. But in reality, these critics... are intent on putting you down, tearing you down, punishing you, and manipulating you. Their brand of criticism does not nourish, it poisons...

Remind yourself that you are responsible to answer to God and to yourself, not to the critical person. Being responsible to God, you look to Him for direction and approval.  Being responsible to yourself, you take ownership of your feelings, attitudes, and behavior. If you are aligned with God and with what He wants you to be, you don't need to fear criticism or try to justify your position. You have the power to make your own choices and grow through the experience of criticism.

As a nondefensive person, you respect and feel good about yourself. You believe in your worth and your capabilities. You possess your own identity and sense of security.

~ From How to Get Along with Almost Anyone By H. Norman Wright

Addendum: 12/1/14 ~ Wow! Looking back I can remember how much reading this encouraged me. Critics can say whatever they want. They can accuse, blame, and try to tear you down. But, whatever they try to falsely accuse you of doesn't really matter. Praise the Lord! I know the truth. I am perfectly comfortable answering to God and myself  I am not fearful of anyone and I have no need to try and justify myself. With some people you can't win, lose, or draw. My sister is one of those people. I can't change that. The only person I can change and am responsible for is myself. I choose to see myself through my Savior's eyes. I am an upright, honest, capable, and loving person who seeks to find the best in others and whose desire it is to do what I can to leave this world a better place from my time spent in it. I want my life to bring honor and glory to HIM. I am who I am because of who HE is. There is nothing I want more than to share the love of Christ and what I have learned along this journey with others. 

Oh, how I have changed. There was a time when I was very content to just live my life in my own safe little cocoon, and I was satisfied with that. No longer. I want my life to be an offering of praise to my Savior. I want to share HIS love with those who are lost or struggling on their own paths. I want to make a difference in HIS Kingdom. 

Addendum #2: 4/11/19 ~ There is song by Hillsong called Who You Say I Am. I love the words. Listen to it here. People who are seeking to harm you can accuse you of all sorts of things... but it doesn't matter. I am who HE says I am.


Next Entry: Job 20:1 – 21:34    

Job 15:1 – 17:16

January 12, 2011

Eliphaz continues. Again, much of what he says would be true if Job was being disciplined by God and reaping what he had sown. But Job wasn't being disciplined for his actions. Job was being tested (pruned) because of his uprightness, not because of sin. Pruning—verses—discipline.

Pruning and Testing: God allows things and events in our lives to grow us and increase our witness.   As a result, God gets the glory and good comes from it.

Discipline: Man reaping what he has sown. God holding him accountable for his actions and the sin in their lives. Unfortunately, many people have an incredible ability for self-denial and they choose to believe that they are being pruned and refuse to believe they are being disciplined and therefore accountable for their actions.

In Job's case his friends all assumed he was being disciplined, but he wasn't. If he was being disciplined their assertions would have been correct.

•  You can't shake your fist at God and not be held accountable.
•  The riches the wicked have will not last.
•  The wicked should not fool themselves by trusting in what is useless. (Their god is in their pocket.)
•  People who take money to do evil, who plan trouble and give birth to evil, who plan ways to trick others in their heart (Psalm 140), will not produce anything and their tents and things will be destroyed.

Job responds. He defends himself to his friends and God. He cries out to God for help. His spirit is broken. He is surrounded by people who insult him and want to harm him. 

Job 17:3-4 - "God, make me a promise... you have closed their minds to understanding. Do not let them win over me." The NIV says, "... therefore you will not let them triumph."

Job 17:5 - "A person might speak against his friends for money, but if he does, the eyes of his children go blind."  Blind—to truth. Blind—to salvation. Blind.

Job 17:8 - "Honest people are upset about this; innocent people are upset with those who do wrong. But those who do right will continue to do right, and those whose hands are not dirty with sin will grow stronger."  NIV - "Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger."

Addendum: 12/28/14 ~ There is no such thing as a little sin. Sin by its very nature progresses until it takes over. 

Job 16:34-35 - "People without God can produce nothing. Fire will destroy the tents of those who take money to do evil, who plan trouble and give birth to evil, whose hearts plan ways to trick others." Those verses remind me of both Psalm 140 and Psalm 7:14-16. "There are people who think up evil and plan trouble and tell lies. They dig a hole to trap others but they will fall into it themselves. They will get themselves into trouble; the violence they cause will hurt only themselves." The NIV says it this way - "He who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment." Psalm 140 - "Rescue me O Lord from evil men, Protect me from men of violence who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day... let the heads of those who surround me be covered with the trouble their lips have caused... I KNOW the Lord secures justice..."

Our faith is in the LORD and HIM alone. We believe HIS words. We trust in HIS promises. Job 17:8 - "Nevertheless, the righteous will hold to their ways, and those with clean hands will grow stronger."


Next Entry: Job 18:1 – 19:29

Job 11:1 – 14:22 (Continued)

January 11, 2011

"God prepares his people for what is coming."

Addendum:  12/1/14 ~ The only thing I have written on this day's entry was this quote from a sermon series I heard. It was a continuation from what I wrote the day before. The page was left blank intentionally because once again I wanted to write about things that I didn't feel I should yet put down on paper.As we look back over this seven year journey, we can see how God has prepared us all along the way. We didn't always understand it and the path didn't always appear to make sense, but the pages of this journal are filled with examples of how God prepared us all along the way. 


Next Entry: Job 15:1 – 17:16