Scripture Passage for Today
1 Then Job replied to the LORD:
2 “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.…
5 I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
6 I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
(Job 42:1-2, 5-6 NLT)
Observation
One Wednesday night at our church, we had a young fellow who was simply a handful. More than one adult had already spoken him to when I had reason to speak to him myself. More than just disruptive, he was utterly disrespectful.
After the young man was dealt with and sent back to his classroom, I complained to one of our leaders, suggesting that if the young man wasn’t going to obey, he wasn’t to come back. “We invest too much in time, money, and volunteer energy, “I said, “to have kids who don’t want to be here disrupting the progress those who do!”
That leader then began to explain to me the student’s background, and the neglectful, almost abusive treatment he experienced regularly in his own home. My attitude turned as suddenly as Job’s does here:
“I take back everything I said,
and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.”
(Job 42:6 NLT)
We’ve all had those moments when everything gets turned on its head. For chapter after chapter, Job has chased every extreme in his battle to affirm his own righteousness and question God’s justice—to call God on the carpet so that God might explain Himself to Job. God, instead, has now put Job on the witness stand and done a little questioning Himself! In a series of questions befitting a Law and Order courtroom closing, God has not bothered to answer Job, because God has shown that He has no obligation to do so—that His greatness does not require Him to answer to anyone—least of all, Job!
And because that is so—because Job recognizes that as so—God’s “non-answer” is enough. Job knows something about God he did not know before. Job knows God in a way He did not know Him before. Job’s questions, then, become to Job of no significance.
I have found that a fresh experience of God’s presence does seem to put things in perspective. To experience a rich sense of the presence of God…to experience—in a fresh way—His love, His grace, His care…tends to make whatever seemed so troublesome even moments before insignificant by comparison. For all else Job does, he reminds me again of how desperately I need to regularly experience the presence of God.
4 comments:
My perspective is God has his own agenda and if we are faithful to him we will be rewarded either in this life or the next. Sometimes we get swallowed up in our circumstances and forget that God is all knowing and has a plan for each and every one of us. We should not question God and be thankful each and every day for the things he does providde for us.
I love Job's 'break through' moments...he then transcended into a new arena where he 'knew' God even more intimatly...how great is that? Thank you Pastor for the journey into Job - this is the very first time that I have enjoyed reading this book in the Bible!!! Looking forward to Exodus!
"My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you." Is this a way of saying seeing is believing. I believe in God though i have never seen Him. why does it take Job to see God to back down from his questioning? I guess i am not getting what i am supposed to be getting from reading Job.
I take Job's words--"My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you"--as Job's way of simply expressing that he has now seen God in an entirely different light.
Job's a tough book to read, Joey--don't be discouraged if it seems difficult. I think, generally, people are somewhat awestruck with the wonder of who God is when they read the last few chapters. It seems that all the ranting and raving that Job does about how he'd like an audience with God disappears as his understanding of God deepens--kind of an "aha!" moment. All the questions that were so troubling (my opinion) are a lot less troubling--just don't seem to matter as much--when someone has a glimpse of God's greatness.
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