Sunday, August 9, 1998
Job 42:1
Several things are worth noting in chapter 42. First is verse
1, Job openly and honestly faced God and admitted that he was the one who had been foolish. He used what he didn’t understand as an excuse for not trusting God? Verse 6, Throughout the book, Job’s friends had asked him to admit his sin and ask for forgiveness. Here Job does repent. However, Job’s repentance was not the kind called for by his friends. Job did not ask for forgiveness for committing secret sins, but for questioning God’s sovereignty and justice. Job repented of his attitude and acknowledged God’s great power and perfect justice. Since we are locked into time, we are unable to see beyond today. We cannot know the reasons for everything that happens. Thus we must often choose between doubt and trust. Will you trust God with your unanswered questions? Verse 7, God made it clear that Job’s 3 friends were wrong. The fact that God did not mention any specific sins shows that God confirmed Job’s claim to have led a devout and obedient life. Job’s friends had made the error of assuming that Job’s suffering was caused by some great sin. They were judging Job without knowing what God was doing. We must be careful to avoid making judgments about a person, because God may be working in ways we do not know. Job’s friends made a serious error, for which God rebuked them. They assumed that trouble comes only because people sin. People make the same error today when they assert that sickness or lack of material blessing is a sign of unconfessed sin or lack of faith. In a world invaded by sin, calamity and suffering may come to good and bad alike. Verse 10, After receiving much criticism, Job was still able to pray for his friends. It is difficult to forgive someone who has accused you of wrong doing, but Job did. Are you praying for those who have wronged you? Can you forgive them? Follow the actions of Job, and pray for those who have wronged you. Would the message of the book of Job change if God had not restored to Job his former blessings? NO.
God is still sovereign. Jesus said that anyone who gives
up something for the kingdom of God will be repaid. Our restoration may or may not be the same kind as Job’s, which was both spiritual and material. Our complete restoration may not be in this life-but it will happen. God loves us, and he is just. He will not only restore whatever we have lost unjustly, but he will give us more than we can imagine as we live with Him in eternity. Cling tightly to your faith through all your trials, and you too will be rewarded by God - if not now, in the life to come. This does not mean God is indifferent, uncaring, unjust, or powerless to protect us. Bad things happen because we live in a fallen world where both believers and unbelievers are hit with tragic consequences of sin. God allows evil for a time, although he often turns around for our good. We may have no answers as to why God allows evil, but we can be sure God is all powerful and knows what he is doing. The next time you face trials and dilemmas, see them as opportunities to turn to God for strength. You will find a God who only desires to show his love and compassion to you. If you can trust him in pain, confusion, and loneliness, you will win the victory and eliminate doubt, one of satan’s greatest footholds in your life. If God is your foundation, you can never be separated from his love. "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted." Amen
Our
thanks to the
IPoint Midi Gallery
for the Hymn
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