Okay, I know I was suppose to write Friday about more Job stuff. My Tuesday and Friday plans were more like guidelines anyway, right? Well, instead of writing two or more posts about different sections of Job, I really just felt the urge to read ahead on this one and just finish Job (thus the reading verses 29-42 as well, sorry). So, I am done with Job completely and now will write a bit about it.
Job truly has to withstand an extreme test of faith here. And, although the Bible does give examples of suffering being the result of a person's sin, this book shows us that this cannot always be blindly applied to every situation. Job lost so much and suffered greatly, but Job was actually seen as pretty righteous and God does back him in the end. Though, God still lets Job know who's in charge here and that He doesn't really need to explain Himself. God kinda points out that neither Job nor his "friends" really have a right to make judgments about how He runs the world. Again, that being said, God did win the challenge against Satan as Job never cursed God, and God rewarded Job by basically giving back everything He took away, and then some. Now, he didn't actually get back the children that died, but he got new ones. I wasn't sure if I had realized this before, so it's interesting that I caught it this time around. I'm not going to question God here. I mean, we do read in 41 verse 11 that God says, "Who has given me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is mine." I would think that it would be hard not getting your old kids back too, but alas...
Now, a few things this book has taught me about suffering:
First off, some suffering is caused by Satan. God allowed it to happen, but Satan is the one who was causing Job's pain. Second, as I already stated, suffering doesn't always come as a result of sin. Sure, the Bible does support that basic principle of "a man reaps what he sows," but just as we are not to judge others, we have no right to apply this general rule to any particular person. God will know, we don't always get to know everything. Third, when we are suffering it can be okay to talk to God in anger, doubt, and despair, He can handle it. Have conversations with Him about how you feel. God did not condemn Job for expressing his anguish.
Something else I have learned would be that sometimes that best way to help someone who is suffering is to just sit with them and be silent. Just being there for someone and listening helps a lot. When Job's friends first learned of his troubles they sat with him a whole week to show support. This was basically the only good the friends did. When they started to judge and give bad advice, they were helping no one. Don't get me wrong, I still think a little advice is okay, especially when it's welcomed, but being there and listening does wonders.
Finally, I take from this that suffering can often be used for a higher good. God used Job's trials to win an important victory over Satan. Also, I'm not sure how much we can take from Elihu (the young guy who wasn't even Job's friend but kinda spoke up out of nowhere), but maybe he was bridging the gap between the misguided words from Job's three friends, and when God finally came to talk. Elihu seems to talk about suffering in a new way, in a way that suggest it can be a purifying influence. Suffering can improve a person, if received in the right spirit. I have to say that this was SO true for me. In a time when I thought the world was falling apart around me and I didn't really understand why God was "doing this to me", He really helped me heal and turn things around for the better. He gave me many blessings after my immense pain and I feel I did learn a lot from that time in my life and that I have a greater respect now and greater devotion to God. Though I could never have seen it at the time, that suffering was a blessing. God asks us for our faith, and if we aren't taking it seriously, sometimes He will do something to get our attention.
Okay, this is way too long again, dang it! Sorry, I totally get carried away before realizing it sometimes. A final note, we must continue to trust in God, even in times of great struggle, just as Job did. Job had it right from the start, go Job.
Next Reading
Wednesday (Tomorrow): To get you all caught up, finish Job (Chapters 29 through 42)
Thursday: back to Genesis Chapters 12 through 15
Friday: Genesis 16 through 18
Peace out.
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