January 29 - Job 35:1-37:24

Good morning everyone,

Today we begin our reading with Job still silent and Elihu, well … not. For a third time Elihu attempts to show Job that he has misspoken. Elihu says that Job has said it does not matter whether he sins or not because he gains nothing by not sinning. Elihu thinks it is unjust and inconsistent for Job to expect vindication, to be proved right, from God and at the same time imply God does not care whether we are righteous or not.

I am going to be honest with you here, this dialog has gone on and on and on, with the very same things being said to Job over and over again and quite frankly I get a little frustrated at all the supposed wisdom, miss quotes and false accusations coming from those addressing Job, and while there are some truths in what is being said I can only imagine how “over it” he, Job, with all his physical discomfort, and knowing he is innocent, must have been too. What was in the beginning meant to be encouragement has now turned into plain hurtful talk. 

When we are going through trials and grief such as Job was, I think it is perfectly normal for us to express our feelings, wonder where God is, long for Him. Look at Psalm 42:1-5 for a moment, the author, though unknown is thought to be King David, he is at a terrible time in his life and he writes, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” - He is heart broken, he wants to feel the presence of his God close to him once more. Is it any different for Job? No, not even.

It is these times, when our faith is being exercised, that we need to dig deeper. We need to take a good look at what’s going on around us and then use all the tools God has provided us with to get through it, to get the job done. Where I live we don’t have water from the city instead we have a well on our property. Now, my husband’s job takes him away from the home for days at a time and inevitably it is when he is gone that the well stops working. Knowing this can happen my husband has spent an obscene amount of time trying to explain to me what to do “IF” the well quits. He has gone over dozens of scenarios and solutions to the problems, and has a little blue toolbox in the pump house with all the possible proper tools I would ever need to do the job. I am equipped, but still when the pump breaks down my first thought is “ughh, where is my husband when I need him” and I panic thinking ,”now what am I going to do”. It is when I exercise my faith in what my husband has told me and use the tools he has left me that I am able to get through the unpleasant situation. Although on a much grander scale it is the exact same thing with God. He has left us the the proper tool, the BIBLE, our Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, we just need to use it along with exercising our faith in Him and it won’t be long before we will feel God’s presence close to us again once more. Job will! Job will not only feel God’s presence but will be rewarded for his having come through the trials without cursing God. 

God loves us. He loves you! He loves me! 

I pray you have a great day. To God be the glory!

God bless you all …