September 12: Job

Job's testing points out the value of our individual faith and its statement to a watching world. Satan received his best opportunities to knock the faith out of a righteous man, Job, but he would not curse God. While his friends circle him with seemingly airtight logic, Job comes to trust their wisdom less and to seek more of God. He does not hesitate to question God and assigns his trials to God's punishment or disciplining of him, but Job does not abandon his trust in God. Because we have received insight into Job's situation from Chapters No. 1 and 2, we have context for understanding Job's suffering: God had allowed the evil to occur in order to reveal Job's faith and ultimately point to God's own worthiness.

Job's three friends offer little comfort or encouragement but seek to discover the root cause of this apparently deserved judgment. Job understandably complains:

""I have heard many things like these;
miserable comforters are you all!
Will your long-winded speeches never end?
What ails you that you keep on arguing?
"I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head at you.
"But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort from my lips would bring you relief." (16:2-5)
　
Job's frustration calls to mind our own attitudes in light of others' suffering. We quickly look for "solutions" or causes before hearing the person and giving them the ministry of listening. As writer Paul David Tripp explains, we turn "moments of ministry" into "moments of ______." Job's friends chose "moments of self-righteousness" over "moments of ministry" and love.
　
In the midst of his friends' unhelpful speeches, Job offers some great testimonies about the character and faithfulness of the Almighty:

"'O earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend [a]
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend.'" (14:14-17)

"'O earth, do not cover my blood;
may my cry never be laid to rest!
Even now my witness is in heaven;
my advocate is on high.
My intercessor is my friend [a]
as my eyes pour out tears to God;
on behalf of a man he pleads with God
as a man pleads for his friend.'" (16:18-21)
　

In our own struggles, we may find ourselves doubting God's goodness or concern. We often conflate the well-deserved consequences of our sinful nature -- separation in relationships or brokenness, for example -- and the discipline and testing that God has designed for our growth. Often, outward circumstances drive home key inward lessons and bring us to a greater appreciation of God's grace and majesty. As we approach these challenges, we may take on an attitude of joy, reflecting our confidence in God's plan: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4) Furthermore, God's discipline or testing of our hearts helps us to grow as His children:

"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
　

QUESTIONS

1. As your friends run into difficulties, how can you better support them? Is your natural tendency to become an "answer" man or woman?

2. How might God view a recent setback or difficult set of circumstances? Perhaps you could ask Him for His insight.