The Point
Friday, July 10, 2020 Good morning, Lord V.O.D.: Psalm 51:17 ►The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. M.O.M.: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 Today's reading: Psalm 1-3 Acts 17:1-15
Finding The Point
What do you think is the real point God wants us to get from the book of Job? Think about that just for a minute.
Job was a wealthy man successful in all his endeavors. He was a Godly man who even made sacrifices for his children in case they had sinned. So was Job wealthy because he was so righteous? It that what we are to get from Job?
The devil walked in Heaven after walking all over the earth and challenged God to let him do whatever he could to get Job to curse God and God consented. Is God allowing our trials the point of Job? It could be.
Job lost everything except his life and his wife and even she challenged him to take the easy way out and die. Is this a message against suicide and giving up? Yes, it is.
Job made one of the most unforgettable statements in all of scripture: "Though He(God) slay me, I will trust Him". Surely, the entire book was worth that one statement.
Jobs' friends... well they were judgemental and harsh. Should we take this as the reason for Job in that we should speak only in love if we speak at all? This is a worthy statement.
God responds and scolds Job and friends alike. Are we to see that only God has the final word? No Doubt.
Could it be I have missed the reason for Job in one small statement? 10 And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. Job 42 God told Jobs' friends to bring animals for a sacrifice and that Job would pray for them and then said, "And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer."
God knew Job would be obedient in praying and sacrificing but also in forgiving his friends-forgiving them-the ones who had been so relentless in their judgement of Job. This is the meassage I now see in Job. Yes, there are many other points in Job but I have missed this one all these years.
How many of us have missed this lesson from God? No matter how bad life gets, judgement in anger and disgust is no substitute for the righteous attitude Jesus teaches us. A broken heart of a broken man or woman is a perfect place to learn the the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Mark 11:25 and whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
The scripture does not say that Job forgave his friends but from the scripture above we know that God heard Job's prayer so Job's forgiveness is implied and understood. God had told them all to make sacrifices. Along with the physical sacrifice was this: Psalm 51:17 ►The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
So, what we see in Job is: Job's broken and contrite heart and his obedience in doing sacrifices to God for his friends. God's acceptance, forgiveness and restoration.
Pain, in itself, is bad enough-an attiutude of unforgiveness deepens that pain. Anger in judgement adds misery. Life comes with the worst of times. Life in Christ comes with victory for all those times. God's loves endures all things.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven, Forgive me my judgement and anger. Help me to take all that captive and forgive. Father of restoration and forgiveness, In the name of Jesus, Amen