Read Job 5 – 8
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty; If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous (Job 8:5-6).
Satan had come before the Lord to attack Job. He said if Job was not being so blessed by the Lord that he would not serve God. God gave the enemy permission to attack Job, but he would not be allowed to kill him.
Job suffered terribly during this persecution from the enemy. In a short period of time, Job had lost much of his worldly goods. Worse than that, Job had lost all his children.
In times like these, a person needs some encouragement. They need a friend to come around and say something to the effect that it is all going to be alright. You will normally see a good Christian brother or sister step into these situations to pray with someone who is hurting. They will let them know that God is still here and that He will not abandon them. Blessed be God . . . Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
That was not the sort of friends that Job had. Instead of offering support and encouragement, they attacked and accused Job of having done something horribly wrong to bring on the things that were happening to him. In their minds, there was little possibility that Job was living within the will of God or surely none of this would have been transpiring. This is reminiscent of a future conversation between Jesus and the disciples. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him (John 9:2-3).
These friends of Job never considered the fact that there could have been something much bigger happening there than their minds could conceive. They were so sure that this had to have been punishment for some sort of sin Job had committed, that they never gave a thought to the fact that this could all have been happening so that God's great glory could be shown.
There are times that those in our lives or even we ourselves may experience difficult times or great loss. We should never be quick to assume that we have God all figured out. He could be working something hidden that we will understand in God's time. We can only do our part. Trust in God and support those who need help.
We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves (Rom. 15:1).
Thought for Today:
It is difficult not to respond in kind to those who misjudge us, but God will enable us as we seek Him
Word Studies:
5:12 devices, plans, plotting; enterprise, schemes; 5:13 froward, deceitful; carried head long, frustrated; 5:18 maketh sore, inflicts pain; 6:3 swallowed up, rash; without restraint; 7:21 sleep in the dust, be dead in the grave; 8:5 seek . . . betimes, seek with earnestness; 8:11 flag, reed grass.
Christ Revealed:
Through Job's sorrowful condition (Job 7:1-6). Christ was known as a Man of sorrows . . . acquainted with grief (Is. 53:3). On the cross, separated from God in His humanity, Jesus felt the pain of that separation as well as the pain and suffering for all the sins of mankind for all time (Mark 15:34).
Prayer Suggestion: Intercede in prayer for others (Num. 21:7).
Optional Reading: Galatians 5
Memory Verse for the Week: Ecclesiastes 12:13
