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Friday, April 21, 2023

Short Reflection from Job 28-42

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (DRU) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟠:𝟚𝟠

"And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; And to depart from evil is understanding.'"

Before King Solomon, Before Moses, Before Abraham, Job knew this truth concerning wisdom.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟚𝟡:𝟚

"Oh that I were as in months gone by, As in the days when God watched over me"

Job felt forsaken by God. He recalled his life before this suffering. What a testimony he had! What a life he lived! Indeed, Satan would want to tempt such man to shame God.

I think it's Lee Strobel, who said that before his conversion he would love to date Christian girls to let them commit sin.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟘:𝟙

"But now those younger than I mock me, Whose fathers I disdained to put with the dogs of my flock."

Job not only disliked egg without salt 🙂 He disliked mockery too! At least I can identify with Job in some areas! 😂

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟙:𝟛𝟛

"Have I covered my transgressions like Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom,"

Satan defeated Adam but couldn't defeat Job. Even here, Job talked about his life's principles, and was striving to be better than Adam. We must also...

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟚:𝟙𝟙

"Behold, I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, While you pondered what to say."

A positive lesson from Elihu: to wait silently!

A negative lesson: to not speak harshly!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟛:𝟙𝟜

"Indeed God speaks once, Or twice, yet no one notices it."

Indeed, God has sufficiently spoken. And His revelations are sufficiently available! No one can find fault with God.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟜:𝟙𝟚

"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice."

That's why I am glad when Apostle John said Jesus is our advocate. And He said I belong to Him. So, what do I care what the chorus of hell, heaven, and earth says? The justifier is my advocate! And everything He does is not only just but good and for my own good!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟝:𝟞-𝟠

"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man."

Elihu is basically saying no action of ours affects God, it only affects fellow man. There's a truth in his statement, which I find so fascinating!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟞:𝟝

"Behold, God is mighty but does not despise any; He is mighty in strength of understanding."

People often trample others to be seen. They exalt themselves in the humiliation of others. But God is mighty, He does not need to do such. He does not need to trample, humiliate, or despise anyone to exalt himself.

Let's learn this attribute of God as we seek glory for ourselves—not to pull others down.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟟:𝟚𝟛-𝟚𝟜

"The Almighty--we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power And He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him; He does not regard any who are wise of heart."

But in reality, most people hardly fear God because they don't know the greatness of God!

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟠:𝟜𝟙

"Who prepares for the raven its nourishment When its young cry to God And wander about without food?"

The question implies that God cares about the needs of the raven. And if God cares about the raven, will He not look after us? Jesus would likewise ask, are we not worth than two sparrows? 😇

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟛𝟡:𝟙𝟛-𝟙𝟟

"The ostriches' wings flap joyously With the pinion and plumage of love, For she abandons her eggs to the earth And warms them in the dust, And she forgets that a foot may crush them, Or that a wild beast may trample them. She treats her young cruelly, as if they were not hers; Though her labor be in vain, she is unconcerned; Because God has made her forget wisdom, And has not given her a share of understanding."

God is really great. His creations declare so.

I remember a story about a man who was questioning the wisdom of God. He was lying under a big tree which bears small nuts. He also saw a climber that bears big pumpkins. He thought these to be highly mismatched saying that it looks fitting for a big tree to yield big pumpkins and a climber to bear small nuts.

As he was murmuring, a nut fell upon his tooth. And he shouted in pain, "Ouch!" Then he said, "Oh! If it was pumpkin, I would have died. God must be wiser than me!"

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟘:𝟛-𝟝

"Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘Behold, I am insignificant; what can I reply to You? I lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken, and I will not answer; Even twice, and I will add nothing more.’"

God is so great that everyone will humble themselves at His appearing! How fortunate that we are told the greatness of God before we face Him.

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟙:𝟙𝟙

"Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine."

This puts us in the proper perspective of our life, possession, and situations. God can do whatever He wants. And how great that He does everything good for those (and only) who love Him (Rom.8:28)

 

𝕁𝕠𝕓 𝟜𝟚:𝟙𝟘

"The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold."

Hmm! God is a restorer! What seems lost on account of living to glorify God shall be revealed to have yielded manifold according to the story of Job and the promise of our Lord in the New Testament! 😇PTL!