My Servant

O. T. #1161  "My Servant"
March 2, 2018
Job 42-Part 2
Then the Lord asked Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job?" Job 1:9

LET IT GLOW

We left Job sitting in dust and ashes, having confessed his sins and repented of them. Job admitted that he did not understand how things functioned and why things happened; that God knows all and is in control of all things, not him. Job did not have all the answers to the questions God asked him. He was humbled as low as dust.
Someone once said, "Job is not suffering because of sinning, but he was sinning in his suffering."

Read that sentence again. How was Job sinning in his suffering? Even though Job did not know why he was suffering, he should have trusted that God had His reasons and purpose for it. God is perfect in all His ways and does all things right, without mistakes. (God had allowed Satan to cause Job to suffer in order to prove that righteous Job would remain so and not turn away from God, cursing Him.) In that respects, Job passed the test.

Job continued to proclaim to his four friends that not all suffering is due to sin. However, they insisted suffering was because the person sinned, one by one. What a harsh picture of God they drew. They left no room for grace and mercy. Although our Holy God is Judge and proclaims justice, He is forgiving, too. They will soon find that out.

Well, is this the lesson we are to learn from all that Job went through? Do we judge people who have bad things happen to them, saying they brought it on themselves because of such and such sin?
We are not in position to make such a judgment. Only God is.


LET IT GROW

After the Lord finished speaking to Job, He spoke to the three friends, telling them:

• To Eliphaz, god was angry with him and his two friends;
• they had not spoken accurately about God as His servant Job had;
• take 7 rams and 7 bulls to His servant Job and offer them as a burnt offering for themselves;
• My servant Job will pray for them;
• God would accept his prayer on their behalf;
• God would not treat them as they deserved, for they did not speak accurately about Him as His servant Job did.

So Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar did as the Lord commanded them, and the Lord accepted Job's prayer.

Did you count the number of times that God referred to Job as "My servant?" The love relationship between God and Job continued as it was before. Job was still a person of priestly status as when his children were alive. God never quit loving Job, never stopped watching his suffering. He knew what was going on the whole time.

Will we continue to be God's servant, even if we have to suffer for it? Even if bad things happen to us, will we keep our love relationship with our God?
We pray for blessings, healings, prosperity, no suffering. but if we never experience those things in our life, will we experience God as our strength, our healer, our understanding God whose grace is sufficient?
Will we doubt His goodness and love? Or will we hold fast to Him, touching Jesus' hem of His kingly garment, reaching out for mercy?
What if our disappointments and sufferings are what we need in order to make us more like Jesus?
In order to show others what He is like.
O Christian, it will make heaven a million times better when we get there, after going through suffering.

LET IT GO

You are high and lifted up, sitting on Your throne, Jesus.
We sing holy, holy, holy to the Holy Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
Your will,
Your way,
today,
I pray.
Please Jesus, bring each of us through our sufferings, to endure for Your glory.
Your servant loves You.