Today's Reading:

Job 29
Job 30
Job 31
Job 32

 
“Oh, for the days when I enjoyed God’s intimate friendship” (Job29:4). Such a tender line. Job was not talking about a distant religion, he was remembering when God felt close, like his closest friend. Think about your best friend, the one who finishes your sentences, who knows your favorite food, and can predict exactly how you’ll react before you do, who knows your darkest secrets and still chooses to stay. That is the intimacy Job had with God, and that is what God wants with us still. We do not learn of God’s character and have a heart change by reading a verse a day or showing up on Sunday. In those instances, we learn the little things, like a favorite color. We only learn God’s heart by spending real, unhurried time with Him. Job could say God is my best friend because he had the longing in his heart to be in God’s presence. The door to that sort of friendship is open for us too, and Jesus paid the price so we could walk through that door and be with God, in His presence, for free. All we have to do is pull up a chair and stay for a while.

In Job’s final defense to his friends, he longed for the past and the blessings in life that were seen because he had been living in luxury. His driveway was practically paved with cream and olive oil. Job’s defense was because he was good. He rescued the poor, walked in righteousness. He was awesome! He was held in high regard throughout the community. He was valued, his opinions mattered, he was on the council and personally seeked out.

But now. Now there was no regard for Job at all. With Job’s pride and entitlement and feeling of being perfect, he now felt that all of his honor was gone. Job went from a kingly figure to a laughingstock. Now, the young men mock him. The fathers of those men were not even good enough to watch Job’s dogs. They were banished and became hobo’s eating weeds and dust in the desert, yet the young men spit in his face! Job said that if he had ever done wrong then by all means let the horrible things happen to him. If he sexually lusted at a woman, if he was unfair, if he rejoiced over an enemy, if he ignored the poor, if, if, if…but he had not, he was perfect in his own eyes. Chapter 31 was practically a resume of his goodness.

Enter Elihu, friend #4. He had been sitting quietly in the background. He was much younger than the rest so out of respect he had stayed quiet but now exploded in anger. Elihu was angry that Job justified himself rather than God. Angry with the three friends “because they found to answer” to help Job. He basically called them all idiots- and said let me tell you what is really going on. Elihu apologized for his youth but asked why his age should even matter in his response because he was obviously smarter. Elihu was so mad he was ready to burst like a wine skin if he did not speak up. He then called out Job directly. He would not respond to Job’s predicament with the 3 friend’s same arguments. Elihu’s argument was that it was not about your own goodness Job. When suffering comes about, why do we tend to make it about how good (or bad) we’ve been- and what must happen in our hearts before we are ready to let it be about God instead?

Today's Discussion question: 

When suffering comes about, why do we tend to make it about how good (or bad) we’ve been, what did we do wrong or right to “deserve” it?- And what must happen in our hearts before we are ready to let it be about God instead?

Click here to link to our Facebook group for discussion, questions, and additional content.